I have one more series of thoughts on the William and Mary Book Stand I recently completed. As I was pondering the finish of the piece I spent a little more time on Chuck Benders site to get a look at how he did the finish. He took a little bit different of an approach than I did, creating a finish that looks aged, but what I began to really notice was the finish pictures he had staged of his piece. Pictures just like this:
Now he also had a picture of the original piece. that picture was staged very similar to the picture of his work.
So I figured I had to keep up the tradition and stage a similar picture of my own. I wanted to personalize it somewhat though. I didnt have a nifty chip carved box or a blue glass vessel to show off in the picture. I thought about it quite a while. I wanted some items that represented me and yet, I also wanted to do something that was an update on the piece itself.
This is a piece with its roots in a different era, a time when books were a status symbol of wealth and affluence. The other day I was sitting in our local Barnes and Nobles with my wife. We each were enjoying a quiet moment together in the coffee shop area, each of us paging through a book.
Im not sure if everyone remembers such antiques as books but they are made of paper with words printed right on the page. The words dont move, light up, or hyperlink to a web page, but they can be highly entertaining. On the whole, I recommend books!
But while we sat there I took my eyes from the print in front of me to take a sip of my lemonade, and I happened to look around me. We were not alone, at least six other tables were occupied and we were the only ones with books in our hands, the rest of the tables were a collection of different digital tablets and readers and one dude with another antique known as a laptop.
In 1711 a book was a status symbol, in 2011, to my sometimes chagrin, the tablet reader is the new status symbol of the literary world. So I borrowed an tablet reader from a friend and used it to set up this picture. For what its worth, Id rather see a book on the stand.
Ratione et Passionis
Oldwolf
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Im not sure if everyone remembers such antiques as books but they are made of paper with words printed right on the page. The words dont move, light up, or hyperlink to a web page, but they can be highly entertaining. On the whole, I recommend books!
But while we sat there I took my eyes from the print in front of me to take a sip of my lemonade, and I happened to look around me. We were not alone, at least six other tables were occupied and we were the only ones with books in our hands, the rest of the tables were a collection of different digital tablets and readers and one dude with another antique known as a laptop.
In 1711 a book was a status symbol, in 2011, to my sometimes chagrin, the tablet reader is the new status symbol of the literary world. So I borrowed an tablet reader from a friend and used it to set up this picture. For what its worth, Id rather see a book on the stand.
Ratione et Passionis
Oldwolf
Evolution Of An Idea
The process of creating something has always been fascinating to me. Sometimes you struggle and fight with an idea for a while before sweat and hard work let you eek out a solution. Sometimes an idea just strikes you from sideways and its like bringing your head up above water. The previous is a can be a significant amount of work and the later seems to come unbidden from no where.
I had a box to carve and a short time to do it, but I wasnt sure where I wanted to go with the carving. I knew I wanted to play more with a guiloche design, a series of circle shapes interwoven with each other, and I thought I would do that along the front of the box like I had on this version.
I was struggling more with the panel style carving for the lid. I wasnt sure which direction to go.
Then the Greek Muses struck at a crazy moment. One of my wifes great uncles had passed away at ripe old age of 97 and we went to attend the funeral. It was held in a wonderfully old, ornate Lutheran church in La Crosse. As we sat throughout the ceremony I spent some time looking at the architectural elements surrounding the altar. Running in a great arch was a guilloche. I went back after the ceremony was over and snapped some pictures with my cell phone.
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After the ceremony, the family gathered for a light lunch and some time to visit and catch up in the churches basement. As I was looking at the design an idea had started to formulate in my mind about using the guilloche for the panel instead of the front. I didnt have my trusty sketchbook with, even though it follows me nearly everywhere. Thank goodness the little church ladies who helped make the sandwiches and pour the coffee had put out paper place-mats for everyone.
Heres a picture of the sketch I made on my place-mat.
I folded the paper up and put it in my pocket and I let it percolate in my mind for a couple days until it was finally time to build the box.
I start the layout using a couple pairs of dividers to scratch marks in the oaks smooth planed surface. One divider is set to the larger circles and one to the smaller circles. First I scribe a series of circles whose lines just touch along the marked axis. Then I adjust both sets of dividers to make slightly larger scratches around the first series.
