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#1 ·
Making a saw handle PART 1

I thought it might be an interesting idea to make Exercises in Artisanship a blog series! I want to thank the interest in the initial blog of the series title http://lumberjocks.com/jjw5858/blog/29038, glad some of you enjoyed it. Special thanks to Brit (Andy) for the kind props.

This time I went back to the drawing board…literally…lol. I Sketched through a few more ideas to make a final useable handle that will be executed in a slab of maple.

I spent time enjoying the experience for part one and found that I learned so much more by really getting in touch with the tools…and seeing how to make the best use of their versatility.

I hope this step by step process will encourage others to find something you want to make….and allow you to stop and take the time. Exercises in Artisanship for me…....is a learning process all about taking shorter shop sessions but greatly increasing their meaning, enjoyment and quality of craftsmenship.

My hobby in woodwork became rushed, overzealous and greedy for ALWAYS wanting more…..more builds….more tools…....more…more…...and it started to become NOT VERY FUN!....lol The satisfaction levels for my own appreciation of what I challenged myself to try and make were dropping quick.

I think at times it is very human to want to get a gold star from our family, friends and peers. But sometimes in doing so….it can be as rewarding as running in circles…lol

To the hobbiest wood worker….enjoy it as much as you can….I am beginning to. This is a
hobby that can get out of control if you let it…...lol

Ahhhhh….a shop view..this is why we are all rushing…to work with the trees! But let the trees help us to slow down…wonderful way to get started taking a moment and viewing it….



For this project I picked a more layed back sketch….although I truely enjoyed and was very happy with my pine prototype handle…..I went for something a little less busy. The prototype handle can be viewed here: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/63498

Here's the three layouts and I have enough maple to try them all if I like.


Picked this one and got the design over to some tracing paper.


Slab OOOOO Maple…lol. Traced my design to the board and carried on.


Getting the lines for the holes layed out using my square and knife.


I measured from the top down and recorded their approximate target point for the drill


Flipped over and made sure to record the measures from the same faced side so the holes will line up as good as we can get….for handtools and no drill press….lol (Note: I also made sure to knife notch the ends of my reference lines….to help me connect the lines more accurately over to the other faces…this worked wonders doing so that way.)


Ok ..lets break out the square and eggbeater drill….had this drill and used to play with it as a kid..wow….30 plus years later…who knew?...lol Square as we can….drill halfway down. Flip and more of the same. Later I will use a brace for making the hole diameter larger with a few more drill bit sizes until I achieve the correct size.


An awesome purchase. A friendly guy at an auction sold me this hand counter bore for a buck….and I use it more than I ever thought…lol


Oh dam….I guess I have to use this lovely little Disston D-23 for relief cuts around the sketch….first auction table on a Saturday afternoon…got this pretty dirty and dull….for 3 bucks!.......Sharpened it, waxed, cleaned…and yeeeee haw too much fun to saw with!



I find that candle wax scoots this through a kerf…of course there are all kinds of grease etc for using. This is a great forearm building exercise…and also …bend your knees!..lol This message is brought to you by absorbine junior…lol


Such a ham that D-23..lol But I decided to cut down my plank as I need to get more up close and personal with the task at hand for a combo of relief and cope cuts.


There are of course a few ways to achieve this…I decided to try this method.



Love using the smaller saws…come in great use for jobs like this.


I tend to point the cope blade in an upward position as I saw…leaves some fat above my pencil lines…so I can have room with rasp, files, etc.


Ok….some harder work on this begining portion…broke an older cope saw blade….got a decent workout…but now….we have our rough blank for the next set of maneuvers.


Next blog we will get this handle cope sawed out and do some filing and shapeing.

Hope this was enjoyable…hey, if nothing else you might have at least seen some cool old handtools…..lol!

Be well friends and enjoy your work!

Joe
 
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#144 ·
Rustic Renaissance Trestle Table: Part 2

Well here I am once more working on something that's a first for me, seeing things as I go and gaining more experience with each shaving thick or thin. These exercises in artisanship have taught me a great amount of many do's and some don'ts…lol

For this project I wanted a piece that I could have in my living room that had a feeling of energy and a renaissance vibe to it. I have had the opportunity so far to laminate, cut and smooth out my first set of legs.

This work being all handtools took a little more time to make things right as bare eye can attest to…lol, so I glady took that time to make my sides even up and cross my fingers for the laying out of the mortices.

Pic 1-3: Going to task on the mortices was a far more improved output than in previous endeavours. Of course that is only the actual mortice work…the joining of the tenons will be something altogether different…lol. I have learned to get your mortice work to move along with good structure, always keep the bevel of your chisel in the direction you are moving towards. This helps to really take a great deal of wood down in height…almost to the point where you need to be careful and flip your work piece before you break out! The measures here were total old school eye and instincts….of course actual measures were taken….but this sort of work really demands you to pick it up in the confidence area. Sometimes you just have to reach down within yourself and make things happen. I find this work a never ending fascination of tightroping along with humble hands that execute with strong belief!...lol. If I was to think any other way…I might as well put the tools away and close the shop up…..and if my brain is not processing the information in the correct manner….I do just that and down goes the door…..lol!







Pic 4: Now that we have the wood removed we can trace the pattern to the new lamination and do it all again!


Pic 5-7: This time I choose to make relief cuts around the entire pencil trace and will copesaw in small increments which allows for an easier time working the cope saw around the design. Knots and all…..the wood of any species always has it's challenges planned for the road ahead. I see some speed bumps…..lmao. But we can always find a spot on the map and get to point b.






Pic 8-10: Time for some mock up shots…..these are total roughs friends…..I just needed to get the view of the 2 legs and something I could drop on like a table top….this is far from how can look….lol. I really love the side flow of the curves…..almost like easing waves….I almost went with more harsh, sharp and gothic like cut out embellishments…..I am glad I stuck to my guns and went with my first internal idea.







Ok….we are getting there and this is looking close to the sketched plan that would look like scibbled pencil to most….lol.

This project is all about chances…new directions. I have past pieces that I am proud of more for the fact that I took a risk rather than how it ultimately looked when finished. I think that is important in this hobby…..find your style…..but also try something new. I have little interest in doing a total copy of a time treasured classic, of matching a historical artistic stlye curve by curve. I feel this stage of the wood work game needs to be with my specific spirit…..rebellious, free of styles in some ways.

As in my knowledge of music and teaching students the guitar….I have always said…..none of these chords or scales are new….we are just using them as tools….and finding our personal touches and ideas with them…....I feel this is the case with woodworking.

You may spend your hours and work on a copy of someone elses ideas, or you can take that time and find out what your own imagination may surprise you with using various routines and exercises from many past masters!

No matter wether you copy or create something brand new from your own minds eye….if you are having fun….you have nothing to be bothered by but much to learn from and enjoy.

Thanks for your time and inspirations.

More next time, be well!

Joe
 
#154 ·
Rustic Renaissance Trestle Table: Part 3

Shavings, sawdust, chisels scattered about…and the joyful noise of the mallet sending the message from hands to tenon to mortice….this round of the build contained much learning and honest work. Looking back through these last 2 blogs…..I feel encouraged and seeing my skills grow, sure there are some mistakes but I really see the value my time has bought me with my with study and self challenge.

I would say in review of the last two years playing with all of this woodshop stuff…..I have learned so much, and yet realize the path is incredibly far wide and years ahead of me. I hold these pieces as I craft them all…..and I am sure friends you have the same feeling as you are in the middle of a build, those pieces are like a part of you as you move them about through vise and travel them table to floor to bench…lol

I feel this experience creating this trestle table is like that moment when a trained athlete knows….you are making gains…your sweat, your passion has you at times frustrated but still all of these variables let you see your accomplishments almost teasing you into wanting more hard work to once again achieve the highs of hard earned success.

So…..as most of us love this game of crafting….we go back..we always want to have more knowledge.

At times my experiences are as humbling as feeling like I have been at this wood working game for about a week…lmao! I find that's the best time to shift gears and get back to other important things in life. Breaks can fuel future rewards you have no idea you are in store for as the brain enjoys stimulation of new things!

Let's take a look and see this portion of the journey…..I hope you might get a kick out of it.

Pic 1-4: Back to the task of getting all of these relief cuts roughed down on this second set of legs. I group/jog both of them in the vise to expose where they need to meet up better. I start with my chisel and follow up with the spokeshave where I feel it works best…...I share this all with a rasp and file as well. Right now I want to achieve a second stage of getting these pair of legs in form with one another…these will all get additional care down the road.








Pic 5-6: Now for working inside the legs cutout area. I used my copesaw to cut away the fat and get as close in form as possible to the other leg…..This wonderful Disston Keyhole saw helped to make some additional relief cuts to ease the copesaws cuts….worked fine, although a bit difficult at times.




