Testimonials

The Wood Whisperer Guild has been around since 2009 and has created an amazing community of woodworkers. Here are just a few of their testimonials.

Scott French

Thank you Marc for the vids on the chest of drawers. I gained SO MUCH from them and applied it all when building this dresser. I also am thrilled with Target Coatings water based lacquer. It made me look better than I dreamed possible!

Anthony Sergio

I have been reading/watching woodworking resources for the last couple years. Although it has given me a decent theoretical foundation, my most complicated projects prior to these chairs included a cutting board and dog bowl stand. I think this really speaks to the quality of instruction provided by Marc and Jory. I spent more time than I'd like to admit laying out parts before making the first cuts. It seemed to pay off because I am pleased with the grain flow, particularly in the first chair. I used OSMO Polyx and was happy with the results, despite how it may appear in the shop lighting. I just got around to the upholstery yesterday even though the chairs have been finished since Thanksgiving. I was initially planning on leather, but my discretionary budget was stretched after tool purchases/christmas gifts and I wanted these out of the shop. I am not thrilled with the fabric choice, but that will be easy to update. Due to my inexperience I decided to build a $30 poplar prototype to ~90% completion. It allowed me to get my sleds setup, figure out how to use a bandsaw, and get my power carving mistakes out of the way. I don't know what to do with it now, but I'm leaning towards paint or firewood. I would love to hear suggestions. Thanks to the guild members, particularly Alec McMahon, who were very generous with their time offering advice during the project. I have a progress album, but I don't know how much detail is appropriate to share about the steps of a guild project. Thanks for all the inspiration I get from this forum.

Guild member Scott left us a wonderful review on Lumberjocks.com!

Guild member Marilyn explains how The Wood Whisperer Guild helped her build her desk! Read Now!

Chuck Lane

For those of you that are thinking of using Darrell Peart’s new way of finishing his furniture, I thought I would share my experience with this method. I sanded everything to 320 then started with 1 coat Livos Cocobolo #244 oil followed by 2 coats of their #243 countertop oil. After applying each coat, I rub it in with a Scotch Brite light duty white pad. I let the oil sit for about 15 minutes before wiping the remaining oil off making sure the wood was wiped dry. I waited 24 hours between coats. I used Sapele so the amount of coats of Cocobolo may be different if you use a different wood. I’ve done Darrell’s other method using GF wood dye and Arm-R-Seal, and this new method is much easier and a lot less voc’s. I’m sold and will be using it again.

Erick Pinell

This is my first guild project build and post to this group. I've been lurking for a long time, trying to learn as much as possible. I made a ton of mistakes along the way, but learned a lot throughout the process. Marc does such a great job explaining every step, so thank you for giving me the confidence to tackle something like this. I've only been doing simple shop benches and trim work around our fixer upper for the past few years. I've intended to do more wood working starting about 5 years ago, but it's been tough to find time. This project is my first attempt at doors & drawers, installing slides and hinges, and building cabinet boxes. Thanks for all the help from the members who post here. I hope this is the first of many more projects.

Bill Laminack

I have finished my first Guild project. I built it for a friend as a housewarming gift and she asked that it be white. I would have been much more in my element with a normal wood finish, but she gets what she asked for. I settled on a chalk paint finish due to ease of entry. I should have went with Milk Paint. The chalk paint finishes are insanely popular here on the Gulf Coast, and all of high born ladies love this “shabby chic/coastal casual” thing. I like wood better. Ya’ll hate river tables and epoxy, I hate painted wood. LoL Anyways, the plans and videos are awesome! I enjoyed it thoroughly. I may do Matt’s Outdoor bench next.

Jonathan Green

Finished my first guild project, the dining chair prototype. This was well outside of my comfort zone, but I took it step by step. It’s not perfect, but I’m more than satisfied with the results. I’m starting on the rest of the set now. I will probably change the fabric on the seat. I used soft maple. I felt like it would give me a more casual appearance, since we’ll be using the chairs in the kitchen. Many thanks to Marc for the great instruction. You are really good at that.