Working plan

For a nice video showing the value of a riving knife click here.

I want to thank Shy Lev-Ari, a viewer from Israel, for suggesting this video. A lot of us take sanding wood for granted, yet it is the most basic skill we need to know about woodworking. Ive often quipped that woodworking is 10% design, 10% construction, and 80% sanding.

But with all the grades of sandpaper available,  its something that can easily confuse the beginning woodworker. In this video, I have tried to boil sandpaper down to its basics.

Essentially, woodworkers need to know that you can do almost anything with only three grades of sandpaper: 80, 120, and 220. 80 is the coarsest grit and is used for leveling out rough wood caused mostly by machine marks from saws.

From there, move up to a 120 grit sandpaper to smooth out the marks left by the coarse 80 grit paper. Finish off your wood with a 220 grit (fine) sandpaper.

You can learn a lot more about sanding and get more detailed, but for most of us, we really dont need to bother sanding past 220 grit. Let your finish provide the smooth feel of your project.

Mere Minutes
After my less-than-stellar attempt at making the top yesterday, I wanted to show you that it actually does work. I just needed a larger space for it to spin. I think a sharper point would help too.




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Whirligig contest.
There is still time to enter! Heres the original video with all the details. There are over $1000 worth of great prizes, so get on it. Enter over on A Simple Design of Ocala.

Heres an update video from Laney:



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Picture frame contest.
This looks like a fun one. Brian over at Garage Woodworks is running a picture frame contest. Hes giving away a Woodpeckers 12" Precision Woodworking T Square. Enter here.

                   At least its wood and not laminate. Veneer is just barely one step up.
                                 The body got primered in gray and the front white.

          And of course there always has to be a little surprise detail when you look behind the door.



we added drawer stops, learned some bled blocking tips, and added a graphic transfer on this dresser

it was stripped, cleaned, painted grey, clear waxed, then dark waxed. It is off to the upholster soon!

vintage high chair painted in a cherry red was heading back to Prince George to be a display piece in a floral shop

simple vintage chair given a new life with a light turquoise spray, sanding, and waxing.

coordinating wallpaper was added in the back and you can see more of the detail of this cabinet now that it is lighter

Reflecting the Shaker influence but displaying an original modern interpretation, this side table will complement any decor. Made from solid Cherry and Birds Eye Maple it features hand cut joinery that will last for generations. I chose a hand rubbed oil and varnish mixture for the finish, it brings out the wood grain without adding too much gloss. I use a safe, non-toxic finish from a small company out of New York. Tried & True Traditional Oil and Varnish finish is a combination of highly refined polymerized linseed oil and natural-resin varnish (modified pine sap). Its high resin content produces a durable water-resistant finish that buffs to a warm semi-gloss sheen. It strictly adheres to the standards established by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and qualifies as non-toxic and safe for food-contact surfaces in both their uncured and cured (wet and dry) states.
The hardware I chose for the piece are delicate cast iron pulls that have a nice traditional look. The table top really jumps out with its wide panels and blond ribbon across the center. This piece I believe is one that would work well in a formal setting as well as perhaps as an entry table. The five drawers make for ample storage in a small foot print.Anyone interested please feel free to contact me for any additional questions.
The dimensions are : Depth: 22" Width: 39" Height: 30"
The unit is priced at $2550.00 CAN


RECENT COMMENTS:

“Stunning piece! Love the modern interpretation of a familiar form and the scale of the whole piece. Gotta love those hand cut half blind dovetails. Going to add this to my favorites. “


“Tom a great design and interpretation on your part. A stunning piece of furniture.”


“Unbelievable! Your craftsmanship and attention to detail are outstanding.”

The finished table and chairs at the SVAC show in May 2010

If I remember my family history correctly, my grandfather worked for Bethlehem Steel as a riveter for 52 years, starting when he was 13 in 1915, retiring at 65 in 1967, dead a year later. He worked on all the great bridges of the 20th century that Bethlehem Steel was involved in, which was most of them it seems ... Ive been thinking of him as the boys and I have been creating a series of pieces, not custom, around the theme of metal and wood. Weve sold a couple to clients passing through and we hope to sell these in the near future. The goal of this series is tell a story, highlight the (unusual) wood, and to build things efficiently and economically.
This is the beginning stage of the table above that we finished this week. The boards (20") were from a log of walnut I purchased from IrionLumber to make a pool table, a project that was, shortly after the boards arrived, canceled.
Two of the matching boards had a square cut out at the sawmill that obviously was to avoid sawing into a spike in the tree. Click the pictures to enlarge them ....
I went back and forth on what to put there, burl, little wood patterned inlays, but in the end, decided a couple textured, blackened steel plates would do the job. I can always change them later if inspiration strikes or if a client wants something personalized there ...
The boards were 10 long and we chopped two cracked crotch sections off the ends. (Not many people have a space for a 10, one piece table) This side table is 28" long x 20" wide x 24" high ...
All the photos in this post were taken in the (currently crowded) finish room and cut from their busy backgrounds with photoshop.


