My Hardest Woodworking Project Yet - Rockler Challenge

This woodworking project was for the Rocker Try That challenge and it was TRULY a challenge. Hope you enjoy watching the build!
Actual contest submission post is on my instagram @ elena.makes
Foureyes Furniture channel: / chrissalomone1
____
TOOLS / STUFF I MENTION
Japanese handsaw: amzn.to/3I55DZ4
Drill & Impact Driver Kit: amzn.to/3VirEJI
Jigsaw: amzn.to/3HmQ7bm
Circular Saw: amzn.to/44k1ryz
Respirator: amzn.to/3HtdHTw
Eye protection: amzn.to/41TnJWu
Plastic wood: amzn.to/3RK1ePK
Wipe-on Poly Finish: amzn.to/41OaNly
Copic Markers: amzn.to/3SeadJr
____
I'm not sponsored for any of these things, just sharing in case anyone is interested. FTC disclaimer: some links above may be affiliate links which means I receive a small commission. it is no cost to you to use the links.
Additional disclaimer: I am not a professional woodworker and these videos are made for entertainment purposes. Woodworking has inherent risks and hazards and the content here is not meant to replace information found in official tool manuals and guides. Please educate yourself on best practices and safety measures before operating power and / or hand tools.

[@สุจิตพรหมจรรย์]

You never gave up,that's important.

[@thureinphyo9768]

Those hands are steady af!

[@distortohio]

Wow! You weren’t kidding, that wipe on poly really made the plywood pop 👍

[@elenamakes]

A finish can make all the difference :)

[@dp1068]

Did your dog just wink at me… 7:15 mark 😊😅😅 I was a little worried at first but the table turned out fantastic. Awesome work and lots learnt for your future. Remember you win or you learn. There is no failure. 😊 keep up the great work.

[@elenamakes]

haha don't mind him, he winks at all the viewers. Thank you!

[@jerryrudolph6603]

Great effort. A couple of my golden rules you might find helpful- 1. Never buy plywood from big box store. It is low grade with voids and football inserts to fix the surface 2. On a larger project like this I find a mock-up of cardboard and scrap wood skeleton pieces let you both visualize and modify the parts before more expensive wood and time are utilized. This project would be dynamite in laminated walnut strips also. Just subscribed so you are on the right path.

[@elenamakes]

Appreciate the tips and thanks!

[@richardcaton7334]

That was a fantastic job!!! You should really be proud of your accomplishments. I can see why you were intimidated, because that was a hard project to do and to make it all come together. You did a wonderful job and it would be a great piece for everyone to admire in your home. Never give up on a project and always have a backup plan which you did. Keep the videos coming.

[@brianknowles7130]

Can only admire your grit & determination on this build. No such thing in woodworking as a ' failure ' .. just a design change ..lol .. as Jimmy D. says." .. the first try is always a learning curve ..' look forward to more of your builds. Rgds fm UK

[@francisgusmao119]

Congratulations on having the courage to do a different project! It's your story, your first organic chapter!

[@DrHutOfHandcraft]

It came out great! I find it really cool that you also share the disappointments and “fails”. Congrats on trying so many new things and on your coffee table 🐕😄

[@anthonyjonas6236]

Being young is the best. To have the energy and grit to clean up all that saw dust.

[@cherylridone2155]

Well done...excellent focus and energy...very nice looking...(David)

[@rodpotts2666]

How proud is Dad right now!

[@JeanetteDawson-q6t]

I am 67 years old I have loved wood work all my adult life to watch a young girl like you makes me so proud of you. It’s like watching you fills my every dream

[@Nyteaker]

Love this.. thinking of ‘dabbling” in this kind of hobbyist work myself .. finding your presentations truly inspirational… thank you.. please keep going…..

[@YuriNGolfeto]

I think your way of overcoming all difficulties and changes is incredible. From changing workshops a few times and overcoming the flaws and difficulties of the projects you proposed to do and even in this project that you didn't feel would be the result she expected, you overcame it and made it something you liked. This is much more than just working with wood, it's inspiration :) congratulations

[@elenamakes]

Very kind of you to say :)

[@jayneal8293]

That is design and woodworking. You work, you make mistakes, you fix mistakes, and redesign it is what makes you better! Keep up the good work

[@imaginationingrained]

I think it turned out nice!

