When the city seeps in...

On Design



Three weeks to the day; the time it took for the city to seep in. I recently met a great couple and they asked me to design and build a piece of furniture for their home here in Toronto. The only two guidelines they had for me were to use a darker toned wood and attempt to incorporate some brushed aluminum into the piece. They already have a piece of furniture with an aluminum, decorative inlay and brushed aluminum door pulls. I immediately thought about the aluminum aspect of the piece. As soon as I blended mediums I knew it would have to be more than a simple accent.
Clean straight lines, aluminum and glass, what else says Urban living like this?
I've always been a fan of the more minimalistic approach to design; the modern movements and European influences. The over-all dimensions were a given due to the space requirements where the piece will be living. A kind of sideboard/cabinet with three sliding doors was my first instinct; but once the pencil went to paper things changed. Things always change from those first initial thoughts to design and then on to construction. Pieces evolve in a natural way, an ordinary process coming round full circle. Ideas seem to blend through the realities of joinery. One thing I want to maintain in the piece is a hand crafted look while still reflecting the machining of this metropolitan landscape. The aluminum aspect was decided on. Two 1 1/4" thick pieces of solid aluminum plating, cut and rounded by means of water jet. These two monoliths will make up the stand/ or legs of the unit; while the wooden carcass will fit perfectly inside the two larger cut-outs in the top portion of the plates. The wood at this point is still un-decided although I keep thinking PAU FERRO (Santos Rosewood) a dark bodied hardwood that will compliment the hand cut dovetailed box which will make up the bulk of the piece. The cabinet will be divided with two solid panels, isolating three separate spaces within. The doors are another design/construction reality altogether. I know I wanted to have sliding doors but now feel they'll eat up too much interior real estate. I decided on hinged doors incorporating glass panels. The first obvious choice for the door joinery would be a kind of frame and panel. This of course would be the obvious choice; and who could ever be satisfied with that? What I've come up with is a three sided, 'open~frame' and panel; the inside edge of the frame being only glass while the outside of the door solid wood. Full mortise and tenon joinery on the corners, with a kind of suspended glass panel within. A design challenge indeed, but one that will pay off in the final showcase. The interior will also feature glass shelves, securely sitting on Bronze ,threaded support sleeves. A real nice touch to allow the shelves to be adjustable to suit the contents later on.
Again, the initial impression would be three doors to match the three spaces, but now I'm thinking on off-setting the aluminum legs and making one larger middle space, incorporating two doors for it and then carry on with two slightly narrower side areas flanking this first mid-section. Designs can change, re-arrange and why not let them? Sketches and diagrams will only show so much to the hand caressing softened edges of exotic hardwoods later on. At this stage of the game, anything is possible, never limit yourself before you even leave the starting gates. Design for the impossible, dream the unimaginable and then finally settle on the realistic. Stay tuned...

New Digs

Movin' to the City...

Do you remember the story about the city mouse and the country mouse? Seems these days I'm feeling like one of their offspring. So here it is, my new shop; my new 'hand tool shop' to be specific. It's a small space in the 11' by 11' range, in the basement of my new home here in Toronto, Ontario. My wife and I with our two young children have relocated to the largest city in Canada. Why? Well, why not? That's not the point here anyway. What is the point is that my old, Cape Breton shop, with it's ample space, sun drenched bench room, machine room and loads of wood rack space is 3000 kilometers away and I'm here with this dark, slightly damp, a little better than 100 square foot shop space to call my own. Sounds like a nightmare, no? No. Change is good. Change is healthy. This small space, smack dab in the heart of the city, with it's urban decay lingering just outside my door; will be a place to create. A space to design and delight, to sharpen and saw. My workbench, most importantly made the great trek. My tool chest, full of my most prized possessions came too. All is well in a world of un-predictable circumstances. My future here in the city is unsure but my work shop is getting ready for a marathon of activity. As well as my workbench and tool cabinet I have my slow speed, wet grinder, my saw bench and my array of clamps. Some glue and some oil, a sharpening station ready to fly. I also have just outside of this photo's gaze is about 1000 board feet of lumber, rough milled and dimensioned, all waiting to be hand planed and joints cut, assembled into some new shape and design. Cherry, Ash, Walnut and Maple; Angelique, Poplar, Butternut and Birch. All of these species like my extended family making the plunge into this grey and unclear area of our life. I've been designing new pieces that will become a reality here in this small space. Side tables and book shelves, showcase cabinets and side boards. All to be transformed into tangible objects, ready for a new home somewhere in the not so distant future. My new digs....Welcome, watch and wait.

