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Announcing the winner of our Festool Giveaway Sweepstakes
11/13/2008, 19:35 | Highland Woodworking Blog
Some people are luckier than the rest of us. When it comes to winning contests, Patricia and Mike Mortimer fall into the lucky category. Patricia entered Highland Woodworking's Win a Festool Package Sweepstakes and was the lucky winner out of thousands of entrants. She's shown here being congratulated by Chris Bagby, Highland Woodworking's owner and co-founder. It wasn't just the first contest Patricia has won. Among other things that she's won are a flat screen television and an all-expense paid trip to Bejing, China to attend the 2008 Olympics. We asked her how she did playing the lottery and she replied "I don't play the lottery. You have to pay to do that!"
The Mortimer's new power tool package includes Festool's Kapex KS120 Sliding Compound Miter Saw, the first miter saw with variable speed, which enables the user to match the speed of the blade with the requirements of the material. The Kapex Sliding Compound Miter Saw combines a large cutting capacity with a compact lightweight design. Of course the perfect mate to their new Kapex Sliding Compound Miter Saw is the Kapex MFT3 Multifunction Table which is designed specifically for use with the Kapex Sliding Compound Miter Saw. It features additional holes in the perforated top plate for positioning the feet of the Kapex and for mounting with clamps. Also included as part of their Kapex prize package is the Festool CT22E Mobile Dust Extractorwhich comes with HEPA filters that remove dust particles down to .3 microns. A tool-triggered switch with smooth start-up and shut-off delay, and adjustable electronic suction control make this the ultimate vac to connect to any hand power tool.
Mike works professionally doing commercial repair and finish restoration on furniture, cabinets and interiors. He is actually known for being quite the "magician" when it comes to recreating grain patterns and surfaces that have been damaged or distressed. When asked, both admitted that they were not really sure what projects they would attempt first with their new woodworking equipment. One thing for certain is that they'll definitely have room for it, as they have a 2400 square foot shop! After mentioning projects like chairs and end tables, they both joked that given the space they have, perhaps they would make a gazebo for inside the shop.
Since Highland Woodworking is well known for its Education Program, which includes a wide variety of classes for both beginners as well as advanced woodworkers, hopefully we will see both of them soon in some of our
upcoming classes for a chance to study woodworking with our knowledgeable instructors.
A spider!
03/28/2008, 03:38 | Arts and Crafts BlogRosemary and Bob are in danger! A spider has arrived and somebody told me she is really big!
Here you have it…….
Well, she is not so big, and she doesn´t seems to be dangerous. Matilda is cute!
How to do Matilda?
Start: Ch 12
Row 1: Work SC, 1 SC in each ch.
Row 2: Work 2 SC in each SC (24sc)
Row 3: Work 1 SC in next SC, 1 SC in next SC, 2 SC in next SC (32 SC)
Row 4 , 5 and 6: 1 SC in each SC (32 SC)
Row 7: DECREASE - SC DEC (insert hook in next stitch - the same you do with SC - insert hook in following stitch and pull hook through the three loops to decrease.) Make 2SC and 1 SC DEC (24 SC)
Row 8: Make 1 SC, 1 SC DEC, 2 SC, 1 SC DEC.
Last rows: Make SC DEC until thee isn´t a hole. (Only the hole downside)
Legs: Make 7 or 8 CH legs. I embroider some wire in the legs, that´s how Matilda is stood up on her legs in the pic. But for kids is better to take the wire out.
Face: Make the eyes and mouth with white and red yarn. (You can use other materials, like plstic eyes or sew felt pieces)
Fulfill the spider with the material you choose: this time I used black yarn (cotton was not a good material this time: you could see the white color through the little holes.)
That´s all!
Interview with Robin Lee
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Woodworkers ResourceIf you're on any of the woodworking forums around the Internet and asked a question to the group about Lee Valley Tools, or Veritas Tools,, you undoubtedly received a direct response from the President of the company, Robin Lee. And if you've ever bought any tools from the company (and if you haven't, you're doing yourself a disservice) you'll get that same down home friendly service. This is no surprise coming from a company whose philosophy on customer service is to "treat each customer like they're your friend".
