Sam Maloof Leaves an Empty Chair

Sam Maloof passed away last Thursday. He was one of my woodworking heroes: someone that left corporate America to build enduring and beautiful furniture and succeeded wildly. I know he was tremendously lucky as well as talented, but his story still inspires.

If you must be dead to be a legend, a woodworking legend was born Thursday. Thank you, Sam. (Hat tip to Brian)

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-sam-malo of23-2009may23,0,3907018.story

David Brookshaw Miniature Tools

My friend Brian sent me this link. If you haven't already (or even if you have) take a spin over to davidbrookshaw.com. Its a small site for small tools. But the pictures speak volumes. I wish there were more.

Picture ©2008 David Brookshaw.

Woodwright's Shop - Season 28 posted online

Good news for those of us whose public television stations refuse to carry Roy Underhill's show. The new year brought season 28 to the internet, and you can now view the episodes at the Woodwright's Shop Web page.

I'm especially looking forward to watching the one about Don Weber's recreation of a Viking Tool Chest.

********************************************
UPDATE on 02/01/2009:

It has come to my attention that the direct link I've provided actually resolves to the Home page of The Woodwright's Shop. Here's how you can find the online versions I've been watching:

1. Click the link to view the episodes at the Woodwright's Shop Web page.
2. Click Schedule on the left of the page.
3. Click Watch Video on the left of the page.
4. Choose one of the three seasons available for online viewing.
5. Choose the episode you want to watch.

Wooden Blocks

I wish woodworking was as easy as playing with blocks. My children spend hours building with these, and I love seeing what they come up with. Below are pictures of one that spent several days in our living room during September.

The columns on top of the structure were exercises during a wood turning class. If I ever have a lathe in the shop, I plan to make some proper Greek and Roman columns for the block set.

Roman Tools for Building Catapults

Watching the crew build the full-sized replica of a Roman catapult (in the video embedded in my last post) I was struck by a number of things the Romans did not have when they created these monstrous machines: they did not have fork lifts, chainsaws, power drills, circular saws, cranes, and other powered machinery. But even in those ancient times they had almost all of the hand-powered hand tools that modern woodworker has, and most of these we would recognize.

According to Roman Woodworking, the book I mentioned in a prior post, a woodworker in those times would have had a full compliment of tools for building in wood. I was surprised to see how many of these tools looked essentially identical to those we use today. Here's a quick list I compiled from the book:

• Workbench
• Adze
• Auger
• Chisel (both paring and mortising)
• Gouge
• Drill
• Knife
• Draw knife
  
• Spokeshave
• Lathe
• Plane
• Saw
• Wedge
• Hammer
• Mallet
• Calipers
• Dividers
• Compass
• Plumb Line
• Level
• Ruler
• Square
• Bench dog
• Clamp

In all, a fairly complete list of hand tools for building in wood. As for moving the massive timbers around and assembling the machine, they would have had to do this all the hard way—with levers, wedges, mallets, hammers, pulleys, and raw muscle. Wow.

Building a Roman Catapult

Now this is a woodworking project. Building a full-sized Roman catapult replica is so cool on so many levels.

Chuck Bender's New Blog

I just stumbled across a blog by Chuck Bender, who runs the Acanthus Workshop. He has started posting step by step as he builds an Oxbow chest. Already in the two main posts Chuck has introduced a couple of techniques that had not occurred to me, including the modification of router bits to create a custom profile, and erasing part of a profile with a well set straight bit.

The blog is called Parings - A woodworker's journal. Check it out.

A Classic Tool-lover's Novel

I'm travelling this week to attend my grandmother's funeral. At a time like this, when one is away from his home and spending too much time in airports and airplanes, it's good to have a freindly and inspiring novel that doesn't require too much brain power. I chose to reread a tool-user's classic, Trustee from the Toolroom by Neville Shute, and I'm glad I did.

The story's protagonist, Keith Stewart, engages me from the start; he has a heart of gold, and a passion for tools that have me rooting for him immediately. Maybe best of all, he has done what I haven't the courage to do: stopped the well-paying job and lived his passion. He eeks out a living designing, building, and writing about minature machines (that work!). Keith is so like people I know and like, and has such a clear sense of what is important, that I'm thrilled to be his virtual companion on an adventure that would make me proud to have done.