[@josh8494]

That looks much better than I originally thought. When you talked about power carving and did the proof of concept I was really loving the effect that carving through all the layers of ply gave. When it switched to horizontal lines of ply layers I was fairly saddened that we were not going to see a large scale version of the proof piece. When the poly hit that plywood and the layers started popping, you won me over with the design. It ended up beautiful. Now I am wanting to try some power carving on plywood.

[@elenamakes]

Glad you liked the end result 😊 there definitely is something to that first try so I think I'll have to revisit soon just for something other than a coffee table.

[@josh8494]

I think the coffee table could work, leave several points at the as built height (uncarved) and those points would be a resting point for a glass top instead of trying to do epoxy over it. Honestly, it reminds me of a topographical map. Maybe I could glue a couple sheets of 3/4” on top of each other and carve a reproduction of a place that has special meaning using the layers of plywood as topo contour lines. I’m thinking that may be something that I try after I finish figuring out the power carving on the garden bench I’m learning on now.

[@Slider1604]

Elena, thank you for your videos. They are inspiring. I am in the process of finishing out, and setting up my 24 X 9 storage building to be my woodworking shop. And your videos, especially this one, are inspiring to me and make me wish I was finished with the woodshop and was onto actual woodworking. I can't wait to glue up and shape some plywood into something unique as you did here. Excellent. Keep it up.

[@elenamakes]

It makes me so happy to hear my videos bring others inspiration 😊 Best of luck with your future projects!

[@superme63]

Ive hot the same Makita belt sander. Its such a beast. I love that you can clamp it down on its right hand side for more delicate work.

[@suzylarry1]

Very nice outcome , you show the work from pencil and paper to cardboard then cut on wood . I think this gives many , including myself to try a project like this . Thank you

[@DudeSawdust]

You should be proud of this project (and I can tell you are). I think it came out great. I really enjoyed your style of video. Nice work!👍

[@elenamakes]

Thank you so much!

[@upperella]

This is such a cool project! 😍 Thank you for sharing the ups AND DOWNS of trying something new. It makes the final result even more impressive. Also for some reason I am romanticising working outside in the rain now. That looked like it felt magical. ❤

[@elenamakes]

Thank you! Working in the rain can be a pain with setup but it is rather relaxing 😌

[@chrismalmberg3426]

This turned out awesome!

[@riaanvanzyl-ti6sd]

A great job well done.

[@OneofaKimeCreations]

So I came up with this idea I call a Battlefield Chessboard (it's a short on my channel if you want to see) and what I do is powercarve a terrain into a chessboard. At some point, someone mentioned how neat it would be if the terrain had a topographic map look to it (lines indicating elevation changes). I thought that would be a pretty neat idea but couldn't imagine how I would actually make it work without carefully selecting and orienting the wood with specific grain directions and curvatures. Watching you powercarve that plywood just showed me that I should be able to do that map idea on my chessboards simply by laminating the wood. I know this doesn't really relate to your video but you just enabled an epiphany so I wanted to explain and say "thank you". Thank you! I really appreciate you unintentional trigger of my epiphany :)

[@elenamakes]

So happy I could play a small part in your inspiration. Best of luck on the chessboard!

[@dieterkellermann6840]

Wunderbar !!! mit Deinem Tisch 🎉

[@mattingly1217]

I got a tid bitty of info... now that you got your tablesaw.... you're gonna want to make or buy a stand for it but if you get a outfeed roller stand make sure its not a solid roller like i got... get the individual ball roller bearing stand because the roller stand has to constantly be adjusted so the wood will roll out straight and it will pull it away or towards the rip fence ... just get the individual ball roller outfeed stand... trust me lol

[@BlueTurtleStudios]

I really enjoyed the video. I do like the carved plywood aspect and it inspires me to use the same technique but with all the walnut, maple cherry, purple heart, etc small scraps maybe create a free form sculpture with layers carved. Thanks for the video -good luck!

[@elenamakes]

Ooh I think that will turn out lovely, best of luck to you and thanks!

[@Steve-vz3ud]

I like it .modern look the glass top looks Awesome

[@ImGonnaMake]

What a wild ride, but that end result is so worth it. It's giving me vibes of desert stone sculpted over centuries by the elements. I really love the top-down view of the table with the layers.