"I saw the future today..."

White Oak ~ Quercus alba

"A man who plants a tree, is a man with foresight"
Someone once said that to me and I've always remembered it. This is a shot of a little White Oak I planted last year. I've already started planning what I'm going to build with it too. Some nice quarter sawn stock for an Arts and Crafts style Rocking Chair. Why not right? I'll be about 150 years old when it's time to start milling!

Making them your Own

A fun and easy way to customise your hand tools

Alright,you've been waiting weeks for that brand new panel saw you ordered to arrive and finally, today is the day. You tear open the crisp new box and unwrap your shiny new hand tool. Smelling the fresh wood, varnish and steel. Now quick, take the handle off and make a new one...? Yeah sure, why not? Customising your hand tools is not only a fun project for any woodworker, but it gives your favourite tools a custom feel and look all of your own. Now don't get me wrong here, remember, if it's not broke then don't fix it. Here's a few examples of some of my own tools that didn't quite seem to fit my hand. You know, as much as you'd love to keep things original for the great-grand children to bring them into Antique Road Show in 150 years they won't be able to say, "Now, if it only had the original handle..." To keep things copacetic for future generations, carefully remove what it is you want to change or customise and put it safely away somewhere for future profit. Now you can go ahead and make your own custom handles.

Panel Saw
New Cherry handle on cross-cut saw, original Pax shown on the right
I ordered a Pax Panel Saw a few years ago and when it finally arrived I began to use it. Every chance I had I reached for my new cross cut saw and tried to do what my fore fathers did before me. The only problem was the handle was too darn big; I don't think I have abnormally small hands or anything, it just seemed like the handle for this saw was huge. Perhaps people in England, (where these fine tools are manufactured) have gigantic hands I assumed...no, couldn't be. Was it me? I didn't think so but after some great debating and inner turmoil, I decided I was going to carve myself a new handle. First things first, I removed the original and traced in onto a piece of 1/8" backer-board. Next I carefully wrapped up the handle and put it away. Now with the original safely away I could focus on the project at hand. I went to my off-cut pile and found a great piece of Black Cherry wood that was too small for anything but perfect for this application. I jointed and planned the stock piece now before I started to shape anything, much easier now with the piece still square.
The slot or groove for the blade is also much easier to do at this stage, I had a very fine kerf table saw blade I used for this task. I made up a small cradle out of some plywood off-cuts that held the still square blank at the appropriate angle for the cut. This is the most crucial step I think in the entire operation so reference off of the original handle and match it up exactly. I now reference all of the other important locations onto the blank, ie. screw holes, saw blade shoulder shape etc... I referenced back to the original as well as a beautiful old Disston I have and came up with a shape I liked. On the tight inside curves and finger hole I added, I matched the radius with a few Forster Style bits and on my Drill Press I bore out the waste. Then onto the Band saw I roughed out the shape being careful to meet up with the drill holes from the previous operation. With the rough shape cut out I hold it in hand to get a general idea of the size and shape. I trim a little off here and there, bringing it closer to my own hand size. When I get it to the shape I like it's time to start fine tuning the handle. With a medium coarse rasp I started bevelling the chamfers on the pistol grip area of the handle. Then onto the outer shape and finally the finger hole. Keep in mind to check your progress as you go, holding the grip and analyzing the shape, where it works and where it doesn't. Take off a little at a time; it's easier to remove a little than it is to put some back on. Progress to a file and onto sand paper, 120 to 220and finally finish off at 400 grit. Drill out the screw holes making sure again to reference off of the original and try it for size. I rubbed on a oil and wax finish that seemed perfect for the cherry wood. It's been a little over a year and this saw has become an extension of my arm. It's a perfect fit for my hand and every time I look at it or pick it up to use it I know I had a small part of making this great tool even better; at least it is for my hand.