After this is done I again adjust the dividers slightly smaller than the first series of circles and scratch marks inside. This puts the first series of scratches in the middle of the thicker overlapping wall. Its tough to explain in words, if you already carve then my description might help, I should just film a video to help explain it.
I know Peter Follansbee has banished the scourge of pencils from the shop he works from (at least where his period work is concerned) but I find the thin lead from a mechanical pencil helps keep me on track of which line is crossing over the other. (it also helps the layout scratches show up in the photograph.)
The hard part of the layout work is done. Now I just have hit the oak with a "V" chisel and the process has begun.
I really got fixated into the carving that afternoon and I forgot to take any process pictures until the panel was done. The flowers in the circles are all gouge work as is the design that ended up in the corners. Personally I feel like the corners is where this one fell apart on me. I really failed to plan well for them and though I think what developed there on a "spur of the moment" idea is interesting and has a balancing movement to it I think I could have done something better. I wanted to do something like the two columns that flank the original I saw in the church but the space wasnt right for a couple ribbon bands either.
I was very happy with the guilloche and how all the detail in there worked out, looking at it now I feel I could have done something more with them smaller circles, but I do believe the enemy of good is better. I usually try to stop while Im ahead.
As I do more of these boxes I am building a better sense of balance and style to the carvings. I get the feeling you can overwhelm a piece with too much of the same shape. Maybe this wasnt a concern in the 17th century where this style of carving would be more at home, but I am building in the 21st century for clients with a modern eye.
As I read that I think it can be misconstrued that Im saying I have to dumb things down for a typical modern person to appreciate. I am not saying that. I am trying to say that while I am using 17th century carving styles and techniques as my platform, I am not interested in imitating or recreating as much as Im interested in using those things as a springboard to launch me into my own.
The art teacher I spent the most time working with in my misspent youth always stressed the composition of a piece through the use of balance and movement. If theres a busy area you have to even it out with a simpler area or the eyes of the viewer can become overtaxed and overloaded. Its important to me that my work is pleasing to both my eyes and others so I try to incorporate these long ago learned lessons more and more as I get better at this carving thing.
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The box was finished with a lightly pigmented Danish Oil. All in all the box went from lumber to piece in around four days. The lid was carved in one evening. Its not as important to me but getting faster is probably a byproduct of comfort and familiarity. I didnt even have time to get very good final pics before I had to deliver it.
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Its funny how things name themselves sometimes. The man I was making this box is the son of a pastor, and hes a very religious man, though not the kind who pushes his views on others. (The right kind in my book) I added the crosses on the front as a kind of a tribute to that. As I finished them up I was amused to find there were seven crosses, something unplanned, the same number as large circles on the top. Gospel stories and parables from my Sunday school days rolled around my head as I was putting the final details and hinges on the box. I started to refer to call it "Seven Times Seventy Loaves"
Ive since gone back and reread the things I was thinking about and realize the name is a combination of a couple of stories, but really thats insignificant. Im not sure I named it at all. I think it was those damned muses again.
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Ratione et Passionis
Oldwolf
P.S. Those who know me will understand my sense of humor, Originally I had named this post "A-Mused To Death" which I thought was a clever reference to a moment of inspiration striking while at a funeral. I was kind of proud of my brilliance and shared it with my wife, who calmly convinced me it wasnt really in good taste. Shes probably right, but Im still irreverent enough that I couldnt let it go completely. Its probably the same personality fault that made my eighth grade Theology teacher kick me out of her class for most of the year. In the end I guess I am who I am.
Cheers
D
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Nor was it in seeing wainscott chairs.
For a while I have wanted to take the next step from bible boxes and try my hand at an actual joined chest. I think I may just take it another step further after that. Why not a couple Wainscott Chairs after some joined stools? Why not that small folding table? Why not a full sized tavern table? Why not explore the form as much as possible?
Second. I am feverishly packing and planing for a return trip to Nicaragua. Last April I went down with a group of Doctors for a medical mission trip and when we arrived we found out the government wouldnt allow us to do more than take a tour of the hospital. We spent the time learning what we could to avoid the pitfalls in the future and now we are prepped to give it another go. With everything else going on at home it sat on my back burner until I realized, "Hey, the trip is a couple weeks away, Id better get off my ass!"
So the last couple weeks have been a little more chaotic than usual, and I expect the next few to be as well. If you are emailing me or trying to buy a tool or whatever, please be patient with me as I take some time to help provide some care for a group of folks who need it the most.
Third, Id like to introduce some new characters to the blog. Im thinking about calling them The Sawdust Gang. .JPG)
My sixteen year old daughter Chloe made them for me for Christmas. First she made the figure that looks like me, then she decided my poppet would be lonesome without friends. She colluded with my wife who suggested she make figures after the woodworkers whose names shes heard me speak about the most. Chris Schwarz, Peter Follansbee, and Roy Underhill. .JPG)
Together these guys should be able to get into a fair amount of trouble in the shop. Well see where their adventures take them. Im kind of thinking about doing a series with them Comic Book style, well see what ideas I can come up with. (Im open to ideas in the comments area too!)
Truthfully it might be a decent way to introduce kids to the idea of hand tool woodworking as a "real" thing. Not just something the pioneers had to do. This comes from a real conversation I had with a high school kid last year at one of my carving demos. When he saw my carvings his first question was "You had a computer do this for you right?"
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Maybe Im aiming high for some linen, a few threads of string and some stuffing, but these guys will be fun for me at any rate. (I guess I can only hope their namesakes forgive me any poetic licence) Can anyone else hear the theme music for the "A-Team?"
I pity the fool. . .
Oldwolf
Read More..
I had a box to carve and a short time to do it, but I wasnt sure where I wanted to go with the carving. I knew I wanted to play more with a guiloche design, a series of circle shapes interwoven with each other, and I thought I would do that along the front of the box like I had on this version.
I was struggling more with the panel style carving for the lid. I wasnt sure which direction to go.Then the Greek Muses struck at a crazy moment. One of my wifes great uncles had passed away at ripe old age of 97 and we went to attend the funeral. It was held in a wonderfully old, ornate Lutheran church in La Crosse. As we sat throughout the ceremony I spent some time looking at the architectural elements surrounding the altar. Running in a great arch was a guilloche. I went back after the ceremony was over and snapped some pictures with my cell phone.
After the ceremony, the family gathered for a light lunch and some time to visit and catch up in the churches basement. As I was looking at the design an idea had started to formulate in my mind about using the guilloche for the panel instead of the front. I didnt have my trusty sketchbook with, even though it follows me nearly everywhere. Thank goodness the little church ladies who helped make the sandwiches and pour the coffee had put out paper place-mats for everyone.Heres a picture of the sketch I made on my place-mat.
I folded the paper up and put it in my pocket and I let it percolate in my mind for a couple days until it was finally time to build the box.I start the layout using a couple pairs of dividers to scratch marks in the oaks smooth planed surface. One divider is set to the larger circles and one to the smaller circles. First I scribe a series of circles whose lines just touch along the marked axis. Then I adjust both sets of dividers to make slightly larger scratches around the first series.After this is done I again adjust the dividers slightly smaller than the first series of circles and scratch marks inside. This puts the first series of scratches in the middle of the thicker overlapping wall. Its tough to explain in words, if you already carve then my description might help, I should just film a video to help explain it.
I know Peter Follansbee has banished the scourge of pencils from the shop he works from (at least where his period work is concerned) but I find the thin lead from a mechanical pencil helps keep me on track of which line is crossing over the other. (it also helps the layout scratches show up in the photograph.)The hard part of the layout work is done. Now I just have hit the oak with a "V" chisel and the process has begun.I really got fixated into the carving that afternoon and I forgot to take any process pictures until the panel was done. The flowers in the circles are all gouge work as is the design that ended up in the corners. Personally I feel like the corners is where this one fell apart on me. I really failed to plan well for them and though I think what developed there on a "spur of the moment" idea is interesting and has a balancing movement to it I think I could have done something better. I wanted to do something like the two columns that flank the original I saw in the church but the space wasnt right for a couple ribbon bands either.I was very happy with the guilloche and how all the detail in there worked out, looking at it now I feel I could have done something more with them smaller circles, but I do believe the enemy of good is better. I usually try to stop while Im ahead.
