My Tripot: Final Cleanup

Fascinated with the form of the tripot, and interested to see what was involved in making one, I started my own. I couldn't think of a better way to understand and appreciate it than to make one myself. In my first two articles about making my tripot, I showed how I shaped most of the … Continue reading My Tripot: Final Cleanup

Sanding vs. Planing

One of the questions I am frequently asked is how I achieve such smooth, even surfaces. Planing and sanding are two methods of removing material and smoothing surfaces. Each technique is completely valid and has its advantages and disadvantages.  When deciding which to use, consider the following. Plane when: you want to achieve a flat … Continue reading Sanding vs. Planing

Maple Trestle Table, Session 20 – A Little Sanding, then More Sanding

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 20 – A Little Sanding, then More Sanding

Maple Trestle Table, Session 18 – Attachment Strips and Power Carving

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

Maple Trestle Table, Session 2 – Playing with Slabs

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 2 – Playing with Slabs

Maple Slab Build, Session 3

Friday night, I went down to the shop because I wanted to build something.  I started with a small slab of Western maple and designed the piece on the fly.  I documented the build live on Twitter and what you see below are the updates from the third session (see what I did in the … Continue reading Maple Slab Build, Session 3

Stephen Gleasner – There You Are

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

Overflow, Part VI

This time, I am giving away one Makita BO3700 Finishing Sander which has seen a minimal amount of use.  It uses 1/3 of a standard 9x11" sandpaper sheet which is held in place by a spring-loaded clamp at each end of the pad. The soft pad has eight holes for dust extraction.  The steel plate … Continue reading Overflow, Part VI

Bubinga Dining Room Table, Part II

Currently, I'm down in Phoenix, Arizona, working for Morgan Holt of EarthArt Landscape & Designs, Inc. on a massive dining table being made from one large slab of bubinga. Yesterday was an edgy day, so to speak.  The previous day, I had carved the edges with the angle grinder equipped with an Arbortech wood-carving wheel.  … Continue reading Bubinga Dining Room Table, Part II