It can be a challenge to work efficiently in a small shop, but I have arranged the equipment in the space of a 1-car garage to allow me to build with components up to five feet in length without having to rearrange. In fact, the only machine that is on wheels is my 13" thickness … Continue reading Working Efficiently in a Small Shop
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
Sketching to Develop Wall Shelf Ideas
With two weeks before the Wall Shelf Build-Off, I spent some time this afternoon working on design ideas. I filled three pages of sketches with a variety of designs. When sketching, I like to use pen and don't spend more than half a minute on each. I use the sketches to help me figure out what I … Continue reading Sketching to Develop Wall Shelf Ideas
Elm – Pleasant to Work and Full of Character
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
Butternut – it Carves like Butter with a Hot Knife
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
Stool with Sculpted Seat
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
“Sharpening” Carbide Insert Cutter Heads
It has been a long time since I installed Byrd Tool's Shelix carbide cutter heads in my Delta DJ-20 8" jointer (May 2009) and DeWalt DW735 13" planer (June 2012). The videos showing the installation of the cutter head in my planer have been viewed almost 75,000 times! Although the machines still produced tearout-free cuts, they did … Continue reading “Sharpening” Carbide Insert Cutter Heads
Routing the Puzzle Pieces for Puzzle Table
After gluing up the four sides, my next step was to rout in the puzzle pieces. I used three combination squares referenced off of each edge to lay out a grid, which represented the size and location of the puzzle pieces. Pencil can be difficult to see on black walnut, but I found that roughing up … Continue reading Routing the Puzzle Pieces for Puzzle Table
Assembling Puzzle Table
After a week making the inside surfaces glossy and blue, I was back to making sawdust. I mitred the ends of the panels with my sliding table saw, using a stop block to ensure that they were all the same length. I appreciated the fact that my carefully-painted surfaces were able to just sit on the … Continue reading Assembling Puzzle Table
Roots of Flair: Accepting Wood Movement
At some point in time, every woodworker has cursed the fact that wood expands in humid weather and contracts in dry weather. Because of it, lumber that was once straight became curved, twisted, or both. Parts that once fit snugly became loose, or impossibly tight. Turning green (freshly cut) wood was how I learned firsthand … Continue reading Roots of Flair: Accepting Wood Movement
