As many of you recall, I took sabbatical from my day job in 2007. I was recalled in 2008. I'm currently on assignment away from home and shop. Guys, like it or not, our nation is at war. And just because no one's asked you to give up your nylon stockings (Hey! They're MOSTLY cotton) doesn't mean others aren't making sacrifices. No, I don't mean me. I live a privileged life in the worst of times. I'm just happy to help whenever and wherever I can. I'm not in harm's way. Let's just leave it like that, can we? I'll tell you more when I can.

I'm presently working on another article for my column, but I won't be able to write every issue. So we've found some folks I think you'll enjoy hearing from. Norm Abram has graciously agreed to…no, just kidding. I'll let Chris talk about what we have in store for you.

Adam

Friday, November 20, 2009 2:47:32 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [2] 

I've had a few occasions to speak to woodworking groups. Each time, I've asked myself how I could make the audience's experience great. Being brutally honest, print is probably a better way to learn. You can read at your own pace. I get to choose my words carefully. The photos and graphics are carefully designed to illustrate the point. So if I was to focus solely on teaching the subject matter at hand, I could probably do a better job in print than I can in person.

Though you know me as a woodworking author, like the other woodworking authors, I'm really a woodworker first, author second. I've sat in those same uncomfortable church, and hotel seminar room chairs, and I know what I've gotten out of the experience.

If you have your wits about you, you can learn WAY more with a 5 minute conversation with the demonstrator than you ever could reading a book or magazine article. And that was certainly my experience, chatting with the likes of Roy Underrhill, Mike Dunbar, or Mack Headley. I think I've read everything these guys have written. Speaking with them, seeing them work, has changed my understanding of their work, approaches, and products.

In a few short weeks, authors you know and some you don't will gather in Valley Forge PA. It will be a magazine come to life. It's your opportunity to get eyeball to eyeball with some really great woodworkers (authors and otherwise). Its a chance for them to step out of their print and for you to see what makes them tick, and what they are really like. Think of it like a woodworking town hall meeting. Got a bone to pick? Maybe you're fine with the Presidents's health care plan but you're mad as hell that I use the word "pitch" to describe the size of saw teeth. This is the place to hash it out. I can't speak for every presenter, but I'll be doing my darnedest to offer you something you can't get in print. For me, that usually means audience suggested demonstrations, lots of interaction, and accessibility.

But you have to do your part too. If you come, don't be a wall flower. Make sure you corner the presenters you've been wanted to interrogate. That's what we're there for. Woodworking In America is a magazine come to life. But don't just turn the pages.

Adam

Saturday, September 12, 2009 11:04:32 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)    Comments [6] 

I'm personally gratified by the amount of progress I see in woodworking today. When the author of "Table Saw Magic" (really? magic?) says to me with a gleam in his eye that he's ditching his power tools to "come over to your way", what am I supposed to say besides "Hallelujah brother!".

I don't emotionally plug into my participation here. I'm just pleased to see folks trying new stuff, no longer convinced the modern industrial manufacturing models are the only way. Forget about better. As human beings we are explorers. I heard a radio show about Alzheimer's patients who wander away from their homes. Its a huge problem, but also a glimpse of who we are, what we are meant to do. Does the Alzheimers cause the need to leave, or does it just remove our inhibitions to do what is natural for us?

Reading thru the various ww magazines and websites one can be lulled into the false impression that everything is known, everything has been done. I'm not trying to put anyone down. And I am just as guilty, if guilty is the right word, of being overly enthusiastic about things I've learned.

I just wanted to remind you, that the hand tool ship has room for more explorers. We don't know everything.

I'm working on a spice chest for a Kelly Mehler class. It's roughly 17x17" and has 11 drawers. The drawer dividers are 1/4" thick. Where do you get 1/4" stock in an 18th c shop? You have only a few choices; plane it, split it, or saw it.

Despite it's diminutive size, the resaw operations were considerable. The stock was 9" wide (KD SYP). This is no kidding around stuff. I used a saw I made (copy from Roubo) for the purpose. I'm not at all satisfied with it. It cuts fast, but is difficult to control. Establishing a kerf (alone) is all but impossible. I began the cuts with a hand saw.

We should assume not EVERYTHING they did in 18th c woodshops was elegant and effortless. Some of their work must have been, as so many modern ww believe, drudgery. The problem is, steeped as we are in our ignorance, anchored as we are to our arm chairs, it's difficult for us to know which operations were drudgery and which were not.

