Here's our first video! It's an instructional video for the Traditional Toolbox that we sell in our Etsy Store.
Join us in celebrating an exploration of Optimism. An array of artists have united through their embrace of the color ‘INT-O Yellow’ (International Optimism Yellow) with the shared intention to shine a light on Depression. www.INTOYellow.com
This exhibition also marks the kick-off of Madison’s ‘Paint the Town Yellow’ initiative: a town-wide celebration of International Day of Happiness (March 20) and recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month (May).
A portion of all art proceeds benefits the Community Mental Health Initiative.
I had a little time between projects and phone calls today and remembered that my chisels needed a little attention. Because I keep them fairly sharp and clean all the time I can bring my whole set up to peak performance in under 15 minutes. Here I started by running the cutting edge by hand over my 1200, 4000, and then 8000 grit water stones. Then I polish the backs a with a few passes on the 8000 and they're done!
Today I made the last bench for the Bench Project. In a way, it is the first bench because it is how I remember the very first thing I ever made with my "grandfather," Dr. John. He was my maternal grandmother's second husband and I spent part of every Summer and most holidays with them since I was very young. One Summer day, when I was about seven, he brought me into his workshop and had me help him make a small bench that he wanted to put on the side porch. I can't say that this bench is an exact replica, but I remember it was made with a single Pine board, assembled with nails, had little braces made from the notch cut out of the leg. This bench is made from 6' of 1x10 Douglas Fir held together with forged nails. It took about an hour to make and I felt the loving presence of Dr. John the whole time.
This bench design is usually attributed to the Shakers and is well suited to a meetinghouse as it is light and easy to move, yet very strong due to the diagonal braces. The bench is made from White Pine and is finished with red milk paint.
This bench was one of a group that I made a thank you gifts for my children's teachers. The shelf below the seat is made from two boards set on angle like the shelves of a library cart. I thought it would look nice in a classroom or bookstore holding books waiting to be read to children. The seat is made from a wide plank of cherry with the light sapwood on both sides of the darker heartwood. The base is made from Souther Yellow Pine.
This bench is made from a single board of Souther Yellow Pine. The board is cut and the splined mitre joints assembled so that the wood's grain appears to flow up out of the ground, across the top, and back down into the ground without interruption. It is finished with boiled linseed oil and beeswax.
I had some time between meetings yesterday and stopped by The Met to see the new installation in the rooftop garden. Transitional Object (Psycho Barn), a site-specific installation by Cornelia Parker, is a recreation of the set house from the Hitchcock movie Psycho in reclaimed red barn wood.
As a lover of American vernacular architecture, I really liked the attention to detail and the quality of craftsmanship on display. It wasn't until I walked around the back of the installation that I realized it was only a facade. As an added twist, Hitchcock apparently based his set on the Second Empire style house in the Edward Hopper painting, House by the Railroad.
The installation is up until the end of October.
For this bench, the legs are notched to accept the side panels, which are screwed and plugged. Inside, I attached a cleat to the legs and side panels to hold the shelf. To attach the top, I glued and screwed blocks of wood to the underside of the top that would sit just inside the outer panels. Then I bored a 5/8” hole thru the panel and blocks from the same point on either side. I took 5/8” dowel and inserted it into the hole from one side. At first, the fit was too snug to get the dowel to pass thru to the other side, but with a dozen or so passes of the block plane, I managed to get a good fit that could easily be moved with a firm push of a finger. Lastly, I bored a few holes thru the top and connected them at the edges to make the handle hold. The bench was painted with one coat of orange and one coat of black milk paint and then buffed with tinted wax.
This is a fairly common form of bench that most people associate with Shaker furniture makers. Usually, the apron (side) boards are nailed into the legs and top board which makes for a quick assembly and a fairly strong bench. Over time and with use the nails tend to work loose and new ones will have to be set.
The bench is 18” tall, 32” long, and 9” wide at the seat. To build this bench, I cut a notch into each leg the width of the apron. Then I cut a channel into the back of the apron the hold the leg. I added a few screws (covered with plugs) to hold the parts together. The top is attached with figure-eight washers. The bench is finished with two coats of light-blue milk paint and then buffed with clear wax.
I’ve made dozens of saw horses over the years. Some fold, some stack, some are for light duty, and some could support a dancing elephant. The saw horse uses simple structural design to support a load and can be made into a very sturdy bench with the addition of a wider top. This bench is 20” high, 39” long, 8” deep at the seat, and 15” deep at the base.
It’s made of Cherry that was milled by a friend of a friend and was given to me a few years ago. The quality of the wood was good, but the 16” wide boards were badly cupped, and I had to cut them down into smaller pieces to make use of it. The legs have a 15 degree rake that is held by the board that is notched into them and the two ends are drawn together by a stretcher. The ends appear to splay out as well, but they’re actually just tapered on the inside edge. The top is attached with tow dowels at each leg. The bench is finished with a few coats of Danish oil and then buffed with tinted wax.