The Skeletal Chair at my desk is my favourite seat in the house. I designed and built this chair three years ago and it has been in regular use ever since. It is comfortable and ergonomic, allowing me to lean side to side or forward, or pivot and turn on the front leg. It is … Continue reading Responsibility of the End User: Reflections on Skeletal Ash Chair
If you had access to all the greatest woods in infinite supply, what would you make? Questions like this are difficult because there really are no boundaries - anything is possible, so you must consider everything. It is much easier to be productive with limitations that restrict what is possible. Instead of looking at the … Continue reading Limitations: Are they Restrictions that Block or Focus?
Well, for starters, I’m not sure what failure really is. I’m always experimenting and learning and, to me, what others may perceive as failure is really just an indication that something can be improved. I am always looking for ways to improve things, and constantly analyzing things for weaknesses. Developing a solid design on paper (or … Continue reading What is there to be Afraid of About Failure?
One thing that really helped me learn and develop my woodworking skills was having an abundance of materials. Having an adequate supply on hand meant that it wasn't so valuable that I felt the need to be especially careful using it. This allowed me to experiment and take chances with less to lose. Failure, or more … Continue reading The Relentless Push to Fail
The latest addition to my catalog of air-dried slabs for sale is Elm (Ulmus americana) A medium-density wood with pale sapwood and warm brown heartwood, elm often exhibits a coarser grain pattern. Most elm trees do not grow very large and consequently it is rare to find elm mature enough to exhibit a substantial amount of darker … Continue reading Elm – Pleasant to Work and Full of Character
The latest addition to my catalog of air-dried slabs for sale is butternut (Juglans cinerea). A relative to the highly sought-after black walnut, butternut shares the same grain patterns but the colour is lighter - similar to the shades of bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum). Butternut is also lighter in weight and softer than black walnut, making … Continue reading Butternut – it Carves like Butter with a Hot Knife
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
Since 2005, I have been stockpiling local hardwoods. These are full flitches (entire logs) milled to my specifications for furniture making and stacked on pallets. All of this material has been slowly and patiently air-dried. It's a process that is not widely used commercially due to the time requirement, but the quality of the material is … Continue reading Local, Air-Dried Wood for Sale
I recently completed this cribbage board in apple for a customer who also has one of my tables. Like many others, this one was a gift. Interestingly enough, some customers have told me that they don't play crib, but just like the look of them. Pricing Structure Up until now, I have only been making boards … Continue reading Cribbage Board 18, and a Pricing Structure
Since moving three months ago, I have settled nicely into the new shop that is a one-car garage. Here are some panoramic pictures to give you a feel for the space. Click to view full-size. All the machines are more or less permanently positioned, and the overhead door is not used (it was last opened … Continue reading Welcome to the New Shop
