- June, 2008
For those who follow along at the Wood Whisperer Blog, Marc Spagnuolo has featured one of my latest projects as his featured Project of the Week.
This is a Krenov-inspired chest on stand I built mostly out of offcuts I purchased at Weiss Hardwoods in Largo, Florida. I wanted the base to have a little movement and grace, so I cut the rails and stretchers with a curve in them. Both the front and back curves have identical arcs – as do the two sides.
The chest is made of maple and is dovetailed with my Keller Journeyman jig. I was able to use variable spacing by following the simple instructions Dave Keller wrote up in the manual.
The top rails of the doors echo the identical arcs in the aprons and rails, and the panels are veneered sapele wood I got from Veneer Supplies dot com.
The write up I put on Marc’s blog goes into great detail about the construction. But, what I loved most about this project was the number of firsts. My first veneered project (Loved it). My first attempt at a Krenov Cabinet. My first variably spaced dovetails.
The Fujiwhara Chest was recently dropped off at the county’s personnel office – the coordinating office for the annual art show sponsored by the National Arts Program. I will find out at a reception late on October 1 how the piece fared. With any luck, the judges might see some merit in honoring the piece.
Just as an FYI – I have also put the piece up for sale for $1,000. I’ll be donating a portion of the proceeds to my county’s Christmas Bikes program which allows employees to contribute to purchase bikes for underprivelidged kids.
But, when you drag Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Nissan, Toyota and other manufacturers into the mix, people become defensive about their trucks. Boastful. Arrogant. “My Ford will tow your Chevy to the junk yard when it dies.” “My Dodge is a beast and will out perform both of your toy trucks.” This conversation can drag on for hours while people go back and forth essentially over what is a utility vehicle designed to carry a load of items.
That’s where I’m getting stuck.
No doubt Chris is imminently more qualified than I to write about all things woodworking. He’s worked with the best. He’s held some of the most expensive tools ever manufactured in his own hands. He’s perched in an enviable position from where he can monitor the latest developments in the craft. When he speaks, his voice carries with it a great deal of authority.
He speaks about other designs – some of which he designed for Popular Woodworking – as if they are somehow beneath a serious woodworker. “Build it like that, and you’ll be terribly disappointed,” is a common refrain. Perfectly serviceable benches such as the 
Chris describes his first exposure to the French-inspired Roubo workbench as a near religious experience – divine inspiration into the perfect form and function of what a bench could become. In some ways, I wish he would position himself as less of a Zealot when considering bench forms. Unfortunately, there will be many starting woodworkers who will walk away from this book thinking that any workbench – other than those recommended by Chris – would be a waste of time. Indeed, I can see many up-and-coming woodworkers stymied by the impression that they MUST build a Roubo before they dare touch a tool.
Sure, you can’t plan for any eventuality. I could hit the lottery next week, quit my day job and woodwork full time. Of course, my kids could need glasses, braces and piano lessons too…
Since its invention by Raymond DeWalt back in 1923, the radial arm saw has had quite an interesting history. Once held as the ultimate home woodworking machine, the saw could crosscut, rip, dado, cut joints and do other tasks with specialized attachments.
As woodworkers, when it comes to cutting boards, if it’s not made out of wood, it’s not worth using.
For centuries, the venerable craft of carpentry and furniture making has been a rather secretive affair. After all, trade secrets needed to be guarded jealously by master craftsmen and passed down through a long and arduous process to the apprentice and journeymen workers who longed to learn the craft.
From there, John’s development as a woodworker got a boost from a shop teacher who drilled him relentlessly in cutting joints.
Not one to just sit idly, the accident provided the opportunity for John to review some of the new woodworking websites that were just making their debuts on the fledgling Internet. “The sites I saw didn’t really have the depth of content I was looking for. Rather than waiting for someone to come up with the right site, I started WoodshopDemos.com.”
And, that he shares his shop with several helpers. The fact that many of those helpers are attractive young women has not escaped the notice of many of his visitors. “My flip answer is wouldn’t you rather see them than the old bald guy?” The tradition of these shop helpers actually has a very innocent – and accidental – beginning. “Where I first set up shop, I was renting the facility and had several very attractive neighbors. When one of them stopped by to say hello and see what I was making, I suggested that she get into the picture and liven up the site. She did and enjoyed having her pictures on the website. Later, she went on to become a lawyer in Los Angeles.” Since then, he has had a dozen assistants, ranging in experience from brand new to exceptionally talented, and John enjoys passing his woodworking knowledge on to these newer woodworkers.
Look at any blade maker’s catalog, and you’ll see dozens of blade designs to choose from. Combination, plywood, crosscut, rip, glue-line rip… the average woodworker could go well into debt buying just one portion of the offerings – and that’s just from one manufacturer!