As I do more of these boxes I am building a better sense of balance and style to the carvings. I get the feeling you can overwhelm a piece with too much of the same shape. Maybe this wasnt a concern in the 17th century where this style of carving would be more at home, but I am building in the 21st century for clients with a modern eye.As I read that I think it can be misconstrued that Im saying I have to dumb things down for a typical modern person to appreciate. I am not saying that. I am trying to say that while I am using 17th century carving styles and techniques as my platform, I am not interested in imitating or recreating as much as Im interested in using those things as a springboard to launch me into my own.
The art teacher I spent the most time working with in my misspent youth always stressed the composition of a piece through the use of balance and movement. If theres a busy area you have to even it out with a simpler area or the eyes of the viewer can become overtaxed and overloaded. Its important to me that my work is pleasing to both my eyes and others so I try to incorporate these long ago learned lessons more and more as I get better at this carving thing.
The box was finished with a lightly pigmented Danish Oil. All in all the box went from lumber to piece in around four days. The lid was carved in one evening. Its not as important to me but getting faster is probably a byproduct of comfort and familiarity. I didnt even have time to get very good final pics before I had to deliver it. Its funny how things name themselves sometimes. The man I was making this box is the son of a pastor, and hes a very religious man, though not the kind who pushes his views on others. (The right kind in my book) I added the crosses on the front as a kind of a tribute to that. As I finished them up I was amused to find there were seven crosses, something unplanned, the same number as large circles on the top. Gospel stories and parables from my Sunday school days rolled around my head as I was putting the final details and hinges on the box. I started to refer to call it "Seven Times Seventy Loaves"Ive since gone back and reread the things I was thinking about and realize the name is a combination of a couple of stories, but really thats insignificant. Im not sure I named it at all. I think it was those damned muses again.
Ratione et PassionisOldwolf
P.S. Those who know me will understand my sense of humor, Originally I had named this post "A-Mused To Death" which I thought was a clever reference to a moment of inspiration striking while at a funeral. I was kind of proud of my brilliance and shared it with my wife, who calmly convinced me it wasnt really in good taste. Shes probably right, but Im still irreverent enough that I couldnt let it go completely. Its probably the same personality fault that made my eighth grade Theology teacher kick me out of her class for most of the year. In the end I guess I am who I am.
Cheers
D
Crap Now I Have a Deadline
Well now Im into it, the medieval reenactment group I am part of has been contracted to set up a living history demonstration on June 19th and 20th at "The Olde English Faire," to be held at the Wildlife Prairie State Park out side of Peoria, IL. (More information can be found at their website here) Up until now the closest faire we had on the books was early August, so I had some time to get together my set up for doing period hand tool woodworking demonstrations. Now my demo needs to be ready in a little more than a month. 
The biggest problem will be finishing the Joinery Bench I am working on with enough time to set up the remaining things I need. I am starting to ponder adding some electron smashing tools to some steps to help speed up the process. The original intent was for it to be a completely hand tool build, but I dont think I can afford for every day to be like today.
I did get to spend the afternoon working on the table top, I got the last two 2x8s ripped in half, Thank god. I dont think I could do many more. I just dont have the wind for it. I took my time and changed things up so I wouldnt wear myself out. I set up my sharpening station and sharpened some chisels, I would rip a couple feet of board, sharpen some chisels, rip a couple more feet, crosscut a couple of previously ripped pieces to length, rip a little more, start the sandwich glue up on the to length boards, rip a little more, go sharpen another chisel or two, rip a little more.
Following this pattern I managed to work my way through the last two boards. and get a couple of other little things done. But sandwiching the boards is a time consuming trick. I like to use the polyurethane, expanding glue for this process. I have to admit that I have no exceptional reason why I consider it to be better than standard woodworking glue for this application beyond falling guilelessly for the advertisements of it being the "toughest glue on the planet" and the foaming expansion gives me a feeling of complete coverage and contact. 
