We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations.
I’m the smallest person in our shop, yet I inevitably gravitate toward the largest projects. For the February 2009 issue of Popular Woodworking, I built a Shaker-inspired stepback that serves as a flat-screen entertainment center. Then, I decided it looked lonely in the living room, and built a Shaker-inspired case-on-case shelving unit with two drawers in the bottom. That one will be in the December issue of Popular Woodworking (which hits newsstands in the middle of November). Both of them are 7-1/2 feet tall (which is key, because it means I don’t have to dust the top , no one can see it).
But Chris is currently building a 13′-long walnut bench, which is a replica of an original from the White Water Shaker Village meeting house. The project will be featured in the Winter 2009 issue of Woodworking Magazine (on newsstands in mid-December). And after watching him wrestle with 13′ boards (and serving as his outfeed table), I think I’ll stick to 8′ and under. Chris, the large-project title is yours.

