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

 

Almost there

Yesterday I did a little work on the foosball table. I'm having a blast building this project. I can't wait to do the next shoot so I can build another'
All that is left to do is paint and install the players/paddles. I bought some vintage style handle bar grips online and attached them to the control end of the dowels. There are rubber bumper pads on the bottom of the table to act as traction so the table doesn't slide all over when used. I gave the dowel ...rods a coat of wax and waxed inside the dowel holes in the sides so they move better. Red is my son's favorite color so the players/will be painted red and the other team green.

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

That's a wrap

That's a wrap'

Thank goodness.
We finished shooting the latest episode today. Have you ever had one of those days? Well I had one of those weeks. I'm so glad this shoot is over and I still have all of my fingers. I was all thumbs building this project. Oh well- we worked through it and another episode is done and the tool box looks great.. Thanks again to Barry and Cameron at UCTV.
They do their best to make me look good. A large task'...
Thanks guys'

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

 



 



St. Paddy's Day

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day so I've been working on my jigs.

Not that kind- woodworking jigs'
We are shooting a new episode tomorrow so I've been busy in the shop getting ready. I'm building a toolbox that is joined together with Box/finger joints. You can buy an elaborate jig to do the job or you can make your own.
I built two types of jigs to use with our project. One jig is made using a scrap piece of plywood out of the cut off bin and the other is a little more complicated. They both work well. The more complicated jig can be adjusted and rides independently in the miter gauge slots of the table saw. I took this one from the pages of my friend Ken Burton's book 'Table saw tips and tricks', How to get the most out of your saw published by popular woodworking books. The simple bare bones jig attaches to the table saws miter gauge.
Box/finger joints are easy to make if you take your time setting up the jigs. Both work equally well.

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

SCORE '''''''

This weekend I started working on the foosball project for the show. The base is made of 3/4" plywood. The ends fit into a rabbet cut into the sides and are joined together with glue and staples. The table will be painted green and white and each player will have nine men.

I'm having a BALL building this project' Get it.? BALL
I crack myself up'
As always- thanks for putting up with me'
Work safe and be creative'
Best
Steve

Hired Help

Sometimes it can be hard to find good help but I found great help right under my nose. My son helped me clean up the shop today.

He does great and works cheap'
It won't be long before the novelty of helping Dad clean wares off.

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

Cubbies

My friend Glenn sent me this picture.  He saw this storage locker in a shoe store in Providence.

It's beautiful.  Can you imagine having this in your shop?

Fantastic'

Work bench

I finished the work bench yesterday. I added a drawer with a tool tray. I really like how this bench turned out' It's sturdy and economical to make. If you wanted to you can paint it, use some different materials, put it behind a sofa or use it in the kitchen.

When I was roaming around Bernat Antiques a few days ago I saw a great old tool box. When I was constructing the drawer for the bench I remembered the tool box with it's tray and thought it would fit well in the bench drawer. The polished drawer handles look great against the clean plywood drawer face.

This is a great bench for a small workspace. I hope you'll keep watching the show and build one for yourself.

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

Bench Work

I've been building a small work bench as a project for the show.

The bench is perfect for a small workspace and is made out of 2x4's making it very economical. I laminated two sheets of plywood together to create the top. One is narrower than the other. I then screwed a piece of tempered hardboard/masonite to the plywood top. You simply unscrew the hardboard and replace it when necessary.

Theres a fixed shelf and a drawer ( I haven't completed it yet )
I used a some pieces of 1/4" oak as pads for the feet. I used two pieces of cove molding to create a simple tool tray.
The bench is very well balanced and sturdy for a small bench. I attached a very large old vise I had and it works well.

I had off cuts of plywood and hardboard so the only thing I had to purchase was three 2x4's and two 2x3's. The bench cost me $18 to make. If you had to purchase all of the materials it would probably cost $40 ( vise not included ). The bench uses standard sized materials, readily available at any home center. The top of the bench is 48" long and the base is 35". If you're savvy you can probably get the materials for free off of craigslist, freecycle, etc.

All I have left to do is complete the drawer. I'll post an image of the finished bench. This is a fun project to build and a great project to teach basic woodworking joinery.

As always - Thanks for following.
Best
Steve

Totem

On Friday I was driving down Rte 122 through Millville, MA and saw this great woodcarving in the front yard of a house.  What a beautiful site in the middle of winter.  I apologize for the poor picture quality.  I couldn't get any closer.  When the snow isn't piled so high I think I'll drive down and take a closer look and maybe visit the workshop of this talented man.

Perusing'

Yesterday I went perusing through a local antique store. I love looking around thrift and antique places, I get some great objects to turn into projects and some great project ideas.

Soon I'll be building a coopered lid chest for a the show so I had to take a few pictures of the curved top chests I saw. Some of the tops are solid pieces bent to fit the curved sides and others are coopered, they're awesome'

As always - Thanks for watching and following

Best

Steve

Coopered

We are digging out and getting ready to shoot some new episodes with some cool projects. Everything from a tool box to a foosball table. Another project I'll be building for the show is a coopered lid box/chest. I hope you'll keep watching and learn how to create this project.

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.

As always - Thanks for following
Best
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
As always- Thanks for following
Best
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'
As always - Thanks for following.
Best
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

As always - Thanks for following.
Best
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