Pic 7: Ok….we have them grouped and getting into form with one another. I usually find that grouping them in the vise and working them together works the best. This is all about your personal touch and instincts…..you really have to work and check….work again…and check again, this is a very discipline exercise but I really feel it's a fantastic method of learning about working wood without a net…lol. As far as the mortices for this top shown piece went…..I traced from the first piece with mortices…then gathered up the measures from there and made them.


Pic 8: With the first cross piece already styled….I used that for traceing to make the pair! NOTE: This step will happen after I rip and crosscut the board to size…I got out of order here…whoooops…lol.


Pic 9-11: Now I lay out my cuts to cross and rip this cross piece down.





Pic 12: I prefer and recomend making a saw trench for cutting the shoulders here….it really makes the saw have a more sturdy reference for cutting.


Pic 13: I rip down the sides….and I am not over concerned here with pretty cuts. I feel there is far too much over analysis being conducted at times and it can begin to turn every handtool user OCD!.....LMAO. I myself get too far obsessed thinking I am not a worthy person for having gone off saw line…..oh the havoc,....what have I done!!!!!….....lmao. My feelings are….this is handtool work…it's like any trade you improve as you learn and work at it. I think this mental training allows the worker to get back to the fun of learning versus the grief of self abuse. Although I sure have had some upset moments as well….lol. This whole exercise will become more efifcient as well as accurate with additional practice.


Pic 14: It's the little things in life…also in the shop! I will use my little cut off tenon shoulders for possible keys, or nice for some smaller widdleing! I always love to keep the scraps if I can use them for something!


Pic 15-16: I always like to chamfer the tenon around the top as well as on it's sides. Makes it nice for easing things for a fit. A little soap never hurts either but don't disguise it for a hard fitting mortice and tenon…because you will have a cracked project!



Pic 17-20: I have raved about this mallet before by Vaughn…..I rave on because this has an incredible feel for cabinet work, especially making mortices meet tenons! My rhythm here for me is vital…...I contact the piece about 5 taps….I start from the top, to the middle, to the bottom, going for an even distribution of push.
I also have found for me…choking up on the handle makes for good control which is exactly what I am looking for as I constantly listen, look and feel tapping the tenon forward.










Pic 21: As you test fit…I presonally take a good amount of time and always go so far until my hammer sounds blunt…. then I take this tenon out and check for the bruising on the tenon. The bruises tell the story here….this is the mortices way of saying take this wood down from the reference bruise on.


Pic 22: Sometimes this fitting can be very trial and error….patience is a high requirement for this task or else when you hear a…..craaaaaaack….the party is over…..lmao. These are the early testing grounds involving handtools….and if you decide to enjoy this style of woodwork you will surely have these moments. For me this time around doing this mortice routine I feel a decent payoff is in my future so I continue to enjoy the time spent…and carry on with a gentle wisdom.


Pic 23: Homeward bound! It took some good old sweat and hardwork…...oh and lots of poland spring water…..lol


Pic 24-25: Now we can copy our styles alla copesaw and get a rough mock up of the four joined up!





Pic 26-29: Ok another "mock up only" photo shoot…..I take these pictures to come back to later at my computer….I have been very lucky….I do this to make sure after hours or more without seeing it…..if I am still pleased…so far so good! No worries…this is a slab for the top just to see dimensions etc…lol








Pic: 30: Wow…a real favorite has come to my beerstores shelves. A german classic for a german woodworker…now that's a great fit!....lol…..Ahhhhh I look forward to enjoying some this evening…..send me a cheers!


So I have continued to learn more which is wonderful thing. I know there are more challenges ahead but I feel very excited to see what my version of a Renaissance Trestle Table will be!

I thank you for looking in and taking the time. Have fun with your projects and take the time to enjoy all of it!

Great days ahead…......CHEEEERS!

Joe
 
#164 ·
Rustic Renaissance Trestle Table: Part 4

Hey friends, back here in the Old Time Wood Shop with some more exercises…..or,.... trouble to get into…..lol. This time it was setting up a top for my Rustic Renaissance Trestle Table.

After some mock ups of various boards to view thickness, width, etc. I finally decided to just give a go at working up a top with a thick piece of laminated construction pine. This would be all new territory for me….never did a table, never laminated together boards to make a top. Might as well get some shavings going and some new things learned for better or worse…..lol.

Back in my shop…..I live off a dirt road where you can see a deer, hear the birds, or watch a groundhog scurry about. I feel very lucky to have this small part of the world.

Handtool woodwork is a very Zen activity. I tune onto nature more these days….I used to blast Buddy Guy, SRV, or another one of my favs Doc Watson ( Bless his heart and may he rest in peace, Doc passed very recently) and although I still blast them…just in the truck now…lol, I find that tuning into nature I connect more with the process of constructing, creating and learning.

There is an inner peace that sort of grows within your spirit as you move through each task and take on each challenge. Of course with anything, sometimes peace goes all to hell…..lmao!

Of course it is also important to have motivation, those guru's of the woodshop that make us all go….wow….did I just start doing this woodshop stuff last week?…..lol. So many of my LJ'S buddies, you guys and gals always amaze me with your talents, knowledge, and projects…I thank you so much for sharing them with me.
But more times than not our inspiration and motivation can also come from friends and family outside of the woodshop.

My girlfriend Jenn is an amazing person, she has the kindest soul I have ever known. She is a teacher of emotionally challenged kids from grades 1-12. Some of the children are in need of medication for mood swings and erratic behavior patterns, and many others have had a terrible upbringing and are involved in crime as early as 7 years old with little to no decent parenting at all.

With her talents, patience and skill Jenn has taken a fifth grade child that could barely read first grade material and in one years time managed to get that same student to be up to 5th grade level or better.

Jenn gets up everyday to make it a better day for one child out of hundreds that might have never had a chance to survive. That motivates me….and makes me as proud as the tallest pine trees. Amen.

Well hell, I guess it's time to look at the mischief I am into now with this table deal…lol.

Come on in and let's take a look friends!

Pic 1-2: Welll here is some big store pine to make for a good solid top….and some good sawing. As the great Jackie Gleason said…..and awayyyyy we go!




Pic 3-6: After cutting my boards to desired size I used a few various planes for evening out, smoothing and jointing the planks. Restored Jack plane, #3, and the always fun big dog # 4 1/2!








Pic 7: The jointing was not of superb quality but an honest first time effort…...I worked this down with testing and more planing until I finally said…..on with it!....stop fussing and let's learn if this was good or not good….lol. Yelling at yourself sort of helps at certain times…..lol.


Pic 8-11: I felt fashioning 2 pieces of 1×2 across the glued bottom for extra support was in need, maybe more….but I went with this outfit for the current part of the build. You will see my Millers falls brace….first actual task using it…...works terrific. A fun story regarding that, if you are new to my work you can find that tale here http://lumberjocks.com/projects/59638








Pic 12-16: Ha….I feel like I am getting into some Japanese woodworking….where's my buddy Mads?...lol. I got to the floor and then went on with getting these pieces attached. I set these up with a super accurate jig…..I call it the eyeball….lmao. No worries….I got my super duty Irish Spring Soap….the luck of the irish on meee side!










Pic 17: Back to shaving down the top…boy these planes are such hams….always calling for a pic…..lol


Pic 18: Ok now for setting the stylings to the edges of my table top. Simply some tracing paper and a dream.

Pic 19: Working the lines down with the pinebeast bowsaw, yeeeeeeehaw!

Pic 20: The wonderful rewards working with pine….as the blade cut through this piece…..a heavenly aroma of deep scented pine escaped to momentarily fill the workspace…..nothing better!


Pic 21: This monster needed some more high tech jigs for holding her down…an old cherry cut top and scrap.


Pic 22-24: Ok..the cuts are still rough, but for this session it ended with a few mock -up pics once more to see where I am at. I wanted the entire piece to move from the feet up on through and back….a good amount more to do on this one…..but feels good seeing it and learning more too!






Well friends thats wraps this session up…as I said….. more to do and learn from!

Great grain ahead and remember to be good to one another!

Best regards,

Joe
 
#177 ·
Rustic Renaissance Trestle Table: Part 5

Sawdust, shavings, and a lot of water in these heat wave shop exercises has brought me to my newest updates on this Rustic Renaissance Trestle Table. This project has been a lot of fun and also filled with challenges along the way…..the biggest is the heat we have been enduring these past weeks….YIIIKES 100 degrees??......bring back the fall!....lol.

So when I have been able to sneak out and get some more decent temperatures to work with I set about my task at adding side pieces for increased stability on my set of table legs. I also got the chance to get my dowel keys setup for keeping the tenons tight and snug.

The table top has also been worked on trying to get everything to smoothe up as the finish line approaches.

So if you are interested let's take a look at some of the ideas I had for the additions to the table!

Pic 1-2: What's a woodworker without the simple but extremely important tools…..the pencil and the square! Layouts began on this 1×3 stock for coming up with side attachments for underneath the table. I usually always go with feel and basic instincts. If I like an idea I simply trace it with tracing paper and make the other side to complete the pattern. I enjoy the energy and tempo of builds like this. It's great being in the middle of the game and seeing the lines and avenues to take and feeling confident of how they can fall into place with each pencil line, saw cut and shave. I feel if you can get this out of your own work you should go for it rather then spending hours fussing into oblivion over matters that make the entirety of the process stressful and unsatisfying. I aways see my mistakes more than my accomplishments….so I remind myself that every mistake is more knowledge of how to improve for future projects. I also forget that all of this is done by hand which take years of skill building. So I forge on to improve but have some fun along the path!



Pic 3-5: What's more fun than building your own small bow saw and then using it to help build your own table! This little poplar bow saw is dam handy and fun to use….I am so pleased with it and makes for some good skill building on this curved track of a design.






Pic 6: Love these pfiel chisels…I know it's a broken record on praising these…lol, but hell if you want a great carving chisel….these are the ones to save for!


Pic 7-9: Ok…so after shaping these pieces a bit I mock them up to the side of the legs to see a layout. I could have made a morticed section and just tenoned these into the pieces…..but…lol, this idea was a later addition to my game plan…and it actually works better making a nice wider bottom support to hold on the thick pine top. Later I set them to the side of each pair of legs with srcews and these are solid and strong!





Pic 10: After those pieces were tended to I began the layout for some angled dowel keys to be set into these tenons.


Pic 11-12: I use a spade bit with my mighty millers falls resto I got for $1 and the process was into action! For anyone new to doing this by hand please keep in mind that I start the turn very slowly begin the boring application to let the blades of the spade bit score the wood. You want to lightly score it before putting weight into your turns or else you are going to tear the wood out and make a mess. Then once your spade blade tip just goes through to the other side….flip it and repeat the scoring so you will not tear the other sides wood out.





Pic 13-15: Now for the dowel keys. Lucky for me we have an old trestle table…goes way back in my lifetime and I got one of the keys. I was told there was a Mr. Ludwig who handbuilt furniture around our area about forty years ago…the place is long gone but he made the old table I still own. As a kid I used to play with these keys…..always fascinated with slipping them out and amazed that they could hold the table together. How funny is life? Never thought that thirty some years later I would be using this same key to help build my very own table…...wow. More on this key history business later (There will be another blog on this topic). But for now I used some store 3/4 poplar dowel and gave these a go in my vice with my old sears shoulder plane and they seemed to work up nicely for the job!






Pic 16-18: Ok friends…bare with me I know these mock up pics look similar from past blogs…lol….but the progress is on its way. I have been soaking in some finishing theory as well…taking time learning about the endless measures for staining pine. I will be doing some pine scrap tests this week, so there is a lot of sanding and finishing still on the to-do list.






I thank all of you for your interest and fine work you do.
Always great to hear from you and may you have great shavings ahead!

Have fun and be well,

Joe
 
#192 ·
Rustic Renaissance Trestle Table: Part 6 THE FINAL

This table is special I suppose because it is my first.
My shop being set in all natural conditions sure made this a spread out project, there were some truly brutal hot and humid days that let this sit and wait for a better time to work with it.

I wanted a piece that had touches of rustic warmth supported with lines of a Renaissance rhythm. To stand back and see the entire composition in it's thought out form, from some ragged sketches to this on my living room floor is a nice reward for the journey.

This is a piece that now bridges my previous ideas to more finishing and larger work. I felt the tools gave me the best available chance for success and my 2 year experience provided good places to bookmark portions for better execution in future builds.

The pine is solid, it looks and holds as I wanted it too. The finish is in the eye of the beholder, some may enjoy it's character and others might cringe…lol. I experimented using the following ingredients:

1 coat Watco Dark Walnut Danish Oil, 2 coats Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac, sand, followed by 2 coats of minwax paste finishing wax. Then after all that..I experimented using BLO which popped the grain nicely. I realize this was a bit out of order and wax after the BLO may have been the smarter route or perhaps choose one of the two and use….but I admit it made it look better so I kept it.

I thank all of the great knowledge out there on this site….and I think I can say that the two biggest discussed, stressed, obsessed, things I have discovered in the basic fundamentals of woodwork are sharpening, and finishing….lol.

If you ever want to feel totally confused read up on these two topics and you will surely want to wear a question mark on your favorite hat by the time you are done clicking through pages of multiple opinions on these
subjects.

My advice to any beginners searching with hair pulling frustration on improving in these two areas is this…."try, play, prepare for some miscues, and if it's for your own enjoyment do it the way you like it"......I also add in the old school wisdom from my Dad…...."Sharpen the dam thing, stain the dam thing…hell, it will cut and look fine!" Honestly…for me this always seems to work out pretty good as well…lol.

I will admit I do begin to get a little unnerved when I see such talented hobbyist woodworkers getting so OCD over chisels and things. I begin to think the working and enjoyment aspect of it is tainted with calculations and
measurements why the wood has little care or worry for any of the excessive fussing once the initial task
performs just fine. Probably my feelings are as such because I have discovered my own obsessed judgements or
concerns with situations involving my work or tools and yearn to tame the inner demons and enjoy myself more while performing the tasks set upon me. I usually am always able able to turn any lost confidence into good fortunes, but somedays we have those instances where the entire compostion looks like a third grader could chuckle at it….lol.

The summer has sure been filled with this table project and the new found adventure of getting into
learning new skills with carving some country spoons. Spoon making can be an easier physical avenue when the temps are too hot and the heat warnings have been advised. A few days here or there in the shop on my chair letting the fan whip some cooler breezes while carving away at some cherry made for some decent learning and most likely some even better therapy for the soul.



So this ends the long summer of trestle table ideas and creation. I am very happy with this piece being only my first table attempt. I was even rewarded with the old four legs with the one side wobbles fiasco…lol. But a few hidden shavings tucked under a hardwood floor and it's just fine and in my case this is a rug sitter so I have the support to wipe some greenhorn sweat away and just keep smiling. Either way, just more things to learn, improve and hone on for next table session.

I am like so many of you out there, I have a wonderful talent for seeing all the mistakes first without stopping in my tracks and giving myself some credit. So many times I am forgetful a hand tool road for creating projects is an extremely challenging and practiced one. You have to a get at least a few tables underneath your saw blades before you can see large strides and improvements. My work has taken a few positive strides for all of my efforts, and I am grateful for being able to see it through and share with those who care to enjoy it with me.

SEE THE FINISHED PROJECT MADE OF PINE, FOUR LETTER WORDS, LOTS OF WATER AND HANDTOOLS!


http://lumberjocks.com/projects/70007

Well I guess this wraps up this series. Time to put new plans, drawing's and ideas into shape for a new project!

I hope all of your ideas are done with enthusiasum, becasue it's a rather bit of wasted time I think to hide your imagination and wonder! Perhaps that's another key to not letting ones mind grow old.

The body will have its say, look the way it is today, but the mind is a never fully filled glass to poor your thoughts in!

My best thoughts for all of you,

Have fun and be good to one another!

Joe
 
#197 ·
Practices in Spoonology: Part one

Sometimes it's true that less weight on a woodcraft project makes for more learning in our execution of total composition. I always try to experiment with various ideas, styles, and media wether it is seeking inspiration from an old pine tree or taking some good advice from a favorite musician. I suppose the next useful bit of food for thought is right on schedule since it involves the late great Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band who's philosophy was that the attributes of great playing was to remember the notes that you don't play are just as important as the ones that we do. A possible way to sum the theme here may be to say…embrace the empty spaces of our creations.

I have continued on my quest to learn more about this business of handcrafting wooden spoons. My initial steps were simply taking my own creativity, shaking things up and let the shavings fall as they may to see what I might come up with.

For the last month that was a pleasing release of inner creative ideas, setting aside planned work, and having a go for the unexpected with little more than some hatchets and knives. But the more my path opened before me I began to realize that there is far more work, exercise, study, and knowledge to be considered than what my current status of spoon making entails to this date. I have become so enthralled with the skill work of centuries of past artisans, seeing their furniture and cabinet joinery, country work, finishing, and overall handcrafted experience. So it was only destiny that I would want to seek more wisdom on the talents and styles of spoon making.

It's reasonable to think that to the amateur eye at first glance seeing a wooden spoon…one might say it's just stick with a bowl on the end. No fancy dovetails, no wonderful molding work, no fancy Chippendale carvings.
It's look is a rather plain and simple affair, or is it? Well after purchasing Carving Swedish Woodenware: with Jögge Sundqvist on DVD I would never think of spoon or bowl making as anything less than a fantastic skilled craft. Jögge shares his tips and techniques as he makes a bowl and spoon in the swedish carving style.

