Chair Notes

A Southern Perspective

2012-01-25T09:32:00.000-05:00

Australia is a lovely landscape with marvels from desert to rainforest and I got to see plenty while I was there. This was one of the most surprising views that I came across early in my trip.

This wood seems almost more animal than plant!

It's a timber called "Black Box" and it highlights the incredible difference between the woods there and the ones back home.

This was a burl that another Pete (I had one class with 3 Peters in it!) cut out in the bush. He is one of a rare breed there that hunts spectacular wood for the musical instrument makers. I went out on an excursion with one of them, but more about that later. Isn't it wild that it looks so fleshy!

Here is the truck that Pete uses to go a'gathering.

I don't know about you, but to me, this is a real truck!! From the winch to the water and gas cans, you can tell that this is no vanity SUV. The snorkel looking thing is an air intake for when he crosses rivers.

Below is a class photo of the last class that I taught (I had 3 classes and a lecture). You can actually see chairs from the other two classes in the image, one is the continuous arm rocker and the other is the green birdcage in the back.

The Aussies don't have a tradition of painted furniture like we do, so I spent a lot of time brow beating them about the positive impact that paint has on the chairs. The solid silhouette, the taming of various wood, the richness of the paint...and so on. My intrepid host Glen Rundell took the bait and painted his birdcage with one of the most lovely finishes I've seen. You'll see more of it here (with recipes and process) or you can see it and more about his view of my trip on his blog.

I have lots to share, some new techniques, a jig or two and plenty of pictures of me relaxing in Tasmania ( from which I'll spare you). Even leaving a balmy summer for the New England slush, it's good to be home.

A Hardy Lot

2011-12-14T21:30:00.002-05:00

I am in Melbourne teaching some classes and have lots of good stuff to share. New woods, new tools, new techniques and new friends!

One of the main obstacles here, is the different variety of timbers that are readily available.
The woods here are absolutely unknown to me, such as gidgee, red gum, kaori, myrtle, houn pine and countless others.
Glen Rundell and Alistair Boell have worked very hard and exercised a great deal of ingenuity to make the available woods suit the windsor form. It makes me realize just how lucky I am to live where there is such an abundance of suitable chair wood.

Because the available woods don't split well, the spindle and arm stock is sawn first while green, being careful to follow the fibers. Once in billet form, it's on to the shavehorses, where the wood, a form of ash, behaved reasonably well.

Since I've been here, I've learned a lot that I look forward to sharing, and in the tradition of classroom innovation, some of the differences here have spurred on new thoughts that I'll take home to advance my own work.

One especially interesting technique that Glen and Alistair have developed, is this strap for bending the continuous arm bow. Even the most well behaved local timber won't bend without some form of strap, and these straps that they've come up with are ingenious, and work great!

Given the limitations of the wood, this class has proven itself to be a hardy lot, and quick with laugh to boot.

Warn your Family!

2011-12-06T08:49:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been using Old Brown Glue in the shop, It's great stuff and when the shop is cold, I'd basically end up making my own liquid hide glue to combat the chill, so why not just go with it already formulated?

One problem that I've heard of folks having with the stuff losing it's quality has to do with constant cooking. The stuff is only liquid at 70 degrees and above, so folks tend to take the bottle and heat it in a hot water bath. But just like food, heating and reheating breaks it down. So my solution is to take the bottle when it arrives and pour the entire contents into an ice tray and set it in the fridge (not the freezer). When the stuff sets up, I empty them into a ziplock.

Each cube makes a normal sized chair. I simply melt one cube in a cup that I immerse in hot water. Reheating a few times won't affect the glue, but I do discard whatever is left after each chair.

Be sure to warn your family so that they don't mistake the glue for some tasty treat!

As usual, I have been discovering new uses for felt around the shop. This time, it's some soft felt that my friend Dana gave me. When working with shaved walnut, it's a bit too easy to ding it up, but the felt on the clamps works great with no loss of gripping power.

I am heading to Australia today to teach a few classes at the Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking.
I'm hoping that the longer days will give me a chance to catch up on my blogging!

Below is a gift from my hosts, a real Aboriginal boomerang. I've always been fascinated by these objects and have longed to make one. They fit my definition of a perfect wooden object. The wood is perfectly suited to this use for its strength, beauty, workability and durability. I nearly choked when they presented it. I'm looking forward to the new woods that I'll experience there.

And for my friends in Atlanta, here are the kids in their new home. I was going to leave them and my brothers house until I returned, but it just didn't feel like home here without them. This is the view from the kitchen window. They are loving the new surroundings.

See you on the other side!

Not What I Meant!!

2011-11-21T08:39:00.001-05:00

I've been getting some feedback that tells me that my last post might have been misconstrued. My pal Dan came over and said, "So, you finally got sick of people bugging you!?"
Then, a few sheepish "I hate to bother you" emails and I figured that I need to clarify. I pointed out the search box because I thought that it would be helpful. Please feel free to contact me, but be patient for my reply, as lately I've been overbooked!

Here is some of what has been taking my time. The class in Atlanta was small, but a great success. I've been using this simple drilling aid to help students drill the bow.

I know, I know, it's better to teach skills then jigs, but coming in at the end of a 65 hour work week and asking students to drill their bows by eye (which is a very achievable skill, by the way) proves to be a bit inhumane. Some visual guidance is helpful, such as placing a spindle near the hole and against the bow, but I figured, why not take a minute and make the aid more focused.

The jig is basically a tuning fork shaped block of wood with a dowel drilled into it that fits in an aluminum tube that sits in the mortise in the deck. The aluminum tube make the jig adjustable for height. The rubberband around the dowel locks the height.

Here you can see that pointing the top of the "tuning fork" helps find the center. Notice that the spring clamp is place so as to not affect the position of the "fork".

I've used this in a couple of classes now, and the chairs come out great and the meltdowns have stopped! There are plenty of hurdles in this race and I think that this fits fine within the goals of learning, having fun and building a great chair.

Plus, the result speak for themselves.

Here is another student from last week. Jack has made about 30 chairs, so he was ready to tackle my most complex style.

We had fun making this one and I got to bone up on teaching it, which is good because it's one of the classes I'll be teaching soon on my travels.

Jack really befriended Rocket, I had to tear him away from the poor dog just to get some work done! So Jack, this one's for you.

What you might not know about this Blog.

2011-10-28T09:32:00.001-05:00

I get a lot of emails and calls with questions, and I welcome them. After all, I'm just another guy in his shop, scratching his head and looking for answers. The blog technology has proven to be a great way to share information, and in recent times, I've found myself searching for things that I've covered in it.

My other workshop

Here's what you may not know. The little white box in the upper left corner is a search box. Besides using the catalog of titles on the right to access info by category, you can just put a key word in the box and every post that is relevant will pop up. It's a great way to cut through to just the info you want.

Give it a try! But rest assured, I still welcome the calls and emails,

Tool Junkie Heaven

2011-10-27T08:13:00.000-05:00

Last week, I had Glen Rundell from Australia here to build a Crested Rocker, like the one in last years Fine Woodworking (shameless plug). Glen is also hosting me in Melbourne as I teach 3 classes and give a lecture this winter. You can see more about this at the Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking (shameless plug #2).

Here is Glen in the new shop. Technically, he is the first person to build a chair inside these walls in 150 years or so!

Here is his chair in progress. Note how perfectly the spindles are sitting, even though they are only drilled into the seat, nice drilling Glen!

Here is the finished, though not glued (shipping you know) chair. The blue tape is a new aesthetic that I've been working with!

and here is Glen, hamming it up with his new tool chest.

He bought this patternmakers chest, full of the tools of the craftsman, including his brand and glasses (see Glen's face) from Patrick Leach. I first stumbled upon Patrick's website about 13 years ago while learning more about handplanes. It is the most exhaustive source of handplane and tool knowledge that I've come across. What I didn't know, was that he lives about 30 minutes from my new house.

So I went with Glen to pick up some tools that he'd ordered.

Now, we've all stood at a dealers table full of tools that we've only seen in pictures in complete awe. Well, this is where those tools live. Unbelievable.

Patrick was generous to let us take photos of his tool crazed man cave.

When you keep your Stanleys like this, then you are either a dealer, or have hoarding issues, or both!

Frankly, I think that keeping these moulding planes in an original Starret display case is just rubbing it in.

Then Patrick took us on a tour of the inner sanctum. His private collection.

One could spend weeks in here. Patrick has a variety of old chests and collections that he refuses to break up. Good on you Patrick.

He pointed out with pride these salesman sample books of ivory rules.

I left Patrick's with a simple froe blade, secure in the knowledge that if I ever need a tool, any tool, I know where I can get it.

Rocky Brook Chair Shop

2011-10-25T18:00:00.000-05:00

I've taken some field trips recently and have learned more about the chairmaking that took place on our property. The original builder, in 1800 was named Newton Burpee, and he built chairs in the Rocky Brook Chair Shop across from the house. It was a stream powered operation. The part of the land with the stream was later sold into conservancy.

Here is a painting of the chair shop that I came across at the local historical society.

You can see the tree and wall on the left side of the painting are still quite clearly visible. The foundation is still quite intact, but is more difficult to see in the photo.

Here is another painting from the other side, showing the dammed up pond.

And here is the pond now.

This wheel was in the shed behind the house and came from either the chairshop or the mill next to the house.

As you can see, Sterling was quite the hub for chairmaking. Here is the chair room at the historical society. It was a delight to walk in this room.

The curator was clearly excited to have a chairmaker back in town and offered to let me take the chairs to my shop to study etc...very kind.

The chairs below were produced by Newton Burpee in the shop.

Here is his brand.

They also had some lovely Birdcages in the display.

I love seeing the slenderness of the parts. Below is a map of all the chairshops in Sterling in the 19th century. Each shop is a red dot. The curator of the museum said that wherever there was a stream, there was a shop.

Usually, I'm not one to revel in the history of the chairmaking, preferring to think that my role is about the future of the craft, but living in this house and this town has certainly brought the continuum of it all into focus.

Shop Vac Turning

2011-10-24T18:56:00.000-05:00

Here is a short video of Glen Rundell roughing out some blanks using my shop vac and a large gouge. I started roughing this way a while back, and besides the noise of the shop vac, I can't find a reason not to do this. Besides the heavy shavings that get sucked away, the fine dust never makes it airborn!

I have new contact info for anyone trying to call or write me.
You can reach me at
127 Beaman Rd.
Sterling, MA
01564

(978) 563-1425

Field Trip, Part1

2011-10-23T20:05:00.000-05:00

After moving, I finally have internet and phone access again, so it's time to catch up on all the goings on here. Seth and I recently traveled to Irion Lumber out in Pennsylvania to get some wood. I needed some air dried walnut for some chairs and Seth was in the market for the wide butternut that Lou Irion had in stock. We were not disappointed. Here is Seth inspecting one of the 20" plus board that Lou had set aside for chair seats. Look at these monsters!

The field trips that I've been on recently have been helpful in calming all the chaos that goes with moving again. Irion is a paradise for the wood lover. Lou comes from a furniture making background and not only knows what we are looking for, but is helpful in meeting our specific needs. It didn't hurt that he knew that we were 8 hours from home.

Below is Seth in the air drying shed. There are many buildings on the property that hold the dried stuff, and when the doors slid, my jaw nearly hit the ground.

Usually, I am not a typical "woody" swooning over figure and exotic colors and widths, but this place is simply amazing.

Thanks Lou, for letting us look through the stacks and hanging out in the rain!

Sneak Peek

2011-10-11T06:35:00.000-05:00

I am planning on shooting a video of all the interesting woodworking that's gone on behind the scenes in our new house. There is some great timberframing and some fantastic wood. But for now, I figured I'd show some partial shop shots.