[@elenamakes]

I love that comparison to desert stone, thanks!

[@RobertHall-k8u]

I had the leakage problem on my first couple of epoxy pours. KZbin helped me figure out how to get things better and now my sons both have desk tops made from the boards they broke in Tae Kwon Do with an epoxy protective layer. This is how we learn. Keep up the good work!

[@elenamakes]

I'll revisit it for sure and hopefully next time there is no leaking. 🤞

[@bonniesf6719]

Great rehoming of the broken boards for your sons. Maybe add on pictures of them actually breaking the boards, to give the pieces even more memories?

[@bonniesf6719]

​@@elenamakesI believe in you! I am a new subscriber, and I really enjoyed this video. Your dad could maybe buy you at least one chisel each time there's an occasion? Birthday, Christmas, your class reunion, etc.

[@claudepoulin8558]

To err is human But a clever repair is Devine

[@timknevels9650]

Very nice. Congrats

[@sid515able]

Try doing a mockup out of foam boards. Easy to do, quick, and nor expensive. For your first time, you did a great job.

[@bigsabertoothbunny5986]

Great experiment, thank you for sharing your journey. Lessons learned, right? Caring the plywood is a really fun way to make a unique piece, maybe consider trying it again and even using dyes to color portions of the wood or epoxy itself to help them stand out more. When making molds for epoxy, the biggest mistake was only using clamps to secure the mold walls. In the future pre-drill screw holes and put screws in to really lock that frame down to prevent slippage if you have to jiggle it. The silicone along the edges will still be needed. Also get some mold release. It can be either a wipe on or spray on kind but that will help prevent the melamine from sticking and allow you to keep some of it for reuse. Plywood is also going to be thirsty and will most likely absorb a fair amount of epoxy beyond what you anticipate to poor. One way to reduce that issue is to mix a small portion of epoxy and then brush it onto the plywood to seal it, just like many other videos show for solid wood. Once that sealing layer is basically set you can poor your epoxy for the filling. Also look into museum gel. It is a clear gel substance that is used by museums to hold display pieces in place for view. The item is easily removed and the gel leaves no residue but holds securely. I use it for smaller casted pieces because they always want to float away. Bottom line: don't let this one issue scare you away from doing these projects. It is just of the learning process, you are doing fine.

[@bigwillydier]

Ha.. you skipped “cutting board” and landed on that?! Well done! Turned out great!! Feeling a bit inspired to use more plywood, suddenly!

[@elenamakes]

haha thanks!

[@sturdyboneswoodworking]

Well done! Way to pivot when things weren’t working. I like your approach to visualizing the changes in photoshop with a mask. Smart!

[@randymartin2396]

love your vision and your work ethic the table in my opinion looks great for you doing this for the first time

[@adambrink4475]

Glad to see you are learning

[@darthrevanakc]

I liked really liked this video. Felt like a story and like an experience I would go through if I tried making something.

[@thomasbjerregaard1080]

Good job, i understood all of your concerns during the project, but I think you made the right decision and pulled it off in the end

[@davidhullinger3636]

When you started your glue up I would have used a gallon of glue in a small paint pan and a roller. Makes the glue application go much faster.

[@lesleykoz3311]

Wow! First time making a sculptured piece, and it turned out beautiful! Keep on going and also get some Japenese chisels.

[@elenamakes]

Much appreciated and just got my hands on some :)

[@inmyimage1081]

Tip for next epoxy pour… Tyvek tape isn’t designed to adhere to laminates (or wood directly), it is designed to adhere to their Tyvek house wrap, there is a difference in the adhesive and it requires pressure using a roller to completely activate. I don’t understand why almost every “river” video I watch they are using Tyvek and so far 100% of the ones I have watched have leaked. I have seen 2 pours done that were successful without any leaks and they didn’t use Tyvek tape, they used the red “Tuck” tape. It’s in the same general category as Tyvek but the Red Tuck is targeted more at metal, plastic and other slippery surfaces.

[@ethanethan153]

i had no dout you could do it nice job

[@PMichaels]

It was a bold experiment but it turned out great. Nice job! 👍🏼

[@elenamakes]

Thank you 😊

[@Jose-gj8hv]

You made me remember when i first started my woodworking journey. You learned from your mistakes and adapted and ended up with a great piece! Don't ever underestimate yourself. Congrats!