Lee Valley has bee making some of the best woodworking, hardware, and garden tools in the business for the past 30 years.
Rob may be President of a large corporation but that doesn't mean that he just sits behind a big desk pushing paper. In fact Rob holds several patents on woodworking tools and is very active in new tool development.
Here are some of the topics that we covered during our interview:
- The first product that Lee Valley shipped (hint: It's not a woodworking tool).
- Why the customer base in woodworking differs from any other business out there (this one will make you proud to be a woodworker).
- What does Rob Lee do in his spare time?
- What's the best part of running Lee Valley Tools? (Hint: It has something to do with being the equivalent of a rock star!)
- What all goes into new product development?
- Ever wondered what the name Veritas means and why it was choosen?
- And much, much more!
Who Needs the Dakotas???
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Skiving Off
(You can click the photo for a larger picture.)As I've said before, I realize we have something of an international following. Although our penetration into the Middle East is still lagging behind, that is to be expected given most entries are written in English. (Wir koennten auch auf Deutsch schreiben, aber meine deutsche Freunde sprechen Englisch besser als ich Deutsch spreche.)
For me, the shocking thing about the map is the lack of blog visits from the Dakotas. I am left wondering if there is a vast Dakotian conspiracy in place to suppress my efforts, or at the very least to ignore me. Is it not understood that I am a black hole of emotional need who requires an endless spate of encouragement and edifying comments?
If you have family, friends, or loved ones currently residing in (or incarcerated in) North Dakota or South Dakota, I encourage you to write them, call them, or use the phone thing to talk through the glass to them and ask them to hit the blog during the next week. We need red dots on the Dakotas.
Let's face it, people...how can I start pressuring the Skiving Off Regional Market Managers in Europe and Asia to improve their market penetration numbers for next quarter when we haven't even secured the Dakotas that sit a mere three states away from me?
We Will Bury You....
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Skiving Off
Roy Underhill came out with a new book…. Laaadie Frickin’ Daaa.
I am going to review Roy’s book in the blog today. However, I am not going to spew on about the latest Roy Underhill book the way everyone else is. I am going to give a quick review on the “forgotten†Roy Underhill book:
People who say Roy Underhill’s latest book is his first in 12 years seem to be glossing over “Shoe.â€
For most of my life I have been watching Roy Underhill tell stories, and the fact is clear that he is one of the most talented communicators on the planet.
Each time I fire up an episode of The Woodwright’s Shop on Tivo, I am blown away by how quickly 22 minutes can pass. And to me it often seems as if he does the entire show in one take.
Friends, if you were to assign values to Roy Underhill’s abilities, his communication skill would rate higher than his knowledge of wood and tools. (And I think we know where he stands on those).
Most woodworkers know all about Roy’s knowledge of woodworking, but very few I have met realize that he wrote the Bible on public speaking and communicating with an audience. Back in 2000, Roy Underhill wrote Khrushchev’s Shoe, and it is effectively the most entertaining text book I have ever read.
Khrushchev’s Shoe is written in Roy’s inimitable style, and the examples, quotes, and illustrations are humorous yet perfectly on point. (It is probably a good thing that a book on communication does at least a fair job of communicating its message.)
Yet buried under the humor is a complete scientific analysis of the five phases of human communication: Getting Attention, Maintaining Interest, Making an Impression, Creating a Conviction, and Directing Action.
The great beauty of this book is that it addresses the science of communication in a way that holds the readers interest. (Roy, you managed to maintain my interest while making an impression.) An example of Roy’s use of scientific detail is a comparison of verbal spectrograms of speakers to visually accentuate the differences in the tonal qualities of their voices. Roy’s point is easily understood when the reader compares the spectrogram of Ben Stein as the teacher in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with that of the Rev. Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.’s Promised Land speech.
