**building HIGH-END furniture then selling it for $20. — Transcript & Summary | SozAI**
Source: https://sozai.app/transcript/building-high-end-furniture-selling-20/

Woodworker builds a high-end credenza over 120 days, upgrades tools, and auctions it starting at $20.

## Key Takeaways

- Taking risks can lead to significant personal and creative growth.
- Proper tools and upgrades, like the SawStop saw, improve safety and efficiency.
- Design choices such as asymmetry can elevate furniture aesthetics beyond standard manufacturing.
- Space is a critical limiting factor in woodworking productivity.
- Community support and collaboration can enhance project outcomes.

## What the video covers

- The creator takes a major career risk by investing 120 days and all savings into building a unique high-end credenza.
- He sources white oak from G&H Hardwoods and designs an asymmetrical, practical piece to stand out from typical manufacturing.
- The build process includes milling, resawing with blade challenges, and upgrading to a SawStop table saw for safety.
- He receives support from fellow YouTuber Drew (WittWorks) who sends a domino joiner and Carter Products bandsaw upgrades.
- Shop organization and tool maintenance are emphasized, including installing a new 220V line for dust collection and tools.
- The creator experiments with joinery techniques like wedged through tenons, half-blind dovetails, and dowel half laps.
- He reflects on constraints in woodworking, concluding space and design challenges outweigh time and money.
- The video includes moments of frustration, learning, and problem-solving during the build.
- He plans to auction the finished piece starting at $20, inviting viewers to judge the success of the design.
- Throughout, the creator shares insights on woodworking, tool setup, and the creative process.

## Chapters

1. 00:00 Introduction and Career Risk
2. 01:03 Design and Material Selection
3. 01:44 Milling and Bandsaw Blade Challenges
4. 03:05 Tool Upgrades and Shop Reorganization
5. 04:39 Setting Up the SawStop Table Saw
6. 06:44 Community Support and Equipment Gifts
7. 07:54 Electrical Upgrades and Shop Maintenance
8. 09:22 Design Intentions and Joinery Challenges
9. 11:33 Building Drawers and Final Assembly
10. 18:43 Reflections on Space and Productivity

Answers

## Questions about this video

Why did the creator choose the SawStop table saw over the Harvey?

The creator chose the SawStop for its superior safety features after advice from a fellow woodworker who emphasized the importance of finger safety.

What were the main challenges faced during the resawing process?

The initial bandsaw blade was not suitable for resawing, causing wobbly cuts and nearly ruining boards, which led to purchasing a proper resaw blade and receiving upgrades from Carter Products.

How does the creator handle shop space limitations?

He reorganized the shop by removing less necessary tools, installing a mobile cart for the planer, adding a new 220V line for dust collection, and reflects on whether renting more space would improve productivity.

## Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

00:00

Speaker A

What's the biggest career risk you've ever taken? Maybe you've never taken a risk before.

00:07

Speaker A

Well, this video is mine. I just spent the last 120 days and all my savings just to build this piece of furniture.

00:17

Speaker A

And now I'm going to auction it off starting at $20. [music] But first, I want to show you what I'm about to make and then I'll show you how I make it.

00:29

Speaker A

This is Late Night Woodworking. The beginning is the most intimidating part. But if you're too afraid to start, you'll never finish. And we are starting off by going to G&H Hardwoods, the only place I get hardwood.

00:50

Speaker A

To make the credenza, we're keeping it classy and going with some white oak. There are thousands of variations online, but none of them pique my interest. So, the goal here is to design one that will stand out amongst the

01:03

Speaker A

rest. I've never made one before, but I'm confident that mine will be better than anything typical manufacturing can provide.

01:12

Speaker A

With the design figured out and the wood picked up, it's time to get to milling.

01:18

Speaker A

I get a lot of people messaging me, "How do you know how much wood to get?" My answer is the same every time.

01:25

Speaker A

I don't. I take a good guess, then I get a little more than that.

01:31

Speaker A

Most of the time, I still end up going back to get more. For this project, I bought eight quarter white oak boards with a plan to resaw them into four quarters to double my material.

