Simpler Sighting

I just finished teaching the continuous arm class at Highland in Atlanta and as usual, the cauldron of the classroom helped with the evolution of technique.

Chair started popping up everywhere on the last day!

 But first, here is a cool photo that Seth Weizenecker took of one of the students.

Seth was indispensable helping me teach this class and now I am recharging at his home in Asheville before our class next week. I'm told that there is still one opening if anyone wants to jump on it, it will be a load of fun. Contact Bill Palmer at herebrooks@aol.com if you want more info.


Watching students work through the process is always fascinating and gives me a chance to rethink or retool to make it simpler. This isn't a dumbing down, it's about expanding what is obvious to me so that I can bring folks onboard. Evaluating the results while reaming is one of the most important jobs in making chairs this way. The trouble is that I have to describe not only what I do, but what I see. During this last class, I thought about the bevel square that I use to sight whether the reamer is at the correct angle and realized that it might be made easier with a very simple tweak.

Here is the bevel square retrofit with a nice wide blade so that you can easily sight down the flat plane. And by cutting out one side of the bevel square base, it's easy to see the alignment line when looking over the top of the blade. The photo below shows looking over the top of the bevel square a bit too far.

Looking over the top at the wide flat face of the bevel square

Here is the correct alignment for assessing the position of the reamer. The arrow on the square touching the line makes seeing, and thankfully teaching, the correct alignment easier.

Lining up the face (and arrow) with the base line shows that the reamer is too far forward

 It's a little thing, but Seth and I saw a marked difference in the ease with which it helped the students "get it", and that's enough for me. I will be refitting all of my square, that I use in the shop, and to teach.

The side view of the set up

As usual, thanks to my friends at Highland for all their help, especially Ed Scent, who makes it all happen.

The Turning Point

Before Jameel starts organizing a wake for Chair Notes, I thought it best to give a quick update. As I sit here, this little amaryllis has been giving me hope of things to come.

I've been teaching a lot this Winter when not here at the computer working on my book. I just finished up a class of 24 students at the North Bennet Street School. Dan Faia is doing a great job with the program over there and was fantastic to work with. Working with so many students at once was a huge challenge.
Chris Schwarz has started working closely with me to shape the book manuscript and help get it out there. I've gotten a huge boost from Raney Nelson, Bern Chandley, Caleb James and Claire Minihan, who have been my first readers.

Now I head to the Caymans for my sisters wedding and then I will start my southern tour of Highland Woodworking and Warren Wilson College. By the time I get back, Spring should be well started up here. I will likely miss most of syrup season, but from the current view, I think Winter might be a little stubborn leaving, so hopefully I'll still get a few quarts.
I hope you are all staying warm and making chairs!

New Year, Old Project

It's been so quiet here at Chairnotes that you can hear the snowfalling. But it's not that I'm not writing, it's what I'm writing. I am in a push to get the drawings for my book done and am happy to say that I'm making good progress. As to the actual release date, it can't be pinned down just yet, but I will hopefully be handing everything to the book designer, and Chris Schwarz for the next phase. I thought that I'd share a couple of images to give a little preview of what I'm compiling.

 There are literally hundreds of illustrations and it's taken me a while to establish a style that is clear and fast to create.

I like communicating by drawing (as any former student will tell) because you can go straight to the concept without any confusion and you can show views and relationships that would be tough to show any other way.