We are officially on Christmas break. Mostly that means we don't get to school by 9 am this week. We are still going in to do work, although the numbers are dwindling. People are going home to be with family or to warm sunny places. I will head down to Boston tomorrow morning to be reunited with Joanna and her family. She is currently somewhere in the sky between Khartoum and Amsterdam. I should be in bed but I've got a little cold that is keeping me awake (I know, oh you poor baby). It was only a matter of time before I got some bug - we've had pinkeye, two colds, some flu-ey thing and/or food poisoning roll through the classroom. Yes, a break will be nice!
Here's the status of my project: The lower drawer is cut out, dovetailed, and the inside shellacked. The bottom of it is cut almost to thickness and will now rest for a few days to see if it is going to cup or not. Upon return I will cut it to thickness and size and finish the outside of it. I have only just started to work the dovetails on the top drawer and included a "design opportunity" in it. That means I made a mistake when laying them out and now have to figure a clever way to cover it up. It's minor and on the inside but once you open that drawer you will see it. When you make a blind dovetail, you create a web on the front side (see photo from last post or so where the drawer is slightly pulled out) and in planning for that, I didn't fully consider which side - front or side? - carries the groove that the bottom slides into. The answer would be the side, but only after I finished with a tiny little peekaboo hole did I learn this. I'm thinking a tiny slice of purple heart will look dashing in there!
I've also more or less finished the frame and panel of the door, just have to size it up a little to fit perfectly in the space.
So these are the things I am thinking about at 1am when I should be sleeping. Now when I get up, do I sneak into school for a couple hours or go swimming? Stay tuned....
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The holiday cheeriness has set in!
So out came the Santa hats and reindeer antlers today. And the snow was so cute whirling around and never amounting to anything - just like being in a snow globe!
Over the weekend I took a lathe class to learn how to turn wood. We worked on pine, maple and plywood. The instructor, Stephen Gleason, is a wild, goofy, artist type with a million stories and tips on how to turn and use the different tools. It is a fun, challenging way to work with wood. I told him I wanted to try to make a ball - it was an ornament class after all - and instead of saying no, that's too advanced, he just said ok and let me spend 2 hours trying as my stock shrunk and my ball turned into a bead.
This week so far I have worked on cleaning up the outside of the casepiece so the tenons are now flush with the sides. Also, I have started making the drawers which means going back to making blind dovetails - you can't see the joinery from the front - and making peace with the not-quite-90-degrees part of the project. I get the idea of how to do the dovetails but haven't quite mastered the tight fit in the joints.
Tomorrow is the Yankee Swap - what we midwesterners call a white elephant gift exchange - and potluck. The 12 week program is hosting so we got to cleanup our lunchroom/drafting room/ finishing room today to make room for all the decorations and food. I am making a pecan pie as my present, hoping to add some positive juju to the mix so hopefully I walk away with a nice thing instead of some hilarious piece of junk. Wish me/us luck!
Over the weekend I took a lathe class to learn how to turn wood. We worked on pine, maple and plywood. The instructor, Stephen Gleason, is a wild, goofy, artist type with a million stories and tips on how to turn and use the different tools. It is a fun, challenging way to work with wood. I told him I wanted to try to make a ball - it was an ornament class after all - and instead of saying no, that's too advanced, he just said ok and let me spend 2 hours trying as my stock shrunk and my ball turned into a bead.
This week so far I have worked on cleaning up the outside of the casepiece so the tenons are now flush with the sides. Also, I have started making the drawers which means going back to making blind dovetails - you can't see the joinery from the front - and making peace with the not-quite-90-degrees part of the project. I get the idea of how to do the dovetails but haven't quite mastered the tight fit in the joints.
Tomorrow is the Yankee Swap - what we midwesterners call a white elephant gift exchange - and potluck. The 12 week program is hosting so we got to cleanup our lunchroom/drafting room/ finishing room today to make room for all the decorations and food. I am making a pecan pie as my present, hoping to add some positive juju to the mix so hopefully I walk away with a nice thing instead of some hilarious piece of junk. Wish me/us luck!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Glue up day!!
