readers

now that I no longer have to keep three employees busy anymore

I have been a bit lax in my blogging for the last year or so. 

 as I finished the previous post about an art deco sideboard, out of

curiosity, I clicked on the 'stats' page … it has changed since the

last time I looked when it showed 30 day visits and you had to manually 

enter dates to view total page visits

here's where we are as of September 6th …

 one million, seven hundred seventy three thousand, eight hundred and forty five page views!!!

so, thank you readers.  I hope you have enjoyed your visits here,

and I am flattered by your attention.  I will keep writing occasionally, but

certainly not like I did from 2010 to 2014 when I was trying to share and document 

everything I did so I could remember the process and explain how we did things both 

to my employees who maybe weren't here for a particular project, or were 

working on something else, and also so as I aged, I could remember 

how things were done my own self.

as I look back through the 900 some blog posts, I am amazed and honored

at the number and variety of complex and rewarding projects our clients

have allowed us to create … 

Onward we go!

steel base for a slab table post 36,401 views

.

a nice walnut sideboard

we recently finished this mirrored art deco styled bar cabinet, and 

today we got a confirmation of delivery and a nice note... 

this new cabinet was a 'simplified' version of the original cabinet below that we made for another client way, way back in 2009

they are both stained/painted pieces, one with gray mirrors with a back, and the 

original with an open back ... both were fun and challenging projects.

cad  comparison

early stages ... mortises tenons and tapers on the cnc

the openings were filled in with walnut ply, allowing spaces for the mirrors

and some 'speed racks' on the doors ..

installed the grey mirrors and sent it on its way ...

Another Claro Walnut Slab Table

well, OK … this semi retirement thing must be ok … after writing

many posts per month since November of 2007, I just noticed I 

haven't posted anything since april … i'm still working, but I only need 

a little work to keep myself out of trouble all week, and the nephew busy Tuesdays and Wednesday. I seem to be good for about 5 or 6 hours a day. in by 9:00, hour for lunch with a nap, off to the golf course or the tennis court by 3:30 or 4:00 ... it has been a great summer, and

the pressure is off of the marketing department …
work continues to roll in more or less at about the right pace … 

here's one we finished back in june ..

the process was typical .. we have made about 50 of them ...
pictures and notes below.

the raw slab from goodhope hardwoods

adjust in photoshop to the clients dimensions and request for 'straightened edges'

the client requested a new design trestle steel base

 made a new model with the new base design

sam whipped it up

and we had it powder coated up the road in poultney

while Kristian and I did a few repairs

and laid out the 'straightened edges with placemats

you can see the cuts in the photo with the green tape

 

all in, all done … out the door in early july

a mid century modern walnut table

long story coming up here ... after 35 + years of having employees
to help me figure things out, i am on my own now ...
working by myself mostly, enjoying the rhythms of work,
rediscovering rusty processes, and learning a new
cnc drawing and toolpathing program
on we go, into our 70s ....

i (we) have done this design numerous times,
the first time somewhere around 2014

this one is a 60" round with 1 20" leaf ...
lookin good in its new home

started with some matched irion lumber walnut

glued it up and cut the half rounds and the leaf ends on the cnc

drilled the holes and inserted the pins with our long time

 trusty custom hole and pin and drilling jig

 

cut the base parts on the cnc

wrestled with many clamps to glue them up

cut the square edge apron parts

joined them together with dominos and pocket screws

routed a half round pocket in a piece of mdf and used the 45 degree
bit to create the angles on the apron pieces below

all together now ...

a little finishing with some dull rubbed poly ..
off to connecticutt ...

an oval mahogany table

ok .. we finished this one a couple weeks ago, 

and it is leaving for chicago next week ....

the clients have been motorcycling in the southwest for the last month or so

it's one of our 'standard' (if theres i such a thing in custom woodworking)

center pedestal ovals ... they are fun and challenging and infinitely variable

this is probably the 7th or 8th version we have done

ribbon stripe mahogany ...
i cut the two glued up panels on the cnc and used the
negative shapes to glue up the two halves ...

there was no 12/4 ribbon stripe so i had to glue up some 8/4 for the base pieces,

and some 5/4 for the veritcal elements

the process is to miter them and glue up two halves as shown below

 looks a little dangerous maybe, but it actually doesn't seem too bad

add some dominos and pocket screws ...

 clamping the halves together can be a bit tricky and there

is some fussy final fitting involved to get a good joint in there

 add some low curves to the half lapped base pieces

 oh yeah, the oval aprons add a challenge

 headed out ot its new home soon ....