Jim Tolpin has changed his ship's course. He's begun a journey that will take him to far away lands. As such, he's not so much a convert to a woodworking religion, but a model of what we all are or should become. We are explorers. Many a distant shore awaits our discovery.

Adam

Monday, September 07, 2009 8:03:07 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)    Comments [13] 

PW has published a compilation of my column to date and added some great Schwarz content to round it out narratively. What you get is a cd that works a little like a webpage. There's an introductory screen that includes a linked table of contents. Click on the article and you get a searchable pdf document. It should work on any computer.

I'm thrilled to see it. Many folks have asked when I'm going to publish my articles in a book. I think this is better. Schwarz really convinced me of just how ecologically evil the printing industry is. Let's save the trees for woodworking.

Just to remind you, there are few articles of mine that I think everyone should have a copy of handy; the ball and claw is probably one of the best, most complete looks at this subject ever. Though there's plenty of quibble with, I think the "Soul and Basis of our Art" was one of my best and worth reviewing. Ditto, the "Plumley Inventory" is worth a reread. Personally, I took a look over my earliest articles to see if and how my writing changed. I think you can certainly see me growing as an author and a woodworker over those 4 years.

My friends and I often joke about our woodworking libraries (how large they are- how you could spend all your ww time making bookshelves to hold your ww books). On the subjects of period woodworking and building case furniture with hand tools, there really aren't that many good titles. For this reason alone, I think that if this subject interests you, you should have a copy.

Adam

Sunday, August 02, 2009 11:47:32 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)    Comments [8] 

Last time I visited Kelly Mehler's school, I admired the fine sharpening set-up he had. People who are serious about woodworking have permanent sharpening stations, and Kelly's is top notch. One thing I like about it is the grinders are downstairs with the other nasty smelly machines.

Anyway, I was thinking about the etiquette of using someone else's sharpening stones. I'm teaching another class at Kelly's this Fall and a student asked about what chisels to bring. I told him (Joe) that if you are bringing your own chisels, you should probably bring your own stones as well. To me, using someone else's stone is like drinking from their coffee cup. I wasn't sure that was a great analogy so I thought I ask you. So I have two questions:

1) Is it okay to use someone else's sharpening stone?

I tried using one of Joel's once. He wouldn't let me. Did I mention that Joel was selling stones at the time? Yes, Joel is a bit quirky, but I think he's right about this one.

2) If using someone else's stone really is icky, what would be a good analogy? My coffee cup analogy isn't a good one. If you washed it before and after you use it, what's the difference if you borrow a cup?

The cup in the picture above has a funny story. I've met Roy Underhill several times at conferences in Williamsburg. He's always mobbed. I mean, he's a real celebrity, and especially so in Williamsburg. I'm fairly certain he doesn't read my column or blog and when he sees me, I always introduce myself to remind him of who I am.

Last year at WiA:Berea, I was fortunate to be pared up with St. Roy in a class on chisel use. Roy is a real professional. The class went pretty well. The following day, I was packing up my demo booth and Roy came wandering thr the market place where my booth was set-up. He had a surprised look on his face when he saw me. He thanked me for my previous day's efforts, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the cup in the picture above, complete with remnants of his morning's coffee (there are always remnants). It's a neat cup and I was thrilled to have it. But that's the point: Stones are like coffee cups aren't they? Unless you flatten them after each use, you really are leaving coffee grounds behind for someone else, agree?

Adam

Sunday, July 19, 2009 11:41:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)    Comments [23] 

In anticipation of making this chair, I carved several ball and claw feet and several full legs, including one with the knee returns attached. I'm a firm believer in practice. But it doesn't always make sense to cheap out. I used basswood, which in retrospect was a mistake. Bass carves differently than mahogany...different enough that it's better to use the real thing.

When it came time to start construction of the chair, truth is, I still looked at it as practice. I knew I wasn't going to be satisfied by the results. So I used scrap mahogany. Some of it (the better stuff) came from the family boat shop. The leg stock was dense and oily and had a beautiful brown color. The rear legs were stock from a bed my friend Rod sold me years ago. It too was dense and nice.

But the rails were just 4/4 scrap from Lord knows where. Light in color and weight, these pieces carved significantly different from the other pieces. The material felt weak and deflected under the gouge like pine. I'm fairly certain all of it was the same species.

The really nice thing about mahogany (and very likely the reason for it's popularity in the 18th c) is that it's easy wood to cut, but it has a crispness to it. It's almost like cutting dense styrofoam.