I believe that nearly everyone who can read and understand English should take the time to study and apply the principles outlined in Roy Underhill’s book Khrushchev’s Shoe. Certainly teachers and sales professionals can gain immediate benefit. However, I like to imagine the impact the book could have on the world of lab rat techies that I have so often worked with over the years. It is my belief that the GDP of the United States would quadruple over dinner if we could get our scientists and engineers to a place where they could explain to the person next to them, the things they so clearly see on the white board inside their brains. As an engineer who did equally well on the both the Math and Verbal part of the SAT, I can assure you that my ability to communicate has been a bigger key to a successful career than my ability to manipulate a calculator or slide rule.
In Khrushchev’s Shoe, Roy Underhill has provided us with an entertaining gem. However, this gem can be used to turn blank stares into what the author describes as a “’minds-on’ state of pleasurable cognition.†And when you can create that experience for your audience, your child, your boss, or the cop standing there with the ticket book… life is going to be as good as it can get.
Herefords, Holsteins, and Angus
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Skiving OffLooking back now I can see how silly it was to arrive wearing my version of “casual†without doing a proper reconnaissance. However, I thought I understood the concept.
There seems to be a lot of denim here; jeans are everywhere.
So, I am obviously not fitting in.
You see I wore shorts. It wasn’t that as a former velodrome sprint racer I wanted to show off my legs…. it just seemed like it would be ok.
Above the waist I am out of touch as well. Polo shirts are rampant, and I have even seen a couple of Tshirts. However, I am wearing a jacket and tie.
I don’t know how I missed the target so badly. Everyone is wearing jeans and polo shirts, and I am wearing an Official Angus Young Schoolboy Uniform.
I suppose I am like a meteor that is too big to burn up in the atmosphere. Even if it isn’t always the right impression… I ALWAYS manage to make an impact.
Carving a Carousel
00/00/0000, 00:00 | WoodworkingONLINE.com 
I got a treat on Sunday. The Heritage Carousel at Union Park in Des Moines, Iowa was celebrating its tenth anniversary. As part of the celebration, they invited the original builders of the carousel, The Carousel Works, Inc., to attend and 
demonstrate their carving and painting skills. I got to speak with the owner and his wife (Art and Marilyn Ritchie) about their craft. It so happens that they’re from Mansfield, Ohio, close to where I grew up in Ohio. He’s been carving for over thirty years. His wife does some of the painting.
As we stood there chatting, he was using his Pfeil carving tools to smooth out the body shape of a horse figure. You could tell his tools were very sharp. He was effortlessly taking thin chips out of the basswood 
figure. I asked him how he keeps his tools so sharp. He uses a buffing wheel to hone the edge as needed.
One of my boys asked him how many times he’s cut himself. He smiled and pointed to his tool roll you see here on the left. He includes bandages as part of his tool kit.
As time went on, he commented to passers-by that they’ve got seven full-time carvers on staff at the shop. He said that the figure he was carving on that day is going to be a training aid for his carvers. As we were talking, he flipped the figure 
over to show how he had carved the musculature and rib cage of the horse on one side. His point is 
that unless a carver knows the anatomy of a horse, he’s going to have a difficult time carving one. The detail was fascinating and realistic.
The discussion turned to painting. He says they use three coats of primer, sanding between coats. Then the colors are brushed on. Finally, five coats of clearcoat are applied for durability.
Besides building new carousels using wood figures, The Carousel Works also does restoration of old carousels. To me, it was refreshing to see that there are still companies out there working hard to keep craftsmanship alive.
Is Your Saw Blade Really Dull or just Dirty?
00/00/0000, 00:00 | WoodworkingONLINE.com 
A sure sign that your table saw blade needs attention is when it becomes difficult to push the workpiece through the cut. Or when the shop fills full of smoke as you try to cut that piece of maple. That’s what happened to me in my continuing saga of saw blades. I mentioned in this post that I had a couple of blades that needed sharpened. Now I’m not so sure. I spent some time the other evening working on them with an old tooth brush and Boeshield Blade and Bit Resin, Pitch, and Gum Remover.
In ShopNotes No. 96, we had an article about Choosing and Using Bit and Blade Cleaners, including home-made cleaners. A number of folks wrote in to tell us that some of our ideas were crazy or that their solution worked better. We’ve had suggestions from oven cleaner to Formula 409. I say, use whatever works for you. For me, I tend toward the commercial cleaners. Our guys here in the shop seem to like CMT’s Formula 2050 Blade and Bit Cleaner.
