Fun Stuff

Sometimes its hard to let go and make something just because.....
Because it's fun. It's can be difficult to spend your time working on a project that doesn't bring in any money. It doesn't pay the bills, it doesn't put food on the table but what it does is - make you smile.

I have a project that I've been working on for quite awhile. It's just for me, unless somebody would like it, and it's a lot of fun to work on. I don't have a set of plans, I'm just making it as I go along. A few years ago I found an old metal kitchen cart in a dump. I brought it home and cleaned it up as best I could. I thought I could use it around the shop. Well I decided it should have a different purpose.

The cart has a shelf that is pitched a few degrees. I sat in it and it was actually comfortable. I only work on it when I need to. When I need a break and an escape. I intend to fit the bottom shelf with drawers that will hold some vintage cookbooks I found at a flea market. The top will have a rail that will wrap around the tongue and groove pine. I have no idea what I'll do with it when I'm done. I have no idea when I'll be done. It's not fine furniture but it's a fun project to work on.

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Steve

The waiting is the hardest part

Here's a view of our backyard today.  

Need I say more?  This poor chair is in need of some sun and company.

I can hardly wait

Hans Olsen

The next episode being aired by WSBE Rhode Island PBS is episode seven.
In episode seven, what I call 'Danish Face Lift' I give a makeover to a nice modern table and chair set. I cleaned up the table surface and reupholstered the chairs. I picked up the table and chair set at a flea market for $40. I found an add from a 1960's Sears catalog advertising the table for sale for $100. I think I got a good deal. The table was produced by a company based out of Ohio called the Holabird company. The table was originally design by a Danish furniture designer named Hans Olsen. If you love modern furniture then google Hans and see his work, it's beautiful.

The table is unique in that the three legged chair backs nestle nicely into the table and become part of the table apron. I love this table, I've never seen one like it before. I reupholstered the chairs seats, replacing the worn black vinyl with a teal blue vinyl. This episode is also available on youtube. I hope you'll tune in next Saturday at 2PM to WSBE Rhode Island PBS and watch 'Danish Face Lift'

As always - Thanks for following and watching
Best
Steve

Library

Earlier this week I got a call to come down to the library.
They were getting rid of an old oak bookcase and wanted to know if I would like it. We have no room left in the house for another bookcase but I had to take it. The wood is beautiful. The case is made out of solid oak, at least 1 1/8" thick.
I brought the case home and dismantled it. All of the pieces were held together with lag bolts so it was pretty easy to take apart.
The shelves are solid wood as well.

I now have three beautiful oak panels to use in a project. I'd like to keep them as is if possible and just incorporate them in a piece. I have an idea to build an arts and crafts style door as a project for the show, maybe I'll use them for that.
There's a brass plate on one of the panels with the name 'Remington Rand' on it.
I love repurposing materials and these oak panels will get a new life.

As always - Thanks for  following
Best
Steve

Shake your music maker

This isn't about the show but I thought I'd post it anyways. Afterall, it is woodworking.
There was no school on Monday and my son and I were suffering a little from cabin fever. We were running out of ideas and things to do.
We decided to make a project together and came up with the 'Music maker shakers' A name my son came up with.

A simple piece of pine, a few nails, and a few bottlecaps and you have a great tambourine like musical instrument. We used a woodburner to carve his name. I had a blast building this project with my son. If you're looking for a great way to spend a rainy day with your child I highly recommend making a music maker shaker.
We might make another one this weekend. We seem to have a lot of supplies leftover. I have no idea how we collected so many beer bottle caps'
Oh well
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Steve

Housekeeping

I spent yesterday installing my new dust collection system.
The system is made specifically for small shop spaces. I can't thank Nathan Ensminger of Rockler enough for his great donation. This system will make a huge difference'
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Steve

Is it bigger than a bread box?

WSBE Rhode Island PBS has aired all of the episodes of the show and will repeat them all starting this coming Saturday at 2PM.
This means that Saturday's episode will be the first episode of the show. In this episode I make a side table using a vintage bread box and vintage ottoman legs. It's a project I call 'Bread - Side Tables' because the tables are the perfect height to fit beside a bed. I love all things modern and these tables are right at home with the Jetsons.
I hope you'll tune in and watch the first episode of the show. It's a little crude, a little rough around the edges but a whole lot of fun'
It's not traditional woodworking but a little art school, furniture made using reclaimed and repurposed materials.

