Justin DiPalma: Growth of a Craftsman - 2010 WoodExpo -Boston, MA

David Pruett of the Folding Rule Blog, shot this interview with Justin DiPalma. Having met Justin three years ago during a road trip to Tommy MacDonald's shop, I recognized his approach to working wood as one that leads to superior growth. I decided at the time that I would follow Justin's work.

Since we first saw Justin at the 2008 Wheaton Arts and Craft Fair, he has returned to the Wheaton Show, exhibited in a local Gallery during the 2009 Thanksgiving to New Years Holiday season and now has produced a new piece for Tommy MacDonalds WoodExpo held at the New England Home Show.

You will also see the slant top desk Justin showed at the 2009 Wheaton Show.

Enjoy and see the growth in a Craftsman.

Kaleo Kala at the Architectural Digest Home Show

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Enjoy this video as Kaleo Kala takes you on a personal tour of his booth at the 2010 Architecturl Digest New York Home Show. Having followed Kaleo's woodworking through the internet as many of you have, I felt it a great opportunity to met Kaleo and give him the opportunity to show us his work in a professional environment.

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov)

Furnitology Stuff

In this episode we'll play a bit of catch-up, tying previous episodes together and what's coming up. We'll mention the new DVD from Major League Woodworking, woodworking places I've been the past few months, and where you can find me on the web to learn a differnet view of woodworking.

Why Woodwork

So George a very good friend of mine decided that during this holiday season, we would build a toy together for a charity organization. At the same time, I would be fulfilling a requirement for being a judge in the Saw Dust Chronicle 60 Day Challenge, arrange by Rick Waters.

The "Red Baron Flier" was the toy of choice. George who I don't see nearly enough is a very curious bloke. He dove right in with no complaints about the 13 hour first flite to building the fleet, and even insisted we start earlier then I wanted the next day. Together we got 90% completed in 2 days, attaching the tail section and finishing was my chore. In those 2 days of building, I had forgotten how much George and I laugh together, we are polar opposites that click. Seeing him get excited while machining a part and how proud he was of each assembly was just simply fun to watch.

George arranged for a Dec. 23rd delivery of our Fleet to the Pediatric Wing at Stony Brook University Medical Hospital. A difficult but at the same time, wonderful experience. That's all George. I love to laugh but I found myself hesitant at times.

Here's a picture of Grace and her Mom..........George asked why couldn't Grace aspire to be Amelia Earhart.

One reason Why we Woodwork!!!!

Woodworking in America - an approach

I believe that Popular Woodworking's Furniture Construction and Design Conference can lead to a big pay-off for the home base woodshop.

This particular conference enables the home based woodworker to be exposed to a multitude of furniture form. It is important to establish the home gamer in an environment where the internet woodworking movement can be evaluated and critiqued. This conference is the first setting where creativity rather than "how to..." will be addressed.

Observing how the conference is being advertised, one point lacking was to present an approach that an attenddee might use.

In full disclsoure, I will not be attending the conference but believe it could possible be extremely beneficial to the internet woodworking community longterm and want to support this conference as best I can.

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov)

Sam Maloof - more than a rocker

I received a call the other day.
It was a woodworking compadre who nonchalantly said,
“Well we lost one of our greats”……I had to ask who.

Over the past months, I’ve been cleaning up loose ends, roaming happily lost in my own direction, and checking in on the internet woodworking community only on occasion.

But when the who was answered, I was sad.

I clip articles of great performance and place them in my favorite books. I went to my copy of Sam Maloof – Woodworker, (first edition 1983) and was not disappointed. Having worn out his VHS tape “Sam Maloof, Woodworking Profile” like an old 45, Sam Maloof is one of my favorite woodworker’s. I can still picture him following that one hard line around an entire chair. But whose performance earned the right to be in my Sam Maloof book? More on that later.

It’s Sam’s book and it’s his day.

My woodworking foundation is firmly in furniture manufacturing. While working at Broyhill on the industry’s shop floor, Gigi and I also worked the craft scene at the tail end of the movement. This is the connection for me to Sam Maloof. I had the best of both worlds, first hand exposure to furniture designed for the masses and the study of Maloof’s approach to pieces designed for limited-production. To me, I saw no difference in the production at Broyhill Furniture Industries and lets call it, Sam Maloof Industries. The only variable between the two was what percentage came off the machine. The higher the production volume required, the higher the machine percentage needed. Finding the design balance between machine and handwork was Maloof’s genius.

Sam Maloof, was instrumental in exhibiting the production of fine wood craft. Recently, I received a note from Jon Binzen a writer of all things furniture. He commented on the Castle and Kopf interviews by saying, “The one with Silas brought out his personality remarkably well….” the reason for this comfort level between Silas and myself, has much to do with the craft movement. Maloof having been a part of the California Design exhibitions, masterfully showed studio furniture next to production furniture. Remarkably, Maloof and Eames showed in the same California Design Exhibits. Maloof showed in the yearly CD exhibits from CD 1 in 1954 to CD’75. Rhinebeck was the major east coast Craft Show and Silas Kopf was a player in those exhibits. The scene peeked mid to late 70’s, and as mentioned previous, Gigi and I hit the tail end, but the attitude, the lifestyle, the vibe is evident in those who participated. The Craft Show era is over and the closest example to those exhibits today is the ICFF, but you have to have been aware of what was showed in the CD exhibits and Rhinebeck to appreciate this vestige of Maloof.

Unfortunately, it seems everybody just stops at a Maloof rocking chair and feels the inspiration. Sam Maloof is much more than just a rocker. He provided the vision of limited production and finding optimal furniture designs to manufacture. For me, through self study I came to profit margin terms and the manufacturing understanding of what can be built within the confines of a 40 - 48" X 15 - 21 X 30 - 34 rectangle, that’s what I learned from Sam Maloof. That’s his genius, I just wish somewhere we could find a quote where he mentioned out loud, that he had to meet a production quota. If he did, I believe American woodworking would have a different look today.

So just who is it that resides in my Maloof book. One was a 1992 article from the New York Times Sports section on Vitaly Shcherbo. My expectations are very high, so it seems logical now that Shcherbo, who won 6 Olympic Gymnastic Titles at the Barcelona games, was folded neatly in Sam’s text. Life is all about performance.

The other article was from a 1983 issue of Time magazine. Under “Milestones”, it was an obit piece on the death of R. Buckminster Fuller.

I only had to look to my right and see my Spaceship Earth Dymaxion Globe.

Here’s to Sam Maloof and thank you!!!!!!!

Listen to NPR Maloof link sent to me from my Design Professor of 30 years ago, Mr John Belt.

Woodworking in America Conference ..........my look

Woodworking in America was focused for a weekend in Berea, Kentucky, but the world was a part.

You'll find my coverage of the conference was more about the stories and thoughts outside the classroom and tried to get a look into who are today's woodworker's.

You'll also find short Skype video reports from the conference posted over at the Folding Rule Blog. A daily rehash of going's-on at the conference. All four posts are accessible from this link.

The strength of internet woodworking as witnessed by conference coverage by other bloggers, is well done, and can also be found using the above link. You will also find a few words from the basement shop as I had the opportuntiy to talk with Matt Vanderlist the very first woodworking podcaster and creator of Matts Basement Workshop.

One last item......it was a pleasure meeting all of you "furnitologist's" and thank you for the many kind words.

Enjoy........ Neil

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov)