Hey Folks,

Those of us who are of sufficient age will remember the above title as the late President Reagan’s favorite phrase during negotiations with Prime Minister Gorbachev, in the Cold War period of Detente.  While my relationship with magazine editors is not exactly Cold War epic, I do think that President Reagan’s favorite phrase is appropriate.

It’s no secret that, with some exceptions, I use other people’s designs for most of my work.  I generally prefer to do the woodwork, and leave the design work to others.  However, this practice does have inherent risks.  In this case, I built a dock chair from a plan published in an old magazine article.  The chair looked good, and potentially comfortable, and the knockdown & nesting feature was intriguing.

The problem arose when I used the downloadable, full sized plans for the leg profiles.  Although the photos in the article showed the chair parts nesting, when I made it from the provided profiles, the parts would not nest.  Checking back to the article, the chair in the photos was clearly not the chair of the downloaded plans.  The author had even mentioned that he made aesthetic “adjustments” to the plans.  IMHO the truly guilty party in this malfunction is the magazine editor, who did not insist on a chair made from the “adjusted” plan.  Once I compared the templates that I made, it was clear that one would not fit inside the other.

Therefore, I advanced upon a protracted struggle with reverse engineering the chair in the magazine photos.  It took me three failures, and numerous adjustments to the intersection between the final shapes before I was satisfied with a chair that was both comfortable, and functional.

The prototype is not for sale, but the next few will be.  If you’re coming to the Pig Out this weekend, you can try it out for yourself.  Oh, and if you think that yellow is an odd color to accompany the unfinished cedar, then try to imagine the cedar in a weathered grey color.

Cheers,
Tom

Hey Folks,

I just completed a commission today to build an objet d’art / coat hook for a repeat customer.  A repeat customer is a wonderful compliment and engenders a great feeling of accomplishment.  After all, it means that someone still likes your work enough to order another round even after the initial shine has worn off.

The project today was a piece of functional art, which for some reason didn’t fit into my usual lexicon so I fell into calling it, the doodad.  The doodad is made of quarter sawn white oak, charred with a torch, then brushed with a corn straw broom.  I rubbed in some finely ground granular aluminum to highlight the raised grain.  The doodad then got a few coats of 2# cut blond shellac.

The toggling pieces that form the coat hooks pivot on 1/8″ brass rod, and the whole thing hangs on a french cleat.

I don’t often take commissions because I have so much of my own work to keep up with, but who can resist a request for a second helping?

Cheers,
Tom

Hey Folks,

An unexpected gift from a dear friend is always a joy, even more so when the gift is thoughtfully considered.  Kris and I just returned from a vacation in England and I brought a gift for our friend who hosted us.  It was a stationery box, similar to the boxes that I made for my god-daughters for Christmas.  Although they were all made around the same time, I couldn’t show it to you because my friend Julie also follows the blog and I wanted the box to be a surprise.

Significant differences in this box from the previous ones are the copper foil veneer top, and the fact that the dimensions reflect European paper sizes.  The copper foil is stained with a verdigris etching, and is a sample piece offered by the company that produces large rolls for tables, bar tops, etc.  The box is African Sapele left over from the Roorkhee chairs.

To my surprise, I received a gift also, a copy of Spön, A guide to spoon carving and the new wood culture., by Barn the Spoon, one of England’s premier spoon carvers.  Spoon carving is, for me, the most recreational form of woodwork.  I use no plans or specifications other than my own vision of what is possible in the wood.  I use no machines or power tools, and the end result is a very personal effort.  I hope to get around to making more spoons in the future.

Cheers,
Tom

 

 

 

 

Okay, maybe not.

In anticipation of our biennial Pig Out, I’ve constructed a picnic table from a free online plan.  Of course, I made a few modifications and added my own touches to it, but by and large, it’s the classic design that most of us grew up with.

Things become ‘classic’ for good reasons, they endure because they work and have broad popularity.  In this case, we have a strong, sturdy piece that can be made from readily available construction lumber with minimal skill and tools.  It is also accommodates everyone, from tall people to small dogs.

As is usual, the simpler the better.  But the best thing about this project is…

It’s finished.

Cheers
Tom

 

Hey Folks,

*With apologies to Yogi Berra

Well, here we go again with a pair of Roorkhee Chairs, again modeled by the inimitable Peggy Tzu.

Significant differences in these chairs include Wickett & Craig English Bridle Leather, and doubled & hand stitched arm rests.  As before, the wood is African Sapele, and the finish is garnet shellac with dark wax.

