Since moving into our new house last year, I have hung dozens of pictures and shelves. Okay, maybe not dozens, but very likely a dozen. Every time, the challenges are the same: what is the best location, where are the studs, and is it level? While not immediately obvious, we always do reach a consensus … Continue reading Mounting Shelves and Pictures on Walls
The Maker, the Buyer, and the User
As a creator (in my case, of designs, artwork, furniture and writing primarily), it is necessary to understand to whom one is accountable. The maker doesn't want it, the buyer doesn't use it, and the user doesn't know they're using it. What is the object? This classic riddle illustrates the difference between three types of … Continue reading The Maker, the Buyer, and the User
Designing a Wall Shelf – Mounting Options
For a wall shelf, the best place to start is at the beginning - the wall. How will the shelf be mounted to the wall? Perhaps the biggest challenge in designing a successful wall shelf is attaching it to the wall strongly enough to support it and whatever it supports. The method of attachment will … Continue reading Designing a Wall Shelf – Mounting Options
Understanding Material and Joint Strength
Guaranteed Success Can Be Bad Being scared of failing can steer us towards taking extra precautions to better the odds of success. It makes perfect sense, but it’s a shame because when things are over-designed and over-built, we often do not have the opportunity to observe the actual strengths of the components involved. Understand the Materials, … Continue reading Understanding Material and Joint Strength
Responsibility of the End User: Reflections on Skeletal Ash Chair
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
Limitations: Are they Restrictions that Block or Focus?
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?
What is there to be Afraid of About Failure?
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?
The Relentless Push to Fail
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
Throw Conventional Wisdom Out the Window
I am almost through a book called Rethinking Sitting, which discusses different ergonomic design styles of chairs. The author, a commercial designer of chairs, has developed many different models which are quite distinct from the typical form that you or I would recognize as a chair. Of course, he feels that his chairs have distinct … Continue reading Throw Conventional Wisdom Out the Window
Simpler Edge Joints
Quite often, I need a wider board than what I have available. Usually, that means gluing up two or more boards edge to edge. Since, in this situation, I am usually making a highly visible part such as a table top or cabinet side, I am very careful to match not only the grain pattern … Continue reading Simpler Edge Joints