As darkness fell I had to pile everything I was working on back into the shop and turn in for the night. Youll notice how jammed full of crap the Wood Shop Jr. is from the pic. I really had to control myself to just let it go and go upstairs for supper. I have been on the forums, Ive read the posts, I know there are lots of woodsmiths out there who find cleaning their shop just barely a step above things like water boarding and bamboo shoots under the fingernails. I am not that guy. I need and crave an organized shop. Maybe its the way I was raised, (I doubt it because my fathers shops were always piles of disaster on top of piles of who knows what, but he always had good intentions of organization, its just that a lack of time always got in his way) Maybe its my job in an Operating Room where I have to keep a large amount of surgical instruments organized and ready for a case. (this is probably more likely) Maybe its just who I am . . . either way, Im not crazy or over obsessive about it, it doesnt get in my way of making sawdust, but I do like to put away things properly because I view it as protection of an investment. Typically I will clean up a little between stages of a build, when Im done mortising a joint, I hang up the chisels and mallet. When I finish a project, I clean the shop itself, sweep the floor and try to get things ready for the next show. In between projects I usually do a few maintenance things, sharpen a plane blade or two, maybe tune up the table saw, things I didnt take the time to do in the push of finishing a workpiece, sometimes this leads to building a shop accessory I thought would help during the previous build. Its a method of work that has always worked for me. But I really had a problem with how packed the shop looked tonight. I know the Wood Shop Jr. is going to hamper my style more and more as this project continues, as the piece grows and grows. Well just have to wait and see how frustrated I get. On a side note, if you live near Peoria and are looking for something to do this June, stop by the Olde English Faire and see me. Just remember to be kind, this will be the first time I make sawdust with a potential audience. Cheer Oldwolf
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The biggest problem will be finishing the Joinery Bench I am working on with enough time to set up the remaining things I need. I am starting to ponder adding some electron smashing tools to some steps to help speed up the process. The original intent was for it to be a completely hand tool build, but I dont think I can afford for every day to be like today.woodworking bench vise
Woodworking Benches Must not be Without having These kinds of Important FactorsWhen it comes to dealing with construction as well as woodworking projects theres nothing much a lot far additional useful you will require than the usual wood working counter. They may be built to assist as well as help the building industry worker throughout planning, putting together, and completing projects from beginning to end. If youve ever thought about purchasing this type of bench youll be able to make your very individual or even purchase one from a hardware store or perhaps shop.
Regardless of what your choice (home made or bought), there are some important to know components that will help to help create a huge difference. So make sure you maintain these crucial points easy woodworking ideas in your mind.
Wood working VisesLet us start with a very helpful item, that should come attached to the table: Vises. The vise is basically a mechanical twist or perhaps having device which is built to help to keep your design items in position whilst working. Essentially, any vise holds down on the particular wood pieces as well as holds them in position. While using these people, you are able to observed, minimize, mess hardware withinside, as well as or else prepare and make your woodwork venture. No matter whether youre building your own or even are buying one from your retail home improvement store, be sure that your bench or stand has these kinds of vises.
Durable FoundationIts not going to become as well pleasant in case you are working with any noticed or perhaps various other very dangerous woodworking resources as well as the legs of ones bench give out. Consequently they make certain the quality of your own woodwork counter is good, this means particularly that the bench needs to be strong - not just the hip and lower limbs, but in addition the particular shape and best. A great table needs to be keeping no less than a couple of hundred or so lbs in order that you will end up assured its not going to crumble or even split under time limits. As well as do make sure the wood working table is a affordable dimension, so that you can recieve treatment with greater bits of woodworking shop.
StorageAnother important element, that you will be very grateful for, is actually safe-keeping to hold all your resources, gear, and also components. Additionally, additionally it is good to have additional storage space to put scrap items of timber or even partially-finished jobs so that you can return to end all of these later on. Seats have a number of storage space opportunities and lastly, the greater storage space, the greater. At the very least, ensure that you have got at least one underneath ledge obtainable.
Read More..
Regardless of what your choice (home made or bought), there are some important to know components that will help to help create a huge difference. So make sure you maintain these crucial points easy woodworking ideas in your mind.
Wood working VisesLet us start with a very helpful item, that should come attached to the table: Vises. The vise is basically a mechanical twist or perhaps having device which is built to help to keep your design items in position whilst working. Essentially, any vise holds down on the particular wood pieces as well as holds them in position. While using these people, you are able to observed, minimize, mess hardware withinside, as well as or else prepare and make your woodwork venture. No matter whether youre building your own or even are buying one from your retail home improvement store, be sure that your bench or stand has these kinds of vises.
