Phil Ponvert Designs

Spread out

2011-11-11T11:01:00.000-08:00

For this job I am using a precatalyzed lacquer and an HVLP system.
Final look over before finish.

Final fit

2011-11-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

The parts and grain line up. once fit, I'll mark them so they go back in the right spot during final install.

Parts puzzle

2011-11-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

I have the doors and parts trimmed now and I can use my templates to check the sizes.
Hinges and door fitting

Whats that??

2011-11-11T10:53:00.000-08:00

ZZZZZZZZZ, bbbburrrrrrrrrrrr, wwwhhhiiizzzzzzzzzzzz......... trimming the edges, prep for sanding.

Pressing matters

2011-11-11T10:44:00.000-08:00

Once the veneers are jointed and edge taped into their layout for each door- I'm ready to glue the veneer to the curved and edged door substrate.
I like to use rollers to apply an even glue surface- too much glue and I will have a lot of leak through that needs to be sanded- this adds time and risks sand through, so even is best, too light and I risk bad adhesion..........watch it! roll it! lay it on there, cover with properly sized glue resistant covers, and bag it! Is it lined up? Is it slid over too far? Will it get pressed firmly? Is my system ok, no holes, good machine......normal press time is 30 mins but with he curves and my desire for good sticky I'll leave them in for 1 hour each press cycle.

Smart choices

2011-11-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

This Santos is nice- it sands well, is pretty wide and clear, pretty flat. There are a lot of choices for veneers and variety in working quality - the burls and highly figured woods are more time consuming to work, this wood has good working properties and matches the budget.

Cut for parts

2011-11-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

I'll take the veneer sheets and slice them in sequence for each door or drawer bank thats taped with a little masking tape and marked for location: front door and drawer for island, front surface, back surface. I am going to need enough for twice the overall surface area because each door gets veneer front and back for structural balance. One of the overall woodworking rules is to treat both sides of a board the same, same sanding, same finish, same air flow while stacked and so on, this keeps wood stable. Veneered doors are no exception, so I balance the layers of veneer and hopefully the door will stay flat and true.

Sheets

2011-11-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

The veneer comes in a stack of slices from the same board- its my job to sort it out and create a pattern for the grain as it relates to the whole job- in this case we are using three widths of veneer book matched and oriented to be horizontal throughout the kitchen. Each door and section of cabinet needs to be in sequence to the overall pattern and layout- this requires a little planning and organization.

Adventures with veneer

2011-11-11T10:12:00.001-08:00

Back on the curved kitchen job- I wanted to walk through the process of each door to show how these parts are made- here we go!

This is the species of veneer I am using:
Santos mahogany veneer-

Myroxylon is a genus of two species of Central American and South American trees in the Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The tree is well known in the western world as the source for Peru balsam and Tolu balsam. The tree is often called Quina or Balsamo. Other names include Tolu in Colombia, Quina quina in Argentina; in lumber trade, sometimes named Santos Mahogany.

Its sweetish scent, reminiscent of vanilla and green olives, has caused it to be used in the manufacture of perfumes as a source for Balsam. Balsam of Peru is used as a flavoring and fragrance in many products and can cause allergic reactions.^[2]

They are large trees growing to 40 m tall, with evergreen pinnate leaves 15 cm long with 5-13 leaflets. The flowers are white with yellow stamens, produced in racemes. The fruit is a pod 7–11 cm long, containing a single seed.^[3]

The wood is dark brown with a deep red heartwood. Natural oils grant it excellent decay resistance. In fact, it is also resistant to preservative treatment. Its specific gravity is 0.74 to 0.81.

As regards woodworking, this tree is regarded as moderately difficult to work but can be finished with a high natural polish; some tool dulling.

The old man

2011-07-26T16:23:00.001-07:00

My dad in Pueblo Bonito

Pull it open

2011-07-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

The drawers will get this wood pull- its made of alder and has a step detail on the front, I cut a similar detail around the fronts and a few other spots- just giving it a little interest.

Drawer work

2011-07-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

I cut some sliding dovetails for these drawers- its a pretty good joint and I have a nice thick drawer bottom to help keep them stable- full extension heavy duty drawer slides, all make for a pretty sturdy set of drawers.

Lightening

2011-07-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

There was quite a storm in the desert when we delivered this piece- its really cool to watch a good thunderstorm off in the distance and feel the wind and smell the rain- bonus!

