Heritage Wood Art

A Desk for My Daughter

2012-01-23T18:06:00.000-08:00

The photo on the left shows a Shaker-inspired, leather-topped, cherry desk in its final stages of completion. The top is frame and panel; leather will be glued to a 3/4 inch plywood substrate. The drawers are traditionally made, guided by runners and kickers, hand-cut dovetails front and rear. (See photo below.)

With the exception of the frame for the top and the drawer front, the finish is multiple coats of shellac, rubbed down between coats. Because the top frame and the drawer fronts will be subject to quite a lot of wear and some soiling (skin oil deposits), I coated those components with several coats of shop-made wipe-on poly. Other desks I finished that way have held up for several years of heavy use.

The frame and panel desk top, with the leather being trimmed to fit, is shown in the photos below.

There are few things I enjoy more than seeing a project like this through to completion. My daughter is picking the desk up this coming Friday. My hope is that she will enjoy it for a long, long time.

Measuring Progress

2012-01-07T12:59:00.000-08:00

Getting better at any activity -- from baking bread to woodworking -- is usually accompanied by an awareness that things just seem to work out more efficiently, with less frustration and difficulty. Rather than being a slave to formulas and prescriptions, it becomes possible to "tell" when a bread dough has risen just enough, or when a dovetail pin is hand-cut at an optimum angle.

On YouTube there's a brief teaser video promoting an instructional DVD on dovetailing by Frank Klaus. (Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-o4jryTkUc .) In the video, Klaus makes a comment that clearly indicates he does not rely on aids and measurements in determining when a pin is cut at the proper -- roughly 11 degree -- angle. Instead, he makes his own judgment, based on experience. I find his off-the-cuff comment refreshing, since it's a reminder that woodworking is a human activity accomplished by human beings who think, feel, and make judgments.

Unfortunately, there are two problems that result from becoming really good at something. First we take our competence for granted. (One author has dubbed this the "unconscious competence" phenomenon.) We just know how to do things, and expect that others know, too -- or that they can learn quickly. The other is that having forgotten the learning process we followed, we have no clue about how to teach others to do the task at which we excel. Returning to the "beginner's mind" is a gift outstanding teachers possess. Few teachers, indeed, can claim to have that gift.

So if you are reading this blog post as a hobbyist woodworker, I would urge you to enjoy -- and even keep track of -- the process you follow in learning various skills. Enjoy the journey of learning. And if you're lucky enough to have the opportunity to teach someone else what you've learned to do, take full advantage of it. It's not just an act of generosity. It's also pleasant, reinforcing, and rewarding for you.

Framed Stained Glass

2011-06-25T15:31:00.001-07:00

A friend asked me to make a frame for a stained glass work that her deceased father made many years ago. The leaded glass work lay in her attic for a long time; but she is moving soon and wants to give it a place of honor in her new home. It's a small piece (11"x18"), and I certainly didn't want to have the frame compete with it. The accompanying photo shows the simple, unobtrusive result. The frame will be hung in a window well, from narrow chain. The rear side (not visible in the photo) is also framed out and finished off as carefully as the front. As a result the piece can be viewed from either side. The wood is pine; the finish is multi-stage: a few coats of 2 lb. cut super-blonde shellac, followed by some Minwax cherry stain, then a few more coats of shellac. My hope is that I honored her father's craftsmanship, and that she likes the end product as much as I.

Re-sawing Tips You Can't Afford to Ignore

2011-03-29T04:53:00.001-07:00

Any motivated woodworker has read the advice usually given about re-sawing. Unfortunately, the advice commonly disseminated is incomplete. This often happens when experts, who forget what it's like not to be experts, offer instruction that is built on assumptions.

This post will give you information you've NOT read elsewhere. If you've done everything "according to Hoyle" and still found yourself upset and frustrated, I think you'll find it particularly helpful.