Peter Follansbee has studied with Jögge and that combination is just too much talent to not get totally excited for learning more about this swedish art form. So the DVD player was fired up and on the journey I went. If you are new to making spoons or bowls I highly recommend this DVD. The film itself is shot in 1990 but I assure you that the knowledge and artisanship is four stars.

My greatest problem was that I had become so out of the box with ideas in making spoons that I needed to get back to some form of a sized plan. I laughed as I looked at my previous spoon works and although I love them all it was apparent…wow….I am making some Andre the Giant sized spoons….lmao!!!! Ok….the spoon sizes are not that bad…but I could not resist how funny that reads after typing it. I surely hope someone spits their drink out reading that…lol.

Giving myself a break though without sounding so self critical I would totally say that it was not at all in my mind to attempt any certain style of spoon making in the beginning. So once I started seeing more dimensions and having more study time I began trying this process. It is so funny how chunky and thick my previous attempts were…..I had a hard time getting more petite lines. This is when my connection was made on just how very challenging it is to set all of this up, carve it out and keep a styled grace to its delicate features. Also choosing the correct tree layouts so I am able to get the proper
curvature to meet the best mechanics for someone using it. Then if that's not enough learning not to take too much away as the wood thins because I need to keep it's strength as it gets used.

So here is a small visual journey of learning to do more with less!

Pic 1: A nice piece of Cherry, some knots are there….but we have to work with them and hopefully not too many problems ahead for the voyage of spoons ahoy…....hopefully…lol.


Pic 2-3: Camp hatchet and old stanley makes for a quick split and if we are lucky we can get two spoons for the price of a few careful hammer hits.




Pic 4-5: Ok enough with the punk rock woodworking….we have to get a little more refined and return to some layout instruments…lol.




Pic 6-7: You may at this point carry on by either sawing your design or hewing it with your hatchet. I love to get the hewing practice in so I move ahead with some of that and do the tighter curves alla copeing saw! Helpful hint for the saw work especially in this green wet wood…..use mutton tallow on your blades! The stuff makes a speed demon out of your handsaw work.




Pic 8: I like to use my camp hatchet like an adze at this point of the job. I slowly scoop a concavity to the top of the stem into the bowl to try and substitute the overall pieces lack of curvature. In spoon work the more curve you can find (crook of a tree) the better, but this piece is pretty conservative so I try and implement a a little adze style hew work to create more of a curved flow into the bowl. Try not to get too frustrated with nature and work with what you can find. Remember every spoon that you work at is adding skill and knowledge for your next session!


Pic 9: See….we are all finished…..done! Yeah right…..lmao.


Pic 10-13: A spoon timeline for me. You can see the stages in these 3 roughs in the past weeks and how I simply needed to get some layout and embrace the empty spaces! The top two are old spoon roughs and the bottom one is the current carving with less chunked thicked lines. Now we are getting a delicate flow beginning to happen! It takes time and practice and so much more to learn and grow into.








So as always, more to do!!!! I now have a roughed carving of where I want to take this spoon. At least the style is more refined like a swedish spoon which is what this particular set of exercises will eventually educate my hand work into more naturally.

Next time I will get some more finishing stages in and hopefully have some more ideas to share along with all of my friends out there in LJ'S land!

Thanks for looking in and I hope you may enjoy this miniseries of spoon work.

Take care, have fun and keep making sawdust!

Joe
 
#203 ·
Practices in Spoonology: Part four

So my business of country spoon sloyd craft carries on. Forgive me if my tales on this exploration have become boring, I realize there is not a lot of joinery going on. I am closing in as I enter the words here for session 4 of 5 of this spoon blog and have really made some nice strides.

My greatest findings have been using the soil I live on to adventure more deeply into the woods and come out with new species I have never worked with before such as Hickory, Black Walnut, and Black Locust!

I am amazed at the Black Locust and the ease it will split, hew and carve. If you told me it was Basswood I think I would believe it. From what I have learned it is an exceptionally strong wood best for country fences, pegs, country archery bows and parts of machinery. I can say it carves wonderfully and it is a very strong and long lasting wood.

With all of that I have yet to learn if its fragrance may interrupt the tongues pallet when using a spoon or fork for eating…but I went along and needed the practice, so a spooning we will go…lol.

I have spent a proper diagnosed coursework of approximately 2 full weeks of 2-3 hour sessions in my shop exclusively learning about this craft. In this disciplined approach I have been awarded with more knowledge about green woodwork, and additional skills in seeing shapes and hewing wood. Not to mention some blistered toughened up paws and some great use of the many carving grips. If you are enticed by this blog or any information on this craft please feel more than inspired to get outside if your environment provides and study any fresh fallen branches or maybe perhaps the felling of something large enough for spoons but small enough so you do not kill it off only to waste it.

When I use this wood I have a high reverence for the tree just as any good hunter does for their deer. I do not like to saw or axe anything down unless its in pretty high abundance or if it is possibly in danger of being knocked over during a storm causing only harm to me or my property. Otherwise fresh storm fallen maple, oak, cherry…etc. is a wonderful chance to make something to share with others and extend the trees life. I feel good about trying to let the tree live on with it's strong elements that can continue to nurture us in the world of gifting friends and family with our woodcraft.

Here are a few pics to show you some of my adventures!


Pic 1-3: From this blank in pic 1 I estimated it takes me just over 15 minutes to fashion these out to get the result in pic 3. It is coming much more easy now. This is the Black Locust wood I mentioned above.






Pic 4: Getting some other fun ones in the swedish pattern for further work. My greatest gains here have been reduction in size. These were all coming out way too large…lol. Now after some work and study I see them shaping up more confidently and making for a smaller more contured spoon with more flow to the lines.



Pic 5: Here are a finished pair in Maple and Cherry. This is what I have been after….this has more flow, more smooth lines versus bulky and over sized.


Pic 6: A practice pile of fun spoons (although for my goals)....oversized efforts…lol. It takes some real exercising to finally get a nicely proportioned spoon in this sort of style. With that said much more work to do.


Pic 7: A nice haul of handsawn pieces of locust right out from my woods to the shop floor. This stuff carves wonderfully! Not sure it's terrific for wooden ware (Spoons, Bowls), more to learn!....lol.


Well I sure hope this brings some fun and inspiration to all or any of you out there. I think it is amazing how we can create pieces from trees….sounds simple, even downright elementary in a galoot caveman sort of way…lol. I think I take it too much for granted actually…..I am very thankful for it and thankful to share a little of it with you!

Keep making shaves!

Joe

It's an old piece of wooden creativity, that needs its patina dusted
there it sits and tempts my thoughts, of days when tools were trusted
its old but solid, strong and brave, inside its grain the mystery remains
was it a craftsmen young and learning?
was it a journeymen old and hurting?
rounding its profiles for hours and miles?
shaping its confidence, shavings in piles?
how many hours to make its style?
how many tests and drawings to trial?

the rain it falls with the calls of this piece
as it sits there and captures my thoughts in a sweep

of miles of piles of hickory bark
that rest in the rain outside my old shop

thunder follows as my mind wanders
seeking the curves of the old wooden taunter

I rest but in jest I'd rather get wet and set my wet steps to the questions I fret
for my hollows and rounds, shavings and planes
working my vision from the piece I've attained
the old wooden piece has tested my skills
the rain batters windows with a howl threw the sills

All of my love and fears as I work
calming my nerves the grain is a nurse
threw the growl of the storm the old wooden piece
has commanded my presence and my hard working deeds

To think what I saw from my old worn couch, this old wooden piece that has tempted me out
to the wind and the hail as the leaves all set sail
every step muddy to the shop I prevail

It's an old piece of wooden creativity, that shines with pride again
I smile at the trials and the lessons its given
that piece is an old best friend…..
 
#211 ·
Practices in Spoonology: Part Five THE FINALE!

Well friends the journey of shaves, blisters and spoonery at this portion of the climb is bringing us to the top of one small hill with various mountains yet to adventure. This blog was a real joy to share, theres something really rewarding making wooden ware. Once you learn your way around the hatchet and train the mind to see shapes within the extended branches of any forest species, it is truly amazing to bring out something so small and delicate from a thick and sometimes brutal branch.

As always this set of exercises provided nothing short of some simple grunt work intertwined with a highly sophisticated natural therapy of self exploration of my personal highs and lows. I was only last week with my best friend Ben explaining to him what a wonderful outlet this sort of work can be when your mind enjoys spending too much time worrying about making you worry…lmao!

Working with fresh green grain can submit an outpouring of solace from our great earth, it has a way of shaking off your old skin and letting you see there is so much more than the daily boggled nonesuch. I guess it just reminds us of 4 wonderful words…..breathe you are alive!