Whatever chemical you use, chance are you’re going to need to use a little elbow grease, too. As a matter of fact, it took a couple of applications of cleaner while I was busy scrubbing the residue off of the teeth. I had the blade on several thicknesses of old newspaper and sprayed on the cleaner. After scrubbing one side clean, I flipped the blade over and worked on it. That left all the crud in between the teeth and on the face of each tooth. Here, I stood the blade up, sprayed on some more cleaner, and worked my way around the blade with the toothbrush. A little wiping with a rag removed the last of the residue and cleaner.
You’ll be amazed at how your blades look after a good cleaning. I inspected mine closely and couldn’t find any chipped or dull teeth. But it’s hard to make that judgement on looks alone. I’m anxious to make a few test cuts and see if I need to take the next step and actually have them sharpened.
Some thoughts on dovetails - part I
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Sauer & Steiner
For the last several weekends, I have been working on our kitchen drawers. I have just crossed a major milestone - there are more drawers completed than remain (only by 1... but it still feels great!). So I have had “dovetails†floating around in my head quite a bit lately.
There was in interesting thread about dovetails in one of the forums a week or so ago. The thread was titled “Skinny pins in hand cut dovetailsâ€. After reading most of the thread - I started thinking on my own dovetail evolution - and the whys and how's of it. I have also had a bit of an epiphany moment sparked by that thread, and it has to do with the relationship between process and efficiency. I am fully aware that I may to step on a few toes with this one - and I am fine with that.
My goal with woodworking and planemaking is to become extremely efficient while continuing to improve my accuracy... and in that order. I make my living in the woodworking field - I have to be efficient. So everything I do is motivated by using the fastest method even if it means a slow initial learning curve - complete with bumps and errors. Sharpening is a perfect example. I made a very conscious decision to learn to freehand sharpen because once you know how - it IS the fastest way to sharpen. Sure, it made for a lot of frustrating sharpening sessions and the dizzying parade of sharpening jigs were quite tempting - but I can honestly say I am glad I stuck to my guns and learned to do it freehand. I am now fast at it, and don't hesitate to stop work to restore an edge. I will write more on freehand sharpening in another post.
Back to dovetails & efficiency. I believe that the dovetail joint is a functional mechanical joint that can be extremely beautiful if well executed. There are a lot of times when dovetails are used and they are not seen - and in these instances how it looks is less important (though they still need to be tight fitting and designed for mechanical strength). The drawer is usually to blame for all the discussion about dovetails - skinny pins vs fat pins, machine cut vs hand cut, spacing, angles, pin lengths etc. This is because these dovetails can be seen, and rightly or wrongly, have come to symbolize the quality of the piece they live in.
I decided that I would hand cut my dovetails for several reasons (in no particular order). I like the somewhat random and irregular look of handcut dovetails - they tell me that a person spent time making this - and I like that. I like skinny pins - especially in contrasting woods - they make everything look lighter and more delicate. I like irregular spacing. I tend to put narrower tails on the outside edges and gradually increase them as they get closer to the center. It means I don't need to do as much math and is really quite fast to lay out. Here is an example;
The tails on the top and bottom are 3/4", 1/16" pin, 1" tail, 1/16" pin, 1-1/4" pin. It makes for a somewhat rounding effect.
Once I made the decision to hand cut my dovetails it meant I needed to be as fast and efficient as I could be. To me, this means the goal is to be able to fit the dovetails off the saw - no paring. My friend Karen was over a few weeks ago and we were talking about this as we stood in a sea of kitchen drawer parts. I commented that I was going to cut to the line and not intentionally cut inside and then pare to the line. If I overcut and there was a gap - so be it. I would not scrap the drawer but live with it. I explained that I felt this was part of my learning process and working towards maximum efficiency. She gave me an affirming nod and agreed. As we continued to talk we realized that there are many woodworking schools out there that teach to cut well inside the line and to pare to get the right fit. Looking at that now - it seems a little off - it is teaching a process where the outcome is consistently a 10 hour dovetailed drawer! It may be beautiful and perfect - but the process strikes me as questionable - not to mention it is unrealistic to expect a client to pay for a drawer that took 10 hours to make. I would much rather endure the pain, suffering, and disappointment of a few gaps here and there knowing that I am slowly, over time, getting closer to dovetails that fit right off the saw (I am aware that I am building drawers for my own use and not for a client - so I do have the luxury of “learning†through my work). So with that in mind - here are a few examples of dovetails I have produced spanning my entire woodworking life.
