Category Archives: Design Book

From Hand to Hound?

Posted on August 3, 2015 by walkerg

  Jim Tolpin and I are pleased that our latest project “By Hound & Eye” is available for pre-sale through Lost Art Press. Some might ask, “How did the title of your earlier book “By Hand & Eye” morph into “By Hound & Eye”? … Continue reading →

Posted in Design Book, design workshops | 1 Comment

Shop Geometry that won’t make your eyes bleed

Posted on March 3, 2015 by walkerg

Recently Chris Schwarz lamented that that much of the historic literature on craft is stuffed with geometry but doesn’t explain how to set up a smoothing plane. And to make matters worse the geometry lessons quickly spin out of control … Continue reading →

Posted in Design Basics, Design Book | 5 Comments

Introducing Othie the shopdog

Posted on February 20, 2015 by walkerg

Jim Tolpin has an incredible woodshop and a shop dog named Othie.  Recently, Jim’s been working with Andrea Love to create a short animated clip of the work that the two of us have been exploring the past six years. … Continue reading →

Posted in Design Book | 8 Comments

Design workbook coming in 2015!

Posted on December 30, 2014 by walkerg

  Jim Tolpin and I are in high cotton. Even before By Hand & Eye was finished we sensed there was still a critical missing piece. That missing piece was a bridge that linked the head knowledge of design with … Continue reading →

Posted in Design Basics, Design Book, proportions, Resources | 10 Comments

Compass layouts on Youtube

Posted on January 22, 2014 by walkerg

Nearly every guide to the building arts going back to the dawn of printing included a series of geometric layouts with a compass. A challenge to the decipher, these lessons were shoehorned together, and made worse with a flurry of … Continue reading →

Posted in Design Basics, Design Book | 7 Comments

Down the Rabbit Hole IV

Posted on May 28, 2013 by walkerg

In our newly released book “By Hand & Eye” we promised to post instructions build a sector. Jim put this together. Making a Sector Select clear, straight-grained, light-colored stock such as maple. Produce sticks from 4/4 stock, tapering from about … Continue reading →

Posted in Design Book, Rabbit Hole | 19 Comments

Down the Rabbit hole II

Posted on May 1, 2013 by walkerg

Proportioning Systems Outside the Western World (Your host of this particular rabbit hole is Jim) One question George and I often get is whether this whole scheme of designing to whole number ratios is limited to the classical (i.e. pre-industrial) … Continue reading →

Posted in Design Book, Rabbit Hole | 2 Comments

Music for the Eyes

Posted on April 24, 2013 by walkerg

Renaissance architects saw a clear connection between music and design. They equated proportions with musical notes and often said pleasing proportions were music for the eyes. There’s a rich legacy of this musical/proportional connection going back to ancient Greece, yet … Continue reading →

Posted in Design Book | 1 Comment

Down the Rabbit Hole

Posted on April 15, 2013 by walkerg

Last Friday Jim Tolpin shared a brief teaser about the artisan design language we explored together in our soon to be released book “By Hand & Eye”. In the comments that followed, Jim made a reference to the Rabbit Hole. … Continue reading →

Posted in Design Book, Rabbit Hole | 4 Comments

Built-in portable, waterproof, hairy, handy ruler.

Posted on December 18, 2012 by walkerg

Four years ago I sat in the back of a design workshop led by Jim Tolpin. He demonstrated how to design and build a piece of furniture using his hands as a ruler by walking us through a small step … Continue reading →

Posted in Design Book | 5 Comments