Scrub Plane
New Scrub plane tote (on top) compared to an original Veritas Jointer plane tote.
A few months after the challenge of making a custom handle for the Panel Saw, I finally bought myself a Scrub Plane. I ordered the Veritas model manufactured here in Canada. When it arrived I was very impressed by the quality, heft and over-all feel of the plane. All was well in my Scrub plane world until one fine afternoon I was challenged with a 19" wide, rough piece of Mahogany I needed to get ready for finishing. I started with my trusted Scrub plane after which I planned on following with my Jointer then on to my Smoothing plane. The process I've become familiar with when I mill by hand any rough stock I have around the shop. However, on this day the wood won the battle, sweating away for a half hour, (the piece was huge) I began having cramps in my hand. It was at this moment I decided the fate of the original handle that came with my Scrub plane. The next morning I was backing out the long screws of the rear tote and wrapping up the original. In my head I was thinking about the steps I'd taken when I replaced the handle on my trusted Panel Saw. I imagined the process and searched for any flaws in my projected procedure. I traced the original for reference and found a suitable blank again from my off-cut pile in Cherry. I laid out the shape and realized the long machine screws that hold the tote to the plane body are not only drilled down at an angle, I didn't actually have a bit to carry out the operation. My plans foiled, I was back to the drawing board and thinking about my hand cramps. I suppose I could wait and purchase the obviously special-order item I'd surely need to carry out the drilling procedure or....then it hit me, I'd simply re-shape the existing tote. It was already drilled and a perfect size for shaping. I grabbed the tote and with Rasp in hand I started filing, shaping, sanding and sweating. A little off of here, a bit off of there, some sand paper here, a little oiling there. I re-attached the tote and pushed the plane across a rough piece of stock on my work bench. It felt great, finely shaped to suit my hand I looked forward to the next challenge of rough milling some huge piece of lumber off of my wood rack.

Why Stop There?

Making your own handles, totes or knobs is a fun way to customise your hand tools and the worst thing that can happen? You need to re-use the original or simply try again on a new blank from the off-cut pile. This is a great way to use up those odd sized pieces destined for the wood stove, it will enhance your tools and save your hands. This process can be used all around the tool cabinet as well; I had a great sliding bevel gauge but it came with a hard plactic handle that made me cringe every time I saw it hanging there next to my rosewood handled Square or my Cocobolo handled scribing knife. So again, I removed the original plastic handle and using it as a template, I replaced it with a nice piece of Walnut. Now it looks like a fine custom tool I special ordered from one of those fancy tool catalogues.

Apple Blossom Time

Apple Tree next to my Shop
















"Fame is but a fruit tree
So very unsound.
It can never flourish
Till its stock is in the ground.
So men of fame
Can never find a way
Till time has flown
Far from their dying day.

Fruit tree, fruit tree
No-one knows you but the rain and the air.
Don't you worry
They'll stand and stare when you're gone."

From a song by Nick Drake...Fruit Tree

Lobster, Butterfly and Dovetail Soup

~ Upbeat, with feel ~

"It's a Big Feed of Lobster..."





A quick note now to demonstrate the evolution of the Lobster tail into the so-called Butterfly or Dovetail....follow me?
Start of after you've cut out your butterflies by squaring up the ends. I like to run my Smoother over each face and clearly mark on the back side of each key, the orientation of the piece. Up, down, left side or right. As close as I'd like to think these are the same size; they're not. That's the beauty of hand crafted furniture. Even if I wanted to make these identical, there would inevitably be small discrepancies in the two. I guess that's part of their charm.










I start of with beveling or maybe breaking the edge would be a better term. I use a pretty coarse Rasp for this job, it makes quick work and is relatively easy to do. I should correct myself here first; I said start out by...I actually take the butterfly key and start off by sketching the rough shape I'm trying to get to with a pencil. Then, I go to the rasp and start shaping.












From here I move on to my Gouge. This takes a little nerve to do; taking your nice smooth piece of walnut, with it's freshly shaped edges, then start gouging out pieces of the wood in an attempt to create a pleasing shape? Take a deep breathe and go for it! What's the worse that can happen? You'd have a bit of filing or sanding to do later or worst case scenario, you have to make a new key. Really, it's only 8" square of 1/2" walnut from the scrap wood pile...get over it.






The Lobster Emerges....
So I realise this is a butter fly key; a throw back to a time when civilization was different, craftsmen were different. A time before the face paced life style we live and breath today. The butterfly key was used as a decorative way to structurally and mechanically connect two pieces of wood in a shared form of joinery. So what did I do? I made a lobster! :)
Great. Hey, this is Cape Breton Island, isn't it?
Seriously, the lobster will be slowly smoothed over and washed away to the point where a passing hand will only detect the subtle reminder of it's curves and shapes. Will it ever know I started out with a lobster shape? Well, I suppose it will now!

















