Master Woodworking and Furniture Repair

I'm back at Mt. St. Marys.  This time working on the side entrances.  I began with the North entrance because it appears to be the more damaged and weathered of the two.  Anyway, Wes and I took the doors off and built a temporary plywood entrance.  I have the doors back at the shop and I'll get those well along before I go back and work on the door frame. This going to be challenging. 

Where has Dave been all summer??? Hooksett, NH.  Finishing up the entrance to Mt. St. Mary's Remember last year, when I did the doors?  Well, now it's the onsite work and it's been a busy summer.  I've done my best to capture the stages as I work my way towards completion. So here's where I started back in May.  The doors are done, but it's easy to see the difference with the unrestored parts/ As with any restoration, preparation is 90% of the job and this was no different.  I burned a lot of sandpaper and elbow grease on this project.  Below is the beginning of stripping the left side.  and sanding and sanding and sanding . . .  and more sanding . . . Love the view from the porch where I'm working.  Looking out over Hooksett and Bow, NH Back to sanding.  You might notice that the plaster capital is gone.  I'll be replacing those with crown molding that matches the inner entrance. A beautiful day working unde

My dear old friend from college owns a microbrewery and asked me to work with her to develop a new model for her tap handles.  We worked through a few designs and eventually we arrived at the prototype below.  The remainder of this post documents the process of filling the first order for 3. The process starts by cutting the stylized tree foliage from pre-dimensioned walnut stock.  We considered using ironwood, but sourcing and expense dictates we use walnut for now.  Each blank is hand cut on a jigsaw and then shaped using files and abrasives until the shape is satisfying.  Because they are hand carved, each handle is unique.  For that reason, each handle has a serial number.  THese are numbers 001, 002 and 003.  The prototype was designated "P" and will remain with me as a model for all future handles.  The next step is to create the handle and trunk piece.  The blanks below will need to be turned to dimension on a lathe to fit the ferrule on one end and the foliage

Well, it took a few years, but the great folks at Mount St. Mary's got back to me and I've been contracted to restore the entrance.  Mount St. Marys’ Condominiums in Hooksett, NH is a 100-year-old building with historical significance.  It has been a Monastery, a College and is now Condominiums. My task will be to restore the entrance to the original color and finish. I had to research a number of other buldings in the Boston area by the same architect  (T. Edward Sheehan) to validate the original color and finish.   The project will begin this summer with the doors.  They are 2" thick and solid oak.  The remainder is planned for the summer of 2018. The entrance has been neglected for many years and the wood is severaly weathered.  Still, it's a towering and grand entrance way.  I'm really excited to be working on it. Here's a look at the weathering I'll be starting this one in Mid-June.  It will be worth following. THE JOB BEGINS