Crumpets!

So, they are all ready for tea and?

These two are mesquite on the left,

and curly maple with mahogany ends on the right.

I'm using a tung oil finish, its always a pleasure to oil a finished piece,

you get to see the wood become rich and dark,

all the subtle shapes and tenons look very nice.

Even with the easy on oil, I'm wearing my respirator and gloves.

A little music please

I've got the parts shaped and ready for assembly,

its just a nice clean glue up, notice the blocks

that allow the tenons to come through behind the clams.

I'll just soften the edges of the tenon a little.

Tea or Manhattan trays

I like the idea of making a bunch of Manhattens

and carrying them out to the patio for an afternoon visit with friends.

I have the drinks, all I need now is a tea tray...

I've got the handles cut and ready for shaping,

there is a groove to accept the tray surface and a

through tenon to lock the pieces together, and 

the seasonal movement can translate to the open gap in the center. 

Stool complete!

Here's the stool all ready for a beer at at the bar!

Gloostool

Clamps and blocks, angles and wedges. 

Getting it straight

I like to work a piece like this step by step- here I'm laying out the rear leg stretchers and joints- I suppose I could have drawn this out with great detail but seeing it full size and making adjustments works in a one man shop.

There that's a goodah!

Ah now for the fun part, turn off the machines and the dust system, grab the spoke shave and the compass plane, ignore the phone and hand carve a stool seat, thats nice. Soft maple even with heavy curl just responds so well to a sharp plane. I get to add my deliberate curves now, bringing the sides forward to widen the front, taper the ends, curve the butt, break the edges so the through tenons wont bust 'em, bench work is so nice.

Get it all in there

Angled double tenon with a slight pitch forward, being set up with blocks, clamps, pre cut bottom angle, pre shaped top to reduce tear out on top, fresh block under each tenon to reduce tear out underneath, nice thick curly maple seat piece, matching lumber, contrasting wood color for tenons, 

dust mask, eye prtection, music.

Stool pigeon

I like crafting seating- its a challenge to accomodate the ergonomics of sitting and the easthetics of something thats sat on, so sit down a moment and sit tight.

Some  pieces have many angles and checking the pieces to the drawing is often helpful, I'm making some moves here one at a time, I cant really cut all day, I have to cut a joint, fit a tenon, check the angle and so on, steady as she goes mate.

Top design

Here is a look at the hall table and mirror all done.

A great place to have a vase of flowers and a bowl for your keys.

You can check your hair as you leave the house, splendid!

The top inlay pattern is very nice with the alternating grain and angled fit.

I've had it in my mind all along that this table might resemble a piece of SW pottery, using a band of darker wood with angled shapes, I've created a contrasting color and value in the top.

 When I do some finish magic, this part will look really nice and set the table off with a sweet detail to complimet the legs and wood of the rest of the piece.

Clamps and legs

 Bringing the parts together is a trick- a few special shaped blocks, some glue, come clamps, some rock and roll

I've been working on this leg design for some time now- bringing the top of the leg up through the table top level, then I blend the stretchers into the shape of the leg. This oak is a little fiberous so the carving is different from say maple

Spaceman

Some guy jumped out of a rocket at 125000 feet and fell to earth eclipsing the sound barrier- that's pretty cool. I'm in a re entry process myself, making a hall table in red oak and mahogany- I really enjoy building a piece that I am familiar with, can make some nice changes, add some flare, back to earth, into the shop, tool in hand, nice wood, co operating design, hot coffee.

Studio shot

Its fun to clean the shop and get the backdrop down, set up the lights and get a cool pic of a new piece.

Thats it, I can see it now.

There we go, that looks pretty good, no mistakes, thats really good.

Now I think I will add some maple pegs to the joints in the base to continue the contrast detail.

Route, inlay, flush, do it again.

The system here is to inlay each wave and flush it before the next wave gets inlayed "through" it. 

Inlay work

I'm working on an inlay pattern for the table, a flowing design of string inlay through the center of the top, I hope this will add some softness to the angular edges of the table and add a creative touch to the nice grain of the top wood. This is tricky work and VERY risky, success here is measured by the beauty of the pattern, the integration into the overall design, and the perfection of the craftsmanship. Now thats its knocked out I can say all this stuff- 'eh?

Speed

Sometimes you just gotta move fast- glue dries fast, joints are tight, clamps can break stuff, hammers can shock. I have some clamp blocks here to help the angle clamping. Gimme some loud music!

Balance

 Structure ~ design, solid wood ~ movement, 

machines ~ hand tools, light touch ~ solid hit with a hammer. 

These are balance issues for a craftsman.

 I have a cross structure to put together that will accept the legs and tenons, these pieces will keep the top flat and solid. Using slotted attachments I can allow the top to do its seasonal movement across grain. Pursuing the perfect joint, I use a balance of machines and hand tools, I'll prep the tight fit and then make a slight adjustment with the hand palne, a more sensitive feel, checking it as I go. Trust your hands and muscles, even the type of wood can adjust the fit. 

If machined properly the joint needs only to be pared a little and hit with the plane a pass or two to get it right. I wont put it together all the way right now, that would loosen the joint, I'll wait until after all joints are cut and final sanding. Its the smooth and tight joint sound and feel that I want during the final glue up. That's it, good.

Top chef

                            These parts have a subtle curve to them, I get to use my antique compass plane for this, the thing is more than 100 years old, bears a pattent date that matches my birth day and month, after setting it to the radius I want, this thing gets the curves fare, then I use the stanley #4 for the flat surfaces. Bench work is like prep cooking, you get the parts ready and fit to be glued. This is where I can make some adjustments, I can see each part now, add a taper, put things together and look, add a sweep at the end of the curve. I find the right board, align the wood grain to the shape and use the material to enhance the design.

                             Here is the top glued up with a diamond shape to be cut later, I need the flat edges to help my clamps, I really like the grain of this wood, it has swirls and curles, and is matched throughout. I know in the begining that the wood grains add such an important aspect to the balance and look of the final piece, seeing ahead, to the end, it should look really nice when I put finish on, it will really come alive.

Small table in walnut

                  This table will fit into an angled window seat, a great place for coffee and breakfast.