[@elenamakes]

Pays to be persistent I guess, thanks!

[@hgcrandy548]

First time super awesomeness Totally radical great work

[@andrewgalbreath2101]

Looks great, I love seeing exposed plys with a finish on them. I'm also very glad you've gotten a table saw. Having one really allowed me to focus on more creative aspects of woodworking, instead of spending time coming up with workarounds for not having one

[@elenamakes]

VERY excited about the new tablesaw 🙌🏻

[@aaronwarner2762]

Good job. Everyone who does epoxy fails sometime. Might as well start off with a fail. Keep on doin' the stuff!

[@elenamakes]

Might as well get my first epoxy fail out of the way right? Thanks!

[@MH-qq3kj]

Well done!

[@artoall243]

Usaha yang membuahkan hasil 👏👏👍

[@TheKrietjur]

Looks great, I love it! I also like that you also show things that go wrong - a lot of people wouldn't show that.

[@elenamakes]

Appreciate it 🙏

[@jonpaulhand4731]

Great job. You are inspiring people to try things outside of their comfort zone.

[@1myfriendjohn]

Its a beautiful piece. I am jealous haha

[@nava1uni]

Nice video and very encouraging to try new things and tool techniques

[@thelastbanana0678]

that was great job have been done ! at the end you have learn and try something new about this project .

[@kevinfiebelkorn2647]

Great job, inspirational!

[@benjamindvorak3025]

Super inspirational for someone that has planned out doing art and design again for years, continue to gain all of this knowledge obsessively, and religiously.. but still haven’t acted on a single project only gathering the tools and materials. I saw how much a. Beginner you looked at times and I have not wanted to have myself seen that way.. but what’s pretty awesome now is that the whole time I saw you as a newb and criticizing the choice of plywood,, I wanted you to get a piece that you set out for and you did. More importantly the “failures” you had happen were not failures at all. They were the most crucial thing of this whole project. Thank you for being human.

[@windfall331]

Nice work! Notice that you changed your mind along the way. That helped make it turn out so well. You'll always change your mind. It is like a land mark on your path to completion. The carving is tricky simple and elegant. Good job!

[@elenamakes]

Thanks :)

[@eerikkinuutinen5808]

Just as a tip: While carving with any tool, take long passes and You'll get it a lot smoother. As You take short passes, You can't control the depth and the shape.

[@chrisp.76]

Every challenge or problem that presents itself is a means to discover more about woodworking, art, craftsmanship and ourselves. Great job!

[@pathardage1880]

Way to go! great video. Thanks.

[@jessemeyle401]

Awesome job! Love the way the plywood is sculpted. Makes me think of erosion layers of the rock formations in pictures.

[@elenamakes]

Same, I like that it looks a bit like a canyon wall.

[@timswoodshop3655]

Nice job. Two things I would have done differently. Baltic birch ply and with a bigger glue up, I would use a extended open time glue. Titebond makes a couple options.

[@iainjohnson1]

Bravo 👏

[@BronkBuilt]

But I like Dr. Seuss and SiFi. That was a lot of work and glad you stuck with it. Turned out great! I'm equally impressed on how your plywood didn't seem to have any voids. I've not had that luck, even getting the more expensive stuff.

[@elenamakes]

Oh it had some voids but that's where the plastic wood filler comes in handy.

[@stevepiechock9234]

This video proves you have what it takes to do this kind of work. You have something special you may not be aware of. It's called "the can do attitude". Keep going the way you are and you'll never regret it. If you had quite when things got rough, you would have regretted it. I look forward to seeing more creations from you.

[@elenamakes]

Much appreciated 🙏

[@Taguun]

Nur wenn man Fehler macht, kann man lernen. Wunderschöner Tisch. 👍🏻

[@iandodd7828]

As an experienced woodworker, it’s interesting to watch somebody who’s starting out where I was a few years ago. I remember when plywood and epoxy were my materials of choice and a Black & Decker Workmate my only bench. I felt for you when the first attempt went sideways, having experienced those kinds of failures/learnings. You may not have a big shop full of expensive green and red branded tools yet, but when I saw you pour your finish out into an empty Talenti gelato container, I knew you were on the right path. As the old saying goes, a woodworker can never have too many clamps or Talenti containers. Keep going, growing and trying new things.