So for my search and study of attempting to piece together what I enjoy in shape and size for swedish spoondum I can say I am very happy with my progress. Of course like any craft more to learn and grow from. I look forward to exercising new projects with more joinery, etc that I will soon share in the coming months.
But I can kindly add that spoon making will continue for me. You can find me sitting in my old rocker or favorite stump and passing some slow moments aside, feeling the autumn air greet me with a nod of goodwill.

The joy of our hard calloused hands may be the strong reminder of the love we give forth to the tree and its lessons we yearn to know.

We shape our inner wishes with spokeshave and vision, trying always to tame the beast that sat in its country home strong and ever more mighty than our most supreme ideas could conjure.

Wether small or many giants high the grand oak talks to the maple exchanging thoughts of the passing seasons as it looks upon us staggered with the hidden posture of a soaring iron monument.

The secrets of the tree is a hidden championship no mortal can ever conquer with a body full of anger,
for it is a mans forgotten skill to imitate the wonders of water, and extend the body to become one with his saw and soul. Only then may you forever flow your fortunes into the fields of trees that embrace us exposing a poor mans gold…..


JJW



No big picture show included here I thought I would provide a little two in one and send the pictures of my final spoon funnies over to the projects made of wood section…lol. Thanks so much to any of the gang here that has enjoyed the last few blogs! Your comments and ideas are always enjoyed…please be well, have fun, and woodwork!

Joe
 
#215 ·
The spoon makers tote! PART ONE

Well friends I thought it might be time to get to a new project and one that could be of great use since I have been at all of this spoon making business recently. I am a few weeks away from venturing into some pretty nice woods in upstate NY filled with Apple, Ash, Cherry, Maple, Oak and a whole lot of other really nice materials to seek out and possibly get to haul back to the shop and use for spoon works!

I thought…hmmmm?, a nice tote would really help for the trip, something that I may pack my hatchet, knives, copesaw, spokeshaves and some small lumber. Wether on my trip or at home base this would be real handy for any work I feel inspired to do at home during some nice fall afternoons/evenings when I would rather move my work outside. Wether this idea will be finished in time for my trip is not much of a worry since I will have plenty to do other than woodwork and carving spoons can surely be saved for back at the shop.

But I really liked this idea..a spoon makers tote! Why not? My ideas quickly imagined up a tote that had more of a graceful and almost garden like theme to the overall pieces shape, something forest friendly. I figured a little originality would make for something interesting to look at rather than just a simple tote. I was going for what I thought a spoon makers tote would look like especially with the more ornamental spoons of the swedish styles I have been learning and enjoying to make.

I had some box store pine left over from the trestle table affair and left my fears at the doorstep while I even planed for some side dovetails. I was ready to just dive in and try some more of this dovetailing work, and with cupped old cheap pine you just have to have some Roy Underhill spirit here and enjoy the journey without getting too obsessed over some nooks and crannies when joining this deal together.

After the four seasons on DVD of the Woodrights shop…trust me this makes for great practice to lose any over compulsive worries of how tick tock tight every single joint must look to meet our ultimate satisfaction….lol. Roy frees that silly notion up quickly on here with a message that I find tried and true. In my own words I would express this as…we learn by doing it…not over analyzing it!…lol. Trees keep growing and more pine boards to practice on and improve…so I lost the nails, screws and hammer and will use my Paul Sellers dovetail jig, saw and set sail for the seas of the ever challenging through dovetails, 100% tight fits….SOLD SEPARATELY…lol!

Well that's for a later date so on with the current state of tasks.

This is where I am at right now in the build. Here are some pics to invite you to my ideas…...

Pic 1: For me, a few simple pencil sketches begin the process and I add or subtract from there.


Pic 2: Next I get into handrawing out the curves as I see them in my brain….once the first side catches my vision I simply set up some tracing paper and go old school art class and trace my blues away….lol.


Pic 3: Gave my Poplar bo saw some reps and begin to cut out our first side to this future home of spoonery.


Pic 4: Now onto evening out the top parts with this trusty old spokeshave. I picked this one up for 5 bucks at an auction…no kidding, this deal works out mighty fine once you give that good iron some sharpening on some diamond stones! Shavings Ahoy!


Pic 5: I have been getting more confident of encouraged chisel work instead of always giving in to the world of rasps and files for taming roughed saw work. Nothing against those tools….but this is a wonderful part of the build schedule to work out some chisel moves and this session of chisel work friends was an nice improvement all because of those past weeks of carving and whittleing!...See?.....It all helps us by working various tasks to add to our overall table of skills!


Pic 6: I glanced over to my plane till..and had to pick that nice little #3 Stanley and smooth down my side walls of the tote…..I love this plane and the shavings it provides!


Pic 7: Same moves with pencils and trace paper provides me with this idea after copesaw/bow saw work and a short mockup takes place so I may trace and make doubles for each.



The memorable events of our times are far from the days we sit and count upon,
they seem to unfold before us like a spring blossom and sometimes wilt as fast as old hickory leaves

The importance of our footsteps are forever to move forward although the climbs are what make us learn more of what is within us and humble us when are falls are as solid as wind and hail

There is a smyphony within the forest that speaks to the quiet dark and rises the warmth of rays to shine our gifts in our eyes and test us to see it's treasures

We are sometimes such forgotten children that our paths lead far from home and our homes have lost there roads reaching towards us,
listen to the clouds and wonder of the skyward arts as merely an opener to entice our thoughts of the stars and sacred blue of a mysterious midnight calling

Hold strong to your instincts and breathe with the trees, feel their wisdom, and seek your path once more,
the hurried anger of disatifaction needs to be swept away with the joy of the simple, and so may your path be once more green with fields that call you home

Touch the earth with your hands and make yourself at home again and forever may you grow in wonder…......



Take a moment and have a good time friends!
Thank you for all of your projects and inspirations.

All the best,

Joe
 
#216 ·
Yiippee! Another tote in the making. It is a good job I know you won't mark out and cut your dovetails like you drew them in your sketch though Joe, because that will just fall apart. :eek:) You've got the sides of your tails slanting the wrong way brother. Don't worry, I've got your back. LOL.
 
#221 ·
The spoon makers tote! Part Two

Well I could say that my blog of this tote project would be fairly bogus if I was not up for sharing my trials and tribulations as well as the nice stuff…lol. My dovetailing experience on this job went very rhythmic. With my accuracy and approach I could see the improvements. My work needed some additional paring and cleanup as well as a few gaps always for inspiring more practice, but the entire program was highly enjoyable and really encouraging.

Then…....lol (you just know this means nothing good)...........then my artisan joy was riddled with rational mechanical realities…..lol.

A new and very needed lesson of elementary dovetail strength was awarded to me with a harsh revelation. Never have contrasting grains meet up to interlock for joints….it's been done before…but further research has given me the answer being …....sooner or later this is a weak joint and it will break.

Now of course I made some rather robust tails and pins which did not help the equation, but no matter what, contrasting grains in cheap pine of all things…please don't do it…lol. Just say NO!

The frustrating facet of this whole deal is….I really do know better….I just got swept up in the visuals of the build and forgot the dynamics of the joint.

In denial, a little glue was not going to heal this mistake…lol.



How funny this is to me since the first blogs comments me and Andy were joking about my rough sketch and my tails looking reversed! Well it looks like a hex was in for my dovetail extravaganza. I can laugh now. When I was in the shop and having one of these pins simply click off like a piece of rock candy mocking my misadventure let's say it was a nice chance to walk away…...for a good 20 minutes and breath a little….lol!!!!.

Well after some rest was had….I said…hell, this tote is gonna be just fine…I can cut the pins and tails off. Sad to have to do so since I did a nice snug job on them, the work was done with a positive improvement for fit as well. But the only thing I saw left to do was….(with grains meeting up properly…lol) make more tails on a regular box on another project and get up off the mat and make this tote look even better with what I have!

Now I thought it over….. producing new top pieces mortised into the tops of cross grained proper pins and fastening them?, but I had a groove by now….I felt a flow…..I simply clamped the tote together as it would be in width with tails and pins out of the picture….and honestly….I love it more now. Less width. This piece just had too broad of shoulders creating a very boxey look. Subtracting the pins and tails gave this piece a nice drop in being so wide creating a more inviting tote in my opinion. So…sometimes mistakes can surely be turned into nice fortunes. When they do not turn out so at least the education of experience can be had by learning what not to do in the future.

I have made a lot of progress on this job so perhaps not so many blogs for this particular journey. This was one of those projects that I took a relaxed pace on but realized some confidence had grown also providing me with a faster output from less second guessing.

So let's take a look at where I am at now on this project!

Pic 1-2: Tracing out the design idea for the handle!



Pic 3: I found that some simple screws to the side of the top of your bench make for great little dogs to use for planing or needing to bump projects up against. I saw Roy doing this on his old bench….it's simple and handy…...just remember they are there!....lol. My bench is a workhorse like Lynyrd Skynyrd…....Nothin' Fancy!