And then, we fnished the one board coffee table. Blow this up and check out the wood. When we made the dining table with the other part of this board, it was stained dark, which masked the various colors that are present in the natural wood ... 39.5 wide, 64 long and 17" high ...

On all these items, the phrase "Buy It Now" from Ebay applies. Pass it on ... Thanks ...

Here are some pics of the storage cabinets with the face frames attached. I glue them on, and nail as needed. If you make your face frames square to begin with, then you will have no problem when it comes time to attach...
This job is taking quite a long time for several reasons - I am working on 5 other projects at the same time, and these cabinets are being donated to my church. Hopefully I will be able to finish them soon!

We have had this old chair around for so long I cant tell you where it came from. Suffice it to say, it came to us unencumbered, meaning it had no seat. I was trying to think of an alternative material to replace the paper cordage seat that was all but gone when we took over the job of caretaker for this simple and small bundle of sticks. Well, I was at the hardware store and saw this nylon cordage in 50 bundles, light-bulb , yes this could look very nice and a bit unique. After my daughter was able to decipher a picture in Drew Langsner book (The Chairmakers Workshop),we went to work and here is the result.
As you can see, it didnt perfectly fill in all the space on the stretchers, For a first try it looks pretty good and it is stout. It has only loosened up the slightest bit and that is with people taking turns sitting in it as it is like having a new guest in the house. That is to say, it is getting a lot of attention.

I can hardly believe it, WE WON the final week of Creating with the Stars!!!! that deserves a few more !!!! There were some amazing projects from my fellow contestants throughout, so thank you for voting!

THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who voted!!

My AWESOME mentor Brooke from All Things Thrifty rocks! She was always just a phone call/text away from giving some great advice!! Thanks Brooke!

And a big thank you to contests AMAZING sponsors, Homes.com, HomeGoods, and HomeTalk!!

Finally, last but not least, a HUGE thank you to Monica and Jess from East Coast Creative for hosting Creating with the Stars! They put in tons of hours to make this event happen!

and if you didnt already see, our project was the grasscloth + nailhead feature wall and upholstered headboard!! Look for the details a little later this week at East Coast Creative!



AND

This week, Ill be giving away some of things that Ive used or made during the competition! There will be three winners!

Here are the prizes! 

1. Large Arabesque Stencil


2. Farrow and Ball wallpaper inspired stencil


3. Prints from our gallery wall used for the statement pendant (just prints, painting and coral fabric are staying with me :)


To enter for a chance to win, use the widget below! Entries will be open for a week!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks again to everyone who voted!! :) 
 

Well here I sit, at the end or perhaps beginning of the Made by Hand journey. The book was sent out yesterday and Im ready to take off a week or two to spend some time with my family. Ill be posting some new projects as they develop over the next few weeks so check back often.
In the meantime here are some shots of the six projects that will be in my book; Made by Hand - Furniture Projects from the Unplugged Woodshop.
Cheers!


















goin down the road- a cabinetmakers toolchest


















aint no feathers around here boys... a wall cabinet with half blind, through and sliding dovetails

















skinny legs and all - a side table with tapered legs


















where the good books go - a small bookcase with through mortise and tenon joinery


















picture pefect - a post and panel cabinet















where the hunters heel - a modern take on a traditional sideboard

A few months ago David built a planter for our patio out of 6 redwood fence posts

Since spring is here, I thought I would share it with you today


Our patio does have a southern exposure which equals lots of light all day, but the front of our balcony has concrete instead of railing so that section gets indirect light most of the day, so a shade plant is needed.

Yesterday, I planted impatiens in our planter


I am hoping that they will look something like this soon ...

 Also recently planted, English Daisies - which love shade.

Some herbs ready to be planted that I purchased when they were on sale


spearmint, cilantro, basil, peppermint, and rosemary 

These will be going in a new planter - the plan is for a ladder planter against this wall which gets mid morning to late afternoon sun (photo was taken shortly before sunset)


We have already purchased fence posts, maybe we will make it this weekend?

You can see our little lemon tree in the corner, only tiny green lemons right now ...

I would also like to add some hanging baskets on the beam, since they would get loads of sunlight.

Also, if you havent heard me mention it we are currently living at the beach, since I have never lived remotely close the the beach ... I am pretty excited about it


The photo was taken from our patio, while it doesnt capture the full immenseness of the view you kinda get the idea ... on the far left are the Oceano dunes (where part of Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed) and Pismo Beach is on the right

On a side note, I am tired of smelling people barbeque around dinner time, so we are getting a grill this weekend :) 

So many projects to do ... what will we do this weekend? planter, swap overhead light in bedroom, two mirrors to repair and paint, and finish other half of console table

Check back to see what we get done

Hope you have a great weekend!