Please check out our facebook page at www.facebook.com/thegaragewithstevebutler 

and the website at www.thegaragewithstevebutler.com

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Steve

Christmas again

Christmas arrived again at the garage. I've always had problems with dust control in the shop. It's a small shop space, hence the name of the show 'The Garage' so a large dust collection system doesn't work in the space. Also - everything is 110 and not 220 so that's been an issue as well, but today Christmas came early, or never left.

Nathan Ensminger from Rockler woodworking and hardware donated to the show a small shop space dust collection system. It's compact and hangs on the wall, therefore not taking up much needed space. It also runs off of 110. Perfect'.
I can't thank Nathan enough for his generosity.
Thanks Nathan'
I hope to install the unit this weekend.

As always - Thanks for following
Best
Steve

Christmas Garden Ornaments

A few weeks ago my son and I went to the Home Depot for a monthly kids workshop.
The first Saturday of each month the Home Depot host these kids workshops free to the public.  They're fantastic'  Each child gets an apron, a certificate of completion, a badge and all of the materials to make a set project.
What a great way to spend a few meaningful hours with your son or grandchild.  It's valuable time well worth spent.  The kids have a great time and walk away with an awesome project compliments of the Home Depot.  My son and I have made race cars together, birdhouses, games, boats and airplanes at these workshops.  A couple of weeks ago we made simple Christmas Garden ornaments.  My son was proud to display them in our flower beds.   It's nice to see the Moms, Dads and Grandparents making the simple effort of just getting up early and driving to one of the stores to participate.  It really doesn't take much effort to make an impact, you just have to want to do it and get rid of the excuses.
My son is growing up so fast.  Soon he'll want to hang around his buddies more than his parents, so I treasure these few hours spent each month with him. All it cost is a little time.

  

This weekend my wife and son and I watched the Uxbridge Santa Claus Parade. This is always a nice event, it kick starts our holiday season. We then bought  our tree from the local boy scout troop.
After the parade all the kids rush to the fire hall where they visit with Santa.
After their visit with Santa his helpers give the kids a goody bag. Well - this years goody bag happen to be the toy chest I just finished building for the latest episode. I donated the chest to the committee. They did a great job painting it. It looked great alongside Santa.

As always - Thank you for  following. 

 Best

Steve

Yestermorrow

A couple of years ago I was invited to teach a week long cabinet making course at the Yestermorrow Design Build School in Vermont.

Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vermont offers over 150 hands-on courses per year in design, construction, woodworking, and architectural craft including a variety of courses concentrating in sustainable design and green building. Operating as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization since 1980, Yestermorrow is one of the only design/build schools in the country, teaching both design and construction skills. Their 1-day to 3-week hands-on courses are taught by top architects, builders, and craftspeople from across the country.

Yestermorrow's courses are specifically designed to demystify the designing and building processes using hands-on, experiential learning to teach students the art and wisdom of good design and the skill and savvy of enduring craftsmanship as a single, integrated process.

This creative process offers students unique insight into the oftentimes disparate worlds of the architect and the builder. Architects are routinely trained without any building experience that might inform their designs, and builders are trained to execute without a sense of the overarching purpose or design of the project.

Combining design and building offers numerous advantages and promotes the creation of intentional and inspired buildings and communities that enhance our world. From the professional design/builder to the do-it-yourself design/build homeowner, every designer should know how to build and every builder should know how to design. This philosophy sets Yestermorrow apart from other educational institutions.

They also have a great kitchen cooking up some fantastic food. They grow their own food, raise their own chickens and are practically off the grid, generating their own electricity. The grounds at yestermorrow have many small out buildings on the property that stand as fine examples of the course projects. The general public can stay in these buildings if they so desire. My favorite is the tree house'
Visit www.yestermorrow.org to learn more about Yestermorrow and the Mad River Valley area of Vermont.