This was the first furniture project I made with a drawer. The front is cherry and the sides are pine. Drat... it is a bit out of focus:)
These are the drawers on my left handed, shaker inspired bench. There are 10 drawers in all. The sides are 5/8" basswood and the fronts are 3/4" mildly curly soft maple. They are still a little clunky - but the spacing was starting to feel right on these.
This is a drawer in a table I built for my sister and her husband as a wedding gift. Skinny pins have arrived and are here to stay! 1/2" maple sides, 3/4" walnut front. Note the African Blackwood pull... I shaped them by hand... no lathe:(
Which brings us to the most recent dovetail project - the kitchen drawers. I have just finished 5 more kitchen drawers - here is a shot of the stack.
There was a magical moment that happened while building these 5 drawers - I did actually cut a set of dovetails that fit right off the saw. It is pictured below.
There are a few wee gaps - but after they were glued and planed flush, they were gone. And after this set - there was another set of 1/2 blinds and two sets of through dovetails that fit off the saw. This was most encouraging and confirmed to me that this longer road was the right road to take.
And hey... I have 7 more drawers to practice on!
282 Lumber Species of the Month - Spalted Lumber
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Matt's Basement Workshop PodcastIt's been a little while but lumber species of the month is back again. Today though, we're not talking about a specific species of lumber but more of an beneficial defect that can be found in lumber.
Spalted lumber refers to any lumber in which a fungus or mold has begun to decay the wood and leaves a really unique pattern and color in the grain that looks like nothing else.
Thanks to Highland Woodworking for donating a WoodSlicer Resaw Bandsaw Blade for this week's schwag giveaway. If you're in the market for a great blade, this is the one. It resawed 4/4, 4" wide red oak boards on my 1/3 HP, 50 year old bandsaw like it was slicing bread (no exaggeration!!).
And if you're not in the market for a bandsaw blade at least stop by and enter for a chance to win a Festool Kapex during their 30th Anniversary Giveaway.
If you'd like to enter for free schwag or just have a comment, question or suggestion drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com or head over to my website at www.mattsbasementworkshop.com or call our Skype Voicemail at 231 354-2338.
If you have the time, please take the new listener survey.
Listen to today's show by clicking on the player below
To download directly to your computer Right Click on direct download, choose "Save Target as"
281 Child's Bookcase Episode 4
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Matt's Basement Workshop PodcastTime for the next installment of the Child's Bookcase Project. We're nearing the completion of the project and in today's episode I demonstrate resawing and shiplapping of stock for the back.
I can't say enough about how easy the resawing went with my WoodSlicer Resaw Blade from Highland Woodworking. If you're in the market for a great blade, this one does an amazing job. It resawed 4/4, 4" wide red oak boards on an 1/3 HP, 50 year old saw like it was slicing bread (no exaggeration!!)
Speaking of Highland Woodworking, stop on by and enter for a chance to win a Festool Kapex during their 30th Anniversary Giveaway.
If you'd like to enter for free schwag or just have a comment, question or suggestion drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com or head over to my website at www.mattsbasementworkshop.com or call our Skype Voicemail at 231 354-2338.
If you have the time, please take the new listener survey.
To download directly to your computer Right Click on direct download, choose "Save Target as"
Shop Vacs for Dust Collection Systems?
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Matt's Basement Workshop PodcastWhen I first started to put together my workshop in the beginning of my woodworking career (if you can call it that). I wasn't convinced that I had a need for a dedicated dust collection system, that instead my shop vac was more than enough.
Time went on, and I realized that I was mistaken, and once I had my first and current dust collector I quickly understood the limitations of the shop vac as the heart of a dust collection system.
