Insanity 2 is the working name for my latest speculative project. As with most, I'm designing it as I go and using the materials as my primary inspiration. Every project starts with an inspiration This piece of ash was the inspiration. It's been sitting in my shop for years waiting for me to do something … Continue reading Insanity 2
Fundamentals of Hand Tool Joinery lived up to high expectations Yesterday, I taught my third seminar of the month at Lee Valley Tools Coquitlam - Fundamentals of Hand Tool Joinery. Like the previous two (Jigs for the Bandsaw and Jigs for the Table Saw), this one was also sold out completely. We started with some … Continue reading September Seminar Summary
Being able to cut a dovetail joint using only hand tools has become recognized as a level of achievement. But there are other reasons to learn how to cut joinery by hand besides proving yourself and, for me, the biggest reason is being able to deal with unique situations. The joint below on the left … Continue reading Why I Value the Ability to Cut Joints By Hand
On Saturday, I attended the Interior Design Show West, held at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Future Masters Although I enjoyed the whole show, Future Masters, which showcases the work of design students and recent graduates, was the highlight for me. Although this can be partially attributed to the fact that I was already familiar with the … Continue reading Interior Design Show West 2013
My first commission, in 2008, was a 12-foot long bubinga table which later became known as Flow. It was a part of a backyard renovation in Arizona which was recently featured in a Phoenix Home & Garden article. The extensive and elaborate project was led by 2012 Master of the Southwest Morgan Holt of EarthArt Landscape & … Continue reading My First Commission Was Also One of My Favourites
Knowledge is good, but sometimes it can be blinding. It can lead to incorrect assumptions and closed minds. Currently, I'm reading The New Furniture which addresses how technology is changing the woodworking industry. In the book, Ken Susnjara made this comment on how his company, Thermwood, came to invent the first CNC control. In truth, this … Continue reading You Don’t Need to Know What You Are Doing
Yesterday, my friend and lumber supplier, Dave Kilpatrick, brought over a piece of yew which he wanted made into trivets. I built a sled and crosscut a series of 1-1/4"-thick slices on my bandsaw. I took a series of photos as each slice was removed, which allowed you to see how the section of log … Continue reading A Trip Through a Log
When I was breaking down yellow birch for the last production of moulding planes for Time Warp Tool Works, I ended up with one block about 3 inches square and 10 inches long, with a partial live edge along one surface. It was too small to use as a moulding plane and it seemed to … Continue reading Live-Edge Birch Smoothing Plane
Last month, I took the train down to Portland, Oregon to be in attendance of the opening of Quality is Contagious: John Economaki and Bridge City Tool Works, an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. I bought the book which accompanied the exhibit and finished reading it last night. My Review in One Sentence The … Continue reading Book Review – Quality is Contagious: John Economaki & Bridge City Tool Works, 36 Years Through the Lens of Joe Felzman
My latest magazine article, Reading the Grain, was published in the October 2013 issue of United Kingdom's Furniture & Cabinetmaking. For this article, I teamed up with my friend, Charles Mak, (we first collaborated on an article published in the March 2012 issue of Australian Wood Review). The article starts by explaining different ways to tell the … Continue reading Furniture & Cabinetmaking #210 (October 2013)
