| This blog is written by Mark DeCou | 99 entries so far |
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Customer Approval Sketches for Three New Custom Designed Walking Canes
This blog is just for showing three new concept sketches of walking cane designs that I am workin...
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A New Persective on my Business; A Hot Air Balloon Tour of the Kansas Flinthills Tallgrass Prairie
(I haven’t done this style of blogging for awhile. With so many new LJ’ers now on th...
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Design Sketches for an American Eagle Carved Walking Cane for an Injured Iraqi War Air Force Veteran
This blog is just for showing a couple of new concept sketches of a carved walking cane design th...
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Progression Photos on the "The Greatest Story Ever Told" Walking Cane Project
Realizing that the story and photos of this walking cane project are decidedly Christian in conte...
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Designing a Prototype Wooden Curling Iron for custom Hatmakers to curl up the edge of Hat Brims
”Wood meets Felt” aka “Woodworker Meets Hatmakers” I’ve been try...
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Destroying a Miracle: An ME Paying Some Respect to the EE's (only slightly woodworking related)
This blog is photo-less. I haven’t done many blogs without photos before. I was takin...
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Planning "Steps" for a Carved Story Stick, "The Gospel" Commissioned Walking Cane
My recent “controversial” lumberjock postings of the walking cane work I have done re...
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Whitetail Deer Antler Walking Cane Handle with Silversmithing Work
This is a walking Cane handle that I am working on for a commissioned cane. The Antler has an en...
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Trying my big hairy hands at Silversmithing Work, first photos of my 4th project
I think it is really important to constantly try to learn new things. Could just be my ADHD. Bu...
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A Few Progress Photos on a Walnut/Maple Walking Cane with Scrimshaw
This is a walking cane that I am building for a woman in Conneticut. These photos are meant to...
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A Few Progress Photos on a new Irish-Heritage, Shamrock Spirit, Carved Face Walking Cane
UPDATE 5-2-2008: You can see the finished cane in this project posting: - – - –...
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Being Freed Up. Seeing wood and woodworking in a new light.
Ok, I promised myself and my wife that I would quit typing so much and work in the shop more. So...
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Lumberjocks website brings in sales for me, Finally!
The topic of making money with woodworking related things on the internet has been a long and tho...
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"Scrimshaw Techniques" Book by Jim Stevens is Now Ready For Sale
A few weeks ago I blogged that a new book on Scrimshaw artwork was being authored by Jim Stevens ...
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Transforming a Kitchen Cookbook Nook
I have a client that lives close to me, and we have had a lot of fun designing and building thing...
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A Great Antler Tip Writing Pen Tutorial To View
In this wide world, you just never know how different things will connect us together. Throw in ...
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Why I Don't Build "Mission"; Showing Support for the Studio Furniture Movement
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A few Ice Storm Photos Today (not much else to do)
Debbie asked about some photos of the ice storm. So, I made it out to the mailbox, and took phot...
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Breaking the 1000 Post Barrier, without Electricity. What?
I finally made it. I remember the sweeeeet days when I was the number one posting member of the ...
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Tonight, I Finished My Second Custom Steak Knife Set. Is it the Last?
It’s been a long week, but I am excited to say that I just finished up the 2nd Steak Knife ...
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Progress Update on the Custom Steak Knife Commission Project
Hey folks, the Wife is in town getting a piece of glass for the top of my knife display box, and ...
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Confirmation on the order for the Custom Steak Knife Sets
Well, after being excited, then not, then excited, then not, and then excited, and then not, for ...
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How To Build Your Own Powder Horn
Birth of a Powder Horn 101: A Lumberjock’s “Short Version” to Crafting A Powder...
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A Scrimshaw Art Journey: What it is & How to Do it; Five Simple Steps to Success
A Scrimshaw Art Journey: A Lumberjock’s “Short Version” of the Techniques for D...
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Jim Stevens' "Scrimshaw Techniques" Book going to Print: and I'm going to be in the BOOK!
Many folks over the past year have emailed me asking about whether investing in a website was wor...
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Samples Shipped for a Custom Steak Knife Set; with Antler Handles, Scrimshaw and Inlay work.
For the past 14 months, I have waited patiently to see if my investment in a prestigious national...
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Sharing Photos of a "Great Celebration" Mass Service; From the Church Furniture Commission Project
I had decided to spend the month of November not posting to lumberjocks, so that I could get some...
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Building a Carved Functional-Art Chair to Match the Tilt Front Desk
I’ve had a fun week. I’m building a chair to match the Tilt Front Desk that I previo...
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Making Your Own Hardware, a Hammered Copper Finger Pull for the Tilt Front Laptop Computer Desk
Over the past few years, I have had the chance to build my own door handles out of copper for sev...
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Airbrushing my Birger Sandzen-Inspired Carving for the Tilt-Front Laptop Computer Desk
I’m in the midst of finishing up a project I have really enjoyed. Sure, it has taken me tw...
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Relief Carving My Birger Sandzen-Inspired Desk Door Panel, A step-by-Step Log.
I hesitate to do this, that which I am about to do. I don’t fancy myself as a good carver,...