Pic 4-5: Sawing out my ideas and enjoying that sweet aroma of cutting through a pine knot….this is what it's all about! I took a nice chunk and left it to the side maybe for a necklace or something later on down the path.




Pic 6: We have got a handle for toteing some spoon works….that's a big 10-4!


Pic 7: Well as it was….the tails roughed in but the grain shaking its finger at me…..silly boy…..lmao.


Pic 8: Now as it will be…..I love the more slender look, for the viewer it might not have the same impact…..I was really relieved personally. I think it improves the totes symmetry.


Much more to do. Getting the srcews in, smoothing, finishing, and a possible inside mounting area for carrying along the hatchet.
Great learning on this exercise and glad for the chances to remedy possible problems, because after all said and done it makes us all better woodworkers.

I actually mortised out each side of the tote for the handles and I got enjoying it so much I forgot to takes pics as I went….although I am assured most of the gang gets the point…lol.

I hope some of you may have enjoyed this blog and make something of your own that inspires your wonder.

The dust falls in the aroma of pine and the puzzle unwinds inside the curious mind
May I ever be of something more than the hardwork I pour out to the humble bench with sweat and hammer in sore hands?,
Tossing the mistakes aside and feeling the working glide of planes and blades that will amaze my hunger to learn more of what this is or can ever be,
Pick your fortunes from the floor, dust them off and shut the door behind the tempted notions to hang your troubled heart in shame
Walk instead with courage and tread the miles of victory soaring mystery, tokens you go wthout and never in jest you shall pout away your fears….smile at the chance to try it again….........


JJW

Ok friends get out there and keep having fun and always try again!

Great shaves ahead!

Joe
 
#230 ·
The spoon makers tote! Part Three and final!

Hey friends, thanks for looking in again on what really is my final installment for this spoon makers tote!

This piece went a little faster than I had originally thought it would go, but I had some time and inspiration so I went ahead with the flow of the tools. This is going to be much more of a practical piece to enjoy using, packaging some small tools, woods and spoons around. I left some tool marks with a fun and spirited opinion of wanting this work to look used and lived in. For me it's a sense of pride to see the tool marks intentionally at times on more rustic pieces…these are my little prints of history I may look back on years from now.

As usual I let my creative spur of the moment indulgence of lines and mixed themes give forth what I see as gothic elements meeting country craft work. My goal was to have a carrier that had a little renaissance to it's appearance while maintaining a warmth and humble simplicity. Lucky for me the results are also workable as well as comfortable in its carrying weight.

All of the criteria for me personally has been met to my preferred standards and I hope others may enjoy this tote as well.

Here are some final workouts of ideas as we reach the finish line for getting back into those wonderful woods looking for some nice green wood to create more spoons!

Pic 1: A few added ideas as I approached the finish line. I had some scrap Maple and began to set up a mortise for my hatchet blade to fall into all the while coming up with some additional ways to mount it to the inside of the tote!


Pic 2: Now to come up with some fun and off the cuff turn latch work to help support the hatchets want to move from side to side why walking around with the tote!


Pic 3-4: The help here of the ever so simple and very effective little bench hook and wonderful pfiel chisels to shape my latch idea from rough to ready.




Pic 5: Well it's my own fault for having such small scrap to work with….but when in doubt just carve and whittle away with the sloyd knife. How fitting since this tote will be used for this kind of craftwork when finished.


Pic 6: A sneak peek at the rough idea, seems to wedge in fine and the latch does a fair job of holding the hatchet in case of any side to side wobble. You can just turn the screwed in latch upward and it hits the hickory handle to help hold the hatchet to the side.


Pic 7-9: As I got to the final stages of the mortise and latch set up I realized it would be nice to have some little side dividers to drop in my carving knives…..I guess you all get the point I really improvised a lot of this and just let the pieces cut and join as they may….lol. I had a lot of fun just in the doing and letting the instincts have their way with my sometimes all too fearful over analyisis. Ripped down a piece pf pine for a more thin stock and got to work on it.




Pic 10: I created a back plate to screw in to the inside of the tote and on top of this a front cover to secure the knives. Next I will cut the actual dividers and glue them in between to form 3 little homes to just drop in your knives so you can tote along!


Pic 11: One day I found some ancient old 1×2 stock laying outside from an old house. There it has sat since the spring in my shop…..hell no time like the present to make use of these for four dividers! Rip these old pine pieces down and make some use of them. Then I lay them out, glue them up, and clamp this deal!



Pic 12: A little handtool show and tell never hurts when serving up a blog. This wonderful Stanley eggbeater drill provided fast and furious drill action through a lot of my trip on this job. Thanks again Ralph!...lol.


Pic 13-14: More handtool historic eye candy with this very old german cabinet chisel I toyed with while getting out all the dried glue in my dividers. Bought this for a dollar…....I just love to sit it on the shelf and use gently for little things and enjoy it!




Now…..and very important if you are following this spoon makers tote…...this project is done…..but not posted yet!.......lmao. I hope you all will have some enthusiasum saved for the next day or so and keep your posted projects eyes out for this tote! I ran out of good lighting as I was hoping to switch gears and bring our photo shoot outdoors…....but mother nature had other ideas as it rained….lol.

It's funny but perhaps true, it was once said that deep in the mountain ranges of the upstate NY trails somewhere nestled deep in the pines was a legendary character known as the Adirondack kid. The kid was known to be a young excited country explorer soaring through the hills of the Adirondacks and makeing one very clear statetment that any woods lover should always remember "Ya never know with ma nature!" I suppose as it rained on my project photo parade those words from the kid rang surely true…..Oh well I shall do a sun dance!....lol.

STAY TUNED FOR THE PROJECT COMING UP THIS WEEK!


The silly charming marks in grain, that rise above the sweat and stain
grumble as the nail splits, the wooded mess my hammer hits
pine o' problems my mind hinders, shave the marks and hew the timbers

Let the sash shake through the thunders, work the plane with wit in wonders
rain on my hands and troubles to jest, clamp the wood and glue the rest

The dark wet skies sound out the cries, my lessons learned from rulers size
Oak how strong, maple too long, glory in words of the carpenter's song
poets read riddles, mortise the middles, holes sink with seconds, braces in swivels

Work onward and challenge more….....
 
#236 ·
The Woodrights Galoot library Part 1

My beginning library of Woodright Shop DVD's has grown rather quickly and an idea was sparked by the pile of 5 cases with the sixth soon on it's way. I at first was excited to purchase some poplar for this project instead of the ole faithful pine…but todays prices jarred my wallet full of common sense…lol. If your not selling these projects friends this stuff can get costly so pine it is!

So here is the fun idea for these next few installments of Exercises in Artisanship…....THE WOODRIGHTS GALOOT LIBRARY!!! ......Ok it's a small bookshelf…..lol. I have to keep the entertainment value up gang…so work with me….lmao.

Recently I was afforded a wonderful opportunity to walk through the pinelands on a sunny day. Such a wonderful array of pines, walnut, maple, cedar, and some blackjack oak! Each step corrected my negative thoughts towards using some pine for my little DVD shelf as each tree stood so colorful and proud decorated in its green needles expressing its happy strong stance. This was a stout and short therapy for connecting with important real things only nature can reveal to our busy bodies.







The shop was riddled with spoons…and green timbers. The intertwined branches of hickory were shaking hands with some old storm maple, the new acquired holly was already hinting at Christmas dreams. I love a shop filled with the green timber as well as some nice store bought stuff.

Nothing too fancy or budget crushing with some box store pine slabs and some country design ideas. I looked over to the Disston and it greeted me hello as I coaxed my muscles to begin the task of lines and sawdust to make the job begin. All of this spoon work has been so enjoyable to learn and all the while the small steps of reunited elementary cabinet work was a warm welcome of dusty skills filled with proper enthusiasm.

This piece was all about attempting simple countrified themes without getting too complex or gaudy in design.

Well let's take a look at some of the work to get things started!

Pic 1: Some pencil sketchwork that will give me a rough idea of what I want to create and you the viewer as well!


Pic 2-3: Firing up the Disston! A little of this mutton tallow is the sure answer for a dry sticking saw cut.





Pic 4: Ok friends here is me getting waaaaay out there with some hign tech business. This is my super duper handy dandy jig for creating my arced cutaway for the sides of my library….a old pale…lol. Hey now…only as a galooooot can do….arggggh matey the pale it is!!...lol.


Pic 5: Time to cut out the arc and the top design with my trusty german cope saw.


Pic 6: To the many talented and good folks that choose to use a router bit to chamfer the sides instead of the mighty spokeshave my condolences for the wonderful shavings you may miss in this encounter. This is the beginning of a long addiction once you pick up the shave and slide on through the aroma of invigorating pine! A friend once said "It kinda looks hand done?" I replied "OHHH YESS….It sure does!"....lol.



