Fitting drawers

Today I went to the the studio and started fitting the drawers and making the runners. I cut dados into the drawer sides and made hardwood runners to fit the dados. I use double sided tape to temporarily hold the runners in place while I test fit the drawers. Once I have the drawers where I want them I drill pilot holes, remove the runners and then screw them permantely in place. I then cut and fit the false fronts. Once the front is installed I trim the back of the drawer bottom to act as the drawer stop.

All that is left to do is to final sand, cut and trim the tops and oil and wax the tables.

Drawers

Today I only had an hour to work in the shop but I spent the time fitting the drawers in the tables. The drawers will be side mounted. They will have a cleat attached that will ride on a cleat attached to the inside of the aprons.

The curly maple false fronts will be attached and will be inset to the face of the drawer fronts.

I extend the drawer bottoms past the back of the drawer itself. This hits the back of the table and acts as my drawer stop.

Table Joinery

Today I was only able to get into the shop for an hour but it was enough time to finish sanding and glueing up the tables. The legs are joined to the rails and stretchers with a mortise and tenon for the side rails and with a through dovetail into the leg and a dovetail into the top of the leg for the front drawer rails.

The tables are finally glued up. Now all that is left is to add the drawer guides and the tops, then oil and wax the tables.

More sanding

Yesterday was a great day to fire up the old wood stove, put on some music and sand and glue up table parts. An hour here and there can really make a difference'

We are in the middle of packing up the house and studio so there isn't a lot of time to spend on the tables. Now that most of the sanding is out of the way the rest should go quickly.

Process

Today we had some freezing rain in our area so I wasn't able to get to the wood studio and work on the tables. I stayed at home and worked on some ideas I had for other projects.

All of us have our own design process. I start by sketching thumbnail sketches in my sketch book. These are doodles, ideas, notes to jog my memory. These sketches are like writing yourself a reminder note to pick up milk on the way home. Once I have an idea I like I start to refine it more and more. I then make larger working drawings of the object and then when they are solidified I'll make a maquet/model of the piece.

Bowls and Tops

A few weeks back I went over to my friend Harvey Fein's house on Culver Lake for a lesson in woodturning. Even though I founded the Watergap Woodturners I don't turn much.

Harvey has a lot of patience and together we turned a few tops and a bowl.

This post is for the benefit of the Watergap Woodturners, too show them that I have actually touched a lathe.

Sanding, Sanding, Sanding

Sanding is the last thing I want to do on a beautiful 50 degree January day but it is a necessary evil. I normally cut up sandpaper into quarters, put on some good jazz music and get down to business. Today I was sanding drawer and table parts as well as finishing some cutting boards. I make the cutting boards out of the off cuts from other projects. You have to have smaller, cheaper wares to sell. Sometimes the smaller items are the ones that get you through the lean times. I make two sizes of cutting boards. A 20 inch and 14 inch size.

Thickness sanding

Today Quinn and I went to visit my friend Steve Wenzel at his shop. Steve is a furniture maker near Sparta, New Jersey. Steve's specializes in period furniture, particularly in Windsor chairs.

Steve Has a great shop and garciously let me run some table tops through his thickness sander.

Steve makes a lot of large tables so purchasing a thickness sander made sense. This particular machine cost close to $10,000. What took us 10 minutes to do with the sander probably would have taken an hour or more by hand.

Glue up and drawers

Yesterday I milled stock for the two table tops. I used three boards of walnut too get the amount I needed. I was amazed at the difference in density between the boards. I also milled and cut to size stock for the two mahogany drawers. Tomorrow I will take the glued tops to a friends shop and run them through his thickness planer. This helps speed up the sanding process for me greatly. We'll sand the baords to 150 grit with the sander and then to 220 grit by hand.

I'll then sand the inside of the drawer parts and glue them together and attach the curly maple fronts.

Tables Continued

Today I was in the studio working on cutting the through dovetail in the front rail into the leg and chopping the dovetail into the top of the leg for the top rail. I then worked out the boards for the top.