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Hmmm? Requesting Inspiration for Antique Wagon Wheels.
This week I came up with this axle and wheels from an old antique wagon. I have another set of w...
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Tilt Front Laptop Computer Desk with Carved Front Artwork Inspired by the late-Birger Sandzen
Several have asked about what I am working on now, so I thought I would take a minute and post so...
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Going Pro Part 2: Are you a Pioneer? You'll Need that Spirit.
Going full time at working with your woodworking tools is quite a daunting task. It was, and sti...
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Going Pro Part 1: Are you so Impassioned you can't stand it? Did you Consider........
Over in the Forum, there is a question about Going Pro with woodworking, and what should be consi...
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"Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner"; a Scrimshaw Art Demonstration at the Senior Center
About a month ago I received a phone call asking if I would demonstrate the Art of Scrimshaw at t...
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Kansas State Fair 2007 Summary of my Entries
I took most of the day of today and traveled to Hutchinson, KS to see the exhibits and check on m...
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Summer 2007 DeCou Lumberjock Picnic; and Looking towards a 2008 Big Event
Wow, it has been a couple of weeks since the Lumberjocks Picnic at my place on 8-10-2007. I want...
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Joining the Computer Age: Learning Sketchup
I first heard of SketchUp during the Thorsen Table Challenge. Someone had done some cool drawing...
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Final Morning: Mid-West Lumberjocks Lallapoluzza!
I couldn’t sleep well last night. Lots to do, and as usual, it ain’t going to all ge...
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The Party is Growing: Joel Tille is coming, More Plans for the DeCou-site Lumberjock Picnic
I was out in the yard planting two little maple trees and the “wife” called from the ...
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Why Some "Pine" May Not Be The Right Wood For Some Outdoor Furniture In Some Areas, Some of the Time
I have a great friend that is learning to do woodworking. He has been working hard at it the pas...
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Gearing Up for A Lumberjocks Picnic in August
I’m so excited, Karson is on the way to see me on Friday. He left Delware Tuesday, and is ...
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4th (Final) Update on the St. Anthony Hymn Number Board
This week, I’ve been finishing up the Hymn Number Board for the St. Anthony Catholic church...
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3rd Update on the Hymn Number Stand
I had a nice weekend. Saturday I worked with a local cabinet maker helping him catch up on his s...
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2nd Update on the Church Hymn Number Board Commission Project
Today, Monday, I took photos of what I have accomplished on my Hymn Number Board that I am buildi...
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Work Progress on my current Commission for the St. Anthony Church in Strong City, KS
I have received some correspondence lately asking about what I am doing right now in the shop. S...
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Important New Tool Added to the Shop for Summer
Just a quick note to show a photo of an important new addition to the shop. Last Fall a neighbor...
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Anyone want Cedar Wood?
The other day I posted a couple of projects where I used some reddish-white wood, that we around ...
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You call that a "Vacation"?
Wow, I’m not sure that I’ve ever been so tired after a two week vacation before. In ...
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A Kansas Lumberjock Offical Meeting at Kev's Place
After reading Martin’s blog yesterday about all of us having some lumberjock club meetings,...
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Developing Authentic Expectations While Working With Commission Customers
I have moved this information over from the Church Lectern project as I think it cleans up the Pr...
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Dustless Sanding (really!): Rigging up your own vacuum system with the Porter Cable Model 333
The hardest dust for me to breathe is the fine stuff that comes out of the orbital sander. I hav...
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Casket Interior and Delivery
After a set of long days and late nights, I had the joy of taking the Mission Style Casket to me...
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A Second Experience in Building a Burial Casket (aka Thorsen Table Challenge Entry)
A few weeks ago I blogged that my next commission project would be a Mission Style Casket for my ...
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Bringing Light to Aging Eyes (updated 5-22-2007 w/Flashlight Ordering Information)
Dimming Eyesight:A hard topic for some of us, but as we enter our 40-something years, most of us ...
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Seeking Advice from the Rustic Makers on Lumberjocks
Hey rustic makers. I piddle around with natural sticks once in awhile, but have never spent the ...
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A Visit from "Kev", a Fellow Lumberjock
Yesterday, I enjoyed an afternoon of getting to know a fellow lumberjock, “Kev”, othe...
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Commissioned Church Side Altars Complete!
I am so excited this morning. Why you ask? I’m complete with the St. Anthony Church Sid...
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End of April Update, with a Diversified Methodology for running an art-based business
Wow, 19 days since I last blogged. What have I been doing? Working has been on the forefront of...
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Plans Laid for the Next Project: A Mission Style Casket
I’ve been pretty BLOG quiet lately. I have used about all of the computer time I could get...
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Gaining Strength in the Valley of "March"
Hey lumberjocks. I have received quite a few emails and blog comments that my mouthy presence on...
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Man I hate Dial-up!
I just spent the past 2 hours writing and proofreading my latest blog entry about how things are ...
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A Welcomed Warm Spring Day During a Rough Week
March in Kansas can go from Snow to Tornadoes and back pretty quickly, sometimes in the same day....