To prevent confusion and clarify some basic facts, here are a couple of things you need to know in advance: (1) I use a 14" bandsaw with a riser block. (2) I use a 3/4" wide Timber Wolfe re-saw blade (3 T.P.I.). Most of the workpieces I re-saw are several inches high, 24-30 inches long, and about two inches thick. My re-sawn pieces vary in thickness from 1/16" to 3/4". (3) I use a shop-made, flat guide fence, not the kind with the pivot point. The fence is about the same height as the workpieces I re-saw. (4) After ensuring that the table and the fence are both at 90 degrees to the blade, I clamp the fence to the table, following the "drift" line which I've marked on the table in pencil. (5) I make all adjustments to thrust bearings, side guides, etc., both above and below the table, after the upper blade guard/guide post is set at the appropriate height. (The order of operations makes a difference.)

RE-SAWING TECHNIQUE

Faulty technique causes two cutting problems. Trapezoidal cuts result in a finished product is wider at the top than the bottom or vice versa). Trapezoidal cuts are a special problem when re-sawing tall workpieces. Cuts that are uneven along their length result in a finished product is wider where you started cutting than at the rear, or vice versa).

To prevent these problems, observe these cautions:

1. Be aware that as you feed the workpiece, there are two sets of forces being applied to it. One set is a “forward” push (like feeding wood into a table saw blade) that moves the workpiece into the blade. This force determines how quickly you cut. The second set of forces are “lateral”; these keep the workpiece flush to the guide fence. Most problems develop when too much pressure is applied laterally.

2. When feeding any workpiece, but especially a tall one, how you use the push-block that helps keep the workpiece flush to the guide fence (lateral forces) is critical. Exert firm but not very heavy pressure evenly across the “top-to-bottom” face of the workpiece. If you push too hard, or if the force you exert is above or below the center point of the workpiece, a trapezoidal cut will result.

3. For cuts that are straight along their length, the “front-to-back” location of the pressure exerted with the push-block to keep the workpiece flush to the fence makes a huge difference. If lateral pressure is applied on the “fore” side of the blade, the cut will go off and you will wind up with a tapered end product. If lateral pressure is applied on the ”aft” side of the blade, the cut will go off in the opposite direction, but you'll still wind up with a taper. To prevent this, apply pressure only at the point at which the workpiece passes through the blade. In other words, lateral pressure should be applied only where the blade intersects the workpiece.

4. To ensure that the blade is cutting exactly as you want it to, use your eyes, and also gauge the strength with which you are applying pressure(s) on the workpiece. If the blade wanders, even a little, stop immediately. If you do not stop, the situation will only worsen. After stopping the machine, figure out what is going on and why. Then correct the problem. Most often you'll find it's an error in either where force is applied, or how much force is applied, or both.

If there is sufficient interest in this post, I will make a video and post it here.

Why Can't I Do That?

2011-01-26T04:52:00.000-08:00

Read a woodworking magazine or watch a TV show like the Woodsmith Shop and you're bound to come away feeling both inspired and embarrassed. It's entertaining and inspiring to see the pros complete projects efficiently and flawlessly, or to read descriptions of their seemingly effortless excellence. But more often than not the reader or viewer is left with two impressions. The first is that the task is straightforward, even easy. The second impression is that the level of excellence the pros display is within everyone's grasp. When we try to replicate what they've done (and, being optimists, most of us do try) we find ourselves frustrated and disappointed. "Why can't I do that?" we ask ourselves. The anwser we don't want to hear is that we are simply less able, slow learners, inept, or clumsy.

Newer woodworkers are particularly suseptible to these confidence-sapping messages. In fact, the less experienced we are, the more likely it is that we'll attribute the excellence we observe to innate talent alone.

Here's my beef: A few critical details are missing in the accounts we see and read. The first is any sense that noone is born with the kind of skills displayed by the pros. The competence they possess is the result of years of effort, learning, and skill-building. We don't see the work that went into developing the skills; we see the results.

Second, nobody shows their mistakes -- the miscuts, the sloppy joint caused by a lapse of concentration, or the mismatched mortise and tenon that had to be shimmed or re-done. I'm not naive enough to believe that a pro would willingly display less than perfect work. But to convey the impression that every step associated with every project goes perfectly all the time is downright misleading. I think it would be a kindness to point out the sticking points that even the most skilled woodworkers confront. For example:

1. Readers or viewers could be forewarned that certain tasks will be challenging, especially if a person is new to them. "Expect to make a few miscuts," we might be advised. "Make the cuts on scrap a few times before touching your workpiece."