01:44

Speaker A

But that didn't go as smoothly as I hoped it would. So, I've milled up a couple of the sides on all these boards, and the plan is to resaw them, but the blade on my bandsaw isn't a resaw blade. I'm going to go get

02:02

Speaker A

that right now. I will be right back. Very wobbly cut on the first attempt.

02:26

Speaker A

Nearly made one of the boards too thin to even use. Okay, I've got my other blade back on and I'm going to try a piece just to see, you know, how it cuts.

02:40

Speaker A

[music] [music] Look at how much of a difference there is. This is a blade I was using before.

02:55

Speaker A

This is the new blade I just bought today. This one's got burn marks all over it, just huge waves. This one, you know, there's a little bit of waves, but it's not even a blade that's meant for resawing. I don't know. I'm going to

03:05

Speaker A

bring the blade back tomorrow, which sucks because I have to drive back to Seattle. I feel like I just wasted half of my day, but you know, it is what it is. I simply don't know what's going on

03:14

Speaker A

with that blade. I'm building my table saw on my computer right now and it's quite expensive, but thanks to you guys, I don't have to pay for most of it. So, I appreciate that. I'm not going to show

03:34

Speaker A

you which saw I'm getting until I actually receive it and unbox it, but I'm about to buy it. With the table saw on its way, I need to make some space in the shop.

03:45

Speaker A

The first tool that needs to go is the miter saw. While it's useful, it's not completely [music] necessary.

03:51

Speaker A

Obviously, my old table saw is next and Matt from G&H Hardwoods gave me a mobile cart for my planer.

03:58

Speaker A

Now I can wheel it in and out of the shop whenever I need it.

04:02

Speaker A

That should be enough space for all the new tools. Right on time I received word from Equipment Sales and Surplus that my new table saw is ready for pickup.

04:12

Speaker A

If you never heard of them, they're a scratch and dent retailer so they have basically brand new equipment that's heavily marked [music] down.

04:20

Speaker A

While they're local to me, they do ship so you should definitely check them out.

04:30

Speaker A

Should we put a moving blanket down on the ground so it doesn't scratch? As you guys can see, I decided to go with the 3 horsepower SawStop.

04:39

Speaker A

I know many of you really wanted me to go with the Harvey but I was talking with my buddy Drew from the YouTube channel WittWorks and he said, "When you're on your way to the hospital with your fingers in a

04:49

Speaker A

sandwich bag." Yeah, he didn't need to finish that sentence. That convinced me right there.

04:56

Speaker A

I like my fingers. So I apologize to anybody who donated and really wanted me to get the Harvey.

05:04

Speaker A

I trust you guys and I'm sure it's nice but I just didn't want to risk it.

05:11

Speaker A

I don't know why but setting up tools is one of my favorite things. There's just something so satisfying about it.

05:18

Speaker A

I think one day I wouldn't mind buying some older equipment to restore. That's actually one of my favorite types of content to consume on YouTube.

05:46

Speaker A

[snorts] I now have the table saw set up and the dust collection system set up. The only problem is I need to do the extra 220 line. I can't run them both at the same time yet. Feels good though to have some

06:02

Speaker A

new tools in the shop. This SawStop looks so good. Oh my gosh. As always, I will be nervous to turn it on, you know, spinning blades and all. All right, I don't want to wait any longer, so I'm

06:13

Speaker A

just going to turn the table saw on. Here we go. Oh, it stops quickly. It's kind of a loud startup. I mentioned a bit ago that I was chatting with Drew about the table saw.

06:35

Speaker A

Yes, that was supposed to be a minor flex. Although I've never actually met him, he's been a big help to me so far on my YouTube journey.

06:44

Speaker A

The other day he reached out to see if I had a need for his product called the Wit Grip. And while I think the name is awesome, I told him no because it's for a domino joiner and I don't actually own

06:56

Speaker A

a domino joiner. I'm only borrowing one from a friend. A few days later, a package shows up at my door and lo and behold, a brand new domino joiner.

07:06

Speaker A

We also talked about the bandsaw blade issue that I was having earlier in the video. So, he connected me with his buddies over at Carter Products, who from what I hear, are the bee's knees when it comes to bandsaws.

