Like most individuals, I consider myself to be self-taught. I have no formal training as a woodworker, I did not apprentice under anyone, nor do I possess any formal education in design or art. But it would be dishonest to say that I have not had any teachers. Like anyone else, I read everything that I can get my hands on and I have inflicted myself on many a hapless professional craftsmen.
I want to introduce the LJ community to one of my mentors. His name is Mike Blatnick and he lives in Billings, Montana. He is an extremely talented designer and craftsman that can fluently speak in all the design vernaculars from Rococo to Modern. His work is absolutely impeccable and has been a benchmark that I have been chasing from the day that I met him.
A few years ago I hired Mike to build a mahogany door with a full view glass for one of my remodel projects. When I was in his shop, he was working on a table that had some swayed legs. I thought the design was the neatest thing that I ever saw and I obsessed over the shape of the legs. This obsession expressed itself in what I consider my breakout piece, the Mahogany Sofa Table.
When you know someone of this caliber, you can’t help but get excited about furniture making and design. The company a person keeps has an amazing influence on creativity. By sharing this I am really paying homage to someone that I consider a mentor and friend. (I am not sure, but he may just consider me a hemorrhoid for hanging around his shop too much.)
I stopped by Mike’s shop a few days ago and saw his latest work. It is a modern desk designed for an office here in Billings. This was just too good not to share, so he is allowing me to post this for the LJ community.
The desk is a modern design made with a solid beech top and beech veneers for the curved work. The finish is catalyzed acrylic from Sherwin Williams. This is a very durable finish for the writing surface and will withstand the abuse.
The drawers do not have surface mounted handles, they are opened by a recessed pull on the side. Just above the drawers, on both sides, are pull-outs to increase the desk area when the client has papers spread out.
The modern style of furniture looks simple but it is incredibly difficult and technical to build. There is very little margin for error in the finished product because all of the reveals have to remain constant. To achieve this level of excellence, Mike took the design to a larger shop that has a CNC machine and contracted out all the curved cutting. The story is that the CNC ran for an hour just to carve out the solid top with the bevel profile. He conceded that all the templates and patterns that he could have made would never have resulted in the same level of accuracy as what the CNC can produce.
Adding to the level of difficulty is the curved work. The accuracy of the work has to go from the top to the bottom over a curved surface. This is incredibly technical.
Mike’s knowledge of woodworking and furniture history is extensive and he can do everything from design to finish. I have used him as a benchmark for all aspects of the craft. Mike is certainly one of the individuals that I owe much thanks to for my growth.
Mike does not have a website and he is currently looking into this. When he gets one going I will be sure to let you know so that you may see more of his work.
Share the Love~Share the Knowledge
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
21 comments so far
Greg Wurst
home | projects | blog
403 posts in 274 days
posted 57 days ago
That is certainly an impressive table with very tight tolerances. Seeing work like that inspires you to improve your own work.
Damian Penney
home | projects | blog
617 posts in 433 days
posted 57 days ago
CNC. Cheater ;-) Great looking desk Todd, thanks for sharing.
-- I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso
Todd A. Clippinger
home | projects | blog
2528 posts in 541 days
posted 57 days ago
It is energizing to know someone of Mike’s caliber and witness their work first-hand.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
VTWoody
home | projects | blog
95 posts in 499 days
posted 57 days ago
That is an awesome piece, and I use that word only with its original meaning, that the object inspires awe. I could very easily see holding Mike up as the benchmark and never really making it there, but enjoying the journey nonetheless.
Kudos to Mike, and thank you for sharing his work with us.
Todd A. Clippinger
home | projects | blog
2528 posts in 541 days
posted 57 days ago
VTWoody,
I am most certainly enjoying the journey.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
Lee A. Jesberger
home | projects | blog
2577 posts in 421 days
posted 57 days ago
Todd;
That’s a fantastic piece alright.
Gee no wonder your so good, being able to hang out with a guy like that.
I have to either read it, or just make it up myself!
Great post.
