March 2016

Every year is different.  Winter of 2016 will be remembered as “we almost missed it,” and spring came early.  The first woodcock on March 13, the earliest I’ve observed in this part of Maine.  This, the last day of the month, also brought out the first spring peepers.   It was 72° F (22° C) today.

I had to make a delivery to a Gallery in Somesville, on Mt. Desert island.  After driving three hours and dropping off the pieces, I treated myself to yet another tour of Acadia National Park.  Coming through Bar Harbor in the off season, both Cottage and Main Streets were virtually empty.  The benefits of not being a tourist.In the park, I stopped at a beaver pond for a few photos.  You can just see the lodge in the center, near the far shore.

Also, a beautiful boulder, with a strip of pink granite in the middle.So much for the excitement on the last day of the month.  However, most of the time was spent working in the shop.  I made a matching set of bedside cabinets, dovetailed, with a single drawer, paneled back  and one adjustable shelf.  I also made a few new tealights, with  glass inserts.  By request, a cherry version of the “Shaker Six-pack.”  All the 1/8″ shelves are removable, so the cabinet can also be used as a small display case.  It’s only 4″ (10 cm) wide and 16″  (40.6 cm) high.  It has that nice, slightly irregular restoration glass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C. H. Becksvoort © 2016

February 2016

Happy Leap Year!

Last month I mentioned that we were having a “weenie winter.”  Well, I must have offended the weather gods, since shortly thereafter we had two good size snow storms and the temperature dropped to -15°F (-26°C).  But it didn’t last.  The next day it went to 47°F (8°C), and has been unseasonable ever since.  Our road has been muddy for several weeks, and it’s not even March yet.  This is the earliest I’ve ever seen the snowdrops come out.

I did cut a few forsythia branches, brought them inside and in less than a week, they bloomed.

The ongoing bath renovation has eaten into my shop time, but I’m finally at a stopping point.  The tile is done ( and I must say that the radiant floor heat mat is some nice), trim is done, fixtures, vanity, and linen closet are installed.  All that’s left is a bit of painting and of course the 5′ mirrored medicine cabinet over the sink.  Fortunately, that has to wait until the sliding glass track arrives.

So, I actually got a few days of shop time in.  First, a lamp, which was shipped off to Canada.  I discovered a local company that will custom make double thickness cardboard boxes.  Saved a lot of time.

Next, a thrilling job of 90 pew card racks for the First UU Church in Yarmouth, ME.  I had the backs routed our by a CNC shop, but had to drill the pen holes, rout the edges and hand sand the entire batch.  A whole day of sanding, and thank goodness for finger tape!  The racks  just came back from the painter, and look great. Installation will be almost as much fun as sanding.

I also made two crosses from the Shaker’s Elder Joseph Bracket maple, for a monastery.

For my workshop at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker village on August 20, I made a prototype of a single step stool.  It’s 33″ tall, dovetailed white pine.  I’m also doing a dovetail workshop June 25, and a drawer workshop on September 17. Details to follow.

For the two day workshop at Lie-Nielsen‘s on June 11 to 12, I made a Shaker Lap desk.  This is a simpler version, without the tiny drawer, but plans will be available for those wanting to add the drawer on their own time.

Lastly, I glued up panels for two cherry side cabinets with drawers.  They’ll take a while, since I’ll also be doing a few FWW articles at the same time.

C. H. Becksvoort © 2016

January 2016

Well, 2016 is 1/12th over.  Here in Maine we’ve had a weenie winter so far.  A little snow, but nothing to write home about.  Most of the ponds and lakes have snow over a thin layer of ice, so skating is out as well.  For grandson’s 4th birthday we had a skating party on an indoor rink.  Hopefully, there will be some outdoor skating sometime soon.

My shop dog, Spirit, is enjoying the weather from her perch on a snow pile.A much too large portion of my time this month has been taken up with re-doing the upstairs bath. The shower surround was looking dingy and the linoleum floor was over 30  years old.  We figured those needed to be replaced.  While we’re at it, why not put down tile, and a radiant floor heat mat, and new paint and a linen closet, new sink and vanity, plus fixtures.  Most of this involve working on your knees, and running back and forth to the shop for tools.  A drag, but the end is in sight.

However, I did squeeze in a few small projects.  First a set of three clocks, beveled cherry with inlaid hours, and a quartz movement.