How exciting!! I finally got to glue up the carcase. So this morning's "one last thing" included drilling holes for the tiny screws that hold the hinges in place and then threading the holes for the screws with a steel screw because the brass ones could snap in the maple without this step. Also drilling the hole for the ball catch which is the thing that keeps the door closed. Then just a little shaving of the shoulder - just a kiss with the little block plane - to make that joint even sweeter. Ok, now we're ready!
Once the maple pieces are glued together, we "buttered" the little wedges and slipped them into the tenons. The wedges are made of purple heart (which is a nice contrast, I must say) and that's much harder than maple. So when we were just getting the hang of tapping them in with the hammer, we split a shelf!!! Yes! I think there's 14 clamps on there - you can't just take it apart and make a new piece! So we grabbed the pliers and backed it out. oops! We used epoxy to glue up so I can't take the clamps off til tomorrow.
Oh goodness I feel such relief and excitement!
Once the maple pieces are glued together, we "buttered" the little wedges and slipped them into the tenons. The wedges are made of purple heart (which is a nice contrast, I must say) and that's much harder than maple. So when we were just getting the hang of tapping them in with the hammer, we split a shelf!!! Yes! I think there's 14 clamps on there - you can't just take it apart and make a new piece! So we grabbed the pliers and backed it out. oops! We used epoxy to glue up so I can't take the clamps off til tomorrow.
Oh goodness I feel such relief and excitement!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
pre-glue up
So I think it was two days ago Tim said I was likely gonna glue up this week. And then yesterday it was only do "this" one thing and you'll glue up. But "this" turned into 6 more things, each of which was time-consuming. "This" included, but was not limited to: triple checking that the faces of my shelves were exactly flush at the front with the sides of the case. That was a game of cat and mouse - trim here, check. oops, too much - trim there. etc. Ditto the sides of the shelves were flush to the inside of the case. More cat and mouse. At one point I realized the fronts of the case (verticals) still had tiny little scribe lines from my marking where the shelves sit. I had started sanding with 100 grit and worked my way up to 400 and still they wouldn't go away. So today I got the blessing from Austin to put them on the jointer just once to shave it off. It worked pretty well. But then I had to start the game of cat and mouse. I swear I had only left the machine at the exact setting for three minutes and when I came back, someone had adjusted it so my first piece over it got chewed it up!! Yes way! So I had to recreate that piece. Luckily it was just a little face piece with a curve but no dadoes or anything. yikes! Finally I got to sand everything again at 400 grit and put a coat of finish (shellac) on the insides of the pieces - the parts that will be hardest to reach once it's assembled. Victory!
The other thing I did today was cut little wedges to go into my tenons on the sides of the case. I'm using purple heart which I think will look nice with the maple body.
The other thing I did today was cut little wedges to go into my tenons on the sides of the case. I'm using purple heart which I think will look nice with the maple body.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Progress!
What a great day! First, I woke to snow - as in heavily coming down, probly gonna stick, snow! And we must have 6 inches by now (8pm). That's pretty perfect.
Then, I made some progress in class. I learned more on the router table and cut my rabbets to slip the back piece into - which is actually going to be three pieces ship lapped together! And cut those laps and started down the slippery slope of curving the top. The top will be curved on top and a little bite of a curve underneath, just a half inch so it accepts the top drawer and acts as a stop for it. I may glue up the body of the piece any day now!! So exciting.
Both instructors raised eyebrows at me though - I was stuck so thought the natural thing to do was to start on the drawers. Noooooo, that must be done after the body is done. Oh...
Too many students, not enough machines today.
And the topper: I went to the laundromat and had enough cash to wash AND dry all my clothes. Really, it's the little things that make me happy.