Lee
-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com
jockmike2
home | projects | blog
4011 posts in 688 days
posted 57 days ago
Very inspiring Todd, I think, if I could, I’d hang with Mike too.
-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com
dennis mitchell
home | projects | blog
2912 posts in 756 days
posted 57 days ago
Heck Todd…Did you have to share this? I’ve been fighting white conversion varnish all morning and am about ready to go drive a manure truck…then I see this. Just about enough to ruin my self esteem…
-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com
Brad_Nailor
home | projects | blog
694 posts in 399 days
posted 57 days ago
That is a beautiful piece! I love the color and the edge on the top. CNCs’ are a great thing to have available to you…just another weapon in your creative arsenal. The shop I worked in, the owner bought his CNC specifically to do curved and complex pieces..it excels at that. But it’s also great for turning out a kitchen full of cabinet parts, accurate down to 3 decimal places in about a third of the time it would take to hand cut them, with all the rabbits and dado’s cut, and it would even put “peck” holes where the screws would go for the draw slides!
-- Women love me.....trees fear me
Grumpy
home | projects | blog
4771 posts in 292 days
posted 56 days ago
Todd, your friend has great talent & I think a lot rubbed off on you.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
Jarrod_Murphree
home | projects | blog
171 posts in 165 days
posted 56 days ago
You’re no slouch…
Mike’s work is fantastic. I am/have been eagerly looking for someone like Mike to benchmark & hang out with. It would benefit me greatly to have a mentor like that. Many people with that kind of talent are very reluctant to share themselves (in my experience) so it’s nice to know that, somewhere, there are guys who “Share the love ~ Share the knowledge.”
-- Jarrod, Eagle Nest, NM
Betsy
home | projects | blog
1760 posts in 337 days
posted 56 days ago
Wow—- it’s nice to have a “mentor” like that. I highly doubt he considers you a hemorrhoid – but if you are a hemorrhoid with your talent I’m—- well, I’m not sure what I’d be. It’s great that you can hang out at his shop and that you can still get excited about such a neat woodworker. Your excitement about the craft is probably what makes you so good.
-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!
Todd A. Clippinger
home | projects | blog
2528 posts in 541 days
posted 56 days ago
I have run into a few stonewalls during my journey and I decided that I would never treat others that way. It was the people that were kind to me that helped define the way that I wanted to be towards others that are on their quest for woodworking knowledge and skills.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
rikkor
home | projects | blog
7093 posts in 316 days
posted 56 days ago
Todd, the desk is superb! Words don’t do enough to describe it. I see now where hour very high standard comes from.
-- Maplewood, MN
Beginningwoodworker
home | projects | blog
345 posts in 114 days
posted 55 days ago
Thats a nice desk. I am have way self taught and the other half I am learning at school.
-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker
Billp
home | projects | blog
199 posts in 641 days
posted 55 days ago
Todd guys like you and Lee are our insperation. I just learn from books and this web sight. The kindness of the skilled craftsmen on this sight means so much to us rookies. Thanks
-- Billp
Dorje
home | projects | blog
1736 posts in 438 days
posted 55 days ago
Too cool.
-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA
Blake
home | projects | blog
1873 posts in 316 days
posted 55 days ago
I don’t feel quite so bad about bugging you now!
That’s a pretty cool story Todd. That desk is amazing, I see what it is about him that you respect so much. Everybody can use someone to look up to.
-- Dust collectors suck.
Bigdogs117
home | projects | blog
76 posts in 62 days
posted 54 days ago
Awsome desk. Wow!
-- http://rusty@midohio.twcbc.com
thetimberkid
home | projects | blog
1250 posts in 144 days
posted 53 days ago
Great desk!
Thanks for the post
Callum
-- There is no such thing as a mistake....just a design modification Check out my site http://thetimberkid.blogspot.com/
Texasgaloot
home | projects | blog
263 posts in 142 days
posted 28 days ago
My first reaction was “Now there is a craftsman! One who very rigidly knows his limitations, and seeks an alternative solution.” On the other hand, I’m immersed in a project well over my head, and don’t know enough to admit it!
-- There's no tool like an old tool...