And yes, I know that that this is the cleanest it will ever be. I can't wait to get in there and chew up some wood!

You can click on the photos to see larger versions.

Coincidence?

2011-10-09T07:55:00.000-05:00

Those of you who have followed the blog for a while know how much work Sue and I put into our old house and workshop. I'm sure it came as a surprise that we left it, and yes, it was in many ways difficult. So I'm very happy to report that we've bought a house and if ever there was a nod towards destiny, here it is.

The house caught my eye because the photos of the interior were so reminiscent of our old place, and sure enough, it is exactly the same layout, only the new house was built in 1800. Basically, it was the house I was trying to build. Plus, it has an attached carriage house and garage that will finally give me that separate space for my dusty tools that I've always wanted.

But here is where it gets weird. This house was part of a chair making operation in the 19th century. There was a mill in the nearby pond and a chair shop across the street. The chair maker lived in the house and to commemorate this, the carriage house walls are lined with the boards from the old chair shop.

Here is the carriage house, as I'm putting down a new floor. The timberframing is done with hand hewn chestnut beams.

And who better to help me finish the floor than Chairnotes pal Seth Weizenecker! Seth came for a visit just in time to help me with the floor and move my shop over. Thanks and sorry Seth!

And yes, this is the last time this floor will look so clean.

Here is the Chairnotes covergirl with the maple in the front yard.

Besides being surrounded by conservation land on all sides, the property has maple for sugaring and of course, room for the goats and chickens.

Here is the new portable goat shed.

While we don't have a pond here, there is a brook that runs across the street where the chair shop was.

We set up the shop and I'll be posting shots soon. Ok, perhaps it's not fate, but it sure feels like home.

The Other Side of the Coin

2011-10-03T09:08:00.000-05:00

A former student of mine, Pat Tipton, who has become a great friend has started a blog of his own. In this entry, he talks about taking a class with me many years ago. Pat was in the old basement shop of mine with a pal of his from Texas (that made three Texans in the shop) and they squeezed me for every dime. They stayed every night until 9 pm and on the last night of the class, I finally just went to bed and told them to shut out the lights. They left around midnight. But that's Pat, every day an adventure.

Pat is the guy you'd love to hate. He's good at everything. He's a highly educated and successful professional, has a beautiful family, plus he's a virtuoso musician, a stunt pilot, a farmer, a mechanic and an outstanding craftsman, just to name a few. The problem is that he's so humble and his enthusiasm is so boundless that he's just plain fun to be around. I often say that teaching is the hardest work that I do, but the mere fact that it brings fascinating folks like Pat into my world means that I'll always do more of it. So, lend him an ear, it's good stuff.

If this peaks your interest, there are still openings in the course that I'll be teaching at Highland Woodworking in early November.

A Ray of Hope

2011-09-26T07:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I just needed to whallup something. As I mentioned, we are in a crazy transition place and the tension has finally gotten to me, "Where's my sledge hammer!" So I went to JB Sawmill and got a white oak log for the rocker that I'll be making with Glen from Australia in a few weeks.

It's not the best log that I've gotten, but, white oak is a bit tougher to come by here and you know what they say about beggars and choosers. But when I split it open and stood over it, soaked with sweat and somewhat relieved of my anxiety, I saw this.

I've never seen a ray so large and perfect. To give more perspective than the wedge supplies, it's larger than an slice of rye bread. Very cool. So hopefully this is an omen, and will forever put to rest the question as to why the ray plane is easier to split and shave.

As promised, here are some detail shots of the Birdcage armchairs. I worked out a new scraping routine for the seats that yielded very nice results.

First I rough scraped the seat, trying of course to make it as even and fluid as possible. Then, I sanded with 180 grit sandpaper. Usually, this is coarser than I like, fearing that the sandpaper will eat through the compressed fibers from the scraping and make the grain "pop" look uneven or leave large scratches in the endgrain areas. But the 180 does a such a great job leveling the surface, so I simply scraped lightly afterwards. I know that this breaks the "no edge tools after sandpaper" rule, but I cleaned the surface with a microfiber cloth and a brush, besides, scrapers sharpen easily.

Then I sanded lightly with 220 grit and painted the first coat. As usual, I sanded the seat again very lightly after the paint hardened thoroughly. It seems like a lot of work, but the grain shining through looks great.

Besides the pine seat, I made all of the other parts out of oak. I really like the way that the texture of the grain shows through the paint.

On a sad note, my favorite chicken was killed by a neighbors dog the other day. Most of my chickens are, as you might expect, pretty dopey and lacking in personality, but Doris (the only chicken with a name) was a smart bird. Each day she would escape her enclosure (the only one with the Steve McQeen gene) and come over to the shop to be pet and lay an egg. At the end of the day, she'd just walk over and lay down so that I could put her back with the others. She had a great life.

Back in the Saddle

2011-09-14T15:43:00.000-05:00

As usual, summertime has been a tough time to sit down and keep up with all that's happening in the shop. But what's unusual is all the peripheral activity that has taken up my time. House selling and buying is one long stomach ache inducing activity! But enough of that, I'm taking refuge in building a settee.

I've never bothered to build a long steambox, so I simply bend the long arm one half at a time. I let the first side sit for about a week before bending the other. I am very pleased with the quality of this red oak.

Recently, I finished these two Birdcage armchairs. I'll take some detail shots next.

For a simple break after these two complex chairs, I built this walnut stool. I am hoping to start producing more of these.

They have just the right balance of fun to make, quick, and a satisfying conclusion.

It seems that Lily is having a tougher summer than usual, she broke a blood vessel in her ear and is stuck in the "space dog" mode. I've never seen her so bummed.

But Sue is thriving here in Massachusetts, we've been enjoying all the trails and scenic beauty of our new region, not to mention the raspberry patch!

My Two Cents

2011-08-11T16:56:00.000-05:00

Thanks for all the great suggestions on the Centerline Challenge. I read them all and even took some influence from some of them.
I think that the simplest and possibly most elegant suggestion was to keep the piece in the form and set the form on the bench and simply scribe a line using the bench as a reference. The only reason that I didn't adopt this method is that it only marks one side, and sometimes I need to mark the other. To which, I thought the idea of leaving a gap in the center of the form panels to allow a pencil was a great idea!

I also loved the notion of using a shadow line. While it may not apply here, I have a feeling that it will be used in my future.

On the wishful thinking front, I'd love a laser that could just burn in a line. As you will see, a great many of the suggestions hit on my solution. So here is my take,

Here are a few stills of the jig in action. I loved the comment that my solution would be elegant, but not so pretty, I guess you folks know my affinity for the grotesque.

Thanks again for all the brain power, I'll be tapping it again soon!

The Center Line Challenge

2011-08-08T14:08:00.000-05:00

Recently, I had a brain storm about finding the straight axis of a bent chair part. In my recent work, being able to register the axis of a bent piece has become increasingly important. So to ease my way, I thought of a method for marking the center of a bent piece, quickly and accurately.

As you can see below, when you look at the piece so that the line is closest to you, the piece is split evenly and looks straight.

But as you see here, the piece has a curve.

By aligning this line with my sight line, I can use it as a reference to get the angle correct and very importantly, the rotation. Unlike straight parts, the rotation plays a huge role in positioning a bent part.

Of course a chair like the one below has oodles of complex reaming and positioning. I hope to go into this more later.

So here's the challenge. Before I tell you my idea, I want yours. How would you go about accurately marking the center axis of a bent piece? Remember, some pieces are bent in more than one direction like the one below (but only in one plane, for now!).

So think it over, stay up all night, drink 12 cups of coffee, climb a mountain and meditate...Whatever it takes, who knows, your idea might be a lot better than mine! I'll post the top three (IMHO) methods.

Curtis has been Busy!

2011-08-05T07:21:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more installments in the video series that Curtis has been making. Enjoy
You can watch it here or click on the title to go to Youtube to see the hd version.

Riving and Shaping the Comb

Carving the Volutes

Final Shaping the Comb

New Scraper Saves the Day

2011-08-03T16:12:00.000-05:00

For years, I've used a convex scraper on the "bowl" of my seats. It simply makes sense that the curved edge makes more contact and forms an even concave surface more quickly.

But on the convex front edge of the seat, I would reach for my flat scraper and work diligently to get a clean shape. The small contact area tends to leave "stripes" and makes a tough job even harder.

So recently I ground a flat blade with a concave edge and have been thrilled with the results.

You can see that it makes contact more fully and by slicing across the grain, I get a clean, even shape.

I actually look forward to working this area. To make the blade, I simply set my toolrest on the grind 90 degrees to the tangent of the wheel and slowly cut the shape. I'll be showing a great tip for filing and honing the edge next.

Curtis Turns

2011-07-22T07:35:00.000-05:00

Here is the two part installment of Curtis turning a baluster leg. Curtis has done a great deal to refine this form and make it a dynamic element. As he says, he is self taught, so much of his technique is hard won skill and not while not textbook correct, you can't argue with the results.
Here is the 1st part. To see the best High Def version click here.

One technique that he uses that I think is especially worthy of attention, is the way that he forms the coves before he sizes either of the elements beside them. This allows him to get very crisp edges without the any tricky entry cut on the coves. If you've ever destroyed a "birds beak" while trying to refine the cove, you know what I mean!

And here is part 2.

Ugly Jigs that Work Great: Part 3

2011-07-19T15:11:00.000-05:00

This next jig is aided by the discovery (thanks to my student Bill Rainford) of a brand of pencil that can replace the fabled "No Blot Bottle of Ink in a Pencil". The "No Blot" is a pencil that writes on wet wood and like all things right and good, it's out of production. I saw someone the other day on a website selling them for $15 a piece!

Lee Valley has a version, but the lead is way too soft and is worn away or broken by rough wood.

It's the Sola KB24, and I bought mine from Kuker-Ranken in Seattle, for $1.50 a piece, plus they are huge and can be sharpened to a chisel point. They do have an odd shape, so I fussed with some drill bits and small files to make the hole in an old marking guage that you see below.

Now I have an easily adjustable marking guage for all my green woodworking.

It may sound like a small thing, but when I saw the fine consistent line that I could get, I knew that my work just got a lot easier and more accurate.

Just a few of these will be a lifetime supply.

The Student's Eye View

2011-07-18T08:11:00.000-05:00

While I have to go unpack my tools, I figured that I'd let Charles Hamm, one of my recent students at the North Bennet Street School, fill you in on the class.

You can check out his pictorial blog here. He is enrolled in the 2 year cabinet making program and is also making all sorts of cool puzzles that you can see on his web site. I love teaching at North Bennet Street because of the talent and enthusiasm of the students, and Charles is a great example.

More Ugly Jigs that Work Great: Part Two

2011-07-08T19:53:00.000-05:00

Now here is an elegant jig. A perfect melding of species, craft and drywall screws!

I've posted before about grinding drill bits, and I've shown a lot of students the method. Over the years, I started to see the limits of the grinds, some too aggressive in softwoods, some too slow in hardwoods. So when I decided to make a drill bit grinding jig, I finally had some idea of how it should work.

I chose an 8 degree angle for the center spur, which is made by attaching the "fence" to the bottom of the guide at a 4 degree angle. (thanks Tim for pointing out the doubling effect!).

Then it's just a matter of setting the angle of the tool rest. (If you haven't seen the basic grinding method, which remains the same, check out this post.)

I found that an 18 degree angle works great in hardwoods for drilling armrails blowout free, and that an 11 degree angle will slow a 5/8" bit down enough to cut pine without chewing it to bits. All that's left is to set some rare earth magnets into the base to get rid of the pesky clamps.

