Marcus Sly - Furniture Making and Design

Often it is tempting to leave the smallest, detailed parts of a large piece of furniture until last.  This is sometimes the right approach but can also be a mistake.  These little pieces can be quite fiddly and monotonous to do.  The energy that comes at the beginning of a project can be a big help in getting them done well and efficiently.  Leaving them to the end can result in a feeling of being bogged down and a tendency to rush them in order to "get the piece out".  In between doing the rods [full size construction drawings] for the bookcases I've therefore also been making the shelf pins - eighty of them....  They are of Elm, which will make a nice contrast against the lighter oak.