May News

Spring came early in Maine this year.  Most of the bulbs have gone by, lilacs are fading, and all the trees, except white ash are in full leaf.  Spring peepers, tree frogs and bull frogs are making themselves heard, as are the returning birds.

In the shop, there was only one project of interest.  I was asked to make 24 picture frames.  I used pine, milled to 3/4″, then ripped to 5/8″, and rabbeted to accept the art and the glass.  Then I mitered 48 short sides and 48 long sides, taped them alternately end to end, glued the miters and taped the last corner.  Once the glue was dry I cross nailed each corner, countersunk and filled the holes.  Then each frame had to be sanded, and finally painted.  Two coats satin black, with a brush, not sprayed..  They turned out quite well.  Fortunately, they were all the same size, which made it much easier.

The rest of the month was spent typing the book, taking photos and arranging everything in order.  I needed 30 photomicrographs of end-grain wood samples, and the good folks at the University of Maine School of Forest Resources sent me samples from their collection.  At left is my wood of choice, black cherry (Prunus serotina) magnified about 25x.  The wood is diffuse porous, meaning that the pores are distributed more or less evenly throughout the growth ring.  The pores are small and consistent in size, making the wood a joy to work with.

April News

Spring is on the way, finally.  Daffodils, quinces and forsythias are all in bloom. A few more weeks and the lilacs will be out.  And so the spring chores begin:  the garden was tilled by a neighbor, the screen door was put in, and after a soaking rain, the lawn needed its first mowing.  The first time is always fun, after that, it gets tedious.

I’ve spent more time at the computer this month than in the shop.  As I mentioned previously, I shot a DVD at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, which should be out next month.  In the process, I also had to build a teaching cabinet, showing how a typical solid-wood case goes together:  two different backs, two different tops, removable web frame and inner shelf, removable mitered base, and drawers, panel door with inset spinner, etc.

While doing the DVD, I decided to have my 30 year old book re-printed.  I got in touch with John Hoffman and Chris Schwarz at Lost Art Press, and they agreed to re-publish it in hardback (printed in the USA).  So the entire book had to be typed onto my Apple.  Of course, a lot has changed in 30 years, so every chapter needs updating.  And the last chapter on Working with Solid Wood had to be completely re-written.  Its keeping me busy.  Lastly, the 30 photomicrographs of wood end-grain were not returned by the original publisher, so they will need to be re-shot at the Univ. of Maine wood lab.  If all goes well, it should be off the press in early fall.  Stay tuned.

March Shop Notes

March has been an interesting month, weather-wise, and in the shop.  Maple buckets (and now tubes as well), have been out for a few weeks.  All in all it’s been a rather mild winter: below average snowfall, lousy snowshoeing and very limited skating.  March started with an 8″ snowfall, but quickly warmed up, to the point where we had two days of above 80° temperatures.  Not normal for Maine.  This is the earliest that I can remember having the return of the first woodcock, phoebes and even ticks.  Crocuses are up and blooming, and even daffodils are about to blossom.

In and around the shop, I’ve been busy with variety of jobs and chores.  As I  mentioned in Dec/Jan., I designed and built a new coffee table, complete with Freshwater Pearl granite inlay.  Very handsome, shown below with the chairs.

And the aforementioned new chairs designs were finally completed.  This is what resulted from the prototype (February Shop Notes) that was kicking around the attic for about ten years.  Yes, they are definitely of Danish influence, and no, they are not cutting edge. But they are comfortable, and well made:  a bentwood seat with a dense foam core,  oil-tanned leather upholstery, steamed cherry back and cherry frame. Comfort and structural integrity are my most important criteria for chair designs.  There are a lot of good looking chairs on the market, but only a few you’d want to spend time sitting on. Mine are available as armchairs and side chairs.  A professional photo, and prices will be posted in the New Work, Prototypes & One of a Kind section of the site soon.

February Shop Notes

February has been another slow month.  I’m managed to keep busy with a variety of chores.  First, I had to make a run of 20 dogwood dovetail markers, something I do once a year.  I also added a new saw rack into the toolbox.  The major event of the month was the filming of a DVD at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, tentatively titled “A Guide for Woodworkers: Understanding the Material”.  The actual shooting took only two days, but the prep work was close to three weeks: the script, graphics, a corner of a table top model,  dozens of wood samples, and a small display cabinet, the parts of which disassemble to show the construction process.