Also a custom picture frame, quartersawn tiger maple, for a custom composite mat of four woodcuts.  A nice contrast.

Lastly, a small table for a printer.  Really basic, four square legs, no taper, softened edges and a two board top.  It does have some really nice figure in the rails and legs.

It took me years to figure out what folks were complaining about when they had “blotch” in cherry.  Turns out it was figure that hadn’t been sanded properly.  If you sand figured cherry to 180 or 200, you’ll get muddy, dark and light areas.  Sanding on to 320, 400, 500 and polishing with 0000 steel wool, then applying oil, makes a deep, lustrous, changing pattern, much like tigers eye.

I did get my hands on two amazing planks of hard tiger maple: 8/4 x 13, one 5 feet long the other 7 feet.  Do I re-saw for drawer fronts, small presentation boxes, a large case or a really stunning wall cabinet?  (it’s leaning up against a 22″ piece of ancient white pine).

The “Shaker six-pack” tea cabinet, mentioned last month, is now available through the Sabbathday Lake Shaker museum store.  Have a look, and order a few tins of tea.  Cold weather is bound to return.

C. H. Becksvoort © 2016

December 2015

Well, it’s the last post of 2015.  All in all, not a bad year: I made several really nice case pieces, tables, beds, a new storage box beneath my workbench, a heat-pump for the shop, wonderful visitors, and a very successful gardening year.  Not only that, but one of my favorite editors is back at Fine Woodworking..

Most of December seemed like winter would never arrive.  Temperatures were frequently in the 40’s and 50’s, we had a few dandelions blooming, and on a trip to Boston even saw forsythias beginning to appear.  Finally on December 28 it got colder and the next day we had 6″ of snow.

As usual, December was busy, even though as a general rule, I don’t take orders for big pieces during the month.  I did finish up a set of Haystack chairs, two arm chairs and two side chairs.

There were also several requests for boxes, and a variety of candle holders and sconces, and an assortment of other small items.   In my spare time I finally got around to a project started in the summer of 2014.  The 1898 sugar maple, (planted in honor of Elder Joseph Brackett, composer of Simple Gifts), which had to be cut, finally yielded some dry wood, which I carefully cut and made into a tiny tea cabinet.  A “Shaker six-pack”.  It’s only 4 1/2″ wide x 17″ tall (11.4 cm x 43.2 cm).  The door has that nice old, wavy glass, and a small cherry knob. It is fully dovetailed, and a nice mix of heart and sapwood.  It contains chamomile, ginger lemon, lavender, lemon blend, mint blend and rose hip tea.

It is available through the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Museum store, in a limited edition of 3 at $750. each.  Seldom (if ever) will you find any  C. H. Becksvoort cabinet for that price.

C. H. Becksvoort © 2015

November 2015

November was busy.  Not only in the shop, but also around the house. It’s the time to get ready for winter.   The garden needed cleaning, mulching and the last of the harvest to bring in (except for a few leeks & carrots still in the ground). The Adirondack chairs needed to be put away, the dog house cleaned, peonies cut, and the last of the leaves raked.  And of course the snow blower gassed up and tested, and the shovels and scoops brought our of the shed.

Weather-wise, it’s been up and down.  The high was 61°, and the low was 10°, major frost, but only a dusting os snow so far.

As I mention in previous years, all my customers of the past year get a wreath for the holidays.  That means I go out into our woodlot the day after deer season ends and cut 70-90 pounds of balsam fir tips.  Our friend Willow then makes them into the most wonderful wreaths.

In the shop I made a few repairs, including a spinning wheel, as well as a few small “day” projects.  The bigger pieces included a set of four Haystack chairs, two arm and two sides.  Also a standing desk, much like the one I have in the office area of my shop.

Under the slanted lid is a shelf and small drawer.  Underneath is a large drawer with dividers next to a small drawer.  To the right of the slanted desk is a flat surface (with pencil groove), for lap tops or coffee cups.

The last day of the month was actually the high-point: a meeting of the mutual admiration society.  Nick Offerman came up on his day off from the theater in Boston (check out A Confederacy of Dunces) to see the shop,  and get a demo of “speed tenons.”  We then drove up to Lie-Nielsen Toolworks in Warren, for a full tour with Thomas, and the staff.  We had a blast, looking, talking, and checking out the tools.  The day ended with a dinner in Freeport with Nick and his lovely wife.