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Steve

You never know'

I love building custom furniture for people. The maker and client relationship is exciting. You become part of the person's or family's history. Your work will get passed down for generations and hopefully always appreciated. It's very rewarding to see your work used and admire. Some clients are easy to work for and others are a little more difficult to deal with.

When I built a pair of Adirondack chairs a few years ago I thought I was building them for myself. It turns out I made them for a very discerning family with a different purpose in mind. You just never know how your work will be appreciated.

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Steve

Coops

I love making objects that get used. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my art school education and I enjoy making funky, sculptural pieces of work but nothing feels more satisfying than making an object that gets used and appreciated over and over.

I have made a few chicken coops. It feels awesome to build lodging for animals and birds. To me they are the ultimate functional piece of work and creating them fills me with that pioneer spirit. The first coop I made was an 'A' frame style coop made entirely out of scrap material that I salvaged, scrounged for or found. It had a door at the back that allowed me to collect the eggs from the nest box and a gate at the bottom that could lift up to let the chickens run.

Another coop I made was made out of commercial material I purchased but I made the run out of materials that I found and recycled and repurposed. I cut a PVC pipe in half to create a gutter to catch the rain. I used the rainwater to water our tomato plants that were at the end of the coop and for the birds to drink.

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Steve

The Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area

I was going through some old files on the computer today and found some great photos from my time in New Jersey.

In 2010, due to the economic down turn, I lost my job as the department head of the wood studio at Peters valley Craft Center in Layton, NJ. Peters Valley ( Now called Peters valley School of Craft ) is located in an area known as the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area. It is in the Northeast corner of New Jersey, bordering PA and NY, right on the Delaware River.

It is part of the department of interiors park system. This area is beautiful, rustic and rural and only an hour from New York City. Part of my stipend as department head was housing. We lived in the middle of the park. Our neighbors were the park rangers and the wildlife. There were many times when we would have to wait to go outside because a bear was using our driveway as a walkway. This is where my son was born. We spent four years at the Valley. Peters Valley is a multi - media craft school centered in the park offering workshops in ceramics, stained glass, textiles, blacksmithing, jewelry and woodworking.

Part of my responsibilities as department head were to program the summer workshops, hire guest instructors such as Ken Burton and to teach some workshops. Visit www.petersvalley.org to learn more about Peters Valley Craft School and the area.
The attached images were taken looking out our living room window.

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Steve

WSBE

WSBE Rhode Island PBS is available in CT, NH, MA and obviously Rhode Island. Please tune into Rhode island PBS and watch the show. It airs on Saturdays at 2PM. Tomorrows episode is episode nine, Red or White. I turn a wine box into an elegant side table, complete with a glass top and a suspended wine glass rack. The table holds six bottles of wine. This episode is also available on youtube. All projects are available to purchase with the proceeds going to the production of the show.

As always - Thanks for and following.
Best
Steve

More Cigar Box

I was doing a little research and found this great article.
Don't worry - It's not long winded.
In episode four of the show, available on youtube, I made a cigar box guitar. It was my first attempt at making one. A brave venture to do on a a TV show. It turn out to be not bad. I feel a little connected to the folks in the article.
Enjoy.'

'The humble cigar box guitar was a down-home source of uplifting music when times were tough. The earliest known picture of a cigar box instrument was copyrighted in 1876 by Civil War illustrator Edwin Forbes. It shows two soldiers at a campsite, one playing a Figaro cigar box fiddle. Like the banjo, the cigar box guitar’s origins can be traced to the African banjar, a stringed instrument with a gourd body. Banjars were played with a “diddly bow,” a device that some say provided the stage name for guitar master Bo Diddley.

Cigar Box Guitar Museum

Many early artists of rock, soul, and blues first learned to play music on a cigar box guitar. As blues giant Lightnin’ Hopkins relates, “I felt the blues was in me, so I went ahead and made me a guitar. I got me a cigar box, I cut me a round hole in the middle of it…and got me a tune out of it. I kept my tune and I
played from then on.” Rockabilly great Carl Perkins picked his first tunes on a cigar box guitar. Because his family could not afford a real guitar, Carl’s father built one for him from a cigar box and a broomstick.

