2012 Year in Review

2012 was another memorable year for me.  Here are some of the highlights: More magazine articles published! In March, an article I co-wrote with Calgarian woodworker Charles Mak was featured in issue #74 of Australian Wood Review. In the December/January 2013 issue of Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement, I had two articles published (two articles … Continue reading 2012 Year in Review

Christmas 2012 Recap

My goal this Christmas season was not to buy anything mass-produced.  I half-succeeded.  For my family, I made a sculptural clock, wooden vases, and turned fridge magnets; each of the items required something mass-produced. For my brother, I made a clock using black locust for the upright and phenolic, grained to look like ebony, for the face. … Continue reading Christmas 2012 Recap

The Path of a Woodworker

Fellow blogger Kenny Comeaux (aka The Wood Ninja) recently wrote about his path as a woodworker. He found that learning the skills to make good furniture was the easy part, as there was a wealth of information available on the subject.  However, he found that developing good designs was more of a challenge, so, naturally, … Continue reading The Path of a Woodworker

On Preparation

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. - Benjamin Franklin Preparing is not the same as planning. I think of planning as forethought specific to a task or project, such as creating detailed drawings, cut lists, or mock-ups.  I would also include organizing construction steps in a logical sequence, which is often the extent … Continue reading On Preparation

Deconstructed, Session 5

In Session 1, Session 2, Session 3 and Session 4 I began working on an exploded shelf I'm calling Deconstructed.  I finished the last session by filling in air bubbles with epoxy. Today, in the final session of this Tweet-Along, I completed the shelf, including applying the first coat of finish. As always, I documented my progress live on Twitter … Continue reading Deconstructed, Session 5

Filler

Recently, I've been really busy between increased December work hours at Lee Valley Tools Ltd., the big push to complete the outstanding orders of hollow and round planes for my other company, Time Warp Tool Works, and other top-secret Christmas stuff.  Until today, my shop was an absolute mess with all the projects in the works. … Continue reading Filler

Deconstructed, Session 4

In Session 1, Session 2, and Session 3 I began working on an exploded shelf I'm calling Deconstructed.  I finished the last session by pouring clear resin around the wood parts set in a mould made of waxed melamine. Tuesday, I unmoulded the casting.  If everything had gone perfectly, all that would have been required would have … Continue reading Deconstructed, Session 4

News About Woodworking Magazines

The December/January issue of Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement is now on newsstands.  If you've been following my blog for at least a year, one of the three pictures at the top of the cover should look familiar. On the Contents page, we see that I have an article, Make a Wooden Bow on page 16.  Also, … Continue reading News About Woodworking Magazines

Warning: This is a Disclaimer!

There are so many ridiculous disclaimers out there that I decided to write some (since I'm now selling furniture).  These are just for fun: Section 1078.1 (General Safety Rules): This furniture is not a toy and is not intended for use by children (or immature adults); Use only accessories approved by Flair Woodworks.  Use of … Continue reading Warning: This is a Disclaimer!