Home sweet home

2011-07-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

I sometimes have a little separation anxiety on delivery- I've spent some time with the piece and made some critical design decisions, when they work its labor of love and I want to keep the piece forever! But I have another project and so off it goes to start its life in the client's home.

Finish- ed

2011-07-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

Oil finish is the best- I get to see the wood come alive and enhance the buffing and polish I gave the surfaces. I'm using an eco friendly oil finish.

Are we done yet?

2011-07-12T09:07:00.001-07:00

Now I've got the leg details carved and the piece is reassembled with glass insert and rotation system in place, looking sweet, where's that finish I ordered?

Midnight oil

2011-07-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

All of the carvings are a little different yet they play with the same vocabulary of line and texture, this is where I let my heart drive the bus- close your eyes, feel the shape, follow your dreams...

Take it to the streets

2011-07-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

So the expressive idea has to be applied in a way that makes visual sense on the piece as a whole- if I add carving to the top of the legs then it could conflict visually with the compex puzzle parts of the top- adding the detail to the side of the legs would decrease the slightly larger mass of the legs and add the desired detail- bingo-

Expression

2011-07-12T08:53:00.001-07:00

My original drawing has some carving on the legs- until now I was not sure where or how I wanted to add some of this texture. To me the legs needed a way to break up the mass of the shape and add some interest to them in some way-

Rattle snake

2011-07-07T16:12:00.001-07:00

Nice Blacktail on a hike yesterday in Fay Canyon, early evening with a light sprinkle of rain....

Tricky looks not

2011-07-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to layout the recess in the lower level- I have a glass insert for the top level and when I swing the table out I want to have a place to put collectibles and cool stuff, in a recessed area- this is a little tricky and I'm trying to make it look mellow.

Leg shape

2011-07-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

Legs are a great thing- they have a shape all their own- these ones are chunky and currently have assymetrical tops that angle and round.

Tops flow

2011-07-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

The mesquite is such a nice wood to work- it has beautiful grain. smells great and has some dynamo color- I cant wait for oiling to bring out the richness...

Parrot

2011-07-04T12:25:00.001-07:00

I Always pull into the thrift store when I have a minute.

Table

2011-07-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

I've got the top pieces fit and sanded and mounted now and I'm going to attach thge legs today and see about a carving detail- the flow of the grain and the seams is pretty cool. The cut out for the glass is prepped and the lower recess will be determined, notes etched in stone by cave man....

Cave man

2011-07-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

Its hot here in Arizona in early July- the sun is really strong and the ground is dry- I ride early and then hide in my subterranean shop during the day- yesterday we got an afternoon rain, first in months, it may be the beginning of the summer rainy season, I sat in a chair on my deck with my son Than and let it rain, desert lizards like that.

Bicycles on the road

2011-07-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

I ride my bike almost every day, when driving and you approach a cyclist on the road get as far to the left as you can- on a single lane road you MUST cross the double line to pass a cyclist safely- its legal to do so and necessary for the safe passing of a cyclist. On a two lane road, if you slow down and get over you will force the other cars over, force drivers to slow down, and help to protect the safety of cyclists on the road. There is a new law in Arizona that you MUST move over and slow down for an emergency vehicle or police car on the shoulder. why? Because its dangerous to pass them close and people cant figure that out, so, please do the same for cyclists, move over and slow down.

Polution

2011-07-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

My son and nephew talked about saving our little blue planet- Idea? Voluntary program for car drivers: you get a red license plate or a blue plate- on even days of the month you can drive a red plated vehicle- on odd days you can drive a blue plated vehicle- result: say 25% of american drivers sign up- right away you reduce the daily car use in our country by 12%- pretty good idea.

Cribbage anyone?

2011-06-25T14:54:00.001-07:00

On 6/23/11 3:19 PM, "client" wrote:

Just so I can pretend to know what I am talking about...what kind of wood did you use ?

Best,

----- Original Message -----
From: PhilP [phil@philipponvertdesigns.com]
Sent: 06/23/2011 04:23 PM MST

Top part with the holes is bird’s eye maple- it comes from the UP of Michigan and was a slice off the end of a board that has been in my collection for years in Michigan and made the cut to be hauled out here. The darker wood is macasar ebony- a bit rare these days and came from a friends saw mill in Tucson, that piece is likely 30 years old since cutting, stored in some guys shop, my pal bought it and then I bought it and threw it in my truck along with a pile of Mesquite lumber, hauled it up here to Sedona and stuffed it in my wood rack. All these pieces just sit and wait until I have just the right project- in fact these two pieces were so close to the right grain, contrast and size that the trimmings of wood might have filled my shirt pocket. The design of the board with magnet and storage came from several sources I found that had antique boards – and I like the fact that you can have a special set of cards and pegs for this special board. The lettering for the initials font is Optima and I like its subtle nature. When I was done making this for you guys several people came through the shop and admired it, a lot. One was a friend who is an upholsterer and she and I agreed that a finishing touch would be the bag, so she went right home and pulled some material samples and we agreed on the red with the black draw string. It has an oil finish and the ebony may be a little sticky, hence the rags, keep them around a while so you can buff it off.
So there you have it- take care- Phil

It's perfect. I just gave it to her and she cried. Never underestimate the power your work gives others.
Thanks man......
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Bring it on home

2011-06-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've asked too much of these pieces- they seem to flow well together- fit and trim is next.

Gotta start somewhere

2011-06-18T18:13:00.001-07:00

I've taken my time getting a feel for these pieces so now I'm just gonna cut one and get it started. I've got some focus points and some transitions, some figured grains and some color variations, I'll mix these up so there is overall balance.

Curves

2011-06-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

These shapes are derived from the eventual shape of the table and the inherent movement of the pieces. Interlocking and contrasting neighbor pieces, I hope they get along.

Graindure

2011-06-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Like that word? Made it up- but it is sort of representative of the treasure hunt I got to do today, sorting and admiring grains and textures. I am piecing together the top of the table now, these mesquite boards are really lit up with colors, I'm trying to mix it up, shapes with grains, swirls with curves.

Game board blue

2011-06-13T11:09:00.001-07:00

I'm making a cribbage board of ebony and bird's eye maple- its a cool little project and these two pieces of wood are really nice- a little string inlay, a place for the cards and pegs, some tactile shapes and away we go!

Cut out

2011-06-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

I designed this table to have a cut out in the top section and will support a glass insert- then I'm hoping that I can align the recess in the lower top to swing under the glass and then pull out to be its own detail, I guess I am attracted to complicated designs, the trick of course is to make them seem effortless and clean, we'll see about that!

Sub top

2011-06-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

I'm using cherry as my secondary wood here and have attached the tops to the curved side rails.

Two halves

2011-06-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

This table has two parts that fit together and expand or collapse as needed. The parts each have a sub surface of cherry wood that will serve to attach the final top surface of Mesquite. The curved stretchers have to slide together and create the mechanism that pivots and slides.

New post card

2011-06-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a post card with my walnut hall table and recent kitchen project, I'll have some posts about the kitchen in the future.

Gnarly high altitude tree

2011-06-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

This tree is growing on a mountain ridge on Mt Baldy in California, near tree line at 9500 feet, its a sugar pine, is wind whipped and twisted, and is likely very old. I just had to hug this one.

Coming together

2011-06-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

Slowly I'm seeing the form of this piece come together- I have to set the pivot point and add a secondary wood surface before I start to get into the mesquite multi piece top- that's going to be a project in its self.

Old style hand plane is the best way

2011-06-05T13:35:00.001-07:00

Hand planes work so well its amazing to me that they are rarely used in shops today. They carve well, make a true curve or straight and allow a connection to the material that cannot be experienced any other way.

These shavings are used for part of my finishing process, they are soft and strong, a thin slice that feels neat in your hand.
Some once entered my shop after I had been planing some wood and said- "hey it looks like fall in here, like all the leaves on the ground" perhaps like the shavings fell from a tree and landed on my bench, well they did, sort of.....

Legs

2011-06-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

The band saw is a great free style carver.Slowly the shape takes form- these legs have slight variations in the curves and tapers- I'm using my intuition here.

Rough boards to machined parts

2011-06-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Each of these parts starts as a rough board- I've got some nice quality 8/4 mahogany I'm using for the big thick legs. Band saw them out, square em up, I've got to glue up some chunks....

Danger!

2011-06-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Every time I use my machines I am reminded of their inherent danger to us humans- the blades are very sharp and the machine powerful- no project is worth an accident.

Attaching the rails

2011-06-05T13:24:00.001-07:00

I've got two halves here that will fit together in the finished design. I've got the corner joints going here and some tongue and groove system for the slide, there is some engineering on this design.

Making curved parts

2011-06-05T13:16:00.001-07:00

Gluing laminates for the curved rails includes prepping the thickness to correspond to the anticipated spring back and the form curve- the number of laminate layers always results in the same formula for spring back- no matter the thickness. I prep the form, roll on some glue and keep the parts aligned, slip them in the form to clamp.

I slip the glue covered laminates into the form and get the clamps going- there is a balance between the side force and the down force on the form.
After a good dying time I can pop the glue up out of the form and check it out- looks pretty good- now I'll check the two parts together as thats whet they are supposed to do here- slide side by side.

Talking to the Bro

2011-06-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

Time out in the shop to chat with my Bro in CT- my shop is my office, my hang out, my work place, my creative outlet, lets see, what else?

Curved parts

2011-06-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

Here are the bent parts that will support the top pieces and act as the curved guide for the slide action.

Dream

2011-06-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

If a design is created during a dream, is the concept a dream in reality? Is the reality of the design a real life element of a dream? What is the right environment that allows our brains to develope ideas? Can we re- create a dream or does it come to us on its own accord?

New project: Coffee table

2011-06-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

Heres the new design concept- its an engineering challenge as the two parts are designed to slide open and closed- I'm using mesquite for the top and mahogany for the legs and base parts.

Studio shot

2011-04-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

Here's the fihished piece-

See? I told you so!

2011-02-14T20:29:00.001-08:00

I get to take this piece of woody fiber from a large plant, with its stability and toughness, cut carve and sand it to build a functional piece of art. I'm glad we have this material, it would have been tough to make this out of rocks.

Top job

2011-02-14T20:26:00.000-08:00

Remember top job? He was in James Bond and he used to throw his top hat to cut off people's heads, pretty cool. That has nothing to do with putting this four piece book match into position.

Fun part payoff

2011-02-14T20:15:00.001-08:00

The first coat of oil makes the biggest color change, I can really see it now. Subsequent coats will make it glow and shine but the first coat transforms it from a nice smooth clean piece to a cool mixture of the deep rich color of mother nature's excellent material and mans crafty hands.

Tactile some more

2011-02-14T20:08:00.000-08:00

Just a little step on top, kind of like the leg detail, an asymmetrical down curve that you can hook your finger under, you put your thumb on the top shape, pull the drawer out gently, it feels pretty good, just right. For those of you who are looking closer, the pins in the drawer sides are pulled up a bit as the drawer bottom groove is down near there and the pin would interfere with the insertion of the drawer bottom.

Tactile

2011-02-14T19:58:00.000-08:00

People like to touch wood furniture, we sand it all day long so why not give 'em something to feel? A detail, a shape, how about both. Here the leg of the table rises above the rim and has a step and then a rounding to it, a nice combo of carving and shape. I added a decorative inlay around the top to set off the book matched top insert, little jewels of burly grain. Go ahead and run your fingers around the edge.

Clamp dance

2011-02-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

My shop is pretty small kinda like a boat, if I keep everything pretty tidy then I stay sane. When I'm on a roll I try not to even swing the clamps over or near the finished work, its hard enough to work efficiently through the design, I don't want to add dings or dent repair to the day, maybe even unrepairable damage, all of these parts are matched. Slow and steady there mate!

Top parts

2011-02-07T19:57:00.000-08:00

Strong backs help to clamp up thin pieces, these are all slices from one small board with a nice figured grain swirl so I book matched the heavier grain to lighter grain as the pattern moves from the center of the table, atop the small drawer and then radiates out toward the sides above the heavier figure of the side drawer fronts, when I apply finish and the dark colors of the wood come out, this will prove to be a nice balance to the table as a whole.

Joints and pins

2011-02-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

Just the right fit- its tight, its strong and straight forward to make. I make all my own pins so they are nice and tight and walnut to match, and the tongue is a great locking slip, then the solid wood drawer bottoms add another good feel to the weight and the sound.

Music and plastic squares

2011-02-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

The flow of energy in the shop has much to do with the music and the the work at hand, these little drawers are just coming so nice and square, the wood was milled slow and the joints are tight. Its a pleasure to work with a hand plane and nice wood, and not with a power blaster router machine finger eater.

Bench time

2011-02-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

Some of my favorite time is spent at the bench. There are many ways to wreck the entire piece when I am on the table saw, cut a matched piece, then what? After I keep my head on straight using the saws I really enjoy the bench time, this is where the little details are made and the piece begins to get a personality.

Whats the next step?

2011-02-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

This little piece has three drawers, two are little bigger left and right, there is one little guy in the middle. Drawer parts are cut to fit before assembly so that the drawers will have a nice fit in the end, get the scoop set so the next step is smooth.

Whats going on?

2011-02-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

How is the job market out there? Its cold outside- better get moving.

Stance

2011-02-07T09:27:00.000-08:00

I like my pieces to have a good stance, so it sits clean and when you bump into it, it bumps back a little instead of falling over. A good curve in the leg will add to the flare.

Carve a life

2011-02-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

There are parts of a small piece that determine the overall look, the crisp detail, the matched figure of the wood, the overall proportions. Balance is important, budget plays a role, skill can be tapped into and not over done, I like to think about these things as I build a piece, where should I push it? Where do I settle for an outcome that I know will be sweet and not try for something new just because?

Walnut from Clarence's place

2011-02-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

I'm making a small table in walnut, using up the rest of the nice warm, colorful, air dried, hard to get, mid-western, thick and figured wood that was originally harvested in the 70's by an older gent in Ohio. By himself he used a truck and trailer to haul these huge logs, he would pull along side a log in the forest, unhook the trailer, run a ramp from log to trailer, run a cable under the log and over to the truck on the other side of the trailer bed, then drive slowly to roll it up onto the bed. Then he'd drive it to the circular saw mill and after setting the teeth on the dished round blade, slice it into thick and heavy planks. Then they went onto stickers in piles and covered with a metal roof to air dry, nothing covering the sides of the pile. One year per inch of thickness is minimum for air drying wood in an Ohio yearly season. In the 90's I found this guy and started buying wood from him, over the years I made some great pieces and projects out of those piles. Cherry, walnut, maple, oak, sassafrass, catalpa, elm, hack berry, ash, and a few others.If you've ever pushed a sharp plane over an air dried piece of walnut you know how sweet it is. The crisp sound and the almost organic feel of the open pores and the grain. Sand it some and the smells are really nice. Polish it and add some oil and there is the wood like it was worked in the old days, a little elbow grease and mother nature mixed together. Now I just hope I can design something of merit and use the right proportions and the right scale, the right joinery. Maybe I'll do it some justice, we'll have to see. If all my experience can wrap into this little piece, just the right touch, the right subtle move, to make the shape look just right, not too much off the taper, don't push the fancy detail, make the drawers smooth and run right, make the stance look and feel good. I know what the piece will look like, I can almost see it in my minds eye. The sketch looks right, the wood is good, no mistakes now. Then when I'm done in a few weeks, I'll let it go out of my shop and into a clients home. Thats where it belongs so I can get on with another one, a short time spent with each piece from concept to real piece.

Best part ot the Tucson fair

2010-12-19T16:49:00.001-08:00

When I was down in Tucson I got to stay with my son Than, hes a freshman at UofA- he and I took a few hikes and had dinners together during the long weekend. Its great to stay with family or friends when doing a show, you get help setting up, it cuts down on the travel expenses and adds to the fun- thanks- Than!

Tour my art fair booth

2010-12-19T16:35:00.000-08:00

Here's the layout inside my booth. There are so many ways that artists lay out their own booth its fun to just cruise the fair to see how creative people present themselves. These pieces are for sale and I am looking for commissions, I have my portfolio on hand and I often do some sketching right there with the client. When you are passionate about your work it shows, and when you mix experience and a good working attitude the client can understand what goes into a piece and the beautiful thing they will get. Its feels good to get out of the shop and put your work out there.

Street fair booth

2010-12-19T16:33:00.000-08:00

Here's my booth. I have the new walnut piece on the left and the circles top coffee table in the corner behind it. My glass top "Leshin" table always gets a lot of looks but no buyer yet.

Heading to the show

2010-12-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

Time to pack the work up and head to the art fair. I have a complete 10 by 10 art fair booth- I designed it all to fit in the trailer, along with bike, and the furniture goes in my mini van. Weather looks good so the crowds should be out in sunny Tucson.

Win some, lose some

2010-12-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

I went to a meeting with an architect and a home owner- they were interested in a dining table. The house was very mod and demanded a fresh bold statement. I drew this design and thought the jewel like inlays in the multi angled base would anchor an angled and tapered top shape, I even had a line on a killer pile of 8/4 mahogany. Well I didn't get the job, darn! However, I have pretty cool design to add to my portfolio- on to the next challenge!

Oil shows the work

2010-12-08T22:45:00.000-08:00

I've done all kinds of finishing work and oil is the best finish for a piece like this. It shows the warmth of the wood and allows close inspection and touching. I've been sanding and shaping smooth all the details, so its nice to reach out and touch the carvings, feel the smooth surfaces.

Attach and align

2010-12-08T22:41:00.000-08:00

Pulls are the center point of our eyes, they HAVE to be aligned perfectly and centerd- I like to lay them out with all the drawers in place, center to center, I have to watch it now, this is the fronts of all the drawers I've worked so hard on, no screw ups here.

Pulls

2010-12-08T22:39:00.000-08:00

The pulls on my drawers are little master pieces. I like to carve a finger friendly pull that just adds icing to the cake. These pulls are made form Iron Wood, dark and rich, the wood has very fine grain and takes a nice polish.

Bang 'em together

2010-12-08T22:37:00.000-08:00

Put a little glue on the parts and hit 'em together with a hammer- I use a clamp or two to tighten them.

Cut tails

2010-12-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

I've matched the pins to the tails on the drawer sides- after cutting and chopping out with a chisel I'm ready to fit the parts together- the dovetail, a remarkable joint.

The energy that comes from the making of things

2010-11-30T21:49:00.000-08:00

The late night scope out- how does the piece look late at night, after a nice long day cutting dovetails? Pretty good, yeah, not bad. Strong yet delicate, good proportions, not too much fussy, nice over hang, good flare, the wood will look very balanced, very rich. The design, the skill, it may be OK- we'll see.

Shop chat: knick knack vs well made crafts

2010-11-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

So I'm maybe three quarters into this piece, it's time to reflect. I will be at the Tucson art fair December 10-12 and will take this piece with me. I've had some people tell me to consider making smaller, knick knack things to sell, money is tight, people want cheaper stuff. Where does that leave craftsmanship? Will our economy squash things that are made well? Can consumers shift the idea of bargain versus investment? Will longer lasting, better made objects survive the consumer washout? I have customers who have owned a piece of mine for ten years and they understand that the piece just gets better with age, the patina wood develops takes time, the strength of the joints is evident in its durable stance. The design is a friendly reminder every day of the good decisions the woodworker made and the reasons we are drawn to the design, we are finally ready to have something made that we can be proud to own.This is an investment not only for our own living room today, but in an American way of life, craftsmanship is part of our history, part of why we are proud, and part of what we will be proud to pass on to our kids, not only the fabulous piece itself but the decision to purchase it and be part of the revolution.

Cutting pins

2010-11-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

Dovetails cut by hand follow a process that pairs pins to tails, these parts fit together and lock the corner of the drawer. Cut with a hand saw, and chopped with chisels, this is the finest and most difficult way to assemble a drawer and add beauty to the piece.

Marking tools

2010-11-30T09:00:00.001-08:00

I use a handful of marking devices so I don't have to change them as I work, some cut across the grain some mark with the grain, all are being used to mark side thickness on the front and backs before pin layout.

Dovetail layout

2010-11-30T08:56:00.000-08:00

Keeping the parts organized is important- each side will join to each face and so on, a simple method is to create a marking system using a triangle, drawn with a pencil located on top of each part, showing the corresponding section of the triangle, left side top has a left corner of the triangle, front has a top edge marked with the tip of the triangle, you get it.

Dovetails

2010-11-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

A lot has been written about cutting dovetails, so I'll just touch on it here. This piece is being built as a spec piece for my Tucson art fair. I want to show off a little here, so I will make these drawers with hand cut dovetails. I have built many drawers using other joints and pins, they are much faster. This method is very old as there are some Egyptian tomb furniture pieces with dovetails and even a model of a wood shop showing craftsman at work, pretty cool.

Chilly nights, warm shop

2010-11-30T08:43:00.000-08:00

Drawer fronts

2010-11-30T08:38:00.000-08:00

The flow of the front of the piece is in question here- if you look at antiques you will see a use of the wood grain patterns to balance the front of a chest of drawers, over and down, over and down and so on. I like the flow of the curved grain, ying~yang a bit with the top curving right and around and the bottom curving up, these patterns will be very dominant when the finish is applied, and the grain is of course part of the flitch of curly walnut used for the rest of the piece, all the elements will flow and look harmonious if done right.

Drawer work

2010-11-30T08:36:00.000-08:00

I am using a stick to layout the drawer parts- it easier than paper and the marks on the stick are absolute.

Take a break

2010-11-19T11:37:00.000-08:00

Read this news paper, its from a few thousand years ago.

Plywood boxes and picture frames

2010-11-19T11:32:00.000-08:00

Since this walnut piece is a spec piece for my art fair booth in Tucson next month, I'm not getting paid for it yet so I better go make some money.

I can see it now

2010-11-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

With the top on I can see the piece pretty well. How do the proportions look? Maybe I need to stretch it out left to right so I'll leave the top long? Maybe I should rip the top a little to bring the base to the front of the top edge? Well we'll see, for now I like it.

Get the clamps

2010-11-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

I can make a box out of square or perfectly in square by slightly moving my clamps. I've pulled the top and bottom parts onto the leg and side units so the base is pretty well assembled. Checking square with a plastic drafting square, it looks pretty good. Clean the glue and I'm ready to sand the top while the glue dries, and yes I do occasionally use a power tool.

Prep glue

2010-11-19T11:06:00.000-08:00

I flushed my side glue ups- nice and flat and clean. I've got a frame system to attach the top- I'm leaving the underside cross parts dry of glue so I can line up the leg joints to panels side cross pieces perfectly. A little glue in the mortises of the foot- get the clamps....

Parts is parts

2010-11-19T10:49:00.000-08:00

Here the side pieces are ready to glue, the panel, stretchers and drawer runners all go in now- I use a little glue in the mortise, bang them together and clamp it. I'm using strips of wood to protect sanded surfaces from clamp marks.

Takin a break

2010-11-18T08:43:00.000-08:00

Well I'm takin a break- anyone want to chime in on woodworking or life in general have at it- I'm going for a ride-

Microscopic walnut

2010-11-14T20:03:00.001-08:00

Down to the smallest degree and wood still looks really cool- this is walnut at magnification.

Seeing the real thing

2010-11-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

I've just about got the front and back of the base ready for assembly, after gluing these parts I'll prep the side panels and drawer guides that will fit in the moritses you can see here in the legs and top parts.
I can see the shape of the base coming together here, I can begin to judge if the shapes I'm making are working well together, I can adjust some things but not everything, I'm seeing if my initial intuition is correct, considering the scale of the piece, the desired style of detail and the wood grains. It looks pretty good to me actually.

Tools on wood

2010-11-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

All you need is a chunk of wood, an idea, some files, carving chisels, sand paper and a good eye.

The devil is in the details

2010-11-14T19:29:00.000-08:00

To emphasize the curved tip toe foot and define its shape within the block of wood that is the foot part, I am going to add shaping and relief cuts. I need a detail to blend the legs coming down and transition into the foot so I cut a rounded step into the side of the foot. This curved groove is a risky slice at this point, I'll carefully use a router template to add my detail before I sand and fare it in. The fade down on the side lets me add a curve of the toe.

Take a break

2010-11-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

Time for a little hike to stretch the legs and open the mind.

Compass plane

2010-11-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

I sharpened this beauty the other day- it has a bending sole so I can adjust the curvature to match the shape of the wood. This plane is really nice and has an inscription on the side: pat'd June17, 1879 Thats my birthday Mo and D not year of course, but this makes it my lucky plane and it really is a reall workhorse and thing of beauty. I bought it at a flea market in Norton MA, 1985.

Shapes

2010-11-13T17:59:00.000-08:00

I get to use my newly sharpened chisels to clean up the shapes of the under sdie of the foot- the round detail is really only noticed at the edge but I'll clean up the whole under side. This is a prefect spot for my compass plane, it makes the curves fare but wont quite reach into the corners without being turned a little so I dont damage the curve.

Mortises

2010-11-13T16:24:00.000-08:00

I've mortised the joints into the legs and foot parts, there are alignments for pieces that will guide the drawers and slots for side panels, stretchers to attach the top and keep it flat and connector parts to assemble the base. I'll often put pieces together dry fit so I can measure off them and cut related parts to size. I cut some shapes on the band saw, relief carvings to follow.