Woodworks Made Easy: Minimalist Plant Stands

I keep repeating to anyone who would listen that woodworking is not as hard as anyone may think. In fact, no better time than now to be imagining doing it because of the advancement in technology, better tools and more reference materials than ever before, such as this blog, that encourages the reader to take the plunge if he or she hasn't already.

It used to be that woodworking required a lot of craftsmanship skills to do a decent job. The things the average woodworker can do now was not as easily achievable as, say, 20 to 30 years ago. Now, imagine the skills needed in the 15th to 19th centuries ago. Today, as in this example, I used only one power tool - the table saw (you need a table saw even as a beginner anyhow), just three different saw blades, clamps, glue and some inexpensive indexing plastic-based gizmos to do it. One tool, patience and time to turn (first photo) these seemingly straight pieces of scrap material.

Into:

You will see towards the end the previous plant stands I did had several times the amount of material used, massively much more, than these latest versions. The challenge was to do this project with the least possible amount of material.

For the top rings I used 3/4 inch plywood with one side (visible externally once finished) laminated with solid oak. Why plywood, besides the fact that they were conveniently available from the scrap heap? Plywood is actually more stable when it comes to resisting warping sue to changes in humidity and temperature, and they're more economical too.

Glue up of the lamination to one edge of the plywood base

The hexagonal rings required cutting 60 degrees miter on each edge.

The table saw's adjustable miter fence made easy work of the 60 degree miter cuts.

For the legs soled oak boards were the right material

The two gizmos shown below makes quick accurate, unparalleled precision cuts of the joinery. These cuts a century ago would have taken hours of painstaking labor by a highly skilled craftsman. These commercially available tools ($30) will index the cuts as routinely as pushing the work pieces on the table saw top.

Band clamps make easy work of clamping the pieces until the glue sets.

The subtle taper on the legs were all done on the table saw.

This shop made jig, below, makes possible cutting on the table saw repeatable slots on each corner of the hexagon that will be fitted with 1/4 inch hardwood (glued and clamped) for the needed additional strength of the joints.

Note the slot created at the corners

Dry fitting the parts. Note the walnut wedge inserted at the corners, excess sawed off later

Final sanding and notice the subtle taper on the legs. Impossible years ago these tapers were done at the table saw.

Over the years of building and learning, I've evolved construction techniques from using a lot of material to only using the bare minimum, without sacrificing strength, usefulness and a little bit of elegance.

A table can be a plant stand for several planters.

Below is the most massive plant stand. A neighbor gave me a leftover construction material which I used as the central anchor of several planters. That central piece is way too heavy to be carried by one person. I used a dolly to move it.