Wow'

Yesterday between baseball and a birthday party we went to Rustored Salvage in Hopedale. I will be back very soon. The place is only open to the public on Saturdays or by appointment for all other times. I was in heaven. I wish I had more time and more money. There's miles of phenomenal stuff.' Whatever you're looking for I'm sure owner Eric Moore has it. Eric is a very genuine nice guy.
I picked up a sign and a bowling pin for the shop. Yes- a bowling pin' . ...There are numerous work benches. I wish I had the room for one. If you like vintage, industrial and rust then this place is for you.
In a future episode I'm building a workbench. Eric has agreed to let us shoot the introduction of that episode there. Awesome'''
Check out Rustored Salvage at www.rustoredsalvage.com or on face book at www.facebook.com/rustoredsalvage

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

We are in the process of editing another episode.  In this episode I make a foosball table.  The dowel rods have notches cut into them to hold the 1/2" pieces of plywood that act like paddles to hit the ball.  I made a jig to cut the notches.  I used a piece of plywood that I cut a shallow groove in too cradle the 3/4" dowel pieces.  I attached two pieces of pine to the plywood base.  The pine pieces were rabbeted to hold the router.  On the underside of the pine I cut a groove to accommodate the dowel pieces.  I attached the pine to the plywood base just wide enough to act as a sled or cradle for the router.  The width of my router base equals the distance between the pine pieces.  I then slide a dowel rod through the grooves and stop at my measured lines.  I then hold the dowel in place with a hold down clamp that I made out of a piece of oak that I cut a 'V' groove in.  I tighten it down with screws.  I them slide my router across the sled and cut a 1/4 notch into the dowel.  The notch is 1/4" deep x 1" wide ( the size of he paddles )

 



George Nelson/Herman Miller/Bernat

Well it's Thursday, which means it's the day when my wife and I go pursuing around our favorite place, Bernat Antiques. I always see something that inspires me when I'm there. Last week it was the garden cart. This week it's a small, slatted coffee table in the modern style. I love all things modern and this simple table is awesome.
The table is 36 inches long x 18 inches wide x 16 inches high. The label on the underside said simply that it was made in Yugoslavia, no other information. It has torpedo legs with brass ferules. The table is simply made yet incredibly sturdy. The slatted design is typical of modern. This slatted design was made popular by my design hero George Nelson. Who designed a slatted platform bench for the Herman Miller Company in 1946.

Nelson's long productive life ( 1908 - 86 ) encompassed the birth, heyday, and decline of American Modernism. He made an impact as a writer, advocate, social critic, impresario, and architect. He was an "original thinker". As design director for Herman Miller from 1945 through the mid - 1960's and later as an outspoken consultant, Nelson found what he called a " Glorified cabinet shop" and helped make it an industry leader, a powerhouse of modern residential and contract design. He was passionately involved with this family firm over four decades , sharing the spotlight there with Charles and Ray Eames, Alexander Girard, and briefly, Isamu Noguchi. He brought these designers to them because he wanted nothing but the best and, as he explained, " I can't have all of the ideas."

I love the clean lines of the table I saw at Bernat today. I have to make it' When I do I'll post images.
If you're not familiar with George Nelson and his designs research him. You'll be amazed by how many pieces
you'll recognize, just didn't know the name behind the design.
As always - Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

 



For the birds

On Saturday evening my son and wife and I had a fire in the fire pit and roasted marshmallows. We had some scrap fire wood leftover so on Sunday we headed outside and decided to make bird houses out of the leftover fire wood. We had a blast'. I set up a pair of saw horses and we had a small assembly line going. We decided that we would use the beer caps we've been saving and attached them to the roof of the bird houses.
My wife and son hammered the holes in ...the caps and attached them to the roof pieces and I cut out the other parts. I love how they turned out. We didn't measure anything we just used what we had at hand. We had enough material to make two houses. They're a little rough around the edges but I love the quirky look of them. What a great, inexpensive way to spend time together'
Well- maybe not so inexpensive. If you add up the beer caps the houses probably cost us $40 to make'

I wonder what kind of bird they'll attract? Maybe a BUD-GIE?
Sorry- I couldn't help myself
My Grandmother was from England and that's what's the English call a pet parakeet.
As always- Thanks for following.
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

Utility

I'm in the process of building a garden cart ( barrow ) and a compost sifter. Last week my wife asked me to make these projects and I jumped at the chance. I love building projects that serve a definite purpose and are utilitarian in function. Sure we can buy these items cheaper at a big box store but using them doesn't give you the same sense of pride and satisfaction when using them.
Today we were perusing around Bernat Antiques when I saw a beautiful homemade ca...rt and sifter. I love them. They're not glamorous but they are beautiful. They've aged with wear and have a fantastic patina on them. They weren't made to be good looking but needed to work. I can imagine the sense of pride the maker must have felt when they first used them.
I love them. I can't wait to finish my cart and sifter and use them.

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

 



Game on'

We wrapped up shooting another episode yesterday. I can't wait to see the finish product on air. This project was a lot of fun to make. When you're having fun learning you retain the information better. That was the premise behind building a foosball table as a project for the show. And- for selfish reasons, it was a blast to build. I don't want anyone to ever feel they can't learn woodworking.
The foosball table project incorporates the same simple joinery a...s cabinetmaking. Stand it upright and attach a door and you have a cabinet. Again - I owe a lot of thanks to Barry and Cameron at UCTV for their patience while I stumbled my way through another project. I don't know what's going on but my head just wasn't there.
Anyways, we got through it'
As always - thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

 

Gerrit Rietveld and Hancock Shaker

A couple of weeks ago when we were at the Hancock Shaker Village I saw some outdoor chairs in a public lounge area. The chairs were made so visitors could sit, have a refreshment or a bite to eat and enjoy the scenery. I love the chairs. They were comfortable, minimal, shaker like in their simplicity and well constructed.
The chairs are a study in furniture and art history. The chairs were made recently by the museum staff but influenced by the past.... Gerrit Rietveld was a Dutch furniture designer and architect. Born June 24 1888 he was one of the principal members of the Dutch artistic movement called De Stijl. Rietveld is famous for his Red and Blue chair, designed in 1917 as a study in 3D design. Hoping that much of his furniture would eventually be mass - produced rather than handcrafted, Rietveld aimed for simplicity in construction.

In 1918 he started his own furniture factory , and changed the chair's colors after becoming influenced by the De Stijl movement, of which he became a member in 1919. I think he would be happy to see his influence.
As always - Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

 

Nostalgia

 

If you love all things nostalgic, especially the music of the 60's and 70's then you have to check out this documentary titled The Wrecking Crew. Read the clip below and check out the trailer.
It's awesome
Enjoy...
Best
Steve

The Beach Boys, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Nate King Cole and many more. Behind their success was a group of studio musicians called The Wrecking Crew.
What the Funk Brothers did for Motown… The Wrecking Crew did, only bigger, for the West Coast Sound. Six years in a row in the 1960s and early 1970s, the Grammy for “Record of the Year” went to Wrecking Crew recordings. And now, THE WRECKING CREW tells the story in pictures and that oh, so glorious sound. THE WRECKING CREW is a documentary film produced and directed by Denny Tedesco, son of legendary late Wrecking Crew guitarist Tommy Tedesco. The film tells the story of the unsung musicians that provided the backbeat, the bottom and the swinging melody that drove many of the number one hits of the 1960’s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX5BCgmr7tg

As always- Thanks for following
Best
Steve