Carving A Heart-Shaped Dish for Valentine’s Day

Now that Valentine’s Day has passed, I can share this fun little project. After finding a suitable scrap of hardwood, I printed a template and glued it on with a thin coat of wood glue. I let it dry for about ten minutes, then used a small plunge router with a ball nose bit to … Continue reading Carving A Heart-Shaped Dish for Valentine’s Day

Painting, Staining, Dyeing and Burning Wood

Stains, dyes, and even most “clear” finishes change the appearance of the surface to which they are applied. (For the clearest finish, a water based urethane or super blonde shellac are among the best choices.) Decorative finishing effects can be applied by using a combination of stains, dyes, paint, or other means. Recently, I had … Continue reading Painting, Staining, Dyeing and Burning Wood

My Tripot: Final Cleanup

Fascinated with the form of the tripot, and interested to see what was involved in making one, I started my own. I couldn't think of a better way to understand and appreciate it than to make one myself. In my first two articles about making my tripot, I showed how I shaped most of the … Continue reading My Tripot: Final Cleanup

My Tripot: Turning the Base

Fascinated with the form of the tripot, and interested to see what was involved in making one, I have started my own. I couldn't think of a better way to understand and appreciate it than to make one myself. In my first article about making my tripot, I showed how I shaped most of the … Continue reading My Tripot: Turning the Base

My Tripot: Shaping the Exterior

Fascinated with the form of the tripot, and interested to see what was involved in making one, I have started my own. I couldn't think of a better way to understand and appreciate it than to make one myself. Loosely following an article in Woodwork by Hugh McKay on his process of making a pentapot … Continue reading My Tripot: Shaping the Exterior

Defects Are Hints For Something Better

In all the creative work I have done with live-edge material, I have always looked at a cut section - where a limb was removed or the material cut to length - as a shortcoming. But recently, I had an epiphany. Like so many of my revelations, this one came while experimenting on a piece … Continue reading Defects Are Hints For Something Better

Woodworking On-the-Go with Modified Knives

Anytime I go somewhere and anticipate the possibility of having some free time, I like to have a knife with me to carve. My First Modified Carving Knife I started with a German #8 chip carving knife with a fixed blade. I modified the blade to extend the cutting edge right to the handle, and … Continue reading Woodworking On-the-Go with Modified Knives

Stool with Sculpted Seat

This project actually started over eight years ago, but in a very different form. While down in California working a trade show for Lee Valley, the crew and I made a detour to Sam Maloof’s house in Alta Loma. We got a very inspirational tour of the very unique house which he had built for … Continue reading Stool with Sculpted Seat

21st Century Writing Desk – Making the Top

Last week, I saw a picture of a roof top that resembled a wave. The roof prompted me to ponder the question: does a tabletop really need to be flat? Running with that notion, I carved this maple sample, dyed it black and waxed it to increase the sheen. I was really pleased with the sample, … Continue reading 21st Century Writing Desk – Making the Top