07:18

Speaker A

They ended up sending me a care package to upgrade my bandsaw and oh my goodness, it makes a difference.

07:25

Speaker A

Thank you, Drew. My cousin got here pretty early this morning, 6:30 a.m., and he installed a new 220 line. So, we got the 220 to the dust collection and then we got another 220 to use for the other tools.

07:54

Speaker A

I spend almost an hour every day cleaning the shop. So, this is a lot of time that I'll get back on my hands.

08:01

Speaker A

Thank you, Jimmy. You're the best. [music] [music] Going into this project, I had a couple of intentions.

08:58

Speaker A

First, I wanted to see what I could build barring time and money. Those are always two huge constraints with every project. And by removing these limitations, I figured in the end I would have my best work yet.

09:11

Speaker A

But, I'm shocked by what I've concluded. I've come to realize that those two constraints aren't even in the top two.

09:18

Speaker A

They're probably number three and four. I'll get to the first and second ones later.

09:22

Speaker A

My second intention was to forego a symmetrical design. Well, yes, there are a couple symmetrical features.

09:30

Speaker A

This cabinet's design is largely asymmetrical. I did this because I love symmetry, but I think it's easier to make a symmetrical design look good.

09:40

Speaker A

However, when you have an asymmetrical design and it still looks good, those are well and above a symmetrical one.

09:46

Speaker A

And my last intention was to build a more practical piece of furniture, one that could fit in basically any home.

09:52

Speaker A

You guys will have to let me know how I did. Right now, I'm working on the joinery for the main box.

10:02

Speaker A

The original plan was to do a wedged through tenon, but I got worried because of how close the mortises were to the end of the board. And I think if I wedge them, they would have just broken off from the

10:13

Speaker A

pressure. Just look at that. It looks so fragile. So, I decided to call an audible and try something different. But I don't fix this until later in the build. So, for now, I just have to be careful putting

10:25

Speaker A

this thing together and taking it apart. Things are moving faster. The walls are caving in.

10:58

Speaker A

Another disaster. And how does this all end? It's not [music] that I don't care, but you're asking too much and I can't fake love and [music] it's always about you.

11:13

Speaker A

Isn't that true? [music] So, show what for? I can never tell. I wish I knew what you want me to say.

11:33

Speaker A

'Cause we're trying to [music] You're joking. How do I do that? It's like I could like cry right now.

12:04

Speaker A

Somehow, when I was cutting the slotting dovetails for the dividers, I flipped the distances on the top piece. This mistake nearly b

12:13

Speaker A

But once I relaxed a bit, I just decided to patch it and move on.

12:18

Speaker A

There was nothing else I could do. Fortunately, this is on the bottom side of the top piece, so you'll likely never see it.

12:26

Speaker A

Nonetheless, I need to be more careful in the future because I may not be so lucky.

12:47

Speaker A

I have just set up what is probably the sketchiest router table. Sacrificed my crosscut sled for my old table saw. I just have the saw stop now, so I'm going to need to build a new sled anyways. I'm

12:58

Speaker A

just worried about the stability of a tall piece with such a short fence. We're going to have to try it out.

13:22

Speaker A

[snorts] Ah, there you go. Oh, there Oh. Since I have the main portion of the cabinet built, it's now time to start working on the drawers.

15:34

Speaker A

First, just look how nicely this saw cuts 2-in wide oak in one pass. That would have taken at least four on my old saw.

15:42

Speaker A

Anyway, back to the drawers. The first thing I need to do is mill all the necessary components.

15:48

Speaker A

For these drawers, I'm doing half-blind dovetails in the front and dowel half laps in the back. I've never done them before, so I know it's going to be a challenge, but I'm a huge fan of the way they look, so I think it'll be worth it.

16:01

Speaker A

Even though I knew it was going to be difficult, I still underestimated how long it was going to take.

16:07

Speaker A

I thought I could get it done in 2 days. It took closer to five.

16:11

Speaker A

That does include re-sawing and milling, plus I was doing four drawers, so I feel like it's understandable.