Durable FoundationIts not going to become as well pleasant in case you are working with any noticed or perhaps various other very dangerous woodworking resources as well as the legs of ones bench give out. Consequently they make certain the quality of your own woodwork counter is good, this means particularly that the bench needs to be strong - not just the hip and lower limbs, but in addition the particular shape and best. A great table needs to be keeping no less than a couple of hundred or so lbs in order that you will end up assured its not going to crumble or even split under time limits. As well as do make sure the wood working table is a affordable dimension, so that you can recieve treatment with greater bits of woodworking shop.
StorageAnother important element, that you will be very grateful for, is actually safe-keeping to hold all your resources, gear, and also components. Additionally, additionally it is good to have additional storage space to put scrap items of timber or even partially-finished jobs so that you can return to end all of these later on. Seats have a number of storage space opportunities and lastly, the greater storage space, the greater. At the very least, ensure that you have got at least one underneath ledge obtainable.
The Woodshop is a Playground
An excellent day in the shop today, I had a goal of building a saw till in a day. Why make that goal? No reason other than to challenge myself a little. I did fall short of the goal by half. If I can put another full day in tomorrow I will most likely be finished. Do I feel like I failed? No, I got a lot accomplished and I probably could have gotten farther but I took quite a bit of time to work with my "apprentice."
Infinity just turned eight and shes been coming to the shop with me more and more often. Unfortunately there are good stretches of time where I am doing something repetitious, like cutting dovetails, and there are no tools to hand to me or additional questions to ask, and boredom takes over. Ive gotten her started with a small piece of pine and working at a saw bench to "practice her saw cuts"
I had her mark out 1 inch increments with a ruler, pencil, and speed square, and practice cutting on the line. I showed her how to hold the saw, I made one cut to demonstrate, and I let her go at it. Over the last two trips to the shop shes made a couple over a dozen practice cuts, each time comparing her cut with my first one. By half way through today she was consistently cutting reasonably square cuts. I had to take my pull saw back to cut some dovetails so I traded her for a cheep Stanley short construction saw I keep for remodeling/home repair jobs, and after I showed her the difference in how a push saw cuts and to use a shallower entry angle. Within a few minutes she had it rocking. Kids are frickin amazing man, just a little bit of work and the muscle memory is there.
I did make some progress on the saw till as well, but Im feeling a bit worn out this evening and I think Ill just let some pictures tell the rest of the story of today in the shop.
Cheers.
Oldwolf
Read More..
Infinity just turned eight and shes been coming to the shop with me more and more often. Unfortunately there are good stretches of time where I am doing something repetitious, like cutting dovetails, and there are no tools to hand to me or additional questions to ask, and boredom takes over. Ive gotten her started with a small piece of pine and working at a saw bench to "practice her saw cuts"
I had her mark out 1 inch increments with a ruler, pencil, and speed square, and practice cutting on the line. I showed her how to hold the saw, I made one cut to demonstrate, and I let her go at it. Over the last two trips to the shop shes made a couple over a dozen practice cuts, each time comparing her cut with my first one. By half way through today she was consistently cutting reasonably square cuts. I had to take my pull saw back to cut some dovetails so I traded her for a cheep Stanley short construction saw I keep for remodeling/home repair jobs, and after I showed her the difference in how a push saw cuts and to use a shallower entry angle. Within a few minutes she had it rocking. Kids are frickin amazing man, just a little bit of work and the muscle memory is there.
I did make some progress on the saw till as well, but Im feeling a bit worn out this evening and I think Ill just let some pictures tell the rest of the story of today in the shop.
Cheers.Oldwolf
Inspiration
For me it all started with a simple idea. I wanted to learn to carve, by hand, with chisels and a mallet, instead of what I had done up to that point in time which was technically tracing pencil lines with a rotary tool.
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| The dremel carving on this boarded chest is effective in appearance but the process is distinctly less fulfilling. |
I looked at several books and none of them made sense, or really even covered in depth the carving I wanted to do. Not that I could have clearly explained what I wanted, but I knew I had no interest in rendering three dimensional fish from bass wood (a common theme I saw in several books). I wanted to adorn the case pieces I was building and neither fish nor basswood figured into that in my mind.
Then I floundered onto Peter Follansbees blog "Joiners Notes" (Another fish reference!) and found something I had been looking for. Geometric patterns that could be simple and complex all at the same time, historical reference for the carvings he was doing, domestic hardwoods like oak and walnut, and case pieces from boxes to chests. I was able to finally point at something and say, "There...that is what I want to learn to do."