For anyone interested, coming up on April 11 & 12, 2008 there's a great little tool demo and woodworking school openhouse going on at J. Miller Handcrafted Furniture in Chicago. The details can be found at Lie-Nielsen. There will be some great demos by a number of well known woodworkers and I'm planning on checking it out myself.
For comments, questions and schwag entries drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com.
Listen to today's show by clicking on the player below
Wood Talk Online Episode 31
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Matt's Basement Workshop PodcastTopics:
Kaleo Kalaâs visit to Marcâs shop, âThe Schwarzâ?, woodworking classes, Lie Nielsenâs backorder, new tools from Festool and Powermatic, Forstner bits without spurs, and milling lumber with only a planer and a router table.
If you want to leave us a voicemail: 623-242-2450
「商å“化ã€ã¨ã„ã†å®Ÿç¿’/ 'merchandising' crafts for exhibition
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Masashi's woodworking diary
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奈良市ã®ã€Œå¥ˆè‰¯ç”ºç‰©èªžé¤¨ã€ã§è¡Œã£ã¦ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚
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2008年5月1-6日
10-17時
奈良町物語館
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tel 0742-26-3476
Our annual exhibition is taking place in Nara from 1st to 6th May.
Craft and Furniture Exhibition of Gifu Academy of Forest Science and Culture
1-6 May, 2oo8
10:00-17:00
Nara-machi Monogatari Kan
2-1 Nakashin-ya Machi, Nara, Japan
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ã“れを「商å“化ã€ã¨ã„ã†å®Ÿç¿’ã¨ã—ã¦è¡Œã£ã¦ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚
Last week the second year students finished their works for the exhibition and presented them in front of the teachers.
They are requested to make their original products according to what they learned during their first year.
They need to produce them in a batch within a limited shedule, calculate the cost and assess their productivity.
This 'merchandising' lesson is a part of our curriculum.
奈良町物語館ã¯è¦³å…‰åœ°ã®ä¸å¿ƒã«ã‚ã‚Šã€ã‚´ãƒ¼ãƒ«ãƒ‡ãƒ³ã‚¦ã‚¤ãƒ¼ã‚¯ã®ã“ã®æ™‚期ã«ã¯æ¯Žæ—¥æ•°ç™¾äººãŒè¨ªã‚Œã¾ã™ã€‚ã¯ã˜ã‚ã¦ä¸€èˆ¬ã®äººãŸã¡ã«å®Ÿéš›ã«è‡ªåˆ†ãŸã¡ãŒã¤ãã£ãŸä½œå“を見ã¦ã‚‚らã„ã€è©•ä¾¡ã‚’å—ã‘ã¾ã™ã€‚
ã“ã®æœŸé–“ä¸ã€ãŠè¿‘ãã«ãŠã‚‰ã‚Œã‚‹ãªã‚‰ãœã²ä¼šå ´ã¸ã€‚
直接手ã«å–ã£ã¦ã€ä½œè€…ã§ã‚ã‚‹å¦ç”ŸãŸã¡ã«å£°ã‚’ã‹ã‘ã¦ã‚ã’ã¦ãã ã•ã„。
The venue, Nara-machi Monogatari Kan is in the city centre of the old capital Nara. Hundreds of people come and see our exhibition every day. Students show their works to the public for the first time and receive many comments from them.
Please come and see our exhibition. Students are waiting for your compliments!
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Unique oval floor lamps by Ken-ichi Matsuoka
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Plates by Hajime Hoshino. Designed for his grand child.
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Stools by Atsushi Yokoi. He was commissioned them from an adult education centre in Gifu.
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Stools for backache patients by Yosuke Ueda. Easy to stand up with handles.
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Hand mirrors by Keiichi Fukushima. Inspired by details of architecture in Hida.
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Hairpins by Mako Taniyama. An image of cherry blossom falling.
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Parquetry butter knives by Hiroshi Okabe.