I cut the through dovetail using the router and I cut the top dovetail with a straight bit and the router and then used a chisel to finish the dovetail by hand.

Last Call

The Watergap Woodturners met as usual on the first Wednesday of the month at the wood studio at Peters Valley. This months meeting was my last meeting as President of the chapter. I have stepped down and will be moving on. The group gave me an incredible, generous send off. I thank each member very much. The meeting started with a brief talk about the future of the chapter and a unofficial election of officers. We then shared in cutting the cake and a show and tell. Thank you again to all of the members who have supported me in my endeavors over the last year and a half. I am very gratefull for your dedication and comittment in keeping the group alive and prosperous.

Thank you'

Walnut Tables

I made the legs for these tables. I cut the mortises and now I have to cut the tenons. I cut tenons using stack dado blades on the table saw. I prefer this method because I only have one adjustment too make, which iliminates room for error. I set my blade height. I then set my fence.The distance from the outside blade to the fence equals the length of my tenon. I make a test cut and then proceed to cut all of my tenons. If the tenon is centered on your apron you need only to flip the aprons over and repeat the same process. If the tenon is off set then you need only to raise the blade the apropriate height and then repeat the process.

I then flip the aprons onto their side, adjust blade height and cut the ears.

Tables Again

I have been comissioned too make two more tables like the ones I did for the auction. The tables are made out of walnut with curly maple drawer fronts. I have made enough legs for four tables. The legs were tapered using the jointer, this can be time consumming but exacting, you can also use the bandsaw and tablesaw. I cut the mortises using a small bench top delta mortiser.

Angie

Yesterday we had to put down a dear friend, our dog Angie. I adopted Angie from the Pert Jervis, NY humane society, she was the best dog. Angie would spend days with me up in the wood studio, chasing the mice inside and the squirrels outside.

Sad News

Last week Peters Valley Craft Center received the bad news that the State of New Jersey put a freeze on all funding to arts and crafts organizations. Peters Valley relies heavilly on these grants, the news has crippled and nearly closed the center. Peters Valley has had to restructure itself and has had to let a lot of staff go. I, unfortunately am one of those who has been let go.
My partner Liesl and I and our son are moving to the Berkshires in Massachusetts. We will be setting up our studios where we will continue to make work and teach workshops.
If you are interested in taking a workshop please email me at sherwood_design@hotmail.com

I will be teaching two workshops this summer at Peters Valley and one at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts,

Dates are: "Open Topics in Wood" Peters Valley May21-23 Contact (973)948-5200
" Table Manners" Peters Valley Aug 20-24 " Contact (973) 948-5200

" Table Manners" Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts June 20-26

Watergap Woodturners Dan Moore

The December meeting of the Watergap Wooodturners took place at the wood studio at Peters Valley Craft Center. Dan Moore of the group talked about his work and demonstrated how he turns an Australian Burl Cap.

The grouip meets the first Wednesday of each month ( except January ) at the Peters Valley wood studio. Meetings start at 7 PM.

Watergap Woodturners

The November meeting of the Watergap Woodturners was held at the wood studio at Peters Valley Craft Center. Tony Whalen of the group demonstrated his turning techniques and how he incorporates the router into his work.

Tony shows the crowed some of his work.

Wyatt

My friend Wyatt Severs came up from Kentucky for a couple of weeks. Wyattt had a commission to create some custom flooring on a house in the area.

Wyatt creates unique patterns by resawing and laminating hardwood strips and then making veneer out of it. He then laminates the veneer to a plywood substrate.

Finally

It's been a while since I posted something new. My apologies, our computer got a virus and we are only now able to use it.

The last time I posted I was working on a pair of walnut tables with curly maple drawer fronts.

The table were donated to Peters Valley Craft Center to be auctioned off at their annual benefit auction. I've since been commissioned to create two more. I also finished all of the tea lights and have sold a couple of pairs in the Peters valley gift shop and gallery.