Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Black Walnut box







I recently pulled out a project that i shelved last year because of a paying job had come my way. A couple of months ago I finally had the time to revisit this piece. The piece is a puja table, which basicly is a type of ceremonal, devotional alter. After spending a few hours working on it, I relized that it wasn't flowing for me anymore and had been away from it a bit too long. I decided to temporarly put it back on the shelf and take on a smaller, manageable piece to try and get some of my old woodworking, MoJo back. I designed and mocked up a small box that will be made from a beautiful piece of Black Walnut. I plan on focusing on the joinery, specificlly building the carcus with hand cut dovetails. Hand cut dovetