WoodExpo Delivery from France

Late February 2011, Tommy MacDonald hosted the WoodExpo in Boston Massachusetts. The event was quite successful even garnering the title INTERNATIONAL WoodExpo when a perfectly executed entry arrived from France. Come and take a look at an object that worked the design process from form to construction to packaging and distribution. This magnificent entry from Ronaldo Messina living outside of Paris was just what the WoodExpo needed and is all about. Enjoy!!

BUSY!! Haven't forgotten Saw Dust Challenge Table

The saw Dust Challenge table and video series has gotten caught up in other work. I haven't forgotten, just had to move it off to the side of my plate for now.

I'm extremely intrigued and caught up in a rather complicated piece for the past 5 weeks. I'm trying a new technique and the results are what I expected. They are good and show loads of potential. Working the machines well, is working the machines. What is making this piece complicated is the veneer selection being used and the layout. Or simply said, the design constraints I've placed on myself.

Over the past 20 or so months I've been engrossed in the study of form and communicating visually. The study has taken me away from viewing furniture and more into color, textiles, graphics, varying center points, on and on. I have my reasons. But combining a new form with sound visual communication is where I'm headed. I've expanded my knowledge base but at the expense of my viewers. Sorry about that, but down the road there's more to share with you. You may have heard me say often, "I don't like going backwards, I like what's in front".

When completed I will get back on the Saw Dust Chronicles Challenge video, and fill you in on this piece.

Stay tuned.....and check back at the end of February 2011 as I go after what is turning into a fun project.

All projects build off of what you've built before. Much of what I've been experimenting with this past 20 months, keeps showing up.

Quite an interesting process for me.

In the infamous words of General Douglas MacArthur......... "I shall return".

Start Woodworking - Dry Assembly - Part 9

Start woodworking by entering a build challenge. One such as the Saw Dust Chronicles Build Challenge and this is Part 9 of playing in a build challenge arena.

When you begin to woodwork, it can get confusing, but as part 9 shows, you do not need many tools to accomplish building a furniture object. We go through attaching our stones, yes to encourage a design option, I went with the stones, and dry assemble the entire base. Personally this approach I decided on has brought me back full circle to where I started woodworking with limted room and tools. Building this project for Rick Waters' Saw Dust Chronicles build challenge has really got me thinking about how woodworking is presented and how limted the internet presentation is.

Enjoy---- sit back and watch the design of our small table come to life.

Part 9 has really got the wheels spinning on another design based off this prototype.

Start Woodworking - Shaping Parts---Part 8

To start woodworking, we've hooked-up with the 2010 Saw Dust Chronicles Build Challenge. The challenge has prizes galore, so what better way to improve your woodworking skills while at the same time picking up a woodworking prize.

The Dewalt router kit has me inticed and my prize of choice but since Tommy MacDonald of the TV show Rough Cut Woodworking with Tommy Mac, has enabled the winner to show his work at the 2011 WoodExpo, thats the real prize. Heck Glen Guarino and Allan Breed are going to be actively disussing woodworking there. One's a traditional craftsman, the other a contemporary builder. Exposure to that combination is rare and worth the price of admissions.

In this episode, we finish up dimensioning parts. We'll take it further and shape our table base parts, going through the building of a fixture using shop scraps and toogle clamps. Touching on that elusive and important router kit, we'll address collets and router bit shank size and discussion why a half inch shank at times is better suited than a 1/4 inch shank router bit. Assembly is next so be ready with that affordable dowel jig, you'll be impressed with what we build with a limited tool box.

A simple workmate bench and a flat surface is all the bench we need.

Enjoy!!!!

Begin Woodworking - Milling Wood Parts - Part 7

So how do I look in my Zem Headphones by Sensgard. I can't hear you!!!

Actually we'll need hearing protection as we take to the table saw and I show you an approach to squaring lumber with our limited amount of tools available in the shop. Remember we are using (according to Part 1) Table saw, Sabre Saw, electric hand drill, chisels, dowel jig, block plane, workmate bench, sharpening equipment, router kit, and not much more. You don't need a shop full of tools to produce beautiful piece of furniture.

In Part 7 we dive into milling with the table saw, showing you just one of 3 approaches to milling with limited tools. After milling we go through the process of gluing up the top. Watch as we get a real good figured walnut surface for the top.


The Sawdust Chronicles Build Challenge is almost over and we have to be ready for the rest of the Sawdust competition. There's got to be a prize in this for me somewhere. Well I'm a judge and not eligible for an award. Oh well, the reward is seeing the craft grow. I can't wait to see who shows up to represent the Sawdust Challenge in Boston at the 2011 WoodExpo.

Beginning Woodworking: Laying out Parts -- Part 6

Come on in woodworkers, there is a nice surprise for the entrants of the Sawdust Chronicles Build Challenge. Thanks to TV personality Tommy MacDonald of Rough Cut Woodworking with Tommy Mac somebody gets a nice opportunity.

In part 6 we build on our sketching skills to help visualize our parts layout. We emphasize the use of a work bench and create a simple, but necessary work surface. You'll learn to read a board and bring in and use the sabre saw. We'll stress safety from a different part of your shops work flow, and see how rethinking an approach is crucial to an objects design.

We end with our parts rough cut from our walnut stock ready for the table saw.

Beginning Woodworker Part 5 - Sketch and Drawing

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Here we are at Part 5 of the Beginning Woodworker and competing in the Sawdust Chronicles Build Challenge.

We take to the Design process, stress the importance of sketching and discuss to bring; the manufacturing process and full scale drawing together.

The fact that most thinking should take place before machining is discussed.