2. Fess up. When a task can't be mastered without making errors, say so. "It may look like this is simple, but it took me quite a few tries before I got it right -- and a lot of practice to reach the point where I was able to do this as easily as I just did." How refreshing and reassuring it would be to hear such a comment.

3. It would be kindness to point out the typical errors beginners make. For example, the pro might say, "You may find that you have trouble at this point. Almost everyone does. Even a slight error in your measurement will pretty much ruin this joint, so you need to take your time and double-check your measurement."

Such comments can be both reassuring and kind -- and can actually encourage those of us who are not professionals to persist even when frustrated. Pros without fragile egos or the need to prove themselves superior to "the rest of us" would be well-advised to humanize the process by which they make the building of beautiful objects look so simple.

Everything Old is New Again

2010-12-16T10:12:00.001-08:00

Recently, for a variety of reasons, I've begun looking again at my older issues of Fine Woodworking. Some issues date back to the late 70's; others are just a few years old. While most of the product reviews are out of date, as are some author photos(!), I have been delighted and surprised by the amount of useful information each issue contains. It's clear to me that our craft is largely the same as it was thirty -- and more -- years ago. There are changes, of course, mostly in machinery and other aids. But in its essence the craft of woodworking is virtually timeless, as are the skills and temperament it requires.

But another idea warrants mention. As my woodworking skills and interests have developed, so has my interest in topics that would not have interested me several years ago. (Or perhaps such topics were clearly above my head back then.) The old saying that "everything old is new again" applies to back issues of FW -- and I'm certain of other woodworking magazines as well. So, if time permits, and you've been wise enough to hold on to back issues of your favorite woodworking magazines, take a look again. I think you'll make discoveries there that will please and impress you.

YouTube Commercialization

2010-11-28T04:41:00.000-08:00

Am I the only woodworker who's noticing that more and more of the woodworking-related videos on YouTube are little more than free ads? Enter a topic in the search string and you're almost sure to find that a very high percentage (and growing!) of the vids are produced by manufacturers and retailers. The videos are either product introductions, product demos, or "teasers" intended to generate interest in some item or instructional DVD.

What's happened on YouTube is similar to what happened on the Web as a whole: what began as a source of "impartial" information has become a very sophisticated marketplace. Sell, sell, sell. However this aggressive marketing is justified, it's still a shame that those of us who are not interested in making purchases have to wade through tons of commercial "plugs" to find the information we want.

TV Stand with Display Cabinets

2010-10-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

The main unit of the TV stand was completed several weeks ago. Since then I've been working on the two display cabinets, each of which has a single adjustable shelf. The cabinets are specifically intended to provide a place to display Carole's bowls -- all of which, incidentally, are made with a scroll-saw, not a lathe. As soon as her new Fox-Chapel book comes out, we'll be able to display her newest creations as well.

The TV stand and the cabinets are all solid cherry, except for the 1/2" plywood backs. All joinery is hand cut, even the carcase dovetails that are not visible in the photo. The finish is shellac. At this time only the main unit has been rubbed out; in several weeks I'll rub out the display cabinets as well.

The Inner Game . . .

2010-10-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

Some years ago several books came out with titles such as, The Inner Game of Tennis, and The Inner Game of Golf. All of them had the same premise: that success is often as much a matter of headwork as skill. By "headwork" I mean the mind-set each of us brings to an activity, including our reactions to frustration, disappointment, and victory.

As a tennis player, I found much that was of merit in the Tennis book. I still do. Lately, wearing my woodworker hat, I've been thinking that the same principles apply. Here are a few of them.

First, the pursuit of excellence is what any skill-based activity is all about. Rather than focusing on outcomes, focus on process -- and take pleasure in it. When cutting a tenon or a dovetail, for example, do the job properly, thoughtfully. Strive to cut the best tenon of which you're capable.

Second, resist the urge to fault yourself for not being as much a master as others are. You can only be who you are. And your development is personal. Do the best job you can now. Don't fret about the fact that someone else might do this job more easily or more skillfully. And don't gloat about the fact that you're more proficient than others. Your task is to reach, and gradually increase, your personal level of excellence.

Third, if things don't go as you imagined they would, rather than getting angry or impatient, use the moment as a learning opportunity. Ask yourself questions like these: Why did the short-fall, or error, or mis-cut, occur? What can I do to prevent a recurrence of what happened? Or -- even more creatively -- can I convert this disappointment into an opportunity?

The worst thing a woodworker, or anyone who is working at a skill-based activity, can do is to let self-contempt, frustration, and personal pride interfere with the learning to which each of us must give priority.

Recycling, Repurposing, and Reusing

2010-09-02T04:52:00.000-07:00

You've heard all the terms: recycling, repur- posing, reusing. Basically they mean salvaging what you can from an old piece of furniture and putting it to use in building a new one. Example: twenty years ago, I bought a large library table at an auction for $60 or so. Made of a heavy mystery wood that had been stained very dark, the table served a number of purposes over the years -- writing desk, crafts worktable, and computer table, to name three. A year or so ago, I decided it had lived its useful life. So I disassembled it to determine what kind of wood it was and whether it was useable. My discoveries were noteworthy. First of all, the wood turned out to be 5/4 cherry. With a little ingenuity, and accepting the fact that some waste was inevitable (for example, the aprons had a decorative profile on the bottom edge; it had to go) I was able to strip and reclaim every apron and most of the top. I had no use for the legs, but they were in good shape so I gave them to a friend. I even salvaged the heavy-duty metal clips that were used to attach the top to the aprons. Since its "repurposing", parts of the one-time library table have made their way into three projects: a writing desk (shown in the photo), a small sofa table, and a mirror frame. Some lengths of stock still remain; I plan to use them in the building of yet another desk. Since I regularly buy cherry, I know costs well enough to estimate that had I gone out and bought the equivalent amount of wood from my local hardwood dealer, I'd have spend upwards of $200. Not a bad deal! Perhaps more important than the cost savings, I feel the satisfaction that comes from having made good use of an item that might well have found its way into the trash.

Simple Jig for Carcase Dovetails

2010-08-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of a jig I put together to make it easy to use my plunge router to create sockets for half-blind carcase dovetails. As the photo shows, the jig is made from common cut-offs, including a length of 2x4 and a throw-away sacrificial fence. Two 3/8" carriage bolts (6" long) and matching wing-nuts are the only hardware used. In the photo, the long piece in the vise is the workpiece. You can see the sockets marked out on the upper edge. After ensuring that the router has a flat surface to ride on, and that the open end of the sockets faces the operator, careful handling of the router (I use a 1/4" spiral up-cut bit) all but competes the sockets. A little chiseling is needed to ensure crisp inside corners.

Cabinet scrapers are so-o-o-o "low tech"

2010-08-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Some tools are so simple they hardly seem worthy of the name "tool". Cabinet scrapers fall into that category. But make no mistake: these are serious tools -- and seriously useful ones. Mine are rectangular-shaped. I haven't had occasion to need the curved ones yet.

Used properly, cabinet scrapers make it possible to clean up a surface -- for example, to eliminate marks left by a plane -- with relatively little effort. They can also be used to erase the kind of minor scratches and dings that are inevitable as you handle wood during the building process. If your glue-up is fine, and you only need to remove some squeeze-out, then a scraper will do the job quickly and easily. Some people even use them to prepare a board for finishing, instead of sanding.

I recently glued up some boards to make the top of a small display cabinet. The glue-up had a slight crown. In the course of planing down the crown, I left fine ridges that needed to be removed -- not all that unusual, but a nuisance. I reached for my favorite scraper, used my thumbs to create the necessary "bow" shape that makes it possible for the scraper do its job, and within minutes I had removed all the ridges. I also had a flawless, smooth surface almost good enough to call "done". Incidentally, you may wonder what I meant when I referred to my favorite scraper. Scrapers vary in thickness. Really hefty ones are tough to use, so I prefer fairly thin ones (.8 mm, I believe) that can be bowed with only a moderate amount of thumb-pressure.