This photo is of jigs (sort of), but hardly the ugly kind! Andy Jack helped me make these for my class that starts tomorrow. They are available for sale to the students, and if we have any left, I will post them here. The wood for these was a gift from my friend Peter Krupowicz, I believe it's bubinga. Anyway, they are gorgeous and work beautifully.

The other things that are working these days are my chickens. I have been letting them free range lately and the egg yolks have turned from yellow to a burnt orange color! What a difference grass and bugs make!

Here they are enjoying a dirt bath. When I walk into the yard, they all run up to me like dogs. If I go to get the mail, I have to trick them so they don't follow me into the road. It's a humbling moment when you have to think before outsmarting a chicken.

Detour

2011-07-05T14:13:00.000-05:00

I wrote a post for the Highland Woodworking Online Newletter, check it out here!
I'll be teaching a class there this fall, click here for more information. I'm looking forward to returning to Atlanta, besides getting my Mother's home cooking (I came home with 5 extra pounds!), the folks at Highland run a class act. I hope to see you there.

More Ugly Jigs that Work Great: Part One

2011-07-02T21:41:00.000-05:00

For my upcoming class at the North Bennet Street School, I called Elia Bizzarri to get some travishers and he informed me that he was out for the moment. But he was kind enough to sell me some blades that I could make my own. Having 6 blades to sharpen is different than just maintaining the one in my hand. I'm generally happy to freehand grind and hone. But the quantity pushed me and my intrepid friend Andy Jack to find something more consistent.

Perhaps folks have been doing this all along, but it's news to me...and good news at that. I took an ugly pine scrap and cut the curve of the blade into it, aligned the edge flush to what would become the bottom of the jig, and screwed it on.

Next, we set the angle of the tool rest so that the wheel of the grinder contacted the middle of the bevel.

Once we had it, Andy simply moved the curve along the wheel until it reached the edge.

Once the grinding was done, he dressed the edge with diamond paddles and then a hard dowel, chucked in a drill with some diamond paste on it.

You can do this while still in the jig, or in a vice.

After the bevel is honed, he honed the back on the stones, which is easy because the bending process leaves a lovely hollow on the back.

And why did I need Andy's help? Well, I had a few turnings to finish up for the class!

More Curtis

2011-06-24T06:39:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't found it on youtube.com yet, here are some more installments of Curtis building his signature comb back. So get a cup of coffee, turn your screen so your boss can't see it, and enjoy your morning!

Shedding Light

2011-06-22T14:43:00.000-05:00

Usually methods of work can be attributed to the demands of the process, the tools at hand, or the pleasure of the user.
My favorite moments in the shop are when I know that there is an elegant method for the task at hand and I get to think it over. I usually look around the shop at my masking tape, string, straight edges, mirrors and rubberbands. There are few issues that I've run into that these vital tools can't tackle.
Recently, Greg Pennington introduced me to lasers, and while they might not find their way into my work in the same way, they have opened some doors that I've been knockin' on for some time now.

So often in "classic" chairmaking, the curved arm rails or crests are connected to the seat by straight spindles. This is no problem, as all sorts of straight surrogates can be used to site for drilling. But when using curves spindles, there is an offset, in that the holes in the seat don't point directly at the holes in the crest.

Here is how I've solved the problem. In the past, I would have set this up and used a protractor to read the angle that splits the two spindles to get the rake. Then I would have set up a mirror to drill at that same angle. The trouble with this method is that usually, by this time in my process, I have already carved the seat, and the mirrors become unwieldy.

Here come the lasers, with their lovely ability to create lines in space. As you can see, I use the same simple set up and split the difference with the laser for the rake, and for the splay, I line up with the mortise in the seat straight to the hole in the rail for the splay.

Then I simply remove the spindles and drill, using the lasers to guide the bit.

I have done this many times with my previous means, but I've never seen such dead on and even results. After the first couple of mortises were drilled, I noted a spot on the back of the drill to register and recreate the offset, then I drilled the rest by eye.

The ability of the laser to "wrap" around surfaces has been making all sorts of complex marking and locating easier for me. It only makes sense that visually defining planes in space would be a helpful in chairmaking, where so much of what we do is connect lines in space!

Curtis...21st Century, 21st century...meet Curtis

2011-06-21T12:18:00.002-05:00

My good friend Curtis Buchanan has finally taken the leap to using the computer! No, that doesn't mean that he's using it, but rather you can use it to see him.
Curtis, along with David Sawyer has influenced my attitude towards freely sharing information and a while back, Curtis called to say that he was undertaking a video project for display on youtube.com. I thought it was a great idea and would be much appreciated by the woodworking community.

Rather than scripting out and shooting an outline, this is more like spending time with Curtis, and if you've never done this, let me give you a piece of advice. Sit back, relax and let go. Curtis marches to his own drummer and as many would say, it's a good one.

Here are the first two installments.

Here is the second video

Summer Rhythm

2011-06-21T08:41:00.001-05:00

Every summer, I find myself more drawn to doing things away from the computer, so the blog suffers...but it's not for lack of interesting action, as a matter of fact, I've got a whole backlog of topics that I am trying to muster the self discipline to post!

Getting used to life in Massachusetts has been a rollercoaster, not just for me. The chickens had a large in barn coop, but I couldn't stand to see them indoors, so I built a new summer tractor for them. I have to move it every day or they completely obliterate the lawn.

In a past post, I spoke disparagingly of red oak, noting that I was probably experiencing a regional deficiency. Well, no such trouble here. I've found a great resource for logs (JB Sawmill in Hopkinton) and they have some lovely red oak. As you can see, it bent very nicely.

When I bent this, I thought to myself, "OK, I can live here".

Below are my first students in the new shop. Jerry and Steve. We had a fine time and the shop served us well. I'm surprised to say that I am as pleased with this shop as with the one that I built. It actually has one advantage, northern exposure. This means that I can turn out the lights and use a raking light easily, which makes surface flaws much easier to see.

Next year, they are bringing another family member into the mix.

Following up on my recent posts about felt, I keep finding new uses. Clamping the shaped backs of fan and combbacks has always presented a problem. The ear is thin and too weak for clamping, which leaves the next thickest part, which is the transition from the ear to the back. I used to have some carved clamp pads, but now I just use the thick felt.

You can see the impression made by the arris. I've found that popping the felt pads in the steamer for 10 minutes will swell them back to square and they are ready to use anew.

About the only thing missing from the shop, was my trusty companion, so I removed the old horse stall door and installed it as a half door on the main entrance to the shop.

Now Lil and Rocket can come and go from the house as they wish (Rocket of course stays in the house, on the bed)

Everything's a Nail

2011-05-17T15:44:00.000-05:00

The old phrase "when you're holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail" ran through my head all day today in the shop. I was doing the finish assembly on a Birdcage armchair and at every turn, my shipment of felt from Duro-Felt kept coming into play. (No, I don't own stock in the company!)

I purchased the hard felt in 1 inch and 1/2 inch thickness to see what applications it might have beyond the clamping that I showed before. When working with near finished parts, especially round ones, I am constantly fighting little dents, flats spots and dings from the vise or shave horse. So I took the 1/2 inch stock and cut some off on the bandsaw (probably a sin) and used it in the shavehorse to buffer the parts.

When I release the pressure on the horse, the felt opens as well and I didn't even notice it, except that I didn't have to go back and fix any dings!

Round pieces are a pain to bend, work and hold without creating flats, but in the vise, the felt worked great. The hold is just as firm.

And of course, the stuff is perfect for sanding pads. I could tell that the amount of time that it took to sand a faceted crest was cut down substantially and the pieces came out more even. From what I've read, it also helps the paper last longer. The only question on my mind is where will it come in handy next.

Clamping Strategy

2011-05-06T10:06:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite parts of making chairs the way that I do is that there is almost no clamping involved in the assembly. I always disliked the scrambling to set clamps during complex glue ups. But one place where I have expanded my use of clamps is during bending.

When the wood comes out of the steamer it's soft and quick to take impressions of the form, and more detrimentally, the clamp itself. In most applications where the workpiece presents a flat surface to the form and the clamp, the soft clamp pads that come on my Irwin clamps protect the workpiece from clamp dinging just fine.
But lately, I have been bending turned pieces and the round surface loves to flatten from the pressure. I solved the form side of the problem by cutting a v notch that houses the bend. To protect the clamp side, I've started playing with hard felt pads.

In the image above, you can see that the workpiece has left it's impression in the felt, rather than the other way around. Much better!!

On simpler portions of the workpiece, I've found that I can reduce distortion by simply cutting a v notch in a clamp block.

These days, I find myself wanting to bend turned pieces more and more, and these simple techniques nearly eliminate hassle of reworking them to remove clamp damage. I have ordered some larger (and cheaper) pads from Duro-Felt in Arkansas that I plan to cut up and use. I ordered some 1" thick stuff and some 1/2" thick, thinking that I might also line some of my forms.

The block should be harder felt than you might think would work ( I ordered the stock with the H notation), but remember, the steam and moisture coming from the wood acts on the felt to soften and mold it to the shape. I'll post more results as they happen.

Drawknife Grinding (Video)

2011-05-04T15:36:00.000-05:00

Here is the video demonstration of the jig that I showed a couple of days ago. If you are going to attempt this, please take great care and follow all safety procedures. Grinders seem relatively benign, but they are moving fast and can do damage before you know it!!!

Josh, I hope this helps and thanks for writing in,

The Shot Heard 'round the World

2011-05-03T05:27:00.000-05:00

I got an email from Glen Rundel from the Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking in Australia with this image of their fleet of lasers ready to do battle! I love the Star Wars quality of their holding jigs.

I guess that once Greg Pennington's great laser idea got out into the ether, there was no stopping it from becoming a new standard. This photo even inspired me to get a couple myself, especially because I'll be teaching there later this year and don't want to look like a newbie!

This image really shows the benefit of using the laser for reaming. While you can do just a well with bevel squares and sightlines, let's face it, reaming a seat for the first time is challenging enough, and if this helps, great!

Glen, thanks for the pics

Micro Adjustable Grinding Jig

2011-04-26T21:09:00.001-05:00

Today I finally got to spend a whole, uninterrupted day working in my new shop. It was fantastic! I've been looking forward to resuming shop life and I made sure to mix up activities to get all the juices flowing. In the morning, I assembled a continuous armchair and in the afternoon, I decided to pursue the grinding jig that Greg and I played around with at Kelly Mehlers.

Here is the finished jig and you can see the steps to making it below. I used spring pins for the bearing surfaces that the tool rides on. They are spring steel, so they will be hard enough to resist the wear of the tool riding back and forth without forming ruts. You can find them in the hardware store along with the bolt and locknut that form the adjuster.

To start out, I needed a dado cut across the block of cherry. Without a table saw or sliding mitre saw, I decided to pull out my trusty Stanley dovetail saw. Years ago, I filed the teeth off of this saw and refiled new ones that were a bit larger and did NOT set the teeth. Contrary to what you might expect, it doesn't bind and it cuts like a laser.
I've tried lots of the fancy saws out there, and maybe their handles are more comfortable, but none has surpassed my $10 Stanley. Don't get me wrong, I love that toolmakers are out there trying to make better quality saws, but I always feel like the teeth are too small and the set too great, but to each his own.

I cut a center kerf and chopped out most of the waste before bringing in my much neglected router plane (can you tell I was in the mood for fun!)

After a tiny bit of cleanup on the dado walls, I cut the sliding block that holds the pins. As you can see, I mounted some aluminum angle on both sides of the block to capture the adjuster bolt.
The notch out of the bottom of the block and the small slot out of the back serve the same purpose, namely to increase the travel past the aluminum. I suppose I could have done two notches or two dados, but I was in the zone and working on the fly.