C.H. Becksvoort © 2015

Lie-Nielsen Toolworks Photo

October 2015

It was an almost perfect October.  Maybe my memory isn’t what it used to be, but the leaves this year were just extraordinary: the sugar maples, red maples, hornbeams, beeches, and even the red oaks put on a show.

And, as mentioned previously, it looks to be an amazing year for apples.  The turkeys and deer are outside the shop daily, availing themselves of the drops.

In the shop there were a lot of odds and ends to take care of.  A few more “thank you” projects, a refurbished secret compartment, a delivery, and a new load of cherry.  I go through about 500  Bdft of cherry a year, and this time the load was exceptional.  I ordered 10″ and wider, FAS, and got two 10″ boards , and the rest were 12″ and wider, all 14′ long.  Hard to see, but there are about 40 spectacular boards in this pile.

Currently I’m in the middle of a set of Haystack chairs.  The seats went to the upholsterer today, along with a whole hide of black leather.  In my spare time I finally finished the knife that I started August.  It’s been sitting there, waiting for the cherry burl handle to be fitted,  the blade re-etched and  the whole knife assembled.  While I was at it, I also made presentation box.  The knife is about 12″ long,  tempered and sharp.  I just love the look of the pattern welded (Damascus) steel.

We also had our annual open house with close to 40 people showing up.  Working in the woods  on a dirt road, that’s not a bad turnout.  It was Maine Craft Weekend, which probably helped.    October is also the end of the season for the Shaker Museum here at Sabbathday Lake.  That means time for the Friends of the Shakers Work Weekend.  This year the weather was perfect, and the event was well attended.

Some time ago I did an interview with Trevor Green, for his podcast  (scroll down to my name).  We covered all my favorite topics: Shaker design, wood movement, working efficiently, running a business, and hand vs machine tools.  Interesting, if you have 45 minutes to spare.

C. H. Becksvoort © 2015

September 2015

Fall is definitely in the air.  The month started out quite warm with two 90° days, and lots of humidity.  Then all of a sudden the temperatures shifted into more seasonal norms, with our first frost September 27.

Mid September  I ran the last workshop of the season at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village.  We had a nice time making a Shaker carrier: white pine with dovetailed corners, quarter-sawn bottom and a captured handle.   They turned out quite well.

Late last month I started the Shaker sideboard, my favorite, with the asymmetrical drawer layout.  As mentioned, it’s a lot of work.  Frame & panel construction is a bit different, in that there are lots of little pieces that all have to fit, and gluing up the parts requires planning, speed and dexterity.  It was finally completed and oiled.

A high point of September was an impromptu visit to the Shaker Village and to my shop and showroom by a group of woodworkers:  Peter Lamb, Jögge Sundqvist, Masachi Kutsuwa, Peter Follansbee, Drew Langsner and his wife Louise.  We had a great time and I very much enjoyed and appreciated the visit.

Louise Langsner photo.

C. H. Becksvoort © 2015

 

 

Vote for the Tea Box

Early this year, FWW asked each of its contributing editors to make a tea box, to hold those little foil or paper envelopes that contain a tea bag.   They decided on the box below.

The Basket Box, (or as one visitor to the Open House called it, the “lobster trap” box) 3 1/4H x 10 1/4W x 3 1/4D.  Made of eastern white pine, and what looks like walnut, but isn’t.  It’s left over torrified poplar.  The box is made of 1/4” square stock, alternating between pine and poplar.

 

August 2015, Summer’s End

Summer is drawing to a close.  Although it’s still quite warm and humid, the sounds and smells are changing:  bird songs have changed and diminished, the crickets are more noticeable, and the air smells like apples and hay.  Leaves are starting to turn, and the early asters are in bloom.  It’s going to be quite a year for apples.  I’ve never seen such an abundance.  One of our old trees had a large branch break off from the weight .

Harvest from the garden is in full swing.  We had our first greens in early July, followed by carrots and tomatoes.  The basil plants are turning into a jungle, so I’ll have to buy pine nuts and Parmesan, for the annual production of pesto.  I like to put it into small containers and freeze them.  Mid-winter you take them out, add the pesto to pasta and breathe and taste summer.

The rest of the garden is also progressing nicely.  We’ve got 8 winter squash in one bed, the leeks are thriving,and the carrots are in their prime.  The Sugersnax are extra long, up to 12″, and have to be taken out with a narrow spade.  Sweet and well worth the effort if you’ve got soil deep enough for this carrot. I usually plant at least 4 or 5 heirloom tomatoes and 1 or 2 Sungold hybrids.  Like candy in the garden.

