Tag Archives: woodworking

Skills Canada National Competition Comes to Vancouver!

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The Skills Canada Competition is the première event where students and apprentices compete in over 40 trade and technology fields, including carpentry and cabinetmaking (also welding, masonry, landscaping, hairstyling, cooking, website development  graphic design, computer animation and robotics).  The national event brings the best of over 500 students from regions across the country.  It’s a really exciting environment and I’m looking forward to being there again (although instead of competing, as I did in 2005, I’ll be working in the Lee Valley Tools Ltd. booth).

Skills Canada 2005

Me, assembling a table at Skills Canada 2005

What’s really cool about the event is that you are able to try some things yourself in their Try-a-Trade & Technology area.  There are also over 50 booths from schools and industries and a main stage where presentations and demonstrations will take place.

Best of all, admission is free!  This year, the event is at BC Place, 777 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver, Thursday June 6 and Friday June 7 from 9am – 4pm.

#Woodchat’s Telephone Game Design Experiment

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Below is my initial drawing for #Woodchat’s inaugural Telephone Game Design Experiment.

The idea is to start with a design drawn by one person (me).  Then, another person takes my design and redraws it their way, incorporating any changes they wish to make.  Next, a third person takes the second drawing and redraws it their way.  This continues until everyone who wants to participate has had a chance and in the end we will have numerous drawings, each somewhat different from the others.  It will be able to see how the design progressed.

(Our experiment differs from the Telephone Game in that everyone is able to witness each stage, whereas in the Telephone Game, participants are only aware of the previous stage.)

The First Design

The table features a split-level top and matching stretcher.  The angle between the two layers of the top is 45 degrees and the angle between the stretcher parts is 20 degrees.

Overview

Perspective Perspective LowTop Right DimTop Dim

If you would like to participate in this experiment, please let me know in the comments section below.  Tune into #Woodchat Wednesdays at 7pm Pacific.  This week, we’ll be talking about the Handworks woodworking show in Amana, Iowa as well as the Telephone Game Design Experiment.

Sanding vs. Planing

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One of the questions I am frequently asked is how I achieve such smooth, even surfaces.

Planing and sanding are two methods of removing material and smoothing surfaces. Each technique is completely valid and has its advantages and disadvantages.  When deciding which to use, consider the following.

Planing

Plane when:

  1. you want to achieve a flat surface and crisp edges;
  2. you are using a wood with varying densities and you want it to feel flat and even;
  3. the material tends to clog or quickly dull sandpaper, making sanding impractical; or
  4. the most perfect surface is desired.

Sanding

Sand when:

  1. the flatness of the surface isn’t critical or you need to blend curves or surfaces;
  2. you are using softwood and want the surface to simulate wear or create undulations;
  3. the material is too soft or difficult to work with a plane; or
  4. it is undesirable to have cleanly cut fibres and a highly polished, bare wood surface (e.g. to reduce the sheen).

Overflow, Part XIII

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IMG1655

This is the Veritas Scraping Plane Insert, installed in my favourite bench plane.  I bought it years ago to use in my #4 bench plane and used it a few times, but over time I found it simpler and easier to use a cabinet scraper or card scraper.  I haven’t used the insert in years.

The assembly installs without tools in a bench (bevel-down) plane with a blade at least 2″ wide.  I think that a #4 is the perfect size for it.

I am including a 0.016″-thick, 2″-wide blade (shown installed) as well as two 2-3/8″-wide blades with thicknesses of 0.016″ and 0.024″.  The blades can be used on their own as card scrapers, as well as in the insert.  I still have the instruction sheet but the 3/32″ hex key to adjust the set screws in the sides of the insert (seen in the top photo) has gone missing.

IMG1654

Okay, here’s the deal.

If you would like this Veritas Scraping Plane Insert (just the insert – not the plane, too!) please leave a comment below indicating your interest by 6pm Sunday May 5.

I will then draw a winner at random.  Even if you don’t get this item, remember that there is still much more I want to give away.

And if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my blog so you can be notified as soon as I post something new!  Please tell your friends about my Overflow program.

Review the details of the Overflow program.

Overflow, Part XII

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I kept this Drill Press Stand with the idea that it would help me accurately bore 3/4″ holes for bench dogs.  Then, when I set out to drill them I realized that the drill only has 2 amps and that my larger drill could not be properly installed in the stand.  That meant that I had no use for it.

IMG2050

This Drill Press Stand would probably be ideal for drilling smaller holes or running a wire wheel brush.

IMG2051 IMG2045 The drill is lowered in a controlled manner with the feed lever on the right side and the whole assembly can be raised or lowered along the post, as well as swiveled to sit away from the base to drill long stock.

IMG2053 The same goes for the table, which can also be rotated.

IMG2048

The keyed chuck accepts bits up to 3/8″ diameter and the key has a handy storage spot on the stand.

IMG2047 Okay, here’s the deal.

If you would like this drill and Drill Press Stand, please leave a comment below indicating your interest by 10am of April 25.

I will then draw a winner at random.  Even if you don’t get this item, remember that there is still much more I want to give away.

