Monthly Archives: May 2010
Welcome to masters class
I hear the following comments on a regular basis. They usually come out on the second day of a workshop or seminar where I’m teaching a group of woodworkers. It goes like this, “Last night after dinner I pulled my … Continue reading
Design and ornament
There’s been a ton of debate about ornament and whether or not it belongs on a good design. Granted there have been periods when builders almost took leave of their senses and indulged in colossal expressions of bling. In the … Continue reading
Design Critique 05/21/2010
How about a little twist on a design critique? It’s been a pleasure for me and I hope for you the last few weeks sharing thoughts and comments on previous design critiques. I thought it might be fun to occasionally … Continue reading
Norman Rockwell Lives!
You might want to take a look at Matt’s Basement Workshop Podcast by Matt Vanderlist. Ocasionally he features posts from my “Design Matters” blog. Today there is an entry on proportions originally posted on March 29th. Until I break down … Continue reading
Drafting Board
I’ve had several people inquire about the drafting board I have in my workshop. Like my workbench it’s evolved through several incarnations and the current version serves my needs quite well. Most notably, it folds flat and can be carted … Continue reading
Cincy Hand Tool Event June 4th, 5th
If you’re in the Cincinnati area the first weekend in June you might want to stop by the offices of Popular Woodworking Magazine to check out the hand tool event. I’ll be there with a contigent of folks from SAPFM … Continue reading
Design Critique 05/12/2010
Steve Millican has submitted plans for a hutch to be used in the kitchen. In this case he has marvelous wood and some functional requirements driving the design. In our house, I tread lightly in the kitchen. Barb is master and commander … Continue reading
Tight joinery made simpler
A few years ago I was teaching a class at Marc Adams and a student who shall remain nameless chided me for choosing hand tools over powered versions. He argued that power tools were more accurate. I had to scrape … Continue reading
Design Critique 05/07/2010
Furniture designer and builder Bob Passaro submitted this bench for a design critique. Bob poses that age old question that every artisan wrestles with. Like many of us he wonders what he might do differently if he built another. I … Continue reading
Does it hold up?
If you’re a writer you should read a lot. Not just read anything but feed on a steady diet of good writing. A painter or sculptor benefits from studying masterworks, the architect from closely examining fine buildings. It goes without … Continue reading