For users there are several nice things about scrapers. They are inexpensive and readily available. They require little practice to learn to use. They make no noise. They require no dust collectors. They are also easy to read -- you can feel immediately whether they're cutting properly or whether they are dull and need to be sharpened. Fortunately, they are also very easy to sharpen -- no special gadgets are required. Sharpening involves placing the scraper in a vise, flattening the cutting edge, then using a burnisher to create a burr. (There are several good videos on the topic on YouTube.)

For retailers, scrapers have several disadvantages. They are inexpensive and readily available. They require little practice to learn to use. Wait a minute! I just said that! Ah ha! maybe that's why so few people know about cabinet scrapers, and even fewer use them. The fact is, cabinet scrapers are rarely featured by retailers. Why not? A businessperson might talk about profit margins, demographics, and marketing strategies. A person with a suspicious turn of mind might say that our friendly tool hawkers prefer selling pricey tools over simple, less expensive ones. I don't know the reason, and I won't hazard a guess. But I do know that cabinet scrapers are one of woodworking's better-kept secrets. If you work wood, then take my word for it: with just a little patience and practice, you can learn to use this tool that is almost ridiculously simple, but does a slam-bang job!

Leather-topped Writing Desk

2010-08-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

It's fascinating to see how a few small changes in the design of an object can transform it. This desk differs from others I've made, such as the one I posted last year. A careful look at each shows a few major but subtle differences. For example, the legs are thinner (I'm moving toward less massive legs). In addition, the desk profile is inverted: the latest desk has the profile below the writing surface.

The bowls and vase, none of which are lathe-turned, are Carole's work. They come from her first book for Fox-Chapel, called Wooden Bowls From the Scroll Saw. Her second book for this publisher is almost completed and should be out in a few months.

What you need . . . and what you want

2010-08-09T05:44:00.000-07:00

I read an account recently of a man who visited his successful son's newly-built high-tech home. Gadgets and "conveniences" were everywhere -- and some of them actually made life easier. When the elderly gentleman returned home, a friend asked him what had impressed him most about his son's home. His answer was quick and to the point: "I was most impressed with the fact that my son is working so hard to accumulate things he doesn't need."

As I page through the blizzard of woodworking catalogues I receive regularly, I am increasingly impressed with how aggressive these marketers are in selling stuff that -- in my view, anyway -- isn't necessary. I realize, of course, that improvements in technology, safety, precision, and convenience are often significant. And I'm certainly eager to replace or supplement my existing tools and equipment with items that make my work more accurate, safer, or more convenient. The problem is, too many of the "innovations" being marketed simply don't do those things. In fact, a few I've made the mistake of trying actually made my work more difficult and complex, not less!

So I suppose the bottom line is: know what you need, and buy the best you can. But be skeptical about new gadgets that promise the world. Remember, woodworkers created beautiful products for centuries without the innovations so often touted nowadays. And finally: in our craft, you learn more by doing things by hand first, then by moving on to the "power" assist provided by modern technology.

Television Stand

2010-08-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a recent project which was both technically challenging and wood intensive. It's solid cherry, finished with several coats of shellac rubbed out after a few weeks' drying time. The fact that it's hardwood meant I had to allow for seasonal changes in wood movement. The piece here is the main component of what will become a three-part entertainment center. The two additional pieces -- small shelf units with one adjustable shelf -- are in the early stages. They'll be used to display Carole's scroll saw creations: wooden bowls, vases, and boxes.

Kits for Kids

2009-09-15T08:59:00.001-07:00

The August, 2009 edition of Popular Wood- working magazine contains an essay of mine. Called, "Kits for Kids," it appears in the "Out of the Woodwork" column, a single-page, first-person feature that appears in every issue. As its title suggests, the piece is about introducing woodworking to children by preparing kits for them to assemble. Above is the photo that accompanied the article. My grandchildren, now 8, were in their glory knowing that their picture, which included the bookcases they made with their Dad's help, would be in a national magazine! The entire experience was fun, and I can't speak too highly about the professionalism and thoughtfulness of the people at Popular Woodworking.

Planter

2009-09-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

This cedar planter provides plenty of room for elongated plastic inserts in which a variety of items can be grown. My wife liked it so much that she asked for another. The second one now serves as our mini-herb garden.

A Shadow Box for Carole's Work

2009-07-19T04:08:00.000-07:00

My wife and inspiration is a "small projects" person. A scroll sawyer, she makes lovely boxes, puzzles, bowls and other small items. (In fact, she's written a book about making bowls on the scroll saw -- published by Fox Chapel.) Displaying her work is a challenge. This shadow box represents one solution. I used some white oak I had sitting around, and added an inlay of walnut for interest. The shelf spacing was customized to accommodate the objects to be displayed. Because each shelf is only about an eighth of an inch thick, there are hidden reinforcements in the rear to prevent bowing. The shadow box was a success. But her work keeps on coming, and gets better all the time. She's creating her own patterns now, and the objects she's making cry out to be displayed. So more pieces like this one are soon to come.

A recent project

2009-07-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a recent project. It measures 8" side-to-side and about 4" high. Made for a couple's newly-born youngster, it sits on her "baby dresser". The font was downloaded from MS-WORD, then enlarged. After attaching the pattern to the wood with temporary spray adhesive, I cut it out on a scroll saw. Quite a lot of fine-tuning (read "hand work") was required to make what you see here. Like all power tools, the scroll saw provides a great head start. But there's no substitute for good, old fashioned hand work.

Zen and the Art of . . .

2009-07-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a brief and helpful visit with a friend who was struggling with a project. This one wasn't a woodworking project, however. He was working on his motorcycle. His attempts to change the brake pads on the rear wheel of the bike were unsuccessful. After an hour -- the job usually takes 15 minutes -- he was thoroughly disgusted. The parts should have fit but didn't, no matter how he tried to coax them into it. After watching him for a couple of minutes I asked a basic question: "Do the profiles of the new pads match the profiles of the old ones?" He thought a moment, then stopped and looked carefully, comparing old and new pads. Sure enough, they did not match up. "Damn!" he said. "I should have thought of that". Turns out the dealer had sold him the wrong parts.

I'm no mechanic, but the story illustrates an important lesson: many problems can be understood by simply observing. In all your work, not just your woodwork, take the time to look carefully. Observing, thinking, and observing again can make the difference between success and frustration.

Call it "Precision", "Attention to Detail" . . . Whatever

2009-02-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

My current project is a cherry, Shaker-style writing desk with a leather top. It's substantial in size (28x48) and challenging. All three drawers are made with hand-cut dovetails, front and rear. Legs are tapered. The frame-and-panel top uses mortise and tenon joinery.

Like all my projects, including the planter I made a while ago (see photo above), this one was begun with two goals in mind. The first is to make something I can be proud of. The second is to challenge myself. Even though this is the third writing desk I've made in the past year, it is unlike the others in small, but important ways. For example, one desk has a glued-up, solid wood top. The other has a mitered frame top. This one differs from both of those because it uses the kind of frame-and-panel construction not usually associated with desk tops.

Because I share a shop with several people, I often find myself responding to questions and flattering comments. Most suggest I have some unusual talent or ability to do quality work others can't aspire to.

Nobody believes me, but I tell all of these commentators that there's no magic to the work I do. Nor does the work require any unusual level of skill on my part. What I have -- because I've cultivated it -- is self-discipline. Knowing that I'm not a gifted or intuitive woodworker, I work slowly and thoughtfully. I do the little things that others rarely take the time for. I sharpen my tools (from pencils to chisels) regularly, and make sure my measuring and marking are as close to perfectly accurate as possible. I make templates and story sticks and spacer blocks to ensure that no guesswork enters into my construction. I keep notes as I work, recording machine settings and other data that will help ensure that I set up machines exactly the same way every time I use them. I use featherboards each time I make a cut at a table saw to ensure that my workpiece doesn't move in a way I don't want it to. I pre-finish my pieces before I glue them up because they look better when I do.

This kind of care requires an enormous amount of time. I never let myself hurry to complete a piece. (Been there, done that!) The care I take also requires that I take a long view. I see my work itself as pleasurable. The joy is in the making. Completing a piece is fulfilling, but no more so than doing an excellent job on each component. The English writer, John Ruskin, said it well (quoted by Jim Tolpin in Woodworking Wit and Wisdom): "the highest reward for a man's toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it."