16:20

Speaker A

[panting] [snorts] [panting] Keeping your tools sharp is one of those things where you think you'll get around to it, but you never do. Then you need it, and the tool isn't sharp. That's why I've decided to dedicate 1 day a week to

16:56

Speaker A

shop maintenance. So, I'll be doing things like sharpening tools, building jigs, or general tool maintenance. And if none of that needs to be done, then I'll spend time editing videos and designing other projects. I think this is a good way to just keep on top of

17:10

Speaker A

everything outside the actual woodworking. I'll try to combine these days to make its own video. Another idea I had was to start streaming my workshop on Twitch one day a week for about 4 to 5 hours.

17:22

Speaker A

I figure since I post on YouTube so infrequently that you guys might like to check in and see how projects are going.

17:29

Speaker A

I'm really curious what you guys think about that. So, let me know in the comments.

17:35

Speaker A

[panting] [snorts] The real reason it took 5 days to make these drawers is because I just care too much about how the joinery turns out. To me, that's what separates a professional from an amateur. And in the end, I think

19:04

Speaker A

the drawers turned out pretty good. On the back of the drawers, I used dowels to secure the half laps in place, but I didn't show this because I got lazy.

19:13

Speaker A

I do have a surprise with the drawers later, though, so we will come back and finish those off.

19:19

Speaker A

For now, I'm going to work on the edge profiling of the main portion of the cabinet. I've got to do it before I glue it together, otherwise it's going to be pretty much impossible.

19:53

Speaker A

[music] [music] [music] [music] [music] I normally try to limit the amount of plywood used in my projects to just the back.

20:44

Speaker A

But, for this cabinet, I had to incorporate it in the shelves that I'm making right here.

20:48

Speaker A

I did this because I wanted the shelves to be adjustable, which means that they can't be attached to the cabinet. So, if I were to make it from hardwood, it's likely that they would warp over time. I veneered the edges using some offcuts,

21:01

Speaker A

hand plane them flat, and I must say, they look pretty good. This was my solution for the fragile edges of the cabinet.

21:21

Speaker A

Dowels. Deep dowels. This reinforces the joint giving the edges strength and it holds the tenons in place. When I looked up pinned through mortise, I didn't see anything that looks like this, but I would bet money that I'm not the first person to

21:36

Speaker A

do this. I'll glue these in right after I pre-finish some of the cabinet. It's going to be too big and heavy to move around on my own.

21:44

Speaker A

So, I have to do it before I glue the cabinet together. I'm using Osmo 3051 raw matte. This is my favorite finish on white oak.

21:55

Speaker A

Love one day. I don't want nobody but you. Nobody but you. You're fickle and funny.

22:17

Speaker A

I'm foolish. But honey I don't want [singing] nobody but you. Nobody but you. You star in [singing] all my hazy visions.

22:42

Speaker A

Imagining [singing and music] what we could be. What we could be. Well, I've dreamed it before and you'll be my reality.

22:56

Speaker A

You'll see. Don't nobody [singing] Here is a special piece of white oak that I bought in the beginning of the video.

23:44

Speaker A

It comes from the burl wood on the tree. I've been using burl wood in a lot of projects lately because I think it adds a nice touch if used right.

23:55

Speaker A

I'm sure every woodworker goes through a phase like this and I'm just in the middle of mine.

24:01

Speaker A

Just like with the Claro cabinet, I'll be using it on the door, but this time it will be a single sliding door.

24:08

Speaker A

I saved this part for the end because I was incredibly stressed about it. If I messed up or it didn't look good, it was going to be a $400 mistake.

24:31

Speaker A

Damn. That went so smooth. I was so worried about that for uh such a long time, but thanks to the new bandsaw blade from Carter Products, I appreciate it, guys.

25:10

Speaker A

Thanks for sending that out. It cut through the wood like butter. I can't even lie. I'm not getting paid to say that. They sent them to me for free, but honestly, that was incredible. So, I have four veneer pieces now. I just need

25:23

Speaker A

to cut this MDF piece that I just went and picked up. I need to cut it to size, and then I'll be vacuum pressing these onto it. Come on.

25:36

Speaker A

We're getting to the home stretch of the video, so I think now is a perfect time to tell you guys about how you can support me.