I put the block in the slot and marked the position of the bolt, through the holes already drilled through the aluminum on both sides of the adjuster block. It's a good idea to offset the bolt hole just a hair above the holes in the aluminum to create tension against the bottom of the slot. This will create stability and help keep it from vibrating out of position.

The bolt easily cut threads through the cherry block.

Then I drilled for the pins. The vertical pin is only partially housed.

Here, you can see the horizontal pin inserted into the hole beneath the vertical. I used the grinder to trim the length of the horizontal pin afterward, and pared back the face of the block to give more clearance around the vertical pin.

Here is the whole unit clamped to the tool rest. I used the gross adjustment of the wolverine jig to start and then turned the bolt to fine tune the setting.

It's very important to note that the back of the drawknife, which rides along the pins should be filed clean and smooth. The grind will only be as straight as the the back. Luckily, most blades are soft along the back and easy to file and polish.

Here is the grind, I am very pleased. I loved being able to control the angle so precisely.

And for the farm enthusiasts out there. It's an amazing coincidence that Sue and I moved just a mile or so from a Heifer International Education Farm. We have been frequent visitor to see the births and visit their lovely herd of goats.

Here are some of their new additions. We just stand there grinning like idiots.
It seems like these kids are born knowing something important, when the sun shines on you, stop what you are doing, close your eyes and enjoy.

A Great Resource

2011-04-21T05:37:00.001-05:00

Since the articles in Fine Woodworking came out, I've gotten lots of inquiries about the butternut and where to get it. We in the chairmaking community are lucky to have Nick Cicchinelli thinking about our needs and working to help us out. I've bought lots of seat stock from Nick, and so has Curtis, Greg, Elia and the list goes on. He bought the Timbersmith Company from Mike Coseo about 5 years back and I have been rooting for him ever since. It's rare for someone to tune into the special needs of chairmakers and keeping his business moving forward serves us all.

The Timbersmith
Nicholas A. Cicchinelli

302 St. Hwy. 458
St. Regis Falls, NY 12980
Phone: (315) 323-4880 ~ Fax: (315) 265-3186
Email: nicholas@cicchinelli.com

Air dried seat blanks & planks ready to go.

Back in the Cauldron

2011-04-19T06:33:00.000-05:00

I've just returned from 2 weeks at Kelly Mehler's School in Berea Kentucky, where I taught back to back fan back side chair classes with the help of Greg Pennington. As usual, the classes proved to be fertile ground for innovating new techniques and streamlining the ones already in play.

We spent 6 days in each class making the side chair, which gave us ample time to go into depth on the fundamentals, plus address some peripheral chairmaking issues. I enjoyed the extra time and pacing of the class and I think it was also reflected in the high quality of the finished chairs. I am teaching the continuous arm in two classes this year, one at Highland Woodworking in the fall and one at North Bennet Street in the summer, and I scheduled them as 7 day classes to keep the same pace, with a slightly more complex chair.

Here is the chair that I brought as parts and assembled and painted during the course of the two classes. I know from experience, that demonstrating milk painting can save years of torment.

He is Greg demonstrating his stroke of genius with simple lasers. He uses them to help align during reaming and drilling. We gave them a try and I was very pleased with the results and possibilities.

There were some times where the set up seemed slower, and therefore I wouldn't say that they are always the best tool for the job, but it sure is nice when you need an easy to see reference.

This laser was self plumbing, which made set up for the vertical element super quick.

Another tool that Greg and I had time to think about was the grinding jig that I showed a while back. It's a simple notch that you cut out of a piece of hardwood and ride the back of the drawknife blade in while grinding. This is based on an idea sent to me by Steve Kinnane from North Bennet Street.

But we noticed that it would be advantageous to have a subtle adjuster for it. So Greg made this little jem with a bolt for adjusting the notch. The hardened steel pins form the notch and made the motion of the knife smoother. I am on my way to the hardware store to make my own version which I'll post in step by step detail. The students in the class used this, and the simple notch version to get near perfect results.

I also have some ideas for making our tenon rounders easier to adjust, but more on that later.

And what would a class be without a photo of the conquering hero!

Here is Wallis from week one with his assembled chair. As usual, Kelly was a gracious host and the two weeks flew by, and now that I'm home, I have a list a mile long of moving tasks still to complete, so off I go to the DMV, ah, livin' the dream...

The Baluster

2011-03-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

One of the great perks of our new place in Massachusetts (besides the lower taxes) is the high speed internet. Uploading from this location is a breeze compared to our more rural locale in NY. Hopefully this will bring forth a new golden age of blog posting, well... maybe not, but there will be more pictures!

This is of course the baluster patterns that I spoke of. I like to turn the lower taper on the legs so that it straightens to a near cylinder shape at the bottom, that way when I trim the legs, the foot diameter doesn't widen too much.

Good luck!

Turning Patterns for the Fan Back

2011-03-28T08:29:00.000-05:00

Here are the patterns for the stile and leg turnings for the Fan Back side chair that I will be teaching next week at Kelly Mehler's.

As I've mentioned before, I tend to turn these parts out of airdried stock to reduce the warping and shape changing that occurs when turned green. Of course, this means that anywhere that I mention a tenon that it should be oversized and shaped later. You can use the measurement at the base of the tapers and then simply turn a rough cylinder, dry it and then either rechuck it in the lathe or use a taper cutter. I'll post the baluster turnings tomorrow.

The New Digs

2011-03-25T07:47:00.002-05:00

No, you don't want to do it. There just ain't much fun in moving a workshop. While I kept reminding myself that I have very few tools compared to a "power" woodworker, it was still difficult to see all of my tools go into travel mode. But as Helen Keller said "Life is either a daring adventure, or it's nothing at all".

This is what it looked like when they all landed in my new shop. The space is actually larger than my shop in NY, with a full second story for storage. I had to take a deep breath and shut the door to go help Sue to get the house in order first, but on day 2, I was able to sneak out and bring some order to the chaos.

This move has been a wonderful reminder of what is truly important to me. I have my family, my animals, my shop and all the experience (read mistakes) that I've had as a woodworker. As the dust from the move settles, I am chomping at the bit to get in there an make some shavings.

Here is the lathe room. I am very excited to have a separate space for this notorious mess maker. It's an old horse stall complete with the horses names on the door.

This shows the proximity to the benchroom. And right off the back of the shop is the chicken coop and goat loafing shed. I'm not one for omens, but finding a place in a single morning that we could rent that had all these amenities sure seemed like we were being called here. The place even came with 5 more chickens. Here is the rooster up high checking me out. I went in yesterday to pull out a dozen brown and green eggs!

Thanks to everyone who has written and called to show support and offer help. This transition has been challenging to say the least, but now that we've made it, I'm just plain excited for the potential here. Next week I'll be preparing to go to Kelly Mehler's in Kentucky. Kelly runs a top notch program and frankly, two weeks of chairmaking sounds pretty good to me.

Smart Moves

2011-03-08T07:04:00.000-05:00

Here is Dan Monsees a couple of weeks ago splitting out some stock. This is Dan's third go round with me and I was impressed by his choice to make a simpler, rather than more complex piece. Perhaps you remember his triple back sack back from last fall. His choice really opened up our time together to cover some of the finer points as well as some extra topics. I really enjoyed it, it was a smart move on Dan's part, his other smart move being to use the snow to hold his split stock!

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of the last spoon drawing. It was John McAlevey. In a moment you'll understand the delay better.

Anyone who has read the blog for a while, knows that Sue and I have hewn a little paradise out of the wilderness here, so it might be a surprise to hear that we are moving. Sue got a new job at a fantastic library in central Massachusetts and we will be living there as of next week. We've rented an 1832 farmhouse with a barn for my shop and yes, room for our goats, dogs and chickens. Finding the right rental house for our strange needs seemed like it would be impossible, but we did it in a morning! Plus it's right down the road from Sue's new library. I like to think that it's a good omen.

Here are some photos of the new Library. It's the Gale Free Library in Holden MA.

It's a beautiful historic building and she will be it's new director. She deserves this.
Check out the front doors!

Besides being the Chair notes covergirl, Sue is exemplary at her job. She interviewed at a number of libraries in many states and was offered every job. We felt that this one was the right job in the right area.

I'll post more about the new digs soon.

Here are some photos of the finished rocker in Walnut. One day I hope to own one myself.

So, life moves on. It's been an interesting and emotional ride uprooting from our home in New York. But it's brought back into focus for Sue and I that embracing change can be invigorating, as well as daunting. We are sad to leave our good friends here, but past moves have taught us that good friendships travel well.

Thanks to all of my students who have been so understanding and changed their travel destinations, the new shop is actually larger, plus it has a goat room in it, and what could be better than that!

Breaking the rules, but not the edges

2011-02-18T22:33:00.000-05:00

In finishing up the walnut rocker this week, I figured it might be worth sharing some of the techniques that I use to get fluid shapes and crisp edges. Walnut has such a clarity in grain and texture, that it calls for extra attention when treating the surfaces. While many of the parts are shaved with a spokeshave to their final state, such as the legs, others, where I want to stress the shape and wood grain are scraped and sanded.

There is a rule of thumb when it comes to shaving, scraping and sanding. You don't follow sandpaper with an edge tool. The sandpaper leaves grit embedded in the surface that can dull or cause minute chipping of the blade, and generally, I adhere to this principle. But in this case, I bend or even break the rules to get the desired result.

After my initial scraping, it sand the carved area with 220 grit sandpaper and a felt block. I try to be very thorough in producing and even scratch pattern. After I've done this though, invariably, I notice the unevenness that I missed in the scraping. So I pull out the scraper again and lightly scrape the surface, and the low spots remain dull while the highs get cut. It's always surprising how much this helps the overall shape become fluid.

I figure that the scraper is an intermediate tool anyway, and easy to sharpen, so I don't mind following the sandpaper. Then I sand again through to 320 grit and feel the surface with my hand flat on the seat, quickly running it in all directions to feel for more subtle discrepancies.

I don't carve a gutter in seats that are left natural, preferring to leave a simple, clean transition from the carved area to the flat. This can be tough to do, and makes me realize that the gutter isn't just decorative, but serves as a sort of trim, to help cover the sins of less than perfect transitions!

To get the sharp edge that I want, requires first that the carved shape be even and fluid. I do this as normal, with a travisher, scraper and then sandpaper. But sanding a perfect edge into the transition can be tough because it's actually quite an obtuse angle.

But I still try my best. Now here is where I really break the rules. I reach for my handplane to surface the flat. Before I do this, I brush the surface and use a microfiber cloth to remove as much of the embedded grit as I can. Then I plane down a few shavings and the crisp edge appears.

As I said, this only works if the carved shape and surface is even and fluid. But it solves the transition issue in a wood that shows every detail.

Here is the seat after the whole deck has been planed.

Here is the latest spoon available for purchase! So please email me if you want your name put in the hat.

This is apple wood and has some striking figuring in the bowl. It's $45 plus $5 shipping.

It is a good shape for all around kitchen use. Good luck!

Silky Goes National

2011-02-11T18:19:00.000-05:00

The article that I wrote for Fine Woodworking has finally reached the printed page! It's about my crested rocker and will span two issues. When Mark Schofield suggested that we take my profile photo with my one day old goat, I assured him that it was one way to guarantee a big dumb smile. He said that dogs had become passe, but a goat, now that's worth printing.

Speaking of the crested rocker, here is one made by Walt Crawford here in my shop this week.

I had a great time teaching it, actually, more than I'd expected. Walt did a fine job and had made enough chairs to really appreciate the places where this chair diverges from the norm.
I have more spoons to post for the Hunger Project, but Walt kept me running this week, so stay tuned.

