Homeschooling 101: A Day at the Sawmill

While children were getting on the bus to return to school and adults were heading back to the office on Wednesday, Sheldon and I headed up to Stow, MA to mill a log my friend had been eyeing on his property. Fortunately, he also has a woodmizer, a metal detector and a willingness to spin a single log a few dozen times to quartersaw wood by my definition, which isn't quite as stringent as Sheldon's.

Here is a picture that is representative of the quality of milling for every single piece that made it into the back of the truck.

And for the record, the entire log made it into the back of the truck. 10.5' long, 32" at the widest end and 26" at the other.

The wood is standing on end for the next few days while I pick out a color for the latex paint. Then the wait begins.

Acanthus Leaves, etc.

Progress continues...

I very much look forward staining these things. The pale look of sanded, less-than-ideal mahogany needs to be hidden.

Happy Holidays!

Update

Here's a quick picture of my progress with the tea table.

Guild night tonight. I will be starting the acanthus leaves and knee carvings.

Additionally, I will be presenting at a Lie-Nielsen Handtool Event in Beverly, MA on Friday and Saturday. Stop by to say hello and check out Phil Lowe's Furniture Institute of Mass. and the other great vendors.

A good time will be had by all.

Handwork and Handworks

If you build it, they will come...

My family and I will be making a trip to Iowa on Memorial Day weekend of 2013 for the Handworks Event. 

The event has a long list of hand tool vendors and enthusiasts.

It is free

The door prizes are incredible.

All you have to do is register and be present. This can be done through the website.

Be there, or be out of square.

Part V: A Textbook Example for Hollows and Rounds

Back in April and May I wrote a few blog entries regarding some moulding for a tall case clock. Bill has completed his clock and sent along a few pictures. (As I expect all of you to do.)

Bill spent a significant amount of time on the reproduction of this family heirloom. He certainly wanted to get it right. He went so far as to acquire an original wooden gear mechanism by Silas Hoadley. 

Most visiting lay people will take the highlights that the mouldings provide for granted. Visiting woodworkers will be impressed if he ran the moulding profiles in his basement vs. outsourcing it to a local shop. 

There is, however, a little secret that we all share: Freud was not responsible for the highlighting of these three cases. Bill did not use stock profiles, generic bits or run-of-the-mill skills. Bill made (most) of the profiles by hand.

Are hollows and rounds faster than router bits? Who cares...

(The original)

The answer, of course, is yes. I can't find a place that will deliver custom knives in less than 15 days. Bill, the first time user, took 4 hours.

 Great Job!

Guild Night in Haddam Neck (Continued Preparations for NWA 2013)

Last night was guild night in Haddam Neck. Don and Chris Boule are slightly ahead of me. We'll (hopefully) all be ready for our annual trip to the Northeastern Woodworkers' Assoc. 2013 Showcase in March.

After getting shut out for ribbons last year we have all decided to step it up a notch.

Don is making a "Dunlap" inspired highboy.

Chris is making a "Chris" inspired lowboy.

I am making a pie-crust tea table, which has lately taken a back seat to a bed, which has taken a back seat to class preparations. This last picture will give you an idea of the size of Chris' piece.

Rabbets with a Rabbet Plane.

One of my greatest pleasures is seeing woodworkers use a rabbet plane for the first time. I have witnessed a few hundred people go through the process and I love being present. It's so simple.

Brian Eve of Toolerable is no different. He recently reconditioned an old rabbet plane and took a video of his first attempt. Check it out! I doubt he'll ever crave a fence for this task again.

If you don't get it right on the first attempt, you will be fully confident that you'll get it on the second.

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On a side note, I'll take this opportunity to reiterate a point about antique planes: they can (usually) be made to perform as well as the planes I sell. Please do not think that you need my planes or those from Old Street Tool to get in this game.

Start with antiques. We all did.

If you feel like you're blindly fighting these tools I'll recommend that you make just one pair from scratch. The first time you have to fit YOUR wedge, bed YOUR iron or make your iron match YOUR sole you will work to a whole new level of tolerances. You will quickly learn about the significant amount of technology that is present in two pieces of wood and steel.

Get in this game. Take control.

(the first planes I made)