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Fun Inlay Options: Adding Decorative Elements, Taking a Project Further
I was totally content being tied with Ethan on the number of blogs tonight, heck, I was out some ...
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The M&M Files: Sorting Through the Nuts in Life (not woodworking related)
During each trip to get groceries, my wife likes to buy 2-3 bags of Mountain Trail Mix at Walmart...
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On the Mend: The Gall Bladder is Gone
It has been an interesting couple of weeks. I haven’t felt like sitting up at the computer...
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Thoughts on the Hollow Chisel Mortising Machine (updated 11-14-2007)
In a recent Blog by Obi, he discussed using a router to cut mortises, and this started up a discu...
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Running for the Light: What to do with “Pop’s” Tools?
I was reading Ethan’s blog this morning, and it pricked something in my heart that has been there...
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Surprised by a New Lumberjocks Shirt
I was thrilled this week to get a surprise packet in the mail. Martin sent me a new lumberjocks ...
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Hanging Homemade Crown Molding: Suffering Through Mistakes & Learning Life's Lessons.
I wanted to tell a little more about my experience with crafting my own crown molding, and share ...
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Joining the Fellowship: What this Lumberjocks Stuff is Really About
Ethan’s latest blog got me to thinking (scary huh?). I started to comment in his blog, t...
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Simply Waiting to Be Miraculously Discovered; Learning Lessons Along the Journey.
I was reading some of the supportive comments to my blog yesterday, and the offer to pray for my ...
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Business Plan Counseling Summary
I made my second visit to the college to get business plan advice today. The counselor that help...
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Crown Molding: Crafting Your Own Trim (Copywrite M.A. DeCou 2-10-2007)
My wife is gone for a few hours this Saturday morning, and the kids are busy watching a video, so...
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Last day to Vote!
During the last lumberjocks competition in the summer, once I saw Karson’s cradle and read ...
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Headed in for Business Plan Assistance
This afternoon I have an appointment with a professor at the University who volunteers his help w...
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The Woodworking Show in Kansas City 2007 (M.A. DeCou copywrite 2-5-2007)
Wow, what a great weekend. A two night stay alone with my wife, one night in a hotel, the second...
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Posting Competition
This morning I was shocked to see that I slipped down the list so far in the number of postings. ...
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Voting in the Winter Competition
Wow: I just cast my votes in the winter competition, and it was a pure joy. The programming behi...
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Seeing the Timelessness of Gustav’s Vision Updated 1-19-2007
“Girls and Typing,” and “The Wee Little Craftsman Style Kid’s Desk”; Seeing the Timelessness of G...
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Craftsman vs. Mission vs. Arts & Crafts, and a lot of rambling and pontificating thrown in.
I’m All Confused; What’s up with this Mission vs. Craftsman vs. Arts & Crafts Stuff? (M.D. De...
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Lumberjocks Website is Driving Hits to my business website 1-11-2007
This blog entry tonight actually got it’s start earlier today with another Forum question, ...
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Updated information on my application for a grant with NASE
I blogged a couple of months back about my application submittal for a micro-business grant from ...
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I have a new Lumberjocks T-shirt! 1-7-2007
Martin was so kind to send a late Christmas present, a new Lumberjocks t-shirt. I love it, the l...
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CompuCarver goes Big Time with advertising
I was cleaning up my shop on Saturday night, getting ready for the New Year, the New Project (Alt...
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The First "DeCou Studio" Road Billboard Sign 12-31-2006
About Three weeks ago, I received an unexpected visit from another Lumberjock. Joel Tille drove ...
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Magazine Arrived 12-31-2006
Yesterday I received my first issue of the Fine Woodworking magazine subscription that I won for ...
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Where is all of this Headed? From 2006 to 2007, and Beyond.
I was reading a Forum comment by “Don” this morning and it got my writing juices goin...
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New Carver on the Scene 12-18-2006
In February of this year, my wife and I made our annual trek to Kansas City to visit The Woodwork...
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Arrival of the Altar 12-18-2006
I have been waiting for several weeks for the arrival of the Church Altar that I am to copy and m...
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Arrival of the Altar 12-18-2006
I have been waiting for several weeks for the arrival of the Church Altar that I am to copy and m...
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The Christmas Rush
This time of year is always a lot of fun for me. First there is the birthday of Jesus, and then ...
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Grant Writing Adventure 11-27-2006
The National Association for the Self Employed (NASE) which I joined to get health insurance cove...
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Bosch Contractor's Saw review posted
I just finished up writing my thoughts on my latest tool purchase, the Bosch contractor’s s...
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American Bungalow Magazine
Hey jocks:If you are in a bookstore and are flipping through magazines, check out the new “...
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Church Altar Project Award 11-12-2006
I am so excited, I just received a call this evening that my bid on the church Side Altars has be...
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Church Altar Project Bid 11-10-2006
New Bid SubmittedThis morning I sent out my bid for a commissioned job to build two side altars f...
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King of Wood 11-5-2006
This afternoon after a great lunch prepared by my wife, and a long nap, I went outside to enjoy a...
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