Put Down Your Coffee and Look at This!

2011-02-05T09:51:00.000-05:00

I've always respected Greg Pennington as a chairmaker and teacher, but now I have to add genius to the list. Go to his blog and check out his latest idea. It really shows Greg's commitment to helping make chairmaking accessible. I also appreciate that Greg has embraced the mindset handed down by Dave Sawyer to freely share his techniques! Well Done!

Inspiration Drops by for a Visit

2011-02-02T21:51:00.000-05:00

Today, Erik Buchakian stopped by the house and shop. Eric is another local resident here in the southern Catskills and we share a passion for spoon carving. Eric is also on the Board at Drew Langsner's Country Workshops and has taken classes with and befriended the Sunquist family. Wille and Jogge Sundquist are the renowned woodworkers and carvers that have inspired so many to pick up a knife and work some wood. Wille was in Fine Woodworking back when they would still take photos of you in nothing but jean shorts and a hatchet!

Eric brought along his collection of Sunquist spoons. The red ones are by the son Jogge and the others are Willes'. It was like having the museum come to me!

Here are some close ups.

One of the areas that I've yet to become comfortable with is designing pattern and detailing, these pieces show such mastery, that I am going to work at it.

These are so soulful that you just have to hold them.

This salad fork was especially eye catching.

I loved the shape of this spoon, and the utility of it makes perfect sense, it gets into squared or rounded containers. I've been working on leaving consistent facets on my unsanded spoons, but this shows just how far I have to go.

The play of thick and thin is especially dramatic in this side view.

I've never gotten to see spoons by these guys up close. Like most true mastery, they ring of simplicity and clarity. Thanks Erik for the great visit!

On other spoon related news, Harry Miller won the latest drawing for the Spoons for Hunger drawing. I have been busy making more (ah winter) and will post the next one early next week.

Master of the Craft

2011-01-31T09:22:00.001-05:00

Call it delusion, hubris, ego, whatever you will, but I have mastered the craft.

That's right, I can make the perfect poached egg. When Andy Jack was here over the summer, we had a friendly competition to see who could make the best poached egg. I was a bit new to the open pot of water technique, so my early eggs were a bit mangled. What I was lacking was the right tool!

Recently, I was carving into this amazing crook from an apple tree when I realized that it was too shallow too be a ladle and too bent to be a server, so I decided that I'd give a strainer a shot. To make the holes, I drilled out the pattern and then used my little plumbers reamer to get the size. But, I didn't like the ragged look of the holes, so I used my torch to heat an old file that I ground to a taper and singed the insides, which created a lovely contrast and it was fun to boot!

So as usual, I'll let you in on my secret. First, go wrestle an egg from your chicken. My girls have defied all expectation and kept laying without heat or light. Treat your workers right!

First, boil the water to a rolling boil and then use end of the handle to swirl the water. Add a dash of vinegar (which helps the whites stay together).

Then, dump the egg or eggs in the middle of the whirlpool and use the handle again to get the whirlpool moving again.

Then, turn down the heat and cover for about 2 minutes. Then grab your trusty strainer spoon and fish em out. Take that Andy!

Besides my strainer, I've been making other applewood spoons recently for the Spoons for Hunger Project. Here is the next entry for the drawing.

It's all heart wood and I think it will make a great little stirrer and server.

This one is $35, plus $6 shipping, all of the proceeds going to Heifer International to purchase a flock of chickens, so that my poaching method can become known around the world. For more info on the project please look at the sidebar.

Thanks to everyone who keeps entering the drawing, I appreciate your patience and wish you luck!

Fighting Back

2011-01-26T17:59:00.002-05:00

When I got into the shop this morning the building was "cold soaked" as my pilot friend Gerry would say. I was out of the shop for two days in a row and that was enough. Luckily, I'd thought ahead and brought my stones and steamer in the house. I probably should have just poured out the water, but I know how much my wife likes seeing woodworking tools in the kitchen.

I realized that the walnut rocker that I am making would hit a dead stop if I didn't get the seat glued up. My preference is to use hot hide glue for this, but I didn't want to take all day to get the shop warm enough to glue up. So I snuck into the house with my glue pot and clamps to get the job done.

This is a photo before gluing. I don't think two spring clamps would get the job done. But I am rather proud of my screw clamp improvisation!

There's two things to remember when doing this. Hide glue, even fresh, smells bad to spouses. So get it out of the house before they return. Also, if you leave the glued up joint in the house, your dogs will lick the joints clean. I brought it back to the shop , foreseeing the dog issue.

From what I've read, it's most important that the glue is still flowing when the joint is assembled and clamped. After the glue gels, which is in a minute or so, much of the bond is established, but you still need to avoid shocking it for 24 hours or so. Yeah, the hide glue has some foibles, but at least I can control them and in the end, I love seeing the cut offs where the wood breaks as opposed to the glue line.

Working with the walnut feels like having cake for breakfast. I tuned up my No# 8 Bailey and dedicated it to edge jointing. I pulled it off the shelf and felt like I had a weapon!

My other stab at winter actually has to do with a bottle of Titebond 3 that I bought recently. I looked for a date on it but couldn't find one, first mistake. Then I glued up a seat with it anyway, second mistake. When I saw the cutoff break cleanly on the glue line, I sawed back through the joint, planed it again and glued it with hide glue. Ah, the joy of doing something twice!

But in the name of preserving the bottle (I'll do some sample joints to test it's strength, who knows, maybe the failure was mine) I used this little trick. I'd love to build a cabinet above my kiln to capture the escaping heat and humidity, but until then, an old plastic bottle will do.

I just make sure that one of the holes is below the cover bottle and that's enough to keep the stuff from freezing, which I know will ruin it. Take that Old Man Winter, by the way, if you don't mind, you can dump all the snow you want, just leave my driveway out of it... please.

Winter Blues

2011-01-23T16:31:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but this week brought the winter blues along with it. We keep getting snow, not too bad, just enough to be a pain. Even my intrepid caprines have been expressing dismay.

This week I had Dean Stampfli from Ohio in the shop building a continuous arm. Below, he is using the reamer in the brace. I am becoming a real fan of this set up. The shame is, Dean has no idea how tough a learning curve most folks face reaming, He just flew right through it! I think that having the central hold on the brace makes all the difference.

Here is his finished chair.

And for those of you eagerly awaiting the drawing from the most recent spoon, the Chair Notes covergirl, in her finest sweatshirt and knit hat, picked Mark Fasching's name out of the hat! Thanks again to all those who put their name in. I'll be posting a new spoon this week.

More Drawknife Grinding

2011-01-20T17:28:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I have a tough time filling my time when a student is in the shop. While they are completing a task, often the time is too short to get my head into my own work, so I turn to tuning up tools, which is an easy task to take up or put down, and it's always in need.

A while back Steve Kinnane, a student at North Bennet Street sent in his solution to grinding his drawknife. I thought it was great and posted it here.

Recently, I came up with my own spin on the idea that works for curved as well as straight blades.

I've reduced the "fence" to a small block of wood with a square notch cut out of the end. The surfaces of the notch are curved, as you can see below. The first step in grinding a drawknife is to smooth the surface on the back, opposite the edge because this is what rides in the notch. I do this with a file and then polish it on the Bear Tex wheel and buffer.

Then I attach the block to the tool rest and move it closer to the wheel until the wheel touches the center of the bevel. In keeping with my original post about my half assed jigging, I have been using the junky little pine block for a few months now. But at some point I plan to make an ebony version with brass inlays, maybe some Mother of pearl, we'll see...

Two Ideas, One Great and One Questionable

2011-01-19T18:14:00.002-05:00

I received an email from Paul Linden with this link to Drew Langsners blog that shows an idea so simple, yet smart, that I am not surprised that it came from Japan.

I've always wanted an indoor brake for smaller work, especially on days like Monday, when it was extremely cold and we had two chairs worth of parts to bust out. So, I cut a few kerfs in a large chunk of wood left over from the barn and had an instant brake! When it's not in use, it becomes a low bench for sitting by the fire, not a bad alternative use. Thanks Paul and Drew for the enlightenment.

Now, it's into the breach. A recent commenter asked about a previously mentioned topic of the "preload" that some folks put into their undercarraige. I said that I'd address it later, but I suppose I let it go, and maybe for good reason. This is one of those contentious techniques that seems to bring out the partisan in folks, so I am loathe to go there.

For those who don't know, the idea is this. Add some nominal length to your stretchers and the legs will be under an outward tension that will resist spreading in use. Sounds fine, and I'm sure that in most cases, it doesn't hurt to do it. So why don't I do it?

It comes down the question, "What holds the chair together?" I think well sized joints with the proper moisture content hold together chairs. For instance, would you ever put an unglued, undersized tenon in a mortise under "preload" and expect the legs not to spread when sat upon? Taking it just a hair further, ask yourself, what does wood do when stressed into a position? It tends to relax and remember the shape. So whatever benefit that you might gain from the "preload" is either minor or short lived.

"So what?" you might ask, if it doesn't cause problems, why not use it. Well, I'm not convinced that it doesn't cause problems. One problem that I see is the possibility that when the joints are as tight as they should be, that the amount that the "preload" misaligns the parts might be enough to cause one or more joints to not seat properly.
But the greater problem that I see stems from our common humanity, which in my experience says that relying on "preload" might become an excuse for some sloppy joinery habits. Misalignment can temporarily mask a baggy joint. I've found that insuring the proper sizing and moisture content of a tenon takes more care than adding a quarter inch to the stretcher length. There are plenty of ladderback chairs that have stood the test of time without the benefit of glue, just good joinery. So for me, that is the benchmark and where I choose to put my energy and reliance.

So there's it is, you might disagree, you might not care (which is basically my take), but more importantly, if you are like me, you make chairs to embrace a quiet and humbling experience where the process is the pleasure and the rigid world of flat and square gives way to curves and most importantly, flexibility.

Friend or Foe

2011-01-18T17:20:00.000-05:00

Rot, I've fought it for the last ten years. That terrible feeling I'd get when splitting open a maple log in August to find the black streaks that mark the beginning of spalting. Now I know that you bowl folks are crazy for the stuff, but to me, it just meant rot. I couldn't put the stuff in my chairs for fear of the weakening effect of the degradation. I suppose that this influenced my inability to see it as "beautiful"

But now, all that has changed. I've found that most of my apple trees exhibit at least some spalting down near the base of the trunk. I still seemed to avoid the stuff, but the other day I came across this little piece. I love not only the way that the heartwood looks, but the way that the pristine sapwood reflects the concept of the living sapwood being protected from rot until it's cut down.

I'm afraid that this little spoon isn't going to make the spoon drawings, the Chairnotes covergirl used her veto power on that one (I guess there is a price to be paid for filling the living room with shavings!)

But here is the latest entry into the Spoons for Hunger drawing,

Once again, it's applewood, all heart this time,

This spoon is $50 plus $6 shipping.

I enjoyed playing with the slightly conical bowl on this one,

For more info on the project and how to enter, please click here.

Results

2011-01-15T10:15:00.001-05:00

Congratulations Kevin Adams, his name was drawn from the hat this morning in our celebrity packed ceremony! He will soon be serving up heaping mounds of scalloped potatoes with his new spoon and a bunch of chickens will be on their way to their new home. Thanks for all of you who wrote in!

I've got another spoon (or 5 in the works, so stay tuned for another drawing soon)

Here is the walnut crest that I bent with my strap form. I was blown away by the way that it held the knot at the top of the crest so perfectly. I had my student stand by with a clamp and as the bend got to the position of the knot, he clamped directly over the knot and then I finished the bend.

