The Garage Continued

Yesterday and today we continued too shoot the TV show "The Garage"for the local cable access channel.  This is the second version of the small table I made for the show.  The first one ended up in the trash bin.  This table has a beautiful bead of curly maple added to the aprons.  It really works well with the curly maple caps on the end of the legs.  Standing behind the camera is producer Jeff Ellis.

The table is made out of flame red birch for the top and aprons, walnut for the legs and curly maple for the beads and leg caps.  The premise of the show is too show that you can make beautiful furniture without having all of the expensive  machines and tools.  The old adage " Tools do not make the craftsman be" is very true.

 

Using the compass planes to cut the curve on the aprons inspired me to cut the bevel edges of the underside of the table top by hand.

I used a marking gauge to draw a reference line on the face an 1 1/2" for the edge and 1/4" from the bottom.

I have an old miller falls jack plane that was perfect for the job. The plane did a great job on the face grain and then I switched to my Lie Nielson low angle jack plane for the end grain. Both did the job well.

Hand Planes Old and New

Sometimes it's nice to get back to basics. I needed to cut a curve on the aprons
of the small table I'm making. I was rummaging through an old antique tool trunk I have a saw my old planes.

One of them is my old Stanley Victor # 20 compass plane and the other is an old wooden Robert Sorby compass plane.

The Stanley is adjustable, so I adjusted it to cut a slight curve. It worked beautifully and gave me a great sense of satisfaction when it left a pile of shavings on the floor and a nice clean finish on the aprons.

Sometimes it's good to step back, slow down and get back to basics.

Dick Sargent

Dick Sargent is my friend and was a colleague of mine at Peters Valley Craft Center. Dick is the Department Head of the Blacksmithing studio at the valley. Each year Peters Valley has an annual auction to benefit the craft center. All Department Heads are expected to donate their time and materials and to make a piece for the auction.

This is a table that Dick and I worked on together.

It was a lot of fun. Thanks Dick' Lets do it again, we gladly take commissions.

Art Museum Continued

It's always good to get out of the studio and get inspired. Looking at other work is inspiring, even if it isn't the style and aesthetic that I'm drawn to. You can always learn something by looking at other work. Here are a few more samples from the museum.

Worcester Art Museum Furniture

On Saturday we went to the Worcester Art Museum. The Museum is free to the public on Saturday mornings. The museum has a small yet excellent decorative arts wing. Here are a few samples of some of the furniture pieces. There are some Arts and Crafts pieces, some Art Deco pieces and some Modern pieces. They even have an Eames LCM chair.

Legs, Legs, Legs

The legs for the "Garage Table" are tapered on all side so I had to make a jig to do the job. The jig isn't complicated, a simple plywood platform cut to mimic the taper of the leg. After the legs have been tapered I added on the maple accents and then ran the jig through the table saw to complete the leg.

Garage Table

This is a table I'm working on for the the TV show "The Garage". It is a small display table made out of Flamed Red Birch, Walnut, Maple and Curly Maple.

The aprons will have a subtle curve with an accent bead of curly maple. The legs have an extension of maple attached to the walnut.

Bella Luce Art Cafe'

The Bella Luce Art Cafe' is a new creative arts center located in the historic 1826 Red Brick Building in the Alternatives Whitin Mill Complex in downtown Whitinsville, MA.

Owner Cristi Winona Collari has done a great job to create a beautiful center.

In the center you'll find a great gallery space,a retail gift shop and a studio space for classes in different mediums.

Yesterday I delivered some tea lights, bread side tables and a bench to Cristi.

Northbridge Antiques

Yesterday my quirky Bread Side Tables found a new home at Northbridge Antiques. Owners Rich and Ed are great to work with and have already posted the tables on craigslist and ebay.

The tables look perfect amongst all of the other wares. This is a great place to rummage around in, there are treasures everywhere. Please visit www.nbantiquefleamarket.com

Eagle Eye Antiques

My friend Jeff Hollis owns Eagle Eye Antiques in Uxbridge Massachusetts. Eagle Eye Antiques is located in a great old mill building. Jeff is a great furniture builder and restorer who has graciously let me show my trestle table at his place.

Trestle Table Again

Last week I went to New Jersey and picked up more of my work out of my storage locker. This is a trestle table I made a couple of years ago. The table top is made out of Sapele, an African Mahogany wood. The base is made out of mahogany. The trestles are two old woodworking clamps, you literally clamp the table together,

The table measure 94"lx41"wx29"h.

Today I set the table up at my friend Jeff Hollis's antique business " Eagle Eye" Antiques in Uxbridge, MA.