Wicket & Craig produce what I think are the finest leathers in North America; they have been tanning hides since shortly after the Civil War.  The investment in this leather for these chairs is nearly double what I’ve paid in the past.  Additional labor is also required as these vegetable tanned leathers are not “shot through” with color, so every freshly cut edge needs dying and burnishing.  Finally, I’ve upped the game yet again by doubling and hand stitching the armrests.  All this means that the chairs are more expensive, but I think that it’s worth it; I hope you think so too.

Cheers,
Tom

BTW- The modern renaissance of the Roorkhee chair is entirely due to the efforts of Chris Schwarz who has taught hundreds to make them (including myself), and has freely shared his design and expertise.

Hey Folks,

One of the advantages of living/working in an older, established neighborhood, is the mature street trees that provide shade and comfort in an otherwise harsh urban environment.  Unfortunately, these same trees can disrupt sidewalks and cause problems with sewers and storm drains as they get older.  Such was the determination of the City of Seattle when they decided to remove the two trees from the front of my shop (they did repair the sidewalk).  So now instead of the dappled shade of a tree lined lane, my little building stands alone and exposed on the busy street.

Fortunately, the City’s Urban Forestry Division is sympathetic to the problem.  So after a valiant but failed attempt to save our trees, they have selected replacement trees that hopefully will be planted at the end of this week.  Our new trees will be Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica vanessa).  Although they won’t grow as tall, or as broad as the Red Maples that we once had, we’re looking forward to watching them grow.

Cheers,
Tom

Yeah, I’d say it’s green alright.

Hey Folks,

I was given a few freshly cut willow logs last Autumn and I had planned to make some hand carved spoons from them.  It turned out that willow is too soft to carve easily, so I just left them in the yard.

After a very wet Winter, and a few sunny days while I was away, something happened.  The willow decided that it wasn’t done yet and sprouted.  I’ve decided to bury these in the garden and watch what happens.  Maybe I’ll have a willow coppice someday.

Cheers,
Tom

Hey Folks,

Peggy Tzu and Uli are modeling my two latest creations, a pair of Roorkhee chairs.  If you’ve followed my blog, you know that the Roorkhee chair was a staple of the British military forces in India during the 19th century and into the 20th.  They are campaign furniture, and can be disassembled and packed away until needed (essentially an elegant camp chair).

Because of the sling seat, the thigh strap and the articulating back, these chairs are extremely comfortable to sit in for long periods of time.  Uli is also demonstrating another remarkable feature of this design.  Notice the small book under the front leg of the right chair.  Because the joinery is all conical mortise and tenon, and not glued, but held with straps and buckles, all the joints of the chair can rotate to accommodate any uneven surface; making them perfect for outdoor venues like concerts, picnics, and British officers’ quarters in the field.

The russet (orange) chair is sold, and headed for Virginia this weekend, but the black one is for sale at the shop.

Cheers,
Tom

BTW- The modern renaissance of the Roorkhee chair is entirely due to the efforts of Chris Schwarz who has taught hundreds to make them (including myself), and has freely shared his design and expertise.

Hey folks,

Years ago, I happened to walk past a butcher shop in a village, in England.  The butcher was in the  windowed front corner of his shop, butchering a half hog for all the world to see.  As I stopped to watch, I thought, “There stands an honest man, who not only shows his product, but also his craft.”

When I put the Nicholson bench in the front window of my shop, I had that butcher, and his shop, in mind. So this week I’ve been putting the finished surface on a run of Roorkhee chair legs, while working in my storefront window. I gotta say, I’m a little disappointed that so many folks just walk by without even looking up from their cell phones. Oh well, I guess as they say, “Don’t quit your day job.”

Hey wait a minute… 🙄

Cheers,

Tom

 

 

Hey Folks,

The date has been set for our biennial pig roast (our sixth),
Sunday, July 16th.  We decided to try a later date than previously, in hopes that we’ll have better weather.  Although, we now have a new picnic shelter, so weather should be less of a problem in any case.

The pig goes in the box at 11:00AM, we start eating around 3:00PM.  Stop by anytime after 10:00AM.  If you don’t want to miss the pig emerging from the box, it’s best to show up before 2:30PM.

We have lots of pig, if you have a side dish, dessert, or a favorite beverage, bring it along (pig roasting is thirsty work).

As in previous Pig Out!s, we look forward to sharing with all our customers and friends.  If you’re not yet a customer or friend, but would like to become one, …welcome!

Cheers
Tom