プãƒã‚¸ã‚§ã‚¯ãƒˆã¨ã‚¤ãƒ³ã‚¿ãƒ¼ãƒ³ã‚·ãƒƒãƒ—/ 'project' and 'internship'
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Masashi's woodworking diary
ã“ã®å…角形ã®ã‚¹ãƒ„ールã€ã‚‚ã®ã¥ãã‚Šç ”ç©¶ä¼šã®ï¼’年生・横井敦å²å›ãŒãƒ‡ã‚¶ã‚¤ãƒ³ã€åˆ¶ä½œã—ã€JRå²é˜œé§…内ã®ã‚«ãƒ«ãƒãƒ£ãƒ¼ã‚¹ã‚¯ãƒ¼ãƒ«ã¸ç´ã‚ãŸã‚‚ã®ã§ã™ã€‚森林文化アカデミーã§ã¯ã€ã“ã†ã—ã¦å®Ÿç¤¾ä¼šã‹ã‚‰ã®ä¾é ¼ã‚’å—ã‘ã¦ã‚¯ãƒ©ãƒ•ãƒˆã‚„家具をデザインã—ãŸã‚Šã€åˆ¶ä½œã™ã‚‹å®Ÿç¿’ãŒã‚ã‚Šã¾ã™ã€‚「プãƒã‚¸ã‚§ã‚¯ãƒˆã€ã¨å‘¼ã‚“ã§ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚
カルãƒãƒ£ãƒ¼ã‚¹ã‚¯ãƒ¼ãƒ«ã€ŒTAKUMIアカデミーã€ã‹ã‚‰ã€ã‚¹ãƒ„ールを新調ã—ãŸã„ã¨ã”相談をã„ãŸã ã„ãŸã®ã¯åŽ»å¹´ã®æš®ã‚Œã€‚å¦ç”Ÿã«å‘¼ã³ã‹ã‘ãŸã¨ã“ã‚横井å›ãŒå乗り出ã¦ã€ãƒ—ãƒã‚¸ã‚§ã‚¯ãƒˆã¨ã—ã¦å®Ÿæ–½ã™ã‚‹ã“ã¨ã«ãªã‚Šã¾ã—ãŸã€‚写真ã¯ï¼’種類ã®è©¦ä½œå“ã‚’æŒå‚ã—ã¦ã€TAKUMIアカデミーã®ã‚¹ã‚¿ãƒƒãƒ•ã¨æ‰“ã¡åˆã‚ã›ã‚’ã—ã¦ã„ã‚‹ã¨ã“ã‚ã§ã™ã€‚
Atsushi Yokoi, a student at the Craft and Furniture Department designed and made those stools for an adult education centre in Gifu. We often take such 'real' commissions from public and private clients. We call it 'projects'.
The Takumi Academy , the adult education centre, contacted us last winter to discuss about their renewal of stools. Atsushi applied to the project and submitted a couple of new stool designs. The photo shows his presentation to Takumi Academy staffs with two prototypes of the stool.
デザインã®ã‚³ãƒ³ã‚»ãƒ—トã¯ã€å²é˜œã®å±±ã§æŽ¡ã‚ŒãŸå°å¾„ã®é–“ä¼æを生ã‹ã™ã“ã¨ã€‚
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The concept of the stool is to make the most of small diameter logs in local forest.
The hexagonal seat is made of small pieces of five different species.
制作ã¯ã€é£›é¨¨ã®å®¶å…·ä¼šç¤¾ã§ã‚り教育機関ã§ã‚‚ã‚る「森林ãŸãã¿å¡¾ã€ã§è¡Œã„ã¾ã—ãŸã€‚横井å›ãŒè‡ªã‚‰ãŸãã¿å¡¾ã¸è¡Œãã€ã‚¹ã‚¿ãƒƒãƒ•ã®æŒ‡å°Žã‚’å—ã‘ãªãŒã‚‰åˆ¶ä½œã—ã¾ã—ãŸã€‚
森林文化アカデミーã§ã¯ã€ã“ã†ã—ã¦æ°‘é–“ã®å·¥æˆ¿ã‚„会社ã§ã®ä½“験就æ¥ã‚’実習ã¨ã—ã¦è¡Œã£ã¦ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚「インターンシップã€ã¨å‘¼ã‚“ã§ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚
Atsushi then went to the Shinrin-Takumijuku, a furniture workshop cum educational institution in Hida. We encourage students to go out of the college and have work experience as an intern.
