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.

Beginning Woodworking-Part 4 Sawdust Challenge 2010

Part 4 of the Beginning Woodworker takes us to the place where woodworking prizes can be won, the third Sawdust Chronicles Build Challenge. The start date is September 1st ending with a submission date of Oct 31, 2010. Sponsors of the challenge include Rockler, General Finishes, Kreg Tools, Dewalt, Popular Woodworking, Michael Dugan, a 1 year subscrition to British Woodworking magazine and much more. Its not to late to sign-up, cut off date is September 15th. This episode takes us into the constraints of the build challenge and makes you aware of 2 furniture designer's who's work we can draw inspiration from Gerrit Rietveld and Alan Peters. Take a look and come for a ride into a beginners look into an internet build challenge, created by Rick Waters of the Sawdust Chronicles.

an odd Furniture Finishing reminder

Last week I read were Jennifer Convertibles had filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. When you've been around the industry, seeing a furniture company restructure is not uncommon. But Jennifer Convertibles hit a bit closer to home.

It was roughly 20 years ago when managing a custom shop, that I made a decision to change direction and sell the shop to Designers and Sales Reps by emphasing the finishing capabilities of the shop. When I saw that Jennifer Convertibles had financial issues, the "silver cloud finish" floated over head.

The "silver cloud" was one of the finishes created by Bob D. at a time when the shop needed a win. It was used on a Wall Unit, in the home of a head honcho at the time of Jennifer Convertibles.

Having just arrived in this shop and understanding how people hate change, a different direction was going to be hard for the floor to digest. This was compounded by bringing in the best cabinetmaker to this day I have even seen as foreman. Adding more to an already unsettled shop floor.

It didn't take long before Paul C. won over the floor as foreman. I knew he could do it. While in Grad School, Paul was Foreman at a Custom Shop where on my off-school days, he would have me cut to keep the benches working and assemble when needed. To this day I am greatful for how he handled me.

So now lets bring in Brenda K. Brenda was at the time just starting to get high profile "neighborhood" jobs. She wasn't just a decorator, she was an Interior Designer. Brenda took the job from a framed space to a finished room. Not unusual, but Brenda had exceptional vision, good room communication skills, poor furniture design skills. The only thing I could say was, "do I have the shop for you".

We worked through the design of a 15 to 18 foot, floor to ceiling wall unit, complete with wet bar, projection screen, doors sliding on construction pocket door hardware, pullout pier cabinet storage, wire chases, speakers, amps, glass, wall dimmed high-hats, the whole nine. The unit was magnificent all finished up in the shop's custom "Silver Cloud" finish.

The decision was to install this one with a team of 3 and as the cabinetmaker's, along with an electrician to wire the unit and plumber for the wet bar, we were the last to install. Mr. and Mrs. Jennifer Convertibles were expectantly on the anxious side. The install went without a hitch even with working on top of custom inaly carpeting and just as if it were yesterday, when tip time came and the moneyroll of a happy customer came my way, I remember calling Paul over and having Mr Jennifer Convertibles make Paul the focus of the shop's work. As happy cabinetmakers we all headed out when I got a holler to come back, wondering now what, I was greeted with a personal business card, a personal thank you, followed by "call me". 30 years and counting, that was the biggest tip I ever got.

Sorry to see the financial stress that Jennifer Convertibles is going through, but I preferr other memories of this company and its early management.