Pic 7: A few wonderful Woodright episodes studying the incredible chisel work of Mack Headley and this session of chisel work just felt improved with increased control of the instrument. Bevel down and pretend it is a convex shave as you slowly proceed the work.


Pic 8: Ok some beginning clean up with the shaves and chisels for lighter duty at the bench tonight. Not an extreme amount of tasks just enough for some positive time enjoying the grain.


I hope you may have an interest in joining me again for additional blog work of this build.

Thank you all for your inspiring ideas, spirited comments, and wonderful projects!

More soon, keep on sawin' her down!

Joe
 
#244 ·
The Woodrights Galoot library Part 2

What, no spoons you might be thinking…lol. Well of course not for it is time to get grooving with our Woodrights Galoot Library!

No matter what you do sometimes the wood has made up it's mind on how well it will work for the job. In this episode the old box store pine was what I call a bit "Bitchey",.....not sawing so well, and especially not up for me having an easy go of dadoing the inner sides. The tools were all plenty sharp but the wood was just a little tough and sappy this time around.

I have to now admit it was my fault for the most part. Although I scored my knife along for what I thought to be 3 good cuts…the wood displayed some hard nosed tear out…lol. Sometimes especially with knots, ripping score marks and expecting them to play nice does not always follow such high hopes.

At least once I got the work to ease forward I was pleasantly surprised with a few nice aromatic rewards from those lovely pine knots. Wonderful pine scents to fill the air as you work along attempting to dapper any rough cut beginnings.

This journey I found some moments of frustration. I find it's the projects or job that the mind thinks as being almost passe that becomes that giant pain in the butt….lol. I only had to slow back a little and think to the lessons and inspirations of seeing the Dominey shop on Roy's show.

Be creative with your mind as well as your workful output. I would say far too many people forget to pretend and I am happy to say…most of us are in our shop for basically….play. Your hard work has been done, stresses, bills to pay etc. and you have arrived in your domain where taxes, health, worries, and horrible TV can set themselves aside. Here we visit with the great stuff of trees…...Maple, Oak, Pine, Cherry…the list goes on for the various participant setting foot into their world of wood.

Here we can make something for our loved ones and good friends, we may cherish well spent hours whittleing wonders from bark to shavings, and don't look now but you can also gain some good cardio exercise in the meantime!

I speak and write for myself that I constanly need reminding to stop….take a few steps back and enjoy the learning. To enjoy the boards cut and shaped to my minds eye and bodies muscle, to be grateful and even impressed with taking chances at new skills.

Such an easy invitation it is to make more and more and more and lose the path. My spoon work is a rather mad affair of addiction you may have noticed..lol (My sponsor is ANDY…AKA BRITT….LOL) Hi Andy I hope your reading and having a great smile.

Much like any good potatoe chip, making one spoon will never reach just satisfaction…and I have yet to conquer the will to have at making another one.

Well I also concede if it's fun and good learning why not! But perhaps just remember to create your mindset as well as your project, have fun and escape the chance of simply going through the motions. Look back now and then and feel great about your efforts.

Let's take a look at what is happening in this installments picture show!

Pic 1: The road starts here with some dado work where my actual shelf slab will set in.


Pic 2-3: A little muttin for my router to have a slip and slide slice ride…..look ma no cords….lol



Pic 4: Chopping my way through to pare out the waste. If you are excited by venturing into handtool work the Stanley chisels and Vaughn hammer viewed here are directly from Lowe's home improvement. They work just fine for the job and cost less than many of the handtools that cost a lot…lol. The more expensive of course the better made, but these work just fine. My own belief is if the steel is good and it cuts your arm hair I really cannot get caught up with endless jigs and math equations for angles and all of that. The ole faithful 25 to 30 degrees is your best bet. Sharpen on a diamond stone and get to work and forget the fussing about. The few times I read some reviews on chisels, by the time I was finished I almost felt afraid to ever have to learn how to sharpen one. Stick with Paul Sellers and you cannot go wrong with his routine, it's fast, easy and your back to the bench in a half hour with a blade so sharp that just looking at it cuts.


Pic 5: Ok so now we have a set of dado areas. The stages here are rough and ugly now saving the hopeful pretty work for later in the game.


Pic 6: I use the #3 to round over the ends of the shelf slab to help stick into the dado sides.


Pic 7: Now no worries friends because we all know this looks about as tough as a deck of cards with a nice breeze coming in…lol. I have two other pieces brought in for the design that will fasten with screws later on. My initial blog sketch is basically always loose and I just sculpt and sometimes problem solve as I proceed.



Pic 8: The joined mock up with clamps only and without ornaments or cutout ideas!




Ok gang I would say that's about all for this evening!

Thanks for stopping by, having a look and saying hello.

Keep the ideas flowing, and all the best work ahead!

Joe
 
#251 ·
The Woodrights Galoot library Part 3

Hey everyone nice to get back into some cabinet work and leave the spoons and hatchet on the ole choppin' stump this time!

Between the hurricane hitting…then the snow storm post sandy, my bench and pine planks got a bit ignored.

This project is more based around something fun and really useful as well as getting more exercise with hand chisels in regarding chamfering edges. Basically I have found that if you can go to a work bench and hand chamfer with skill using a chisel then it's a pretty nice badge to wear on your flannel shirt..lol.

I do not posses any badges….lmao! This is greenhorn chisel work here folks and my hats off to those fantastic craftsmen like the great Mac Headly that keep fueling the engines for people like me that want to improve.

The joinery on this whole affair is rather simple bare bones but the open canvas for chamfer work is a real playground on these pine pieces to take on new obstacles and learn.

I did like many others when I started, I used to take the file route for chamfering. Just angle your file on some soft pine and chamfer those blues right away and that's a fine technique but it really does not work with the grain plus it leaves the file teeth tracks. It think at some part of your regimen it is healthy to get familiar with your chisels for creating stronger skill sets regarding craftsmanship.

I can humbly say…this ain't no router bit party friends…this is almost like the delicacy of watching an old school pinstripe artist work. This requires practice, patience and patience….lol.

My effort will be a bit carved looking…but some sand paper will pretty her up and we have to start somewhere. Better to have made some bumps on the road than just stay at home dreaming about it.

So let's take a look!

WARNING....It seems on my end of the technology super highway Photobucket has overjoyed me with updating its entire look and performance! Yes this is a sarcastic paragraph. I really do not know why these applications constantly have to update things making additional hardship to what seems to me to be a really simple idea….sharing photos…lol. So….I have tried flickr hoping anyone who cares will see the pictures of the latest work. So for the current time I have been informed that photobucket is under maintenance….let's hope when it's up and running again it will be more manageable than yesterday when it decided to add my photos …..alllll the way at the end of my album sending me on a wild goose chase for what should be a minimal and simple click and go. So I appreciate your patience if this blog has no pics although it should.

Pic 1-2: Since the last installment I decided to ad lib a bottom skirt piece to frame in the bottom section of my ittle library. I cut out with my coping saw then preceded to tune my chisel chamfer skills. I also took out the middle of the back boards top to play with positive and negative spaces.

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Pic 3-5: Put some good old friends to work here to make the drill holes and counter bore the areas for the attaching screws. It never ceases to amaze me just how much hard work can be done with these simplistic and yet brilliant hand tools.

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Pic 6: Time for some spokeshave work. Using this method of jogging and ganging the pieces in the vice serves for matching the old style way…...by eye, feel and learning skill.
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Pic 7: No easy rodeo to ride these chisels bevel down to make accurate chamfers but it is a very fun and wonderful skill builder for this and future builds. Isn't sand paper awesome?.....lmao!

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Pic 8-9: Some mock ups to let the audience view how the design is coming together.
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It's been a free form jazz session really. I have even made a pretty funny mistake which I am happy to say invites an idea I hopefully will share in the next installment.

Crafting these things really prompts our minds for finalized satisfaction although we all recognize thats not always the verdict. We want the joinery to puzzle piece in and allow our family and friends to admire those areas that they never even see or pay much attention to…...but we do.

For me I enjoy projects that almost take us back somewhere…I suppose this is why the tools I use follow the same suit. There is some additional soul to using and making things for my personal tastes that look like they already have had life to them. Maybe that is my fired enthusiasum. To get out there and try and recreate that spirit bringing these old styles and ideas to life again with my own way of doing so.

I love that everytime we approach that work bench there is that crossroads we must compromise. North? South? Dovetails? Handtools? It's your map, your writing with your own script for success and surprises.

It's an exercise of the muscles, a challenge of the creative mind, and hopefully a love and reverence for those giants in the forest that sway and stand keeping the earths time in proper pace.

I hope all your paces are full of great times,

Be well and have fun, more to come!

Joe
 
#258 ·
Exercises in Artisanship #32: The Woodrights Galoot library Part 4

The temperatures here are starting to show us some fall weather finally. Things in the air seem somewhat regulated which I prefer for working in my unheated shop. A steady 45-55 degrees makes me enjoy the heavier work more wether it's sawing some big cherry pieces or hewing down stock for future wooden ware.

I enjoy some of those certain days when the sun stays in more than not, it sort of provides me the feeling of wearing my favorite flannel shirt and heading off into that zone so many of us lumber folks like to go. Wether heated or out in the sticks we all have our favorite things that inspire our craving to work with wood.

It's a curious fetish I think at times, all of this fumbling about hurriedly creating and playing with all these instruments. We chase our ideas like warped scientists searching for the perfect slabs to unfold our designs and puzzle them together and maybe this time it will cure the yearning to do it all over again…..but it never does.

It's a positive escape and granted there are far worse ones for people to jump into. I look back into the files of my thoughts and still think it is unfathomable that I have taken the road of hand tools and building anything more than second rate house of cards.

Within all of the construction, creation and even confusion I submit that the tools have given me an education more of my self than of simple measures and where to place the nails.

Each piece of the project become more personal when the entire job is worked by hand, I would say it provides a hidden zen and added regard for some form of self reliance within ourselves. The times spent make the outcome satisfying when they reach my finish line. I appreciate the exchange of ideas and comments from all of you great artisans out there.

So back to the lab I found it time to try some chip carving. I figured this may add some light ornamentation country style to this Galoot Library. When in doubt try easy things and go for it especially if it's light pine…you can't lose with a decent template and the will to want to push for something farther down the tracks of woodworking wisdom!

Let's take a look at the trouble I am in now….lol.

Pic 1-3: I am really pleased how the roundness of these side pieces have fashioned out. I used the chisels to chamfer them shown in the last installment followed up by 100 and 220 girt medium sandpapers to make for a silky smooth output!

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Pic 4: With the Pfiel chip carving knife ready to take me on a lesson…..I set myself up for some chip carving for the center of the shelfs backboard!

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Pic 5-7: I hardly have much experience in the field of chip carving although my most important tips are to make sure your thumb is supported to provide you with a strong fulcrum and always angle your blade inward towards one another to "chip" out the piece. Also take your time and do some practice laps on some scrap!

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Pic 8: It's all in the lighting when it comes to the business of chip carving. I was pleased with this session. I received those nice chips fairly clean without getting so messy and making ragged cuts. This excusion was probably only my eighth or ninth time doing so between trying it here and there within the last two years…..so…....yay!......lol. Don't be afraid to cheer yourself on when your work becomes to tight. I find we all need more of this to jaunt oursevles into the right headspace so we may grow in all these fields of skill. When you cannot find the satisfaction of it…..remember it will improve with every repeated practice of the exercise.
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Pic 9-10: Or…say the hell with the chip carving and get yourself a cool old hollow plane. This was a boat load of money…..... a whole one dollar bill from a nice guy having some fun selling things last christmas at our local auction…lol. Fun to use, fairly off it's accuracy….just my style….hell of a good time….lmao! This was used to round over the lip of the shelf to hold meeee woodriggghts thingssss mates!

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Pic 11-12: Mistake time in the gallery of all things wood. In my enjoyment a few weeks back I was haveing such a good time using my Drill and smelling the sweet pine in the shop….....oooops….I surely put the drill holes in the wrong section. I forgot the detailed skirt of my piece would be inset….and put my two holes so the skirt would be flush to the front…..well flush that down the drain…lol. I originally was going to make cut out side pieces to dress over the wrong holes….....but…ahhh…...looked sort of tacky…too thick as well. I want flow here…...something that rides along the piece with comfort and confidence lacking over amounts of…."stuck on stuff". So a little Elmers wood glue and a laugh about it will fix her just fine. The little penciled circles are now the proper holes to marry the front piece.

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I hope you all got a little something from this version of the build. Of course you know the song all too well…...sanding, fitting…..finishing! All of the final tasks are in store for the future of this project now. I need to get moving too as christmas awaits and I do have some spoon orders!. Where are the elves when you need them….lol.

Thank you all so much for your time and inspiration. I appreciate all of my comments and LJ buddies. Of course I have been extremely fortunate to have many regular visits from some of my list..and that's something that definitely keeps my spirit extra charged for learning more. Ironic that I use little to no electric in my work but how wonderful it is to reach out all over the globe through the internet and make so many interesting and talented friends. I guess it's no more than like the old days having a CB radio….we have handles (nicknames) and everything…lol. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving friends…and you all get a BIG TEN FOUR!

Be well and keep creating!

Joe
 
#266 ·
Handcrafted Country Carvers Throne PT 1

Time to travel some different roads this journey and see what becomes of my new project…...The handcrafted country carving throne (AKA milking stool)....lmao! I do try to add entertainment value to these whacky ideas of mine…..so please work with my insanity folks….lol.

I was tossing around various ideas and as the game sometimes goes I just could not get a design topic that made me start to have that creative spark. Then…..so natural I thought, I could use a little seat to sit and carve my spoons, plus I have yet to try making anything like this….so now is the time!

The day came to walk down the roads of box store Douglas fir pine and its lovely spinsterish wonderland. There I was standing in Lowes fussing over the lack of available lumber without remembering this is old school craft work, no time for whining, make it yours!....lol. So I gave myself a pep talk, fired up some galoot spirit and a sawing I went to start the job in the shop!

Pic 1: Setting up the width to saw out two planks and joint them up!

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Pic 2-3: Between the 32 degree temps and the dried pine I sharpened up my little disston crosscut and added some mutten tallow for making the job a little easier.
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I like to use the saw handle makers creative patterns to lay a little of the tallow in for quick access as I need it!
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Pic 4: Two planks sawn and time to let the #4 1/2 have a go at the jointing. She was fresh off of the diamond stones and was more than providing gossamer shavings as I worked it down.
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Pic 5: We skipped over the glue up although I am sure you get the grasp of that portion. Now with the board glued and convex/conave a wiggle here and there, it was time to dog up the glued piece and begin to shave it flat on both sides. Made for some good warming and working as the 30 degree temps were just fine at this point teamed up with my small heater….lol. Yes this old school work gets the heart pumping for sure friends.
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Pic 6: Now with the work producing a fairly flat result I took to getting my circle layed out for the next task.
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Pic 7-8: With my Grandfathers old Disston Rancher Rip saw I took to the extra wood and ripped it down. My work at times needs to have spontaneity, so I just move with instincts more than an overly structured plan, hence a little extra pine…..lol. But I will make good for it and use it for something.
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This old saw not much in the collecting saw world, but a family treasure sure enough. This oldie was used many days in my fathers garage when we lived in our log cabin. My Grandfather loaned it to him and we have had it ever since. Fun to use with her cleaned and cared for after years of getting rusted up a bit. She sure helped me on this task. If saws could talk my stories would bore you…..lol.
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Pic 9-10: I suppose you could pic a few poisens here as far as to how you would like to get this sucker cut out. I used an old way I once was shown in a Roy Underhill article for cutting a larger lathe wheel. So I set about getting to the saw cutters gym and started the job.
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Triceps extenstions need not apply here….lol. Some good minutes on this work and the arms workout is on!
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Pic 11-12: The payoff after the burning muscles is you get to play with the spokeshave…....ah the wonderful and ever addiction of paring clean shaves, seducing the rough edged bitchy pine is a job of patience!
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It's in no way an easy affair to tackle it….so without a heavy hand feel your way, glide your blade and listen. You really have to tune in. The braun is within your sawing fist but the hands of angels to work this round and smooth. She will cuss you quick and rip pine strips splinters o plenty if you handle this without skill. I have a nice amount of saw tear out as exercises for the underneath to cut my teeth upon, believe me….lol.
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Pic 13: Roughed out with future potential. The rounding and shaving to continue but a nice first stage to get this piece into its future form.
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The tools used cost me little barring the # 4 1/2, hahaha….. I sure know all you plane addicts know that was not too cheap….lol.

But the point for anyone interested in this side of the woodworking game is…..using hand tools does not need to be such an expensive quest. Some good bargains at a flea market and you can start a handy collection for doing this work without gold plated 200 dollar hand planes….lol. Lie Nielson is awesome and top shelf make no mistake about it. My fear is this might make the new interested woodworker feel totally scared off at such insane amounts to pay for one hand tool as they want to learn these crafts in a traditional manner. So by chance if anyone has an interest and is just starting, please check out auctions, flea markets, ebay, etc. I learn more and more how to do so much with so little. It's amazing really.

Ok gang, more work to follow of course.
Legs to turn on the lathe, more rounding and sanding, all kinds of trouble to get into!

Hope you stop by and check it out.

Thank you to all my friends, your continued support and good spirit is an inspiration, may you be well and may I soon get my new computer…..lol. Sorry, even with hand tools and all I too have been overtaken by the speed of modern technology, what's a galoot to do?....lol.

CHEERS!

Joe
 
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