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ã„ã‚ã°ç”£å¦å”åŒãƒ—ãƒã‚¸ã‚§ã‚¯ãƒˆã€‚ã“ã‚Œã‹ã‚‰ã‚‚ã„ã„ã‚‚ã®ã‚’生ã¿å‡ºã—ã¦è¡Œã“ã†ã¨æ€ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚
Atsushi spent a month in Hida and finished 25 stools. They were delivered to the Takumi Academy early this month. They were very well received among the staffs and students there. The solid wood seat is soft and comfortable compared to the former plywood stools.
We want to produce good crafts and furniture through such industry-university cooperation projects.
Long's Park Art & Craft Festival
00/00/0000, 00:00 | The Village Carpenter
The Long's Park Art & Craft Festival is a juried exhibition of the products made by talented craftspeople who work in a variety of media. I sought out the woodworkers, of course, and asked them about their pieces.
First I encountered Joe Graham (Photos 1, 2, & 3. Photo #2 is from Joe's website), Windsor chairmaker and instructor/owner of Lenox
Workshops in Ohio. Joe works with handtools and at the show used a workbench made from 3 slabs of thick, single-dovetailed wood, a stretcher, and tusk tenons. The bench didn't rack at all while he used a drawknife to shape spindles, so it was an effective, knock-down workbench—perfect for travel.Joe, who studied with Mike Dunbar and Ernie Conover, offers week-long classes, including private room, all meals and materials. By the end of the week, you will turn a log into a Windsor chair, using only
handtools. The classes focus on several styles of traditional Windsors, but Joe also offers his own adaptations in his product line.Next, I met Sam Martin (photos 4, 5, & 6), who makes intricately-detailed scale
reproductions of a multitude of vehicles and who co-wrote Making Toys: Heirloom Toys to Make in Wood. As if the amount of work required to construct his pieces wasn't impressive enough, he pointed out that all his vehicles have moving parts. Doors & tool boxes open, gates fold down, fire truck ladders extend, and spreaders on road graders move sideways and foreward and backward, just like on a real one.
The logging truck was my favorite and he explained that the miniature logs were cut from saplings on his property. I asked how he made the tire treads (shown on the road grader and on the vehicle above the cattle truck). He cuts the circle first
and then uses a table saw jig which is equipped with a protractor that indicates where to cut the treads. His products make great gifts for collectors as well as grandkids. But if they were my grandkids, I doubt I'd let them play with these beauties unsupervised!Brad Smit
h (photos 7, 8, & 9), owner of Bradford Woodworking, studied at R.I.T. and belongs to the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. Brad builds unique and custom pieces, some of which incorporate h
is signature design element—ax handle legs—which are turned on an antique ax handle lathe. The lathe leaves a ridged pattern on the wood which ax makers would sand smooth. Brad instead allows the ridges to remain, which gives his pieces a handcarved, organic look.His tractor seat stools, which include ax handle legs, also feature a reproduction tractor seat, produced by an Amish foundry in Lancaster County, P
A, that comes complete with the Bradford Woodworking logo.Be sure to check out Brad's website and also his blog.
The last woodworker I met was Todd Gill of TMG Designs (Photo #10). Todd is a recent graduate of East Carolina University and worked collaboratively with Brian Bortz to design the sofa tables in his booth. Brian designed the shape of the tables and Todd constructed them and designed the decorative inlay, made from metal and colored resin, for the table tops. All other pieces in Todd's collection are designed and built solely by him. He mainly works with veneer over mdf, which enables him to control wood movement and allows him to use highly figured species.
The designs have a contemporary feel, and Todd told me his products sell better in certain larger cities t
hat appreciate modern furniture. The market, he said, changes with each year and it's difficult to predict when pieces will sell or not. Todd works part time in his business, participates in 10 shows a year across the country, and works as a sub contractor for other furniture makers.He was also the youngest participant at the show, in his early twenties, and it was refreshing to see this kind of talent in a young woodworker.
Be sure to visit the woodworkers' websites for more information about them and their works of art.