Last week, I worked at the Coquitlam showroom of Lee Valley Tools Ltd. demonstrating the Festool power tools. I was given a stack of pine and a set of plans for Megan Fitzpatrick's Shaker-inspired Step Stool which appeared in Popular Woodworking's column, I Can Do That. Over the three days, I had time to build two stools. The design was … Continue reading I Can Do That with Festool and Flair
Last weekend, I met with some of my fellow Artwalk participants and showed them the yellow cedar chair that I'd built to hang in the tree outside The Bistro Gallery where I will be showing my work. They loved the concept and encouraged me to make another piece for a second tree. So, that's what … Continue reading Table in a Tree
Saturday was a full day in the shop. After breakfast, I went down to the shop and built 90% of a chair which will be installed up in a tree. (In case you missed it, here's the back story.) I documented my progress live on Twitter using hashtag #FlairWW (follow me @FlairWoodworks) which was useful because each update … Continue reading Chair in a Tree
Power carving is unlike working with hand tools because you can remove wood without regard for grain direction or knots. To me, this is liberating as I can focus on form. As I work, I constantly ask myself, "Do I want to save this section or obliterate it? My sculpting approach is to simply remove … Continue reading Include or Exclude?
On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working. That got me yearning to build a trestle table. I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could … Continue reading Maple Trestle Table, Session 19 – Refining the Sculpted Base
On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working. That got me yearning to build a trestle table. I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could … Continue reading Maple Trestle Table, Session 18 – Attachment Strips and Power Carving
Artist Name: Stephen Gleasner Title: There You Are Details: circa 2010 - Plywood, 30" x 48" Why It's Notable: While most woodworkers try to hide the layers of plywood, Stephen Gleasner embraces them. He carves into the face of plywood to reveal patterns reminiscent of a topographic map, then applies dyes to the surface to enhance the … Continue reading Stephen Gleasner – There You Are
Sunday afternoon, I started a project with a board of butternut (I thought it was walnut at first). The idea was to let the wood dictate the end result. I documented the process of building and mounting wall brackets live on Twitter and what you see below are the updates from Day 2: Monday (you … Continue reading How to Listen to the Wood – Carving, Day 2
Sunday afternoon, I started a project with a board of butternut (I thought it was walnut at first). The idea was to let the wood dictate the end result. I documented the process of building and mounting wall brackets live on Twitter and what you see below are the updates from Sunday (the project wasn't … Continue reading How to Listen to the Wood – Carving, Day 1
This post is part of Get Woodworking Week, an initiative started by Tom Iovino of Tom's Workbench, to build interest and participation in woodworking. I know that every one of my readers except for Paul-Marcel, for whom I made the first one, is scratching their head wondering what the heck a Br'all is, what it does, … Continue reading Every Workshop Needs a Br’all