Neville Shute either had or acquired enough of an understanding of machinery to provide detailed descriptions of proceedure (most notably when Keith is turning five metal eggs), and must have had a sense of wonder for the world. His novel brings me in contact with several disciplines—machinist, engineer, pilot, seaman—and in all cases makes detailed and fascinating description of how these trades are exercised. And through it all, I get to follow my talented and unobtrusive friend, Keith, see what's interesting about what he sees, and celebrate the successes of this everyman, this tool user, this ultimate inspiration for what life could be if I were just brave and dedicated and talented enough.

This novel has helped take my mind off the funeral. I'm glad to be visiting an old friend at a time when I've lost one. If you haven't read Trustee from the Toolroom, give it a try. I can't garantee you'll like it, but it is a good bet.

Traditional Japanese Automatons

Masashi published an interesting report on a visit from master karakuri maker Shobei Tamaya. Karakuri are traditional Japanese automatons that apparently do some incredible things. The one demonstrated during this class picks up a miniature arrow, nocks it on a miniature bow, draws, and fires at a target.

Now that's a woodworking project.

Photo courtesy of Musashi.

Woodworking Quote of the Day

"...the experience of seeing one's own ideas evolve was a back-of-the-neck tingling experience for me as a student. I discovered the "oh wow" adrenalin rush that, for the creative person, leads to the absolute need to make it!"

—Stephen Hogbin
from his forthcoming book "Evaluating: the critique in the studio workshop"

References for Traditional Cabinetmaking

You can get access to great old reference materials over at Toolemera.com. All of it is interesting, but for woodworkers (as opposed to tool collectors) I think the most valuable page is the free links page, which lists interesting old books divided by topic. The scanned page above is from Thomas Chippendale's book "The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker's Director", scanned and hosted by the University of Wisconsin library.

While you're visiting Toolemera, stop by the blog written by the proprietor, Gary. He has a great review of Christopher Schwartz's new book Workbenches: From Design and Theory to Construction and Use, and other thought provoking articles about or related to woodworking.

Urban Design

When I was on my way into Boston a few weeks ago, I caught sight of an incredible piece of graffiti on the back of a truck. This graphic has form, motion, depth, and interest. Everything we can aspire to in a piece of art or craft. I couldn't help picturing a piece like this inlaid on a piece of furniture. It would have to be the right piece of furniture, but wow! It could be incredible.

Youngest Woodworker at My House

Just look at the determination on her face. Yes, she is using what amounts to a toy saw, but she couldn't manage the big saw. This one did the job, as you can see:

Mystic Seaport Shipwright's Shop Tour

A few days ago I posted about our trip to Mystic Seaport. Even though the shop wasn't running, I found it thrilling to walk through the observation deck of the shop and see a tall ship being built (or repaired?) right there. You might also have gathered that I was amazed by the Ship's Saw: a giant bandsaw on which the table remains level and the saw itself is adjusted to create the desired cutting angle.

If your mouth watered at all during that short photo tour, then you'll find a feast at Tom Daniel's blog, A Shipwright in Training, and especially in his blog entry about leaving Mystic Seaport, where he worked as a full time ship wright this past summer. The bandsaw shown above is another ship's saw in the Mystic workshop. The photograph is part of a verbal and visual tour Tom gives of the work space at Mystic. Enjoy!

photo copyright and courtesy of Tom Daniels

Fixing a Warped Desktop

During a recent trip to the North Bennett Street School, I saw a desk made by a student in the 3-month furniture-making intensive. This piece was beautifully made and properly equipped with runners, kickers, and rails. But one detail was pointed out by my friend, Brian, who attends North Bennett Street's 2-year furniture making program: curfs in the underside of the desk.

In the picture above you can see the curfs cut at intervals in the desk top. We can't know for sure, but it is likely that the wood had warped after glue up, resulting in a rolling wave. The curfs were cut strategically to ease the pressures that had warped the wood and allow the desktop to lie flat and save the top from the scrap heap.

Boat Sighting at Sauer & Steiner

Konrad just posted pictures of his latest battleship. At least I think that's what it is.