And if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my blog so you can be notified as soon as I post something new!  Please tell your friends about my Overflow program.

Review the details of the Overflow program.

Overflow is Back, Again!

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What is Overflow?

A year-and-a-half ago, I started my Overflow program to give away woodworking stuff I no longer used to followers of my blog.  It was going strong for a while and I gave away a lot of good stuff including a:

I had given away eleven lots before I stopped tripping over things I no longer used (and got too busy to continue posting other items not under my feet).

How Does Overflow Work?

After Artwalk, I took a few days to catch up with some things that I’d been putting off for a long time.  Want a chance to win some of it?  Here’s how it works:

  1. I will post a picture and brief description of the item or group of items up for grabs. There will be some wood, hand tools, power tools, accessories, random shop stuff, and books.  Most items will be in good-to-excellent shape;
  2. Comment if you want it!  I suggest you subscribe to this blog so you get notified when I post something.  If you want the item(s), leave a comment on that particular blog post and let me know if you can pick it up or if you need it shipped.  (I will ship anywhere on your dime once my PayPal account is happy.); then
  3. When the deadline to enter has passed, I will submit the names of those interested into a Random Chooser and let the program draw a winner.  I will announce the winner in the comments section of the Overflow post on my blog and contact them to arrange a pick-up time or shipping details. If the first person chosen changes their mind, the Random Chooser will select another name.

Why am I doing this?

I’m giving stuff away because I would rather help some fellow woodworkers than try to sell it.  This is less hassle and more rewarding.  I enjoy interacting with my readers and helping others get further in their woodworking.

I also want to increase the number of readers of my blog.  Besides having awesome giveaways of quality stuff, I do some pretty cool woodwork, wouldn’t you agree?  Please subscribe to my blog using the widget at the bottom of any page or in the right-hand column of my main blog page.  You’ll receive notice of what I’m putting up for grabs as well as when I publish a regular blog post.

The ultimate purpose of Overflow is to get this stuff out of my shop (and into yours), so please, tell your friends.

Day 1 of Artwalk

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Even though it rained for the first half of Artwalk today (Saturday), attendance was strong at Gallery Bistro.  Engagement was high and the gallery was very busy for most of the day.  Over 250 people visited the gallery in five hours, many of whom came back for a second (or third or fourth) look while others promised to return the next day.

I took half a minute to shoot this quick video to give you a feel for the venue.

Sunday’s forecast is predicting nice weather so I’m expecting an even stronger turnout tomorrow.  I hope to see you there!

In Preparation of Artwalk

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Art is Now in the Trees

I’ve installed Reaper in the tree outside of Gallery Bistro, where I’ll be showing my work during Artwalk.  I made signs for it, too.

Reaper Installed

I’ve also installed Graft (table in a tree) and more signs.

Graft Installed

Newspaper Publicity I, along with Reaper was featured on the front page of the Arts section of Tri-City News in print and online.  (Also included with the online article is a list of all the artists, what they do, and their venue at which they’ll be exhibiting.)

Chris Wong and Reaper

Updates to my Store and Gallery

I’ve updated my Store to include Reaper and Graft, each of which will be on a silent auction April 13-14, as well as my recently completed sculpture which is currently untitled.

Yew Sculpture FrontI also updated my Gallery to include the above three pieces, and the cherry coffee tables.

Cherry Coffee Tables

Featured at Port Moody City Council to Promote Art and Artwalk

My cribbage board was this week’s Art at Council feature piece, shown at Port Moody’s City Council meeting on Tuesday.

Apple Cribbage Board II Front This is the write-up from their website:

Chris Wong is a Port Moody artist who works under the name of Flair Woodworks.

He draws inspiration from the unique characteristics and natural beauty of local trees that have fallen due to storms or building development. Rather than start with a plan, then find suitable materials, Chris starts with materials full of character and develops a design to suit. This process leads to very unique results that maximize the potential of the wood.

Chris’ work comes in many sizes. From small items like the cribbage board we have on display tonight, which happens to be made from an apple tree he found in Burnaby to large items such as free-standing sculptures and tables. All of it has one thing in common: Chris’ flair.

A Busy Weekend Ahead!

Thursday, I, along with three other artists, will begin setting up our work for Artwalk in Gallery Bistro.  Friday I teach a seminar at Lee Valley Tools Ltd. before attending Artwalk’s Opening Reception.  Then Saturday and Sunday feature Artwalk – the main event!

This is the nineteenth slide from my PechaKucha presentation.

C.Wong-19

Relationship Study

Table in a Tree

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Last weekend, I met with some of my fellow Artwalk participants and showed them the yellow cedar chair that I’d built to hang in the tree outside The Bistro Gallery where I will be showing my work.

Chair in a Tree

Chair in a Tree

They loved the concept and encouraged me to make another piece for a second tree.  So, that’s what I decided to do.

I documented my progress live on Twitter using hashtag #FlairWW (follow me @FlairWoodworks) which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.  I compiled the photos and Tweets into a video (duration – 10:21).

This is the eighteenth slide from my PechaKucha presentation.

C.Wong-18

Relationship Study