From here I have no choice but to start with a bit of 220 sand paper, slowly rubbing and shaping; manipulating and easing the harsher, more determined shapes left behind by the Gouge. I blend in the tiny hills and valleys until a pleasing form comes forth. When I close my eyes and feel the piece in my grip I know it's complete. A nice coat of Oil and it's ready to fly.
Enjoy.

Little Wings

Inlaid Walnut Butterflies

Now that the headboard is complete other than I have to still apply a finish; I move on to the inlaid butterfly keys at the bottom of the bed. These will be both structural and visual in design. I'll start off by making a full size template out of some scrap press board and try it in place. Stand back and have a look; try the other side, walk around...cover all of the angles until you're happy with the size and the placement of the key template. I'll then take a fine file and go over all of the edges of my template making sure it's nice and smooth, while checking it's flat on edge. This is exactly what you want the finished pieces to be so make sure all is well with it. Seeing as they're only two of these and they're only a few inches worth of material, take your time and find a really nice piece. The small length of Walnut I have was taken out of my scrap wood pile. A great place to use up those awkward little pieces left over from an earlier stage of the project. I'll take some two sided tape and temporarily stick the template down to the walnut, making sure you've gone over the face of the real wood with a smoothing plane. This piece of wood should be at a finished state before sticking on the butterfly mock-up. Once adhered I carefully cut around the template with my marking knife being careful to keep the flat back side of the knife blade tight against the press board cut-out.
Once I have the shape nicely traced out on the Walnut, I'll cross cut the key on my Bench. My Mitre Hook is the perfect appliance to use here. This will ensure the Walnut stays put while I saw it out. I'll get as close as I can to each end keeping in mind I'll be fine tuning it later. Once I get the pieces cross cut I'll take them over to my shoulder vise and get ready to rip down the sides of the butter fly wings. This will be done with a rip saw as opposed to the small Carcass saw I used to cross cut the keys.
My fine toothed Dovetail saw has a Rip tooth pattern filed at 15 tpi. (teeth per inch) I recently resharpened it so it makes quick work of the walnut. Next, I'll take the freshly cut butterflies and mount them again in the shoulder vise but on an axis so they're just a hair proud of the bench top. I was going to use my chisel to clean up any saw marks left behind but decided to use a spare blade I have out of my Jointing plane. I use a Bevel-Up Jointing Plane manufactured by Veritas® which has a nice thick blade, 2-1/4" wide, 3/16" (0.187") thick. This ended up being the perfect tool for this application. The wide heavy back of the Iron was easy to register against the narrow edge of the butterfly key; a few passes with the Iron and all of the saw marks were gone.
Now that the keys are cut out and finished it's time to inlay them into the lower bed rails where they meet the walnut foot board. The first step again with this process is to carefully attach some two sided tape to the keyes and carefully place them onto the scribed lines from earlier. Make sure all is right in the butter fly kingdom before going any further. This is one spot you don't want to try to patch later! I'll carefully remove the key and with a freshly sharpened and well honed chisel, slowly cut a shallow groove around the inner perimeter being careful not to disturb the outside edge. When I have the groove cut the full way around I'll take a 1/4" (6mm) Gouge and cut a narrow groove down the center of the mortise key. This hollow will allow me to get started with my Router plane enabling the blade of the Router to get into the fibers and slowly cut out the waste. I make sure to take light shallow passes and slowly work my way down checking my depth as i go. When I reach the mortise bottom I'll take a small detail chisel and clean up through out. At this point I like to clean up the surface around the mortise with my smoothing plane and test fit the butterfly. When it sits down properly I'll scribe around the edge of the key and again remove it. I made sure to keep my mortise a little shallow so the actual butterfly will be proud by a little. Then carefully remove the key and at my work bench I'll shape it. I use the edge scribe lines I just made to reference so I don't chamfer down past the rails surface. I like to really work the butterfly into a pleasing shape constantly stopping, closing my eyes and allowing my fingers to judge my progress. You really have to trust your sense of touch and not so much the eyes for this. If you wanted, you could simply plane the key down flush with the surface; this is the common method but seeing as I wanted this bed to feature some hand cut joinery, I'm allowing the butterfly to round and bulge out of the walnut frame around it. I think my clients will agree. Bon nuit!