Then Peter came out with a DVD packed with carving instructions and I was shown the path I had been searching for. But there was so much more down the path that I wasnt expecting. I think Peter is a clever man and along the way to learning to carve in a 17th century style, I also found my self becoming enamored with the furniture it adorned.
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| This was always the type of carving I wanted to do. |
Earlier this week I took my eldest daughter, who is home schooled, on a field trip of her own design. We got up very early in the morning and drove across the state to visit some museums in Milwaukee. Ill admit I influenced this decision some, I knew the Milwaukee Arts Museum held a sizable collection of furniture from the Chipstone Collection that I had always wanted to see.
I was blown away seeing several of these pieces in person. These pieces carry a power and permanence that sets them apart. I have grown up looking and and being around good and bad versions of furniture, from Shaker to Craftsman, from Queens Anne to Art Deco, from Modern to Federal, and most everything in between. And to my modern eyes, these "old" pieces looked fresh and new. You just dont see pieces like this around. I have to admit that I have become completely smitten with the style and I am becoming interested in exploring it more completely on my own.
The real revelation for me was not completely held in seeing chests from this period.
Nor in seeing the joined chests. . .
Nor was it in seeing wainscott chairs. I had seen these types of pieces in photos before.
The piece that grabbed me was this simple little table, with a gate-leg and folding open tabletop.
I didnt know that anything like this was around from that period, and for me it awoke in my mind the idea that this style of Joyned Furniture could be more than historical pieces, it could be furniture you could fill a house with. At around 28" in height it would make a great end table or bed side table.
Then later, in a different section of the Museum I saw this table in a painting of a tavern scene from the same time period, and now an idea started to germinate in my mind.
For a while I have wanted to take the next step from bible boxes and try my hand at an actual joined chest. I think I may just take it another step further after that. Why not a couple Wainscott Chairs after some joined stools? Why not that small folding table? Why not a full sized tavern table? Why not explore the form as much as possible? What a rabbit hole of inspiration Mr. Follansbee has help open for me. I only hope I get the chance to thank him in person someday.
Ratioine et Passionis
Oldwolf
You should check out Peter Follansbees Blog Joiners Notes
You should also take a look at the Chipstone Collections Page
You should also take a look at Peters New Book from Lost Art Press written with Jennie Alexander and called "Make a Joint Stool From a Tree: An Introduction to 17th Century Joinery" and pre-purchase it (like I did) so you can get free shipping.
Updates And Introductions
A quick note about the next few weeks for the Oldwolf Workshop.
First, I stole another idea from Chris Schwarz. He changed his blog to have a list of things in the sidebar and I thought the idea was too good to pass up. The thing that got me is the "What am I reading?" section. I am a huge sucker for the written word and ever since high school I have been known to read up to a half a dozen books at a time. I always wanted to come up with a way to share what Im reading or watching without feeling like I have to write a review about it.
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| This shelf of woodworking woodworking books is just the tip of the iceberg, The collection has grown three fold in the two years since this was taken. The eBay gods have been kind to me. |
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| Selva Negra Plantation. Nicaragua |
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| Apoyo De Laguna Nicaragua |
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| Sulfur clouds cover the sun at the volcano at Masada Nicaragua |
My sixteen year old daughter Chloe made them for me for Christmas. First she made the figure that looks like me, then she decided my poppet would be lonesome without friends. She colluded with my wife who suggested she make figures after the woodworkers whose names shes heard me speak about the most. Chris Schwarz, Peter Follansbee, and Roy Underhill. Together these guys should be able to get into a fair amount of trouble in the shop. Well see where their adventures take them. Im kind of thinking about doing a series with them Comic Book style, well see what ideas I can come up with. (Im open to ideas in the comments area too!)Truthfully it might be a decent way to introduce kids to the idea of hand tool woodworking as a "real" thing. Not just something the pioneers had to do. This comes from a real conversation I had with a high school kid last year at one of my carving demos. When he saw my carvings his first question was "You had a computer do this for you right?"
Maybe Im aiming high for some linen, a few threads of string and some stuffing, but these guys will be fun for me at any rate. (I guess I can only hope their namesakes forgive me any poetic licence) Can anyone else hear the theme music for the "A-Team?"I pity the fool. . .
Oldwolf
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