25:43

Speaker A

The free and easiest way is to subscribe. I know most of you are watching this on a TV, so it might be a little bit more difficult, but I worked incredibly hard on building this cabinet and editing this video.

25:58

Speaker A

So, if you enjoyed it, I would kindly ask you to subscribe. I'm so close to 50,000, it hurts.

26:06

Speaker A

If you want to go beyond that, you can go to my Patreon and become a member.

26:11

Speaker A

It costs $5 a month, but in return, I laser engrave your name on my crosscutting sled.

26:17

Speaker A

This is me adding my most recent patrons now. I'll be building a new crosscutting sled soon, so if you're not an active member, unfortunately, your name won't make the list.

26:28

Speaker A

$5 may not seem like a lot, but it adds up, and it really helps me pay for projects like this.

26:34

Speaker A

If you decide to become a member, thank you so much. And lastly, I have plans available on my website to build a workbench like mine, as well as merchandise that you see me wearing throughout the video.

26:47

Speaker A

As always, links will be in the description. I want to go back to my earlier point about the most limiting factors to my work.

27:41

Speaker A

I'd say the number one limiting factor for me is space. My shop is tiny. I have no extra space. So, when I'm building a cabinet like this, and it's assembled on my workbench, there's no room to do anything.

27:56

Speaker A

This forces me to assemble and disassemble the cabinet over and over again. And throughout the project, it adds up on time, and it's incredibly frustrating. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and the solution may seem easy, but it's not that simple.

28:14

Speaker A

I have a couple of options. The first and cheapest option is to just stay where I am and stop complaining. It's free and accessible.

28:24

Speaker A

But, that option is only realistic for so much longer. I can't stay at my parents' forever.

28:30

Speaker A

Option number two. I can rent shop space. It's easy to find something between 750 and 1,500 square feet. The problem is around here, industrial space is expensive.

28:43

Speaker A

Can I justify spending between two and three thousand dollars per month on rent? Will that extra space make up for the cost by allowing me to be more productive?

28:52

Speaker A

It's hard to say. The third option is to save up money and buy a piece of land.

28:58

Speaker A

I could probably find something between 100 and 150,000 dollars. Then I'd build myself a timber frame shop and a small house.

29:06

Speaker A

That would be a pretty fun process to document. But there's just so much red tape and complications to doing something like that.

29:14

Speaker A

It seems like a headache. Option number three is probably my favorite, but I'm curious what what you guys think.

29:21

Speaker A

I'm sure many of you have gone through a similar thing before and can share some good advice.

29:38

Speaker A

Okay, let's talk about how you can buy this piece and why it was such a risk for me.

29:43

Speaker A

I said at the beginning of the video that the starting price for the cabinet is $20.

29:48

Speaker A

And that's true. I'm going to be putting it up for auction with no reserve starting at $20.

29:56

Speaker A

Even if the highest bid is $50, it will sell for $50. I really hope it doesn't sell for that little, but if it happens to, then someone's getting a really good deal.

30:09

Speaker A

If you don't want to let it go to auction, it will be available on my website for a price a little higher than $20, but I'll be taking it down before the auction starts so I don't accidentally sell it twice.

30:22

Speaker A

The auction is on October 1st. There will be a link in my description. I have sold three pieces of furniture through this auction site and I know the people who run it personally.

30:33

Speaker A

I trust them to make this as smooth as possible for the buyer. Even if you're not interested in buying it, you should still check out what else the auction has to offer.

30:43

Speaker A

This place has tons of cool furniture, so go take a look. Again, the link is in my description.

31:07

Speaker A

Gluing up these drawers and putting finish on the door are the last steps to finishing this cabinet. If you made it this far, thank you so much for spending your time with me.

31:18

Speaker A

I really hope you enjoyed the video. Make sure to press like and share this video with someone you think may enjoy it because that really helps the channel grow.

31:29

Speaker A

With that being said, enjoy the reveal. [music] Mhm.

Topics: woodworking furniture building high-end furniture SawStop table saw bandsaw blade domino joiner shop organization woodworking tools custom furniture woodworking design


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