[@elenamakes]

Thank you! And that saying is all too true.

[@hansolo6242]

Congratulations, great job. Thank you for sharing the whole process.

[@porker5749]

Very, Very nice!! I wasn't sure about all the veneers in the plywood, as at first it gave it a "stripey" look, but with the sanding and finish I think it looks really good! The stripes are much more subtle.

[@elenamakes]

Thank you! :)

[@timgwaltney5770]

Great work…. Super smart to step away and pivot the way you did. Looks awesome

[@PaulEaklor]

Very glad I found your channel. Like you I wanted to enter the try that challenge with my take on a walnut media cabinet with some complex flutes on an angle that must meet together at the seams to form a delightful geometric design. Unlike you I abandoned it because I failed so badly. Watching you adjust your design, without compromising your end goal, trying SO many new techniques, with very few high end tools, AND finishing in such a short time…well I subscribed. I want to be here as your channel grows and your skills grow. Please keep up the inspirational content. Cheers.

[@markherring4559]

Thanks for sharing and having the courage to try something new. It looks great!

[@chandrastory5239]

This turned beautifully! Keep challenging yourself!

[@glenncol]

Awesome piece

[@danmd0]

Is looks great!! great video too

[@crawroy11]

Great design and execution.

[@5280Woodworking]

For a project with a lot of “firsts” it came out awesome!

[@elenamakes]

I think so :) thanks!

[@robertberger8642]

Great process, great final product! Thank you very much for taking us on this journey with you.

[@garyvarley1426]

Nice job. You can get get finer discs for the angle grinder. Love the way you show your flaws. End product looks great. Now wait until you try a 3d cutting board. I’ve done 2 that turned out awesome.1 was a disaster

[@bobhood4482]

Lol this whole video was sooooo relatable...loved watching because all your tools and your space is where I am right now seem like the hardest part is designing and having it come out the way you see it in your head, good luck and don't give up!

[@RattiDave]

The finished product makes up for any of the missteps along the way. And the finish looks wonderful. Only one nitpick - That *bench* sander looks more like a portable _BELT_ sander. Be that as it may, your project turned out brilliantly. Makes my old best efforts pale by comparison. May be time to get off my lazy butt and do some more wood craft. Thank you for the inspiration.

[@elenamakes]

Thank you! And yeah you're correct. I got my terms mixed up when recording the commentary and didn't catch it before publishing.

[@philnewton8552]

Awesome job 😍

[@Bawos]

good job

[@adamborchert5965]

Great video. You really show the whole process, and the result is lovely. Plus I always love to see a cargo bike in the background!

[@elenamakes]

Thanks! Shoutout to my pops he made the cargo bike.

[@ΓΕΡΑΣΙΜΟΣΣΤΡΑΓΓΑΣ]

It's turned out great 😊

[@KG4FJF]

Nice Job! I really like the redesign of the project.

[@LeeWeiler]

Looks incredible! Thanks for sharing the journey, struggles to finished product.

[@burnu2240]

Dr Suess once said " You gotta be odd to be number 1"

[@Gozeto17]

Fantastic. I wish I would have known about the challenge. I just created a shadow box for thr first time and had a blast with it.

[@norm5785]

Thank you for sharing your awesome project with us. Looks great. I have only made one mistake in my life. That was when I thought I was wrong about something and then found out that I was right. Love how you adapted. Everyone stay safe, warm, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia

[@craigmaddison8254]

You totally rescued it, looks very natural, almost like those natural stone arches in Utah.

[@elenamakes]

Oh I love that comparison. Thanks!

[@Rodbuilder109]

Very nice job. It turned out great.

[@jimrosson6702]

Great video and great job way to overcome all the challenges that came your way throughout this process I think it turned out great the finish made it pop for sure. Good luck in the ROCKLER CHALLENGE

[@elenamakes]

Thank you! Lots of talented people made projects so we'll see...

[@romleyhardy5691]

Very cool

[@Andi.Mitchell.Designs]

Great job!

[@lancel6948]

Love your sketches

[@elenamakes]

Thanks :)