So I was disappointed with the way this crest rail came out. If I had it to do all over again, I'd do ALL of my practice with decent quality mahogany.

Practice makes you more comfortable in an activity. But not all practice makes perfect.

Adam

Thursday, July 16, 2009 12:07:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)    Comments [2] 

I've learned alot about baroque carving making this chair. Yes, yes, I know this is a Rococo carving and Rococo is different from Baroque. But I yes, it's the baroque aspects of the design that I plugged into.

I could write a lot about my experience carving; the tools, the stones I shaped to sharpen the tools, the "flattening" that naturally occurs when one copies a copy, that copied a copy of a photograph.

I don't consider this carving wholly successful. And the project as a whole is a nightmare. But I think I get the relationship between this style and the baroque; the contrast of light and dark, near and far.

I also imagined a scene that I'm sure I saw in some Jane Austen movie that really helped with the Rococo aspects of the design. It's a windswept hill top. A portion of a classical column has been over grown with vines. Ladies enjoying a picnic have placed wild flowers tied up with ribbons atop the column. It's rustic, classical, and natural all on top of each other, intertwined physically and metaphorically.

Can I just add that I hate this kind of talk. And I typically hate woodworkers who engage in such talk. They rarely know what they are talking about. It's sales speak used to exhalt one's self or work or both. But it rarely has the desired effect.

Yes, I've learned alot carving this chair. Lesson #3026: Be careful about your rhetoric Adam. And don't be so darned judgemental.

Because in this case, I think this sort of mental imagery is essential. Whether my work is good or not is regardless. This is artwork. It requires that we use our imaginations and link up our hearts, eyes, and hands (yeeck- this is so hard for me. See what I do for you?).

Copy too much, and your artwork will lose it's "life". These carvings have to be bold and exhuberant. This is the second leg. It's not just like the first. And it's not just like the original. It's like a column, on a windswept hill.... and no kidding. I wish there was another way around it guys.

Adam

Fight if you must, and don't let the wife see the box of tissues, but for the good of your work, you might need to get Emma (Kate Beckinsale version is better imho than Gwenyth), Sense and Sensibility (Emma Thompson), or Pride and Prejudice (get 6 hour A&E version) from Netflix. This may be what you need to progress. So important are these films, I hear Megan is considering having them as required viewing at Woodworking In America: Chicago!

Friday, July 10, 2009 6:56:41 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)    Comments [7] 

I skipped Pennsbury yesterday and spent the day carving instead. When I began my Chippendale chair project, I under estimated how much I would enjoy carving. Sounds a little funny to say out loud (but isn't that what blogs are for?) but I'm surprised I've done as well as I have. Has that ever happened to you? Maybe that's why I like woodworking. I have low expectations!

Speaking only for myself, I focus on the end product when I work wood. I like the processes, especially the development of new skills, but often not while I'm in the learning stage and sometimes not even in the doing stage. It's work that I need to get done. But a few activities I can think of, woodturning and carving chief among them, I find really fun. I'm not good at either one. But I enjoy the work and am generally pleased with the results.

We talk a lot about how to do this or that. And there's a general assumption that the work we do is enjoyable. But obviously not all of it is. If you have a minute, let me know what aspects of woodworking you find enjoyable.

Adam

Monday, July 06, 2009 5:07:22 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)    Comments [12] 

Maloof rocker, courtesy of Wikipedia

As I am sure you know, our community is marking the passing of Sam Maloof. We are lesser for the loss of this iconic woodworker. A gifted furniture maker, and teacher, Maloof was also an inspiration for the integrity of his work, and his life.

I’ll leave in depth reports and the inevitable retrospectives for those better acquainted with Maloof’s life and work. Personally, I was always struck by the very humble way he approached his life’s work. I think there’s a tendency for those who have achieved a certain level of accomplishment to lose perspective of the overall importance of their work. I find entertainers particular guilty of this but it can happen to anyone including furniture makers and woodworking authors.

Maloof referred to himself only as a “woodworker”. This humble title concealed the truth of who Maloof was, what he did, and what we must do going forward without him. Basket weavers, pen turners and cabinetmakers are all woodworkers. So are trim carpenters, and Welsh stick-chair makers. I don’t see any of these pursuits as particularly similar. Associating ourselves solely in terms of the material we use is sort of silly don’t you think? It doesn’t speak to our goals and aspirations.