At the beginning of the month I had signed up for a knife making course at the New England School of Metalwork.  It was a hot week, and even worse inside, with four gas forges going.  A very intense class, and at each step of the way, the instructor, Nick Rossi, warned us that “this step is crucial, and easy to mess up.”  I was the only one who brought my own billet of Damascus steel, which was a bit more difficult to work.  After forging, shaping, sanding, thermocycling, tempering, and polishing to 2,000 grit, I got my knife acid etched.  It looks great.  Now I’m waiting for a few pieces of cherry burl, tiger maple and crotch walnut to come back from being stabilized.  Not sure which of the woods will be the final handle.  If I have spare time, I’ll try to finish it and have photos next month.

In the shop, I’m working on a Shaker sideboard, the one with two doors and six asymmetrical drawers.  The first week is a constant repeat of ” assemble, mark, fit,  disassemble, repeat.”  The case is frame and panel, and is a real puzzle to assemble.  The  back consists of 7 pieces, while the front assembly is 10 fitted pieces.  Both are glued up into separate units.  The fun starts when the front and back are glued together with 5 more panels and 16 assorted runners, kickers and spacers, all of which have to be glued, assembled, fitted  into the appropriate slots and mortises, and then clamped.

This is the case, dry fitted, before the side, center and middle panels are cut and fitted, and the multitude of drawer runners, kickers, and side spacers.  Such fun.

So much for the 5-day work week.  Earlier this month I ran a Saturday workshop at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker community:  building a Shaker bench, with through tenons and four dovetailed corner braces.

This past weekend I exhibited at the first annual Maine Woodwork Expo, at Ft. Andross, in Brunswick, ME.  There were 25 of the best woodworkers in the state, showing a selling their diverse products.  It was great to see and meet so many friends, fellow woodworkers, and FWW readers.  Looking forward to next year.

C. H. Becksvoort © 2015

July 2015

This July was busy and eventful.  The long days of summer seem to be crammed full of things to do: the lawn, the garden, walking the dog, vacation and relaxation, workshops, visitors, lobster, gelato, berry picking, Open Houses, various projects, and yes, long hours in the shop.

For starters, we took a small vacation.  We rented a cabin on the water in Trenton, ME, just this side of Mt.Desert Island and Acadia National Park.  The view out the big window was amazing:We took full advantage of our park passes, and the buses that ran all over Acadia.  In addition to hiking, and photos, we stopped at the Jordan Pond House for lunch and pop-overs.

Three days wasn’t really long enough to explore the entire park, but we made the best of it.  Then it was back home and back to work.  Three days of ignoring the garden resulted in a healthy crop of weeds, and a lawn in dire need of cutting.  I really enjoy the garden, even weeding is relaxing.  It’s right behind the shop, so I can keep an eye on it.

I have five raised beds: winter squash, carrots, leeks and peppers, basil, parsley, lettuce and kale, and lastly four types of tomatoes in the far bed.   The paths are covered with planer shavings, and half the garden is sheet mulched with leaves, compost and lawn clippings.

Another great Open House at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks in Warren, always a high point of the summer.  We had quite the turn-out, with lots of friends and fellow woodworkers.  It was also the official release date of the long awaited Lie-Nielsen honing jig, with several replaceable jaws for narrow chisels, mortise chisels, short blades and skew blades.  Also the debut of their new catalog.Between all this fun and frivolity, there is still work to be done in the shop.  I made ten presentation boxes, of walnut, cherry and tiger maple for  Jason Morrissey, knife maker and glass artist.The knife was in the early stages of production, and hadn’t been polished or etched to reveal the Damascus pattern.

One of the bigger shop projects was  a queen size pencil post bed, with custom carving.  Lots of hand planing to get those 8-sided tapers smooth. 

It’s a great piece to build, using both power and hand tools, carving, turning, and spiffy hardware.

Lastly,  the dovetail workshop at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker community was a real successs.  Two sessions, both most enjoyable and productive.   The following day was the Open Farm Day at SDL .  It was cloudy and a bit drizzly, but very well attended.  I sold a few books and DVDs, and had a display of some of the pieces we make in the summer workshops at SDL:  Shaker bench, carrier, as well as the marvelous round stand.

C. H. Becksvoort © 2015