Hancock

Last Saturday my wife and son and I went to Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, MA. I love shaker furniture. The shakers were much more than just furniture makers. There are all kinds of books out there on the shakers, their life as a utopian sect, their simple yet very disciplined way of life, and their inventions to name just a few. If you like living history museums you must make a trip to the Hancock Shaker Village. I took a lot of pictures, mostly of the... furniture, the incredible round stone barn and the woodshop.
My son had a blast seeing the baby animals that had just been born.

This was an inspiring trip. In episode two of the show, which airs on Rhode Island PBS next Saturday, I made a rustic chair with a shaker woven seat. I stumbled and stumbled my way through weaving that seat. It finally turned out well but it was a task. I saw a device that the shakers invented to make the job of weaving a seat so much easier. I wish I had made a visit to the village earlier.
I think I'll try building a shaker style box for the show. They're so simple, minimal and absolutely beautiful'
Attached are just a few of the images from the village.
As always - Thanks for watching and following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

 

SCORE''''''

This is what happens when you turn a film crew loose around a foosball game. Yesterday 'The Garage with Steve Butler' turned into Steve's' Bar and Grill. You can't have all work and no play.
We started a new shoot yesterday and as you can see the project for the new episode is a foosball game. This is a fun and uncomplicated project to build and is guaranteed to give you and your family hours of fun. Now that the nice weather is here you can move it outside a...nd set it up on a picnic table.
We'll continue to shoot next week. I think Barry and Cameron are due for a re-match'

As always- Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

 

Remember the dodo

The other day I was roaming around Bernat Antiques when I saw a simple wooden magazine rack. We don't see magazine racks anymore. Technology has made them extinct. Most folks use the computer to read online news articles, etc. It made me think about what other types of furniture have faced or will face extinction. Pie safes were a staple of colonial homes but are only made by crafts people for replication purposes. The Icebox was replaced by the refrige...rator.

On top of the fridge sat my favorite, 'the bread box', though they are making a comeback. Every household had a stereo console which meant furniture was made to hold vinyl record albums. In the eighties most living rooms had an armoire style entertainment center to house the TV, VCR and the stereo. It's funny how these pieces of furniture that were part of our vernacular now look out of place in our surroundings. I'm not dissing technology, I think it's important. I guess everything has its day.
I like magazine racks. I like to sit and read a magazine in my comfortable chair than at a computer screen. I feel rushed at a computer. I don't own a magazine rack. I think I'll make one as a project for the show. When I'm done I'll place it by my comfortable chair.
Have a great holiday weekend'
As always- Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative'
Best
Steve

 



Game on'

Yesterday I finished the foosball table. My son and I tried it out and it works great' The paddles/players are notched into the dowels for better support. I attached a few plumbing 'O' rings beside each paddle and at the ends of the dowels to act as buffers against the sides of the game table. You can use fishing nets for the goalie nets and attach them with some upholstery tacks. the tacks give it a cleaner. finished look.
No need to spend money when you don'...t have to. The plywood used for the game table came from my offcut bin, you can buy small pieces at your building center, the paint I had from a previous project and instead of a ping pong ball I bought a package of 10 practice golf balls for $1.95. Instead of handle bar grips you can buy pipe insulators cheap at your local home center and cut them to length.

We should be shooting the next episode in a couple of weeks where I'll build another foosball table for the show. This is a great intro into woodworking and using sheet goods project, and a great project to build with your kids. in the end you'll have hours of fun and valuable time spent with them. It doesn't get any better than that
As always - Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve