Going to Build

We are all creative.

Its one of the traits that elevates us above other species. A beaver builds structurally sound dams because that ability is hard-wired into its brain. No beaver will ever shatter the dam-building community by devising a new, innovative method of construction. The same holds true for the spider that spins beautiful geometric webs, yet cannot deviate from the design plan that she has been working with throughout eons of evolution. Each of these creatures create, but they are not creative.

As you know, I love to cook, and I think I understand why: its not so different from woodworking. Each require a simple understanding of the basics, but from there, its all about creativity. No two dishes will taste alike, and no two woodworking projects will look alike. We challenge ourselves by combining an infinite number of ingredients and techniques to to produce a finished product that we have envisioned. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. But we gain knowledge and experience from our mistakes and apply them to our next project.


Design precedent 

Recently, an anonymous poster implied that you cant call a project your own if you follow an existing design. This is not only nonsense, but historically ignorant. All designs are influenced by the designs that preceded them. The unique thing about being human is that we can modify and even enhance precedent. The ancient Greeks created beautiful Doric columns in their architecture and that led to an Ionian style. The Romans were able to take these established designs and create ornate Corinthian columns.

Master chefs are building on centuries of experience. There are a finite number of edible products available on this planet: its how they combine them that makes their dishes original. Woodworkers do not live in vacuums: we create based upon a body of human experience. How we choose to combine our materials and techniques is how we claim our projects. If we were beavers, all our bandsaw boxes would look alike. Well, thats a silly metaphor, but you get the idea.

Are you creative?

The most ridiculous statement I sometimes hear people say is, "Im not a very creative person". Of course you are! Creativity is in your DNA. We are too quick to assume that creativity lies only in artistic pursuits. Issac Newton crushed the establishment with scientific creativity. Martin Luther shook the medieval religious establishment.





Never let anyone tell you he isnt creative. Thats like telling people they have no opposable thumbs. If you envision something to make, pick up a board and sever it with a saw, you are not just creating; you are being creative. If you download a turkey recipe, you are following centuries of tradition by making it work for you. If you download a woodworking plan or try to duplicate something someone else made, it will be yours. Perhaps you will select different woods or joinery techniques. Maybe you will employ the structure from one project and the finish from another. No two projects will ever look alike.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner everyone and rest assured that it was unique.

When I made covered buttons for the headboard, I decided to use the aqua tray for a hard surface while assembling the buttons, bad idea ... it broke on the very first button. So this week I finally got around to fixing it!



I found paper at World Market on clearance for $1.98, and decided to paint the red with liquid gold leaf



I love the super glossy finish! Have you used resin on anything recently?

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?
Ive 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 theyll 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 Ive 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 Im 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...

Ive just about posted all of the content I created and recorded at Woodworking in America 2013. Luckily, my good friends +Tom Iovino, +Sean Wisniewski, +Neal Becker gave me some photos to share. I hope you enjoy. By the way, if you want to see really good photos of WIA13, check out +David Picciutos blog, Drunken Woodworker.

The Online Woodworking Discussion Panel.

Somehow, the let the Modern Woodworkers Association in.

The Wood Talk and Giant Cypress guys were let in too, to provide actual information.

Yes, Tom talks just as much in person.

Neil Zenuk (@twowheelneil) chops some sweet dovetails.

Tom likes me!

Dont forget about the +Modern Woodworkers Association Podcast. We talk woodworking with Guests from around the world of woodworking every other week. Subscribe to the RSS feed or iTunes today.

Just wanted to stop in and share that Ive restocked my large fretwork stencil! Stop by my Etsy shop and take a look!

Im still offering my pre-moving special of $45 + $9 US shipping, after Christmas the price will go back to $50 + shipping.

Also, Im working on expanding my stencil selection. I have a few new designs ready to go, but Id LOVE to hear what youd like to see. Let me know a. where youd use a stencil i.e. entry, bedroom feature wall or bookcase, etc. and b. what pattern youd like to use.

My favorite will be produced and that person win a free stencil!!!

wormy recycled chestnut ... i love it ... were currently working on three or four projects where we will be using it ... a snatch of a childhood song came to mind today as we were cutting a log that will be used for a mantle in one of those upcoming projects .... when we cut it to length, we happened to hit on an extra wormy cross section. for some reason, you can see the tracks where the worms went in and then round and round in the log ... ive never noticed it before, and i thought it was cool enough to share ... kind of made me think of a brice marden painting ... click the photos to enlarge them ..
the mantle log .. 7 x 9 x 72"
brice marden
the hearse song

This year there will be a first at Woodworking in America. In addition to the normal lectures and classes about all sorts of woodworking, there will be an Online Woodworking Roundtable on Friday afternoon at 4:30. Either Popular Woodworking has run out of real woodworking to discuss (I find this hard to believe) or were really onto something with this online woodworking thing (seems equally unlikely).

Stand back offline woodworkers. Here we come.

The Online Woodworking Roundtable panel will include my fellow +Modern Woodworkers Association podcast hosts, +Christopher Adkins and +Tom Iovino. Filling out the roster will be online heavy hitters +Marc Spagnuolo, +Matt Vanderlist and +Shannon Rogers of Wood Talk Show. Im not on the panel myself, but Ill be in the front row leading the hecklers.

From the lecture description:

With Marc Spagnuolo, Matt Vanderlist, Shannon Rogers, Tom Iovino, Chris Adkins and more. Few things have changed the face of woodworking more than the advent of the Internet. Whether you enjoy the latest, cutting-edge power tools or want to learn more about the traditional skills of centuries past, there are web sites and bloggers that will capture your interest. Join a panel of the best-known online woodworkers and educators to find out how to get the most out of your online woodworking experience, discover what goes into creating valuable online content and learn how they are reaching out to a new generation of craftsmen and craftswomen.

If youre reading this, you know about the online woodworking community. Please join us for the lecture on Friday afternoon. Well talk of all the community has to offer and demonstrate that it is THE place to be in the current world of woodworking.

Dont forget about the+Modern Woodworkers Association Podcast. We talk woodworking with Guests from around the world of woodworking every other week. Subscribe to the RSS feed or iTunes today.