I don’t think we admire Maloof chiefly for the way he operated his band saw or his prowess cutting mortises. Maloof was a furniture artist whose medium was wood. He clearly expressed his esthetic, while creating usable functional furniture forms. I think the nexus between fine art and functionality is very difficult to pull off. Sam Maloof’s life and work will continue to offer us something to shoot for.

In case you didn’t know, perhaps now is a good time to mention. Popular Woodworking is hosting a conference near Chicago that will focus on design. I highly recommend you attend. There are lots of places to learn about how to sharpen your tools. And I’m not disparaging the usefulness of the other WiA, which will be held outside Philly. I just think as “woodworkers” we often focus on the process or the material and lose sight of the art work that requires perhaps more of our attention.

Adam

Monday, May 25, 2009 4:48:28 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)    Comments [1] 

I may be biased, but I think the folks who read and comment on the Arts & Mysteries blog are some of the smartest folks on the internet. I read and enjoy their many different views here and elsewhere. So I've collected their wisdom from the previous week's blogs about Woodworking Safety. Thanks everybody for participating.

Sage Advice:
From Curt:
If the chisel slips, where's it gonna go?
Chisels do NOT fit in pockets, even if they do.

From Al:
WHATEVER tool you're using, take a look around to see where its going to go WHEN, not IF it slips.

Put a wooden floor in your shop, and you'll be less inclined to try to "kick Save" that sharp tool when it rolls off the bench (they always land sharp side down in my shop) Wood floors are also easier on your back/knees/feet.

Wear eye protection when sharpening with a wheel, hand cranked or not.

Boy I can relate to this last one. I bought a Norton 3x wheel for my woodcraft slow speed 8” grinder. That wheel makes a huge mess. Forget the fact that it’s easily an 1-1/2” smaller in diameter than when I bought it 6 months ago. That wheel throw such a shower of debris. Friability? You bet. Do I like it? I don’t know any more. You need a Chris Schwarz commemorative shop apron when you use that thing.

Adam

Hand Tool Shop First Aid Kit Essentials:
Sprays and Salves
From Luke:
My go to cream is Eden salve, an herbal cream concoction from the Bulk Herb Store. It really is great stuff. The small tin is all you need. The kids like it too for their scrapes - they can put in on themselves.

Also, Cayenne pepper (get the powder) is effective for stopping bleeding - just don't rub your eyes when you finish putting it on your cut, or the bleeding won't seem so important for a while! Your mileage may vary on this one with sawed off limbs or severed arteries. I haven't tested it that way and really have no idea.

From Steve:
I would recommend keeping a small bottle of Betadine (or generic equivalent) in your first aid kit. It is good for flushing out deep and/or large wounds, and it doesn't sting like alcohol. It makes a mess, however, staining everything a yellow-brown. (It might make a good wood stain--who knows?)

From Josh:
If you didn't know honey also makes a decent ointment in a pinch.

From Steve:

I don't use NuSkin on cuts, but I do use it on those annoying (and painful) fingertip cracks that one gets in cold weather. It works great for sealing/healing those up. There's a new variant from 3M (Nexcare) that's even better, as it dries much more quickly.

Tweezers
From Josh:
I have the excellent splinter removal kit Joel at TFWW sells in my first aid kit. The very sharp probe and tweezers are very effective at getting even deeply embedded splinters out. It's inaugural use saved me a trip to the ER to remove what turned out to be a rather nasty 3/8" poplar splinter that went up under my right thumbnail. That hurt enough that I was happily confessing to a number of crimes against lumber to the board that was interrogating me.

From Dave:
For splinters that don't go very deep, I prefer fingernail clippers over tweezers. It's easy to get the corner into a shallow hole, and the lever gives you plenty of grip on the splinter itself. Just remember not to squeeze too hard or you'll just end up clipping the splinter off.

Other Stuff
From Bob:
A portable, sterile eye wash bottle is definately something to strongly consider.

From Curt
Keep good chocolate in your first aid kit. You'll always know where it is and what's inside.

Deal on Fatigue Mats at Woodcraft
From Jon:
About a year ago, I bought 2 anti-fatigue mats at Woodcraft. They're 2' x 5' and cost about $15.

I'm looking at these in terms of improving traction and preventing slipping on floors awash in shavings or saw dust. As such, my recommendation is get these as long as your bench or longer. But at essentially half price, these are certainly attractive.

Adam

Sunday, May 10, 2009 3:30:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)    Comments [2]