Layout

All the parts for the Bridge Table are laid out on the smaller of the two padauk planks. (The larger one will be be for the chairs.) This is always the most exciting part, and the most nerve-wracking. Believe it or not I don't have any wood to spare. One wrong cut...

Wood Score!

I picked these up today on my way over to the shop. According to the guy who apparently cut down the tree, it was from some kind of oak. He asked if I was having a barbeque. I told him I was making bowls. He gave me a confused look.

Ru?

This is a test-piece for a new type face I am trying out called Goldenbook.  It was designed by Mark Simonson, and is based on the logotype of a literary magazine of the same name from the 1920's.  I'm pretty excited about it - I've never carved lower-case letters before (or "miniscules" if you want to be technical about it), and the capitals are an interesting challenge after cutting so many Trajan latters. 

The block above is teak, and the letters are gilded.  To my surprise, teak (or at least this particular piece) carves like a dream.  Now, who needs a carved and gilded periodic table...

100 Bowls Challenge

Bowl No.1, White Oak

I am excited to announce a new project that I seem to have gotten myself involved in.  Begininning in January, I will try to make 100 bowls in 100 days.   Luckily, I am not alone in this endeavor: fellow Houston artists Renee LeBlanc, Steve Campbell, and Mak Taing have all taken up the challenge themselves.  The guantlet was thrown, and gleefully picked back up.  All of the bowls completed during the challenge will be donated to Empty Bowls Houston, an annual grassroots fundraising event held at Lawndale Art Center and Houston Center for Contemporary Craft in support of the Houston Food Bank.  You can follow our progress on the "official" 100 Bowls blog:http://100bowls.tumblr.com/.  I will do my best to update it every day (that is after all, part of the challenge), so stayed tuned as we count down towards May!

Empty Bowls Houston, Lawndale Art Center, 2011

A few words about the Empty Bowls Event itself.  Now in its eighth year, Empty Bowls Houston has a standing, open invitation to local artists to create and donate bowls to help feed Houston's hungry.  Although the good folks at Empty Bowls can usually be spotted at farmers' markets throughout the year, the main event is held every year at either Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, or Lawndale Art Center, or both.  The event is free and open to the public, and for a donation of $25, guests can take home a bowl of their choosing.  That's right!  Twenty-five bucks will get you an amazing, hand-made bowl, as well as (I believe) some yummy soup, courtesy of Whole Foods.  Empty Bowls is always one of my favorite parts of the year - there is something about seeing so many bowls in one place: the enthusiastic support from the artists, as well as the crowd that turns out to see (and purchase!) the work, that always warms my heart.  This year the event will be held on May 26, 2012.  I hope to see y'all there!

Repairing an Eames Chair

I got a call last week from a distraught family friend:  their much-loved, much-used Eames Chair had given out.  Apparently, the back had somehow disconnected from the seat.  I was delighted and honored to have a shot at fixing this cherished fixture of their home.  Fortunately, with Eames Chairs (technically, "Eames Lounge 670"), this problem is not so much an "if" as a "when,"  and the repair is relatively straightforward.  

(Disclaimer:  This chair has been around for the better part of a century.  It is a classic - truly an American icon of design, and better still, simply a great piece of furniture.  You could fill a library, or at least a reasonably-sized basement, with the tomes that have been written about both it and its creators, Charles and Ray Eames.  By almost any measure, Eames Chairs, especially older models, are collector's items.  Mint-condition, early editions of the chair continue to sell for many thousands more than the asking price price of a new one. That said, I am pretty sure that the repair I am describing below, at least from a high-end furniture conservation standpoint, is completely wrong.  Conservators, to their credit, would never replace old parts with new, and would make absolutely sure that their repairs are 100% reversible.  The downside, however, is that in order to prevent any future damage to the piece, the piece can no longer be used under any kind of normal circumstances.  (Imagine the record collector who refuses to play his or her records for fear of damaging them.)  I am sure that there is a conservation-correct, Herman Miller-approved way to fix this chair.  However, that is not the focus here.  The focus on this chair, which has been in continual use for thirty years, is to get it back in working order and useable for another thirty.  Sorry, I am getting kind of sidetracked here.  Point is, this is one way to fix this chair, but not by any means, *the* way to fix this chair.  Consider yourself duly disclaimed.)

(Kind of hard to tell from this photo, but the entire back assembly is slumped sadly to one side.)Detail of one of the failed "shock mounts" used to attach the arm and back assembly to the seat shell.From what I am told, it is not so much the glue that fails in this situation, but the rubber in the mount itself that starts to deteriorate.  Here you can see where the shock mount in question has simply popped off.

Sometimes the mounts pop right off whenever they feel like it.  Other times they hang on like a loose tooth - wiggling and stubborn.  Above, the original mount, along with a new, metal-backed mount.  Hopefully, the metal-faced mount won't deteriorate in the coming decades.

Above, the plywood shell where the new mount will be re-mounted.  All the old glue and leftover rubber bits had to be scraped off to ensure a long-lasting,secure connection.  Sadly, some of the veneer came away with the old mount.

Gluing the new mount to the shell with high-grade structural adhesive.  The original locations of the mounts were scribed onto the seat before removal, ensuring that the new ones go back in exactly the right place.

After the mounts have been allowed to set for a day or so, the arm brackets, and with them, the back assembly, can be reattached.  It will be good to get this chair back to its home. 

Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event - Updated!

Exciting news!  I just got word that both Frank Strazza of Homestead Heritage Woodworking School and Kevin Drake of Glen-Drake Toolworks are confirmed for the Hand Tool Event this October 21 & 22.  As some of you may know, both Mr. Strazza and Mr. Drake (as well as his assistant, Heather Trosdahl) are all highly accomplished woodworkers in their own right, and this should be a great opportunity to see how other makers approach their work.

In addition to demonstrations from Lie-Nielsen, Homestead Heritage, and Glen-Drake Toolworks, I will (as time permits) be doing a demonstration or two on lettercarving.  It should be an action-packed couple of days - whether you are a grizzled old pro or a rookie looking to take the next step, there will be plenty to see and learn.  We hope to see yall there!

 Below is a fun video from a Hand Tool Event in (I believe) Seattle.  Check it out:

You can see more videos from Lie-Nielsen at their excellent YouTube channel.

Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event Coming to Houston!

And by Houston, I mean the shop!  That's right, folks, you heard it here first- this October 21st and 22nd (that would be Friday and Saturday), Lie-Nielsen Toolworks will be holding one of its now-famous Hand-Tool Events here at the shop on Dunlavy.  

From Lie-Nielsen: This is a wonderful opportunity to try out our extensive line of hand tools & learn how great tools make your woodworking easier!  Our skilled staff conduct demonstrations to help demystify the world of hand tools and answer your questions. We cover topics like sharpening, tool use and care, and joinery techniques.  Lie-Nielsen hand tools are available for purchase at every Event. 

I couldn't agree more - using fine tools makes all the difference when doing fine work, and there is nothing quite like being able to try tools out first-hand.  I was fortunate to get to work with the fine folks at Lie-Nielsen a few years ago, and I am delighted and honored to be able to host this great event.  It should be a great time: Houston is beautiful in late October, and seeing Lie-Nielsen's entire product line in one place is a sight to behold.

Check back here often for details as October approaches.  We're looking forward to seeing y'all there!

Wood Score!

Just picked these up on my way over to the shop. According to the guy cutting the tree down, it was some kind of oak. He asked if I was having a barbeque. I told him that I was making bowls. He gave me a confused look.