Too poor to buy new strings, Carl tied his strings in knots when they broke. The knots cut his fingers, so he bent the strings rather than sliding his fingers along them while he played, inventing a twangy new “blue note” in the process.'

I guess mine aren't that rough after all'
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Steve

A blank canvas

I love dumpster diving, wood piles and home centers.
I can't help myself. I just see all of the material and it's like a blank canvas. I get excited and inspired by all that can be'. I imagine what I can make with the materials. I'm like a kid in a candy store.
I hope I never lose that feeling. It's my sandbox, I'm playing, I'm creating, I'm feeling, I'm living.
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Steve

One thing leads to another

Last summer I made a sandbox for my son. He's a huge fan of knights and castles. I wanted to make him a special sandbox that he could use to play with his knights in. I had some material left over from the toddlers bed project I did for the show. I used the same joinery techniques I used to make the bed to make his sandbox.
The castle was born. Instead of buying dentil molding I made some out of plywood scraps I had and I used fence post caps for the tower tops. His castle needs a coat of paint and a little TLC, we put it to good use this year.
The idea for the sandbox came out of the bed project.

As always - thanks for following.
Best
Steve

Halving Twins

On Saturday episode eight of the show aired on WSBE Rhode Island PBS. The episode is called ' Halving Twins' because I make a toddlers twin size bed using off the shelf lumber. I added some colorful panels to the bed rails and painted the headboard with chalkboard paint to make it fun. You can see the bed on the 'Project Gallery' page of the shows website. www.thegaragewithstevebutler.com
This episode is available on youtube or on the website.

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Almost

We are almost there. I spent Friday working with UCTV production Assistant Cameron Clark editing the latest episode of the show.
Well - he actually did the editing and I sat there and watched and tried to learn. I owe a huge thank you to Cameron, he makes it look easy. I had a blast hanging out and being part of the process.
Stay tuned. I'll have a video clip of the episode up soon.

As always - Thanks for following.
Best
Steve

Fine Furnishings

Last week I went to the Fine Furnishings Show at the Pawtucket Armory Arts Center in Pawtucket, RI. I love seeing the work of the exhibiting artist/craftspeople and speaking to them about their work. I get very inspired by them.
I love objects that have a sense of humour. Furniture maker Robbi Staples from Dartmouth, MA had a bench at the show that I really enjoyed. It was a conversation bench that held two wine glasses.
You can view more of Robbi's work at his website www.staplesfinefurniture.com
I also enjoyed the clean lines of Paul Hahn's Counter stool made of ash wood. Paul's stool is made by using CNC ( computer numerical control ) technology.
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Best
Steve

Lights, Cameras, Action

I spent most of the day at Uxbridge TV helping out editing the show.
This is the first time I've been part of the process and I must say there's a lot that goes into it'. I had no idea. We have hours of footage to sift through. It took approximately 2 1/2 hours to get 9 minutes of an episode done. Each episode runs around 28 minutes long.
I am very appreciative of the work the editors do. They have the monumental task of trying to make me look good on camera.
Yikes'''' They deserve a raise.

As always - thanks for watching and following.
Best
Steve

Looks Sketchy

Sketching and drawing are all part of the making process. Most projects I make start life as an idea that I sketch out in my sketchbook. I sketch and sketch, refining the idea. Once I have a solid design I then work out details by making a full scale drawing.

Making a full scale drawing really helps you get a sense of proportions and helps you foresee any construction problems. It also helps you price out materials you'll need. In the case of a tool box I don't need to go any further than a full scale drawing but if this was a piece of furniture of my own design I would make a model/ maquette out of cheaper materials as well. Building a model/maquette is the absolute best way to get a sense of proportion.and what the finish piece is going to look like.

Attached are images of a full scale drawing for the tool box episode.
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Best
Steve

This lot is about six houses down the road from me. I hate spending money and I love to recycle/repurpose. It's amazing what you can find when you dig a little. I saw this pile of pallets laying there so I went in with my mallet handy and was able to take some of the pallets apart and salvage some beautiful lumber. I used similar salvaged pine boards for the bottom of the toy chest I just completed. The boards measure approximately seven inches wide by thirty inches long, they are 3/4 inch thick. I love the patina of the boards and the look of the nail and screw holes.