Knots tend to kink a bend and cause a break, which is why I am so impressed with this result.

I had a visitor to the shop yesterday. Fine Woodworking sent Ed Pirnik out to shoot a couple of videos to go along with the articles that are coming out soon.

I must admit that it was a bit awkward for me to shoot a video with all of the bright lights and a cameraman, but he was very professional and I think that the videos will be great. Thanks Ed!

Seat Glue Ups Revisited

2011-01-13T21:05:00.000-05:00

When I am looking for seat material, there are a few factors that come into play. First of all, it should be uneventful wood, from a straight tree that has been sawn straight along the fibers, or as close as possible. I know that in flat work, highly figured wood is prized, but I'll be carving into this wood, and the more settled the grain, the more the grain will highlight the contours.

My other concern is width. Most of my seats are just below 20" across, so I look for two basic widths to conserve material. Full 20" wide seats are great, but they are tough to come by, expensive and because they tend to come from the area nearest the pith, they tend to warp more than I like, leaving me some delicate planing to get the final thickness.

My second choice is a 10" plank, and I'll show here how I crosscut, split and assemble it to match the grain. Here is the plank, crosscut for the length that I need into two pieces. Then I split one piece and roll the halves outward as you can see the arrows directing.

Here is the position after I roll them out.

Then I slide the other piece up between the halved piece and that is the orientation of my glue up.
If the board is relatively straightgrained, you'll see that the angle that the growth rings leave the center piece will be complimented by the way that they move into the outer pieces. Below is the piece glued up.

This method moves the boards around in such a way that I often find that I can't plane them all the same direction on the face. But I find this to be the case with most one piece seats anyway. This is caused by sawing a straight board out of a slightly twisted tree. But whatever the issue, it almost always subsides when the carving starts, because the angle of the side of the seat bowl cuts across the fibers anyway, regardless of whether they are subtly ascending or descending.

Here is the planed seat.

My goal in this is not to completely erase the joint, but at least to make the viewer have to look twice to see it. It's just one more spot where a little care and craftsmanship can enhance the whole impact.

One Bright Sunny Day

2011-01-12T14:20:00.000-05:00

So there I am, cutting an air dried beech plank on my bandsaw to get some stretcher material, when I hear that horrid sound of metal on metal. After some wrestling, I get the piece off of the saw and split it open to find a fully embedded framing nail! It's painful enough that I'll have to change the blade, but this was a brand new Woodslicer that I hadn't even wrecked making spoons yet.

Now, the Buddhist in me says that all things are connected, both the blade and the nail came from the soil and out of the soil grew the wood which I'll use to make the money that I'll have to spend on a new blade, and.....honestly, it didn't help.

Upon further inspection of the rest of my beech planks, I found a host of nails spaced at about the distance that you'd place them to fashion a ladder, perhaps to a treefort. And I started thinking of some sunny day back in the mid seventies, when it was perfectly likely that I was somewhere in the woods pounding nails in some poor tree.

Then I imagined what I'd say to young me, after all, this might the pivotal moment that he realizes that he wants to spend his life butchering wood.

"Hey kid" I'd say "next Christmas, you might consider just asking for $5, rather than the Stretch Armstrong doll, that you're just going to dissect anyway. By the way, the stuff inside looks like jelly, but trust me, it isn't.
Then, take the five dollars and bet it on the Americans to win gold in Hockey at the 1980 Olympics, I know, I know, no one can beat the Russians, but just do it, geesh, I have no idea how my mother put up with you.

Then, put the winnings in a savings bond, cash it in 2010 and buy a top of the line metal detector, you numbskull. Oh, and one more thing, in 1993, when the girl in the tight sweater beats you at pool, take a deep breath and accept the defeat with grace, you'll hear this story for the rest of your life...if you're lucky."

Promises Kept, finally

2011-01-10T21:43:00.000-05:00

As promised, here is a short video that demonstrates the factors in play when splitting green wood for chair parts. Please be kind if I butcher the physics a bit and remember, we're chairmakers, not aerospace engineers (even though you might be!)
It may not be my slickest editing job, but hopefully it will help clear up a bit about using the froe and getting more parts from less wood.

And here is the next spoon for sale in the Spoons for Hunger Project! I keep learning so much while making these things that I just can't resist.

It's a great size for everyday use in the pan and on the table. Once again, it's applewood (I am blessed with apple trees!) and I am asking $45 and $5 shipping.

If you are interested, please put spoon in the subject bar and email me at peter@petergalbertchairmaker.com.

I may not get back to you (last time I answered 15 emails!), but rest assured, I got your name and will announce the winner in about 4 days. Thanks

And the Winner is...

2011-01-10T10:46:00.000-05:00

This weekend the Chairnotes covergirl drew John Andersons name from the hat thereby ending our second spoon drawing. Congratulations John! Thanks to all the others who entered their names and rest assured, my fidgety nature will assure more spoons for sale soon. That is, if I can tear myself away from my friends...

As before, the proceeds of this sale will go to Heifer International, which provides livestock to folks in the developing world. We have directed these funds to buy chickens. I will be reviewing the other organizations that readers have suggested and hopefully broaden the giving destinations.

A little support goes a Long way

2011-01-05T18:01:00.000-05:00

"Have you ever used straps while steam bending?" It's a question that I've gotten countless times, and I've always had a simple "nope" for an answer. The reason being that I avoided the types of work that call for strap support. The riven, green, ring porous hardwoods that I work with and the shapes that I make from them have never been a problem to work out. But times change, and two broken crests made of kiln dried, sawn walnut later, I decided to take the plunge.

The first question was what to use for the actual strap. I've read about it and it seemed to me that the advice was a bit of overkill. In my usual, whatever's around kind of way, I use a piece of heavy flashing that was left over from the ridge cap of my shop. The strap needs to easily conform to the shape of the workpiece but without stretching or tearing.

Which brings me to the concept of why straps work and what they do. The straps really do two things, one is that they support any fibers that might have exposed endgrain on the surface and keep them from breaking away, but more importantly, by restraining the length of the expanding surface, it actually shifts the neutral point closer to the outer surface. This neutral point normally lies somewhere near the center of the piece where the expansion switches to compression. Hopefully I haven't mangled the science of this too badly. Truthfully, you don't need to understand it, just know what parts of the process are non negotiable!

In making the form, I decided to attach one end of the strap and create a stop for the workpiece, that way, I only have to wrangle one end of the rig while bending. I sandwiched the steel between a plywood block and the form and screwed through with 5 screws. I also folded over a flap on the end and screwed it as well.

Besides securing the strap to the form and handle firmly, the next most important detail is that the length of the strap is slightly shorter than the workpiece. This insures a tight grip on the outer surface. Below you can see that without pressure on the handle, the stop doesn't sit flat on the end of the walnut.

Here is the piece bent after one hour of steaming. The strap worked like a charm, actually too well. There was a small knot in the middle of the compression face and it formed a small kink in the bend, which, left unattended would have led to some marring that I might not have been able to shave out. So as soon as I saw the kink, I threw another clamp in the middle of the bend to contain it. Lesson learned, watch the bend!

The tight grip of the strap is very reassuring.

Now that I see how effective this can be, I might just find some other uses for it, but frankly, I still like bending riven oak better.

Here is the next spoon available in my Spoons for Hunger project. Thanks for all of you who participated in the first drawing. This one is apple wood and while delicate looking, will be very useful and durable in the kitchen. It's one of my favorite shapes and works well sauteing as well as serving.

This one is $40 plus $6 shipping and as before, all proceeds will be donated to charity. I will take names for the next 3 days at peter@petergalbertchairmaker.com and then pick one from a hat to choose the winner.

There are some lovely dark streaks and details in the bowl and handle.

I have another large ladle drying as well as some smaller offerings!

The Wandering Mind

2011-01-03T13:56:00.001-05:00

I'm sure that I'm not alone in having a slow start back to work after the holidays. But I must admit that slow starts are not all that uncommon for me. Over the years, I've come to accept that my often scattered approach to engaging tasks is probably linked to the creative part of my brain and that I should just accept that sometimes it's the long way around that gets me there. Today I have been "following my nose" around trying to reengage.

You might remember my interest in using felt as a clamping tool. I am quite impressed with the results so far and found a company that manufactures felts in different thickness and hardness. The kind people at Durafelt sent me this array of samples to test. So I combined the test with another, which was about bending kiln dried walnut for an upcoming chair.

The walnut bent well even though it was 1 inch thick and almost 2" wide. I steamed it for about 1 hour. I put the felt under the metal clamp to see if I could dent the wood. On previous bends, with a thicker pad, I noticed how the felt actually held the negative shape of the workpiece after being removed. This opens up plenty of possibilities. Soon I'll post which of the samples that I like best.

Along the lines of restricting the bends to one plane (like I showed with the plywood form a few posts back) I've been horsing around with this form for bending the rear posts while they are still octagonal.
I'll be bending the walnut with this soon.

Sometimes its a good idea to work on the last stages of one project while starting another. This can boost that lacking sense of achievement!

Lately, I've been applying two coats of the Real Milk Paint Company's Raw Tung oil and letting it dry a few days inbetween. Then I finish with a few coats of Minwax Antique Oil to give it some sheen and hardness. I like that the first coats are non toxic and take care of the "soaking in" and the last coats I apply the oil more like a padding varnish, with light coats as I work my way around the chair. Flooding the chair with the Minwax product is ill advised as it will tack up before you can get to it!

In answer to a readers question, here is the set up for drilling out the reamer to accept a bit in the back. I simply remove the tail stock from the lathe and the blade from the reamer and jam fit the reamer in. As long as you have the center well marked on the endgrain, it all works out fine. Anyone who has a reamer and doesn't wish to alter it, could just turn a new wooden body and give it a shot with the old blade.

I have a new favorite side chair. Andy Jack and I tag teamed on building this one (he did most of the work!) and I've been using it at my computer and enjoying the comfort. I brought it back to the shop to complete my notes on it to make sure that I can reproduce it properly once it goes to live with Andy.

Ah vanity, there you are! I have always branded and signed my chairs, but have resisted the urge with my spoons, but at the request of the purchaser of the Ladle that I recently posted, I started looking into ways to burn my signature on them. I looked at some units online and didn't feel very inspired, so I went to the shop, ground the end of an old chainsaw file and heated it with my map gas torch.

The need to reheat it in the middle of a word made me feel like Ben Franklin dipping his pen. Not super efficient, but I only have to write two words!

Before the signature request, I did make a small brand from the end of a piece of steel.

The beauty of doing it this way is that the result always looks better than the tool would suggest.

Here is a recent spoon that I practiced signing. It has a knot right in the bottom of the bowl and therefore some cracks, so I'll just keep this one, but I thought the position of the bowl in relation to the handle was worth showing.

I have also been enjoying working with the contrast of the heart to sapwood colors. When it comes to finishing these, I do scrape and sand the bowl and often a portion of the handle. It's important to wet these areas and then allow them to fully dry before resanding. This will reduce any grain raising after they are used or washed. Then I soak them repeatedly in a jar of oil.

After a soaking like this, it takes weeks to fully cure!
And finally, I've been organizing my new basement powertool shop. That's right, I have cabinet doors that just refuse to build themselves, so it seemed time to do it right!

I soaked my brother Andrew for his energy and talent while he was here over the holidays. We walled off a large part of the basement and lit it up. I'm actually looking forward to what might come out of this shop, plus, no more sanding rust off of my table saw!

I read an interesting book recently (more on this later) that focused on the evolution of ideas. One of the chapters was on the concept of exaptation. Exaptation is when something that serves one purpose switches function to find use in another. One example that comes to mind is the way that my V block holding jig for drilling legs gave me the idea for the Galbert Caliper. This cross pollination of possibilities gives me solace on days like today, when no one task or idea takes center stage, but who knows what I might stumble across as a result of my wandering mind.