Then, I made some progress in class. I learned more on the router table and cut my rabbets to slip the back piece into - which is actually going to be three pieces ship lapped together! And cut those laps and started down the slippery slope of curving the top. The top will be curved on top and a little bite of a curve underneath, just a half inch so it accepts the top drawer and acts as a stop for it. I may glue up the body of the piece any day now!! So exciting.
Both instructors raised eyebrows at me though - I was stuck so thought the natural thing to do was to start on the drawers. Noooooo, that must be done after the body is done. Oh...
Too many students, not enough machines today.
And the topper: I went to the laundromat and had enough cash to wash AND dry all my clothes. Really, it's the little things that make me happy.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Field trip!
So the most recent photos are from our field trips to three different woodworkers' workshops. The first one was Alex Hamilton, of Tidewater Mill, who does architectural millwork. That means he works with contractors and architects who order milled wood that he makes into : giant doors, banisters, some cabinet work. He has worked for a number of big names : Keith Richards, Martha Stewart, etc. So he had some good words to share about the business end of the business. His workshop - 3 buildings actually - is equipped with a CNC (most of the men in the group went "ooooooh" when they heard this!) which is a computer that gets set up to program the routers to shape the wood exactly how he wants it shaped - that's up, down, diagonal, back up in the middle, etc. It's amazing; and it's not close enough to hand work to have his actual work be interesting to me. But as I said he is well informed of the business end and I couldn't help but be impressed by the journey he's taken : from building boats to making home adornment that are reminiscent of the sea. He has 6 employees.
Next stop: Kevin Rodel, furniture maker in the Arts and Crafts vein. He is the opposite in many ways to Mr. Hamilton. Kevin works by himself in an old mill on the Kennebeck River. He designs and builds his furniture in his studio. He has the basic machines, including a band saw from the 40's!, and lots of planes and chisels and clamps. He has designed a couple pieces that he regularly makes or tweaks a little. He has taught at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship as well. He stressed the importance of finding your niche by figuring out what you are interested in and then studying where it comes from. In other words, he knows the original Arts and Crafts furniture movement inside and out and has written a book about it. So people know he's the guy to make the furniture in that style.
Last stop: Howard Hatch. Of Hatch Billiards. He actually loves to make big pieces of furniture from big pieces of wood and has made many liturgical pieces and sets. And one day he was working for a guy doing carpentry and the guy said he wanted a pool table and Howard said he wanted to build one and destiny was set. He loves the mix of carpentry and physics in the tables, the puzzle. He stated the most strongly of the three that it's a bad time to get into this business (although I'm not convinced it's any worse than any other) ~ be sure you've either married well or have a back up plan because it's a tough way to make a living.
I loved that all three of these guys still love their work. They still find inspiration somehow and still have the passion. That was really nice to see - because they've all been doing it for 30+ years.
So this is probably a good time to mention my wonderful instructors:
Tim Rousseau, lead instructor. Been making furniture for many years and teaching at the center for several, as well as taught in Autralia one year. Has lived in Maine long enough to seem to me like a native. He makes beautiful furniture and has a great sense of humor. Gobs of patience and likes to talk about oceans of things (oceans of dovetails, oceans of lectures, etc) and how/why not to bring shame on your tent (for doing crappy woodworking). He is also an ace mechanic on the machines we use.
First assistant instructor was Aaron Fedarko. He makes Shaker-ish furniture. He's an ace at chairs and dovetails. All-around good guy plus he rents the workspace next to my house so I get to check on his progress a lot - and give him tips . haha
Current assistant instructor: Austin Matheson. He found his niche in the Colonial West Indies reproduction furniture. So he makes ornate pieces with flamingoes and palms on them. He is from Miami and is heading back there after our class ends so he can rear his child with a little family around for a few years. He is a cowboy - not afraid of anything and why wait? Let's just do it! Great energy.
If you are interested in how I'm being influenced, check out the websites of these instructors, as well as the websites of the men we visited this week. Fascinating stuff!
On a personal note, I learned how to use a spokeshave today and I love it! It's like magic!
Ok, that's all for now
Next stop: Kevin Rodel, furniture maker in the Arts and Crafts vein. He is the opposite in many ways to Mr. Hamilton. Kevin works by himself in an old mill on the Kennebeck River. He designs and builds his furniture in his studio. He has the basic machines, including a band saw from the 40's!, and lots of planes and chisels and clamps. He has designed a couple pieces that he regularly makes or tweaks a little. He has taught at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship as well. He stressed the importance of finding your niche by figuring out what you are interested in and then studying where it comes from. In other words, he knows the original Arts and Crafts furniture movement inside and out and has written a book about it. So people know he's the guy to make the furniture in that style.
Last stop: Howard Hatch. Of Hatch Billiards. He actually loves to make big pieces of furniture from big pieces of wood and has made many liturgical pieces and sets. And one day he was working for a guy doing carpentry and the guy said he wanted a pool table and Howard said he wanted to build one and destiny was set. He loves the mix of carpentry and physics in the tables, the puzzle. He stated the most strongly of the three that it's a bad time to get into this business (although I'm not convinced it's any worse than any other) ~ be sure you've either married well or have a back up plan because it's a tough way to make a living.
I loved that all three of these guys still love their work. They still find inspiration somehow and still have the passion. That was really nice to see - because they've all been doing it for 30+ years.
So this is probably a good time to mention my wonderful instructors:
Tim Rousseau, lead instructor. Been making furniture for many years and teaching at the center for several, as well as taught in Autralia one year. Has lived in Maine long enough to seem to me like a native. He makes beautiful furniture and has a great sense of humor. Gobs of patience and likes to talk about oceans of things (oceans of dovetails, oceans of lectures, etc) and how/why not to bring shame on your tent (for doing crappy woodworking). He is also an ace mechanic on the machines we use.
First assistant instructor was Aaron Fedarko. He makes Shaker-ish furniture. He's an ace at chairs and dovetails. All-around good guy plus he rents the workspace next to my house so I get to check on his progress a lot - and give him tips . haha
Current assistant instructor: Austin Matheson. He found his niche in the Colonial West Indies reproduction furniture. So he makes ornate pieces with flamingoes and palms on them. He is from Miami and is heading back there after our class ends so he can rear his child with a little family around for a few years. He is a cowboy - not afraid of anything and why wait? Let's just do it! Great energy.
If you are interested in how I'm being influenced, check out the websites of these instructors, as well as the websites of the men we visited this week. Fascinating stuff!
On a personal note, I learned how to use a spokeshave today and I love it! It's like magic!
Ok, that's all for now
Friday, December 3, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Here's the skeleton
...of the little cabinet I'm making. Today it shrunk in width about 1/4 " because I got the router to migrate past it's course (twice). Clever!
Around 3 pm most days I sort of glaze over. Brain just doesn't think clearly anymore. So I've started using that as play time. They are installing a new exhibit in the gallery (sculpture) that opens Friday so I went to check that out. Check it out on their website: Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Messler Gallery. I started messing about with wood and techniques that have nothing to do with my cabinet but still I learn with little or no risk of wrecking something. I tried "resawing" today which is just sawing something the lengthwise but also depth wise - so in other words, something that might be 10 inches long and 1 inch thick you cut to make two pieces, each 1/2 inch thick but still 10" long. Worked pretty well.
Tomorrow we go check out a few different woodworkers' workshops. Can't wait!
Around 3 pm most days I sort of glaze over. Brain just doesn't think clearly anymore. So I've started using that as play time. They are installing a new exhibit in the gallery (sculpture) that opens Friday so I went to check that out. Check it out on their website: Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Messler Gallery. I started messing about with wood and techniques that have nothing to do with my cabinet but still I learn with little or no risk of wrecking something. I tried "resawing" today which is just sawing something the lengthwise but also depth wise - so in other words, something that might be 10 inches long and 1 inch thick you cut to make two pieces, each 1/2 inch thick but still 10" long. Worked pretty well.
Tomorrow we go check out a few different woodworkers' workshops. Can't wait!
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