By Way of Introduction . . .

Greetings,


Welcome to my blog.  I've been working with wood, building and repairing furniture and doing cabinetry and finish carpentry for the last 40 years or so, beginning with a block sander and a vast mesa of cherry that was the top of a dining room table.  I learned to hate sanding . . . and then I learned to love it.  Now, decades later, I'm doing the same stuff I've always done for friends and relatives, informal side work and personal use into a business.  I'm not quite ready to give up my day job, but maybe . . . some day.  In the meantime, as a way to document my work for reference and maybe gain a little web presence, I'm going to try to maintain this blog.




How do you like my new cards?

Wish me luck.

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Project Log -- Dining Room Table Repairs

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Back to work for one of my favorite customers.  This time it isn't a refinishing job.  Instead, I need to effect some structural repairs.  The sliders are gummed up and the structure needs some reinforcement.  Also, at one point some modern casters were put on the legs and center post.  They don't really match, but they provide some necessary rise.  I'll be replacing those with turned wood balls.  There is also a decorative wooden ring on one of the legs, but not on the other three.  I'll need to fabricate the other three.  I looked but I couldn't find anything even close in the premade suppliers. Here's a look at the center column and casters.  You can get a feel for how massive this piece is and if you look closely, you can see part of the decorative ring on the rightmost leg. Just some closeup views and detail shots. I stacked the leaves to get a sense of how bad the warping is.  The 2nd from the bottom displays some pretty significa
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UPDATED: Project Log -- 1/29/2014 -- Belt Buckle Display Cabinet

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I've been commissioned to create a belt buckle display cabinet by a lovely lady whose husband has a large and fascinating collection of belt buckles.  We had a pleasant chat and came to some determinations about dimensions and requirements.  Basically, we're looking for a fairly narrow cabinet (5" - 6" wide).  30" wide and 50" tall + a bottom drawer.  Adjustable shelves (8) and a single framed glass front covering all of the display shelves. Note the black, flocked back panel. One big challenge is going to be selecting hinges that aren't going to be intrusive, but still capable of supporting a 2.5 foot wide, 50" tall piece of 1/8" oak-framed, plate glass.  I'm hoping to find a suitable flat piano hinge. Additionally, the cabinet itself will be very heavy as it will be of solid oak construction.  So, mounting it to the wall will require substantial fasteners. I've already selected and rough dimensioned the white oak stock f
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Project Update -- 11/30/2015 Sewing Machine

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This beautiful old sewing machine is in need of some serious TLC.  There are lots of beautiful carvings and features, but there's equally as much damage.  It's going to be a challenge to salvage as much as possible to preserve the character of the piece without being too heavy-handed. The top is pretty much ruined with water damage.  There's no saving the veneer.  Clenaing up the intricate details is going to be tedious, but the payoff is going to be worth it. Here's a look inside.  The action is surprisingly sophisticated.  Nice nickel plated hinges, too  Here's the machine exposed.  The cowl on the back will need to be rebuilt.  The wood is pretty much gone. So now it's in pieces waiting to be stripped, fixed, finished and reassembled.  This is going to a breathtaking piece when I finish it. UPDATE 11/30/15 Stripping went OK,  What was left of the old finish came off pretty easily, but the water damage caused the gra
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