New Year, New Projects

2011-01-01T10:06:00.001-05:00

I've got lots of exciting new endeavors happening this year, beginning with the publications of a two part article in Fine Woodworking. The articles detail building my Crested Rocker in fumed oak. There is loads of information and photos. Like so many woodworkers, Fine Woodworking has informed a great deal of my woodworking education and I'm proud to be a part of it. Look for the part one of the article in the February issue.

There will also be some videos to go along with the article to help clarify some of the techniques.

This morning, the Chair Notes covergirl picked the winner of the Spoons for Hunger project out of a hat (that she knit). Thanks to all those who offered to purchase the spoon. As I posted before, I'll be donating all of the proceeds to charities that work to alleviate hunger. The proceeds from this sale will go to Heifer International where they will purchase chickens for families. I know first hand how productive these animals can be and I think that their level of self sufficiency is a great attribute. I am still interested in learning about other organizations with similar goals.

This year I'll be hosting 4 person classes at my workshop here in New York. The first one in June is all ready filled and I'm considering scheduling another for this August. Kelly Mehler had so many folks sign up for the wait list of my fan back class that we added a second week. I'm also returning to the North Bennet Street School in July to teach a 7 day armchair class. I'm already looking forward to the North End pastries!

Below is the Covergirl with her pal Joey on her birthday!

Have a happy and healthy New Year!

A Modest Proposal (or two)

2010-12-28T17:12:00.001-05:00

One difficulty that just about any budding chairmaker encounters is reaming. Aside from all the hubbub about which angle and what type of cutter to use, there is the plain old physical problem of reaming. I recommend the reamers innovated by Jennie Alexander and produced by Elia Bizzarri, because they are easily made, maintained and alterable to whatever angle you please. They also cut with a slow scraping motion on both sides of the cutter, which keeps the user from going too far too fast. The one drawback that I've found is that it can be tough to learn to steer it in a desired direction while rotating the two handles.

I know that another method is to chuck a reamer, such as the one from Emhof into a brace and go at it. I've heard folks complain about the difficulty controlling the speed with which this can lead one astray. A while back, I started horsing around with an idea (surprising right?!) that might solve both issues. Why not chuck the slower reamer in a brace so that the circular motion of turning the reamer is easier?

Well, I did and it works great. I spoke with Elia earlier about the idea, and while he's not rushing to shift production just yet, perhaps a little more r and d will get the ball rolling.

To alter my reamer, I simply drilled a hole in the end on the lathe (to insure perfect axis alignment) and then epoxied a stem from an old auger into the hole. First though, I heated the end of the auger cherry hot to anneal it so that I could drill in a pin to resist the substantial torque of reaming. If anyone tries this, I'd love to hear about the results. I'll continue to put it in students hands to judge the potential value of the idea.

Here is a ladle that I recently completed in applewood. I've appreciated the kind response to my spoon postings and have been considering a new endeavor. I make spoons because I enjoy it, and I have a day job, so selling them has not really appealed to me. But then I got to thinking (again?!) why not sell them and donate the profits to an organization that fights hunger? Spoons, hunger, it just seems right.

So here's how I'd like to work it. As I produce a spoon that I deem worthy, I'll post it on the blog with a set price, this one is $80. It is 17" long with a 3" by 4" bowl, perfect for soups and stews.
If anyone is interested in buying it, please email me at peter@petergalbertchairmaker.com. If I get more than one interested party, I'll put the names in a hat and pick the buyer at random. I'll give 3 days to get your name on the list before contacting the buyer, then just mail me a check (including $8 for shipping) and I'll send your spoon.

I've denied all inquiries about advertising on this blog in an effort to keep it about my passion and sharing and I hope that you can understand my interest in using the blog this way.

Not all the spoons that I make will be in this price range, I've been making a lot of smaller ones suitable for cooking that will go in the $30 to $60 range. I just thought that I'd kick off the project with a real looker!

This piece of wood came from the base of an apple tree that I cut back in my woods and I had high hopes for it while it was still in the tree. Apple can be tricky, little knots or checks can squelch the best ideas, but this one made it all the way. I've finished the spoon with repeated applications of raw tung oil. The only care necessary is an occasional wiping with walnut or raw tung oil and avoiding harsh detergents or long soakings.

I have been investigating various organizations and would welcome suggestions as to an appropriate place for the funds.
Thanks for considering my proposal, hopefully we can all get something from it!

A Brief Reprieve (from holiday joy)

2010-12-26T16:49:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but after 3 days of eating and merriment, this is how I felt.

It was actually a great relief to get back outside and get my bones moving, and with an approaching storm, there was no shortage of chores. First, my brother Andrew wanted to split out some hickory for some more firewood carriers. By the way, the full instructions on these is in the Fine Woodworking compilation book "Bending Wood" which I recommend for a number of good articles.

I haven't forgotten about my promise to make a video about froe usage and splitting, but frankly, it was cold out there!

Here he is getting reacquainted with the froe. I split out a bunch of white oak for a crested rocker that a student will be building in February as well as some for a clients birdcage armchair. I thought that it would be better to get it all done rather than digging it out of 10 inches of snow tomorrow.

I've started setting up my blacksmith shop under the shed next to the shop. I have a lot of work to do to get it up and running, but just seeing all the equipment in one place is inspiring. I fed my brother a huge meal before asking him to help me move the anvil bolted to the stump 75 yards, ah family...

Here are a couple of my xmas presents, blades from Pinewood Forge! Del Stubbs makes amazing tools, beautifully shaped and tempered to hold a razor edge. I honestly don't think that I'd be as motivated to carve spoons if it wasn't for his blades. I like to put on my own handles, which saves $12 and gives me lots of options. My handles tend to be ugly but they feel great in the hand. The oblong holes can be a little tricky, but epoxy covers a lot of sins. If any one shows interest, I'll show my technique.

And Tee in Atlanta would never forgive me for neglecting the animal photos. Here is Maggie with her chubby kids. They have a toasty barn to retreat to when they so desire.

These handsome fellows are thriving, but like the rest of us at the holidays, they are looking a bit swollen!

Big

2010-12-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

Like so many others, I've settled in to share some time with my loved ones. Here is my little Mother sitting in a chair that I recently finished for some tall folks. I couldn't resist the contrast of a 4' 10" lady in a chair made for 6 footers. I put the front stretcher lower than usual to make the chair accessible to the vertically challenged!

I wish you all the best in the new year!
Pete

It's in there Somewhere

2010-12-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

Spoons and chairs have much in common and some huge differences. One similarity that I've been noticing both while carving and chairmaking, is that I am constantly moving to get new views of the object. Both are absolutely 3 dimensional and must succeed from all angles. I enjoy the challenge.

On the other hand, the choice of trees for each couldn't be more different. For chairs, I want the most straight, boring tree possible, with no branches or curves in sight. But for spoons, I look for the wildest and waviest. I used to go to the woods looking for natural crooks in the trees to get the spoon crook, often leaving a bit disappointed at the scarcity of "perfect" crooks. But then I started horsing around with the branches and trunk union and now I see spoons everywhere!

Here is how the spoons look while still in the tree. The natural curve of the fibers on the underside of the branch works great. The only issue is making sure that you don't include the pit from the trunk or branch in the final spoon.

I like to start by splitting the trunk portion down the pith and then I generally find it easiest to saw down the branch and along the bottom of the bowl.

Of course, I have to say that using a bandsaw on odd shaped stock like this is ill advised. But it sure makes quick work of it. I haven't had good luck splitting down the branch portion. It just seems to crack up the wood and the tough union with the trunk isn't easy.

Here is the part of the trunk where I split along the pith. There is a bit of hatchet work to do.

Here I've used the hatchet to clean it up a bit, and I've drawn on the growth rings so that you can see how much I need to remove if I want the fibers to be continuous. If you want a deeper spoon, you can just clean out the pith and use what's left.

Being a chairmaker, I decided to reach for my drawknife to follow the fibers out to the end.

Here is the result, you can start to see the spoon.

And since I've already broken the rules on safe bandsaw use, I finished off the roughing with some power.

It's a big blank that should make a good server.

Once I finish off roughing out the shape, I wrap the spoon in a cotton clothe for a few days to slow the drying process and prevent checking. A paper bag also works well.

I've been finishing up some chairs in the shop (yes, I still make chairs) and will post some images soon!

Real Tree Wood

2010-12-14T17:55:00.002-05:00

I know that I've said it before, but here goes...If you want to learn about working wood, carve spoons. I was lucky enough to have Andy Jack helping me out recently after returning from a spoon carving class with Jogge Sunquist and he brought back some great tips about the tools, materials, geometry, and body technique. It's spurred me on to a flurry of production and now the hardest part of every meal is figuring out which utensil to use!

Early in my spoon carving, I used applewood almost exclusively. It's tough as nails and lovely to boot. When it's green, it carves relatively easy, so it's best to do as much as you can before it dries to stone.

The little paddle above can be made from relatively straight stock, and while it seems diminutive, I reach for it all the time when cooking. It does what every good tool should, it feels like a sensitive extension of my hand.

Here is another "paddle" that also has enough of a bowl to be a good serving spoon. The curved front also makes it very handy when cooking in a pan with curved sides. This one is maple and came not from a crook in the tree, but from a branch to trunk union. I've been using branching parts this way and having a lot of fun learning to follow the grain. If you do it right, the neck of the spoon is straight grained and strong and the bowl follows the grain as well so there is no short grain at the lead edge. You can't get much stronger, which lets me take away all that unnecessary wood.

Here you can see the "curly" area that is in every branch spoon where the wood takes the heavy turn. It's always fun to find.

Every time that I see a large limb in a tree that fell or that I cut, I can't help but think LADLE!! It's always an endeavor. This one out of maple took me nearly 5 hours to rough out. I know this because I started on it one night at 5:30 and the next time that I noticed my surroundings (yes, I know, my poor neglected wife) it was 10:30 and the rest of the house was dark!

I've taken to scraping and sanding the bowls lately, both to highlight the grain and sculptural quality, but it also makes cleaning easier.

One of the great revelations that Andy returned with, was how much easier birch spoons are to carve. But the softness of the wood also calls for bolder decisions as each cut can be that much more direct and clear. Here are a couple that I roughed out the other night. These took just a few minutes a piece after I roughed them with an ax.

And finally, here is an eating spoon from a crook. I've been working on the shape of these to get the proper feel in the hand as well as comfortably delivering food to the mouth. It's fun because when I'm done, there is surprisingly little wood left.

There are some great videos on Youtube.com if you search spoon carving. I think my favorite is the Romanian Carver, his motions are so effective and concise. And this fellow is great with all sorts of old technology and way more efficient with his hatchet than me. If these guys don't make you trek out into the woods, nothing will.

This photo reminds me of Sue's reaction to seeing me in a magazine photo, she said "They photoshopped your hands, they're never that clean!" I could think that it's retaliation for my obsessive carving during "our time", but I'm afraid it's simply the truth.

New Forms

2010-12-12T10:42:00.001-05:00

Two things that I've found to be essential to surviving the long cold winter nights here in New York are Dave Sawyer's firewood carriers (shown below with theirs proud owner David) and spoon carving. The carriers save my back and the spoons save my mind.

I'll be going into the spoon carving a bit more in the following post, but for now, I wanted to share some new techniques that I've been using to get better bends in my bent turnings.
This week, Chris Durbin returned from Ohio to make one of my birdcage armchairs. I've worked out a lot of techniques for working with all of the curved parts, but I kept having trouble with the slight "sideways" curve that sometimes occurred in the forms.