Photograph copyright and courtesy of Konrad at Sauer & Steiner

Woodworking Field Trip: Mystic Seaport

I went to Mystic Seaport with friends today and had a great time. If you are interested in boat building or early-American history, I recommend it. I wish more of the shops had been running, but what can I expect on a Saturday? We did get to see the shop space without the shipwrights, and the blacksmith was up and running (though I was out of memory on the camera by that time).

Long straight logs waiting to become masts or planking

Giant bandsaw: The whole saw is on trunions!

Wooden lobster trap in progress

Working steam box for bending the lobster trap frames

Winch and huge all-wood block, to pull ships onto their sides

Tools of the trade: old on the left, new on the right

Wooden Door of a Mimber

I found this incredible combination of carving and decorative woodwork when I typed in "wooden turkey" on Google today. It is the door of a mimber, which I discovered is the Turkish word for the hooded pulpit from which the Friday sermon is delivered. This example is in the Aleaddin Mosque, Konya and was built in the Seljuk period, dated 1155.

Be glad I found this rather than the wooden turkey I sought. Happy Thanksgiving!

Photograph © cambridge2000.com, which turns out to be a fun browse for pictures.

Three Lists of Essential Tools

Over at Lumberjocks yesterday, Tim Dorcas put up a blog entry about what tools a beginning woodworker might want to buy if the spending limit was $1000. It is primarily a power tool list, but a great exercise in prioritizing shop tools. I posted a comment about what a more minimalist shop might look like, but in principle I agree that Tim listed a set of tools that allows a wide range of work and will get you started.

I always enjoy this kind of list because it gets me thinking. Another great example is a list that Christopher Schwartz posted a while back. This won't fit a $1000 limit, but it gives a sense of what might be important in a more blended shop.

Finally, while trying to dig up Chris's post, I found another from Robert Lang that you can ponder. Enjoy!

Photo of violin maker's tools courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Just Plain Bill

Inspiring Boxes

All week I've been admiring these pencil boxes at Mushashi's Woodworking Diary. Each of them illustrates a traditional Japanese timber framing joint and makes a stunningly beautiful and intriguing work of art.

Each box is made from a different kind of wood, selected carefully for clear and beautiful grain, and each box lid has a different joint. This is part of what I find so admirable about far eastern woodworking: careful attention to material and execution; the appearance of simplicity and ease in complex work.

The joints and grains on these boxes match so carefully that they might almost be imagined as a single solid piece of wood, and the contrasting pins, which would have held the timbers of a house together, become a single striking irregularity that pins the box lid together. What we see of the slide promises a careful fit and silky smooth action.

I am inspired.

Photo courtesy of and copyright Musashi Kutsuwa

17 Board Feet of Maple: Furniture Build-Off

What can you do with 17 board-feet of maple? The idea intrigues me. Could you build a bench like the one shown here? A glass topped coffee table? A side table? A bookshelf? A wall cabinet?

For those who don't know, the board foot is a rough wood measure of 12 inches x 12 inches x 1 inch of wood. You don't need to keep those dimensions, though. You can halve one dimension and double another, for example. So one board foot could be 12" x 12" x 1", or 24" x 6" x 1", or 12" x 6" x 2", or many other combinations with the same volume.

With that in mind, 17 board feet could be a 17-foot long, 12-inch wide, 1-inch thick plank, or a 16.5-foot long, 6-inch wide, 4-inch thick post. It sounds like quite a bit of wood, but you won't be building an armoire with it, or a chest of drawers, or a dining room table. This puzzle has infinite solutions, but limited size.

Why am I asking this today? Because I stumbled upon the Fine Woodworking Furniture Build-Off and it captured my imagination. This is a challenge I would love to meet. I'm adding it to the Someday Maybe section of my project list, and even if I don't participate I'll remember the principle: a limitation can be inspiration.

Photo courtesy of the Wikimedia commons and Aaron Morse

Doodling Design Inspiration

Furniture doodles creep into my notebooks both at work and at home. Usually they explore shape and concept, like those shown here.

Rosewood Studio Closes

From the Popular Woodworking blog I learned that Rosewood Studio is shutting down. This is a big dissappointment to me, as I had hoped one day to take a class there.

I'm lucky to be near the North Bennett Street School where I can take classes fairly easily, but I won't be taking it for granted any more. Now if I can just see my way clear to a 3-month leave of absence to take that Furniture Making Intensive before it's too late.

