Vintage, Slabs, and Whirligigs

We spent part of the day perusing around our favorite antique place. Bernat Antiques. I love visiting Bernat. I try to get there at least once a week. I go mostly to get inspired. I have many sketchbooks full of project ideas for the show but you never know what you're going to find at Bernat.

Today I saw a really cool vintage modern vinyl record album storage cart. I found a simple desk that would make a great computer desk project forthe show. I also saw a shelving unit made out of large slabs of wood, And my favorite were the two fantastic whirligigs i saw hanging from a pole. I love the mechanical whimsy of whirligigs. Nothing speaks of American folk art more than whirligigs. They're quite ingenious if you ask me.

An eclectic mix of objects to use as inspiration. I love it''
If you have a whirligig that you made or your neighbor does please send me an image. I love projects that evoke happiness. Whirligigs are just fun. What more can you ask for?

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

Spring

Spring is in the air'''

Well- sort of'
It's a day late but I wanted to share my tip with you.
It's actually not a tip but just a suggestion. Spring clamps' If you don't have any, buys some. You can pick them up for a couple of dollars at your local home center. I have a collection of small and large ones. I use mine all of the time. I have them stored by my work bench for easy access. I use mine 
more as a third hand than for clamping things. If you work alone in your shop then you'll be amazed at how handy they are.

Attached are a couple of images taken from the video of the latest episode Tool Box and episode 10, Dinner for two. In both episodes I use spring clamps to help hold some boards in place while I work on the other parts.

As always - Thanks forfollowing
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

 



Found it'
I found the Dura seal information. I'm not sure if it's still made by Min-Wax or if it's an independent company but here's the link to the product.
http://www.duraseal.com/
On the web site you'll se a link to distributers.  I saw that there was one in RI and two in MA./

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

The finish line

 

 

I've had some inquiries about what kind of finish I used on the mallets.

Around 15 years ago I was introduced to a product called Dura seal by the Min Wax corporation. 

It's made for hardwood floors but it works great on furniture.  It's kind of like Watco oil except, I find , it's a little more durable.  It comes in neutral or with pigments in it.  It's as easy as it comes.  Brush it on, wait 15 minutes, wipe off the excess and let it dry.  I wait a day and then usually apply a coat of wax.

  You won't find it on the shelves at your local home center.  It's a specialty product for floors.  I had to order mine from Sherwin Williams  ( they bought Min-Wax ) .  It only comes in 1 G/4 L  cans.

If there's a flooring shop near you ask them.  They might have the product or can order it for you. 

It seems to last for quite a while in the can.  I've had the same can for over six years now.

I gave it a shake, poured it out and it still worked beautifully.

I searched the web and couldn't find it anywhere.  I sent an email to a Min- Wax rep to see if it was still being made.  I'll let you know as soon as I hear back from them.

 

 

Trash day'

Yesterday I was at the dump and saw a few pallets piled up by the garbage bins. I saw a large piece of wood that I thought was ash, a fantastic hardwood used for tool handles, etc. I brought the piece home and cut into it and sure enough it was ash. The piece was squirrely, not good enough to be used in furniture but perfect for mallets.
I just made a couple of tool boxes for the show so what a perfect complement for each box. I love making my own tools. Malle...ts are easy too make, take an hour to do, and give you great satisfaction when used.

I cut two pieces approximately 5 inches long at angle of 7 degrees. The angle helps relieve fatigue in your arm when used. I drilled a 7/8 inch hole in both blocks. I cut a slot in the top of the dowel. I glued the dowel into the blocks and then used a hardwood wedge to spread the dowel open at the top and secure it place. I cut and sanded a slight curve on the tops. I contoured the handle to fit nicely in my hand.
I love how they turned out. I sanded all of the parts and finished them with an oil and wax finish. This was a true repurpose project. The dowels are from two fishing nets I took apart and used in the foosball project I made for the show.
Maybe I'll do a episode on making your own hand tools'
As always - Thanks for following.
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

Book Report

Check out this great book we found while rummaging are way through the Berkshires this past weekend. It's titled 'Household Discoveries.' 'An Encyclopedia of practical recipes and processes'
By Sidney Morse. Published in 1908 by The Success Company, New York.
...

This book has everything you ever wanted to know in it. How to cook anything, how to fix anything and how to build anything. I love it. It's pretty amazing. As I was sifting my way through it I was impressed by how many household how-to's have stood the test of time. There's a home workshop section starting on page 332 that tells you how to make a variety of different adhesives. Other chapters include how to make your own finishes such as milk paints and varnishes.
The small sturdy workbench on page 332 reminds me of the one I'm building for the show.
If you love old timey recipes and fix its I highly recommend this book. If nothing else it's a great read with fantastic illustrations.
As always - Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

Close one door and another one opens'

I love driving down an unfamiliar road and discovery a new place to rummage through. You never know what you mind find. From some cool materials to some inspiring objects. Check this place out. I was in the town of Sheffield, MA in the Berkshires this weekend and came across this awesome place.
I don't know why I didn't but I wanted to buy some old barn and outhouse doors to use in a project. You know the ones with the half moon cut ou...t of them' I don't know what I'd use them for but they were fantastic.
I'll be back in that area in a few weeks so I'll be sure to return to this inspiring place.
Ignore the image that reads No Photos'

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

 

Now Playing

The latest episode of The Garage with Steve Butler is now ready for you to view. Please check out episode 13 Tool Box.
I can't thank Barry Giles and Cameron Clark of UCTV enough for getting this one out there. We have another episode waiting in the wings  to be edited. These guys are work horses.
Thanks again....
All episodes are also available on you tube
The show will be resume on Rhode Island PBS in July, after their fundraising break.
I hope you enjoy the video.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT7UY950G_Q



By the time I get to Woodstock'

We spent the day roaming the back roads of Woodstock Connecticut today. I love history and this area has loads of it. We dropped into a great antique/thrift store where I purchased a fantastic old turned mallet. It looks to be made out of ash. I also picked up what I think is a roofing hatchet. There's a notch in the blade to take out the old nails in the old shingles and the hatchet was used to split the new wooden shingles to size. The ...hammer head end would be used to nail the new shingles in place.

I love making my own tools. Maybe I'll do an episode of the show where I make hand tools. I really didn't need any more hand tools but these two are gems. They just feel good in the hand. I couldn't resist.
As always - Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

Almost there

I spent the day hanging out with Cameron at UCTV going through footage. Cameron's a very busy guy so I appreciate him allowing me to crowd his workspace and watch him edit an episode of the show. I'm learning a lot about the process. Imagine taking three days of footage and condensing it into 28 minutes. This also includes the same amount of footage from a second camera.
We shoot using two cameras so Cameron has to sift through hours of footage from two camer...as. Crazy'

We are working on the tool box episode and are almost there. We only have a few minutes of footage left to edit and then we have to add the captions and music and we should have it;
As always - Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

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