Here is the bend in a new form that I made. If you look below, you'll see that I've made up the form from two bevelled pieces of plywood that cause the bend to center itself and eliminate any "sideways" curve. Having a straight axis really eliminates a lot of the difficulty of reaming these parts accurately into the seat.

The other benefit of the form is that the pressure of the form on the round workpiece is spread over a larger surface (two points of contact instead of one) so I got less denting of the steamed part as well. I use a shaped block and some dense felt as clamp pads to eliminate damage on the other side.

I am looking into dense felt suppliers to get material to line the form as well, why not?!

Below is Chris carving his duckbills, I love telling students that we'll be using the drawknife for most of this work, the terror is palpable!

And here he is with his finished piece. It came out great.

Fountain of Youth

2010-11-25T13:16:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I returned from Atlanta, and I've been hunkering down for winter, stacking firewood, getting logs and basically trying to stay awake past 8pm! Above is a shot from the class at Highland. It was a lot of fun, we had students from the south, midwest and even all the way from Israel.

Here is one of the students kids taking the sample chair for a test spin!

The other day a friend of mine, who also happens to by my physician (his brother is my vet, small town!), came by to make a couple of hickory firewood carriers. He's been suffering carting wood inside in his arms and we've both been trying to clear a day in our schedules to get him properly set.

His work has been stressing him out lately, he's basically handling the work of two doctors everyday and he'll be on call for the next two months without a break. This man needed to beat on a log.

He took to the sledge hammer with such vigor that I just stepped back and decided to let the two of them work it out. During the days discussions, he told me that the worst part of his day is that he has to multitask constantly. When he said this, it dawned on me that when folks come to my shop to make a chair, they get to do just one thing at a time. It's a sad statement that most of us literally have to run away from home and be doled out tasks one at a time to stop this scattered way of being

As the day progressed, I was surprised to look over at him and see that his face, that had been a bit worn looking, seemed fuller and brighter. I swear I could see the teenager inside coming to the surface.
Below is one of the carriers in it's form. It's a way more complex form than is necessary, but it makes a lovely, uniform bend.

I've been noticing a lot of this kind of stress, unnamed and omnipresent in my friends lately, and I've decided that my means of fixing the world is going to start by doing one thing at time, or at least remembering that if I'm stressed, at least I know one of the culprits!

So kick back, focus on eating some turkey and talking to your family (remember, no politics) and pet your goats,

Happy Thanksgiving!

Splitting Boards (Not Hairs)

2010-10-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

In the never ending search for methods to make my work more efficient and enjoyable, I've started having my hard maple sawn into planks.

If the main reason to split the parts from the log is maintaining the straight fiber line and turning green wood, then I've lost nothing in this process and gained quite a bit. The problems that arise when dealing with the logs are spoilage (I like splitting only what I need, instead of a whole log at once, but in summer, this is a recipe for spalting), waste through splitting, and the troubles associated with moving a whole log.

By having my logs (which are chosen for their straightness) sawn by a conscientious sawyer, I get the best of both worlds, plus, if the boards sit for a while in the stacks, they dry, not rot!

As you see above, the first split is down the pith. Because the 2 inch chunks of maple that I split off don't deflect much, I can generally just make my way across the board splitting off the blanks. If the sawn line deviates from the fiber line a bit, I can subtly adjust the way that I mount it on the lathe to

correct the problem.

I've found that this works well even with air dried maple, and for my oak turnings, I've been splitting oak boards. The main benefit that I've found with the oak, is that the parts don't check while drying, which is a problem that I kept having when splitting and turning green oak. I'm not going to lie to you, turning dry wood ain't nearly the joy of green wood, but as with most things, you will draw your own lines in the sand!

Yes, I actually built a new brake! Here is the layout for the hole locations in the side. The numbers locate the holes from the left and bottom edges.

I did choose to include a leverage arm. I put notches in it to hold the straps in place. Knowing where the stresses most affected my old brake, I reinforced this one with plywood scraps from the start.

On the home front, here is Seth (remember him building my countertop) and his lovely bride Johanna at their wedding in Salem. They stopped by for a couple of days on their way to their new home in Asheville.

And for my goat fans (this is you Tee), here is the Chair Notes covergirl with her favorite little fellow. Boy has he grown!

He's a bit dopey but she loves him (yes, I know what this implies).
All of our others are healthy, happy and living as a herd. I'm heading to Atlanta tomorrow to demonstrate and teach at Highland Woodworking, I hope to see you there!

Proof of Concept

2010-10-08T07:25:00.001-05:00

Every year, my brake gets a little uglier. Usually it breaks through abuse, the freeze, thaw cycle and the life outdoors, but I scab on some old scrap of wood and keep it going, always promising myself that soon I'll build another. Yesterday I had an idea that might just spur me on to really do it.

After giving my talk about splitting, you know, that one about how when both sides of a split piece deflect the same amount, the split always runs straight, I had an idea. Whenever I come up with something that I haven't seen or tried, I try to find the shortest distance to the "Proof of Concept". I did it with my caliper (the first one used an old plane blade and some rubberbands) and I do it with my chairs.

So while looking at the brake, it dawned on me how easy it would be to hook up a lever to increase the leverage on the larger side to get the equal deflection while splitting. My student this week was game so we took a few minutes and rigged up this fine looking contraption.

Here is Peter (there are a strange number of Peters in woodworking) applying the necessary pressure and splitting off a small crest for his comb back. It worked like a charm, too well actually, as he was able to make the split run into the larger piece!
Most of the time when splitting, we strive to split equal sized parts because even deflection is relatively easily achieved, but necessity means that we must often split off a third of a chunk, and this is where the extra leverage comes in handy.

The biggest problem with the "Proof of Concept" moment, is that I am often so enthralled by the crude simplicity of the thing, that I'll use it that way for years!

Here is Dan finishing up his triple back a few weeks ago. I really like this chair and hope to own one myself someday!

Putting it Together

2010-10-07T05:11:00.000-05:00

This post details the final steps in making and using the tenon shoulderer that I've been showing. There is just a little fit and finishing to be attended to before setting the blade and cutting some joints. As with any handplane or spokeshave, a solid mating between the blade and the blade bed will go a long way towards reducing tearout. I clean up the bed with a chisel until the blade sits flat.

Next, I set the blade in position and mark for the bolt that will hold it in place. The best way to secure the blade is with a threaded insert like Elia Bizzarri from Handtoolwoodworking.com does with his excellent cutters, but I've opted for simply sizing the hole so that the bolt will cut threads in this super hard chunk of bubinga.

Once the blade is secure, adjust it so that it cuts right up to the transition point. The shaving should look something like this. You might have to open the shaving clearance up a bit.

If all is going just right, the tenon should fit snugly in the straight portion of the cutter, but no too tightly or it will burnish and resist glue adhesion. It isn't a bad idea to scuff sand the tenon to open any burnishing anyway.

Now it's time to analyze the cutter and come up with a reliable number for marking your shoulder location. You might recall from the last post that I located the transition, from the taper to the straight portion in the cutter, 1 inch inside the cutter. But the cutter isn't an arm, and bubinga isn't oak, so I perform a real world test to discover the offset for marking.

First, run a spindle through the cutter. Then mark the spindle where it enters the cutter.

Next drill a hole in a block of oak, or whatever you plan to use for the arm bow. Make sure to drill the hole with the same method and bit that you plan to use with the cutter. Finally, insert the cut spindle as far as it will go and measure the distance to the line. In this case it's 3/4". Because the hole is just a bit larger, my offset distance changed. I attribute the difference to using the hand drill in oak versus the drill press in bubinga.

When it's time to make the joint, I simply mark the actual length to the bottom of the arm on the spindle, make a mark 3/4" lower on the spindle, and run it through the cutter until the lower mark contacts the outside of the cutter.

A rat tail file opens up the endgrain portions of the mortise where the tenon exits for the locking flare of the wedge.

Here you can see the spaces created on either side of the tenon.

And finally the wedge seals the deal. You can see that I was a bit overzealous in my filing, or underzealous in my wedge making, but you get the idea.

When you are first using this joint, I recommend sticking to the center spindle on the back of a chair and the short spindles because they come into the bow nearly vertically, which makes the shoulder location easy to measure. Depending on the angle of the taper that you use, measuring the spindle height to the more angled mortises will take a little experimenting. For my purposes, with a 6 degree plumbers reamer, I've found that by measuring to the highest part of the mortise under the armbow, that the shoulder seats nicely, but playing around will solve this for your cutter.

Good luck!

Making a Tenon Shoulderer

2010-10-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

As I promised a few weeks back, I'm going to show how I make my tenon shoulderer for the semi hammer eye joint. I have been using this joint a lot and I am sold, it's just good chairmaking, and in some ways it's actually faster.

But first I have a few announcements,

I will be teaching a class at Highland Woodworking in Atlanta this month. I highly recommend this class because of the format. It will be a two day seminar where I build a chair and demonstrate all the techniques that the class will cover and more. Then it's a hands on 5 day chair class. Often, I find that students have trouble conceiving of the whole process until they have built a chair and this can make each step a bit bewildering, so with the info up front, I'm looking forward to everyone getting that much more out of it. I hope to see you there.

I've also built a new web site (have you wondered where all my computer time has been spent lately?) Check it out at the usual address www.petergalbertchairmaker.com.
Of course it's not finished and some of the images and text need some work, but it has been useful in helping me define what I am trying to do with my chairs.

Also, on the site, you'll notice that the "Classes" page has some new information about my teaching. Lately, it seems that I've had trouble keeping up with the number of folks who want to come work with me, so I've added a 4 person course that I plan to teach twice next year. The first class is on June 6th and will be a fan back class. I will have a full time experienced assistant and we will shoot the works while building a lovely chair. Because I've decided to limit my one on one courses, I encourage anyone interested in taking the group class to contact me soon.

Now, on to the tool,

As I covered in the previous post, this isn't a true hammer eye joint because I don't ream the mortise on both exit and entry. It's really just a shouldered tenon that gets flared. Below are a couple of tools that I've made for different sized tenons. You can see that they operate with a spokeshave blade and a block of dense hardwood.

The tool pictured in the front has some fancy adjusters that I made (just some bolts and washers really) but I've made plenty of them without as well. The first step is to choose the size that you want the mortise to be, here I am using a 3/8ths mortise. I selected a piece of hardwood about as wide as my blade, for convenience, because as you'll see, it isn't necessary.

Here is the layout for the bed angle and clearance for the chips. One of my goals is to keep the throat of the cutter tight to reduce tearout on the tenon. Start with a vertical line to the top of the hole and then make a line that contacts the top of the hole at a 30 degree angle. Then draw another line at that angle the thickness of the blade below the line you just drew. This is the actual bed for the blade.

Here is the layout for the tapered hole in the block. I've randomly chosen 1 inch in to be the transition from the taper to the straight portion of the tenon.

To ream this, place your reamer in the hole and measure back 1 inch. I put tape there to be clear. Then simply ream until the tape contacts the side of the block. A word about reamer angles. the greater the angle, the greater the stopping power of the shoulder, but also the more obvious, it's up to you.

Here I've cut out the bed angle on the bandsaw.

When you put the reamer in the hole, it should stop making contact 1 inch in.

Now it's time to shape the blade. The blade only cuts the tapered part of the joint, so I simply measure in 1 inch and grind away material to create a transition in the middle. I find it helps to curve the blade edge at the point that the spindle enters the cutter to help prevent any tearout. I actually blunted the edge of the blade in the straight area, it doesn't make any contact anyway.

In the next post, I'll show how to put it all together and make the joint!