The rest of the month has has been taken up with a chair design that has been sitting in the attic since around 2002 (notice the darkening of the seat, which had a few things placed on it).  This mock-up was made with fir 2 x 2s, bent plywood and drywall screws.   I added arms (not yet shown), and discovered that the chair is really quite comfortable, which beside structural integrity, is most important. I plan on a side chair and an arm chair, cherry, with formed lumbar support and a padded leather seat.  The lower side rails will be moved up, under the seat.

Definitely a Danish influenced design.

January: Quality, Custom, Green

Visitors to my shop & showroom sometimes ask why my prices are so “dear.”  There are several responses, and the list keeps growing: 1) When you invest in my furniture, you are buying 2-6 weeks of my life.  2) You are availing yourself of five decades of experience in joinery, wood technology,  restoration, and design.  3) You are investing in a green product, made of sustainably harvested wood from Kane Hardwoods (in operation since 1858); a product that will outlast the next generation. 4) Buying quality once is always cheaper than buying cheap, and having to replace it 4 or 5 times.  Most of what you see at big box stores will be in the land-fill within 5 years. You are supporting the local economy, handmade in the U.S. A. 5) Each of my works are built by me, from raw stock, one at a time, to suit your specific requirements.  No two pieces I have ever made are exactly the same.  The hand of the maker is always in evidence.  Most folks think that “custom” means getting the body color, engine size and audio system you desire, not realizing that your “custom” vehicle is one of at least 3,000 just like it on the road.

From years of restoring furniture for the last Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake, ME, my motto has always been, “Not how cheap can I make it, rather, how good can I make it”

December & January Shop News

December always fills up with last minute small projects.  Most years I don’t schedule anything for the last month of the year.  This time, the last November project ran into December.  It was a walnut chest.  Since I ordinarily inventory just cherry, I had to scramble to find decent walnut.  Most of it is steamed today, and the widths are nothing to brag about.  However, I remembered that I had three 12″ boards squirreled away from years ago.  Prime stock, with that nice dark purple-chocolate color.

The project was a lidded chest with two drawers.  Walnut is a bit of a challenge, since it’s hard to see pencil marks.  the chest was fully dovetailed,  maple interior, soft-close lid support and a beautiful quarter-sawn top.  The client wanted bun feet, which I’m not too fond off.  Nonetheless, I turned all four feet out of a real nice short piece of 16/4 stock that I managed to find.  The piece turned out rather nice, with black hardware.

January is always a slow time, a let down after the holidays.  I worked on two FWW articles and revived a long dormant coffee table design.  An updated boat-shaped, floating top with a granite inlay.  The table, of which I’m justly proud, is waiting for a a real photo shoot.

November Bits & Pieces

I recently had the honor of leading a private tour at the Portland Museum of Art for the exhibit “Gather Up The Fragments: The Andrews Shaker Collection.” If you happen to be in Maine, the exhibit is well worth the trip.  It runs through February 5, 2012.

We had a white Thanksgiving this year.  About 11″ here in New Gloucester.  Made for some messy driving, especially since my snow tires were still in the shed.  Deer season ended on Saturday, so we can stop wearing our florescent orange hats, vests and jackets.  The Sunday after the end of deer season I spend about 4 hours in the woods clipping balsam fir branches to be made into wreaths by our long time friend, Willow.  Most years it takes 70 to 90 pounds of fir tips.  Clients who purchased one or more of my pieces during the preceding year get a decorated wreath for Christmas. I think this is the 21st or 22nd year I’ve carried on this tradition.

Music Stand VI was accepted into the “Maine Wood 2012″ exhibit at the Messler Gallery in Rockport, ME.  It features lyrics from “Small, Swift Birds” by Michael Timmins of the Canadian band the Cowboy Junkies, one of my favorite groups.  My music stands are engraved with a song or poem of your choice.  The top is adjustable by about 14″, by way of a sliding dovetail through the upper portion of the center post.  It is held in place by an ebony violin peg.  The base consists of a laminated parabola, curved inward 15° to meet the legs.

The exhibit runs through April 2012.