Chair Design and Champaigne Bottles

Design precedes the act of working wood. Even simple objects require some design: how big will it be? what wood will you use? how will it be joined?

Here's a competition that shows just how much a "little" design can accomplish. The aim is to design and build a chair using only parts of a champaigne bottle. I think you'll agree that these miniature chairs are incredible, especially considering what the makers have to use for materials.

I learned about this contest from Lindsey Staniforth's blog.

Contest sponsored by and photo courtesy of Design Within Reach

Getting into the Shop

I've found it harder to get into the shop lately. This is not a question of time, motivation, or family demands. No, it is literally getting harder to get into the shop.

Take a look at this picture: the walkway started at a meager 3 feet wide (give or take), but in the middle of the path there are now two toolboxes sitting atop a cardboard box filled with mechanics tools. To the right—sitting within a foot of my bench and blocking part of the tool shelves—are three pieces of plywood intended to become the roof ring for our modern ger. Atop that is a baby gate (!) in it's tattered cardboard box. There's also the stool I scavenged, standing comfortably in the remaining two feet of walkway. Around the corner, unseen by you, is a quarter bale of straw (!!) the remains of a porch banister, three ancient bikes, a broken window, a weight bench piled with cardboard boxes, an old dresser, a box full of 2" by 3" aluminum chunks (with really sharp edges), three grocery bags filled with books, left-handed women's golf clubs (neither of us golfs), a quarter bale of cedar shingles, four broken 1970's modern kitchen chairs, a decrepit step ladder too rickety to use, and more.

Whenever I wend my way to the bench, I'm forced into a careful dance, orchestrated to avoid bruising my hip on a bike handle, spilling a pile of boxes, stubbing my toe on a toolbox, loosing my balance and falling into the toolshelves, or knocking tools from atop the stool. I'm world class, precise, almost dancerly in my negotiations. A lucky soul tiptoeing through a minefield.

It's time to get a dumpster.

Concentration

"To catch two birds with one stone." That is what people usually try to do. Because they want to catch too many birds they find it difficult to be concentrated on one activity, and they may end up not catching any birds.

—Shunryu Suzuki

Knock-down Stool by Mike Lyon

Check out this knock-down stool, designed and built by Mike Lyon. This is a beautiful piece of design and workmanship. Since I'm planning to build knock-down furniture for camping (beds, tables, and chests) the method of assembly is especially interesting.

My other major inspiration for knock-down furniture is Viking Bed Design.

Adam Cherubini Blog

There's a new blog from Popular Woodworking: Arts & Mysteries with Adam Cherubini. This one so far has a serious focus on theory, and the entries are well written with great graphic support. If you like Chris Schwartz's posts at Woodworking Magazine, I'm thinking you might also like the new blog from Adam.

One of the posts is a good entry on the Golden Section, which I'm going to go back and add to my post on the Fibonacci Series.

James Krenov's Legacy

James Krenov is a legend in some circles of woodworking. His ideas and work inspire me to believe that wood can speak to us if only we will listen, and that some of the efficiency brought by power tools threatens our ability to condsider the wood we use in our construction. When I think of him and his work, I'm reminded to look before imposing my will on a piece of wood—even if the act of looking takes only a second.

So it is with sadness I discover that James Krenov can no longer see well enough to create the work that so defines his life and influences woodworking culture. I find this final unfinished cabinet a symbol both of what I want—a life that has positively influenced the world around me (both physical and ephemeral)—and what I fear—a gradual end to my creative ability. Since in many ways my life as a woodworker has barely begun, this cabinet is a reminder that the gift of creation should be used now because one day it will expire.

(Photo by Dave Mathews, courtesy of JamesKrenov.com)

A Puzzling Table

I hope one day to build something as beautiful and clever as this puzzle table by Kagen Schaefer. I'm thinking of starting with a puzzle box next year, assuming I get the shop running a little smoother by March, as intended.

Amazing Sculptural Furniture

I recently read a book about Wendell
Castle, the sixties pop furniture icon who moved gracefully
into sculptural furniture in the 1980's. It was filled with pictures of
though provoking furniture.

Today I found the website of a woodworker, Subiha Mujtaba,
whose work extends the idea of sculpted furniture. I think she fuses
the two even more successfully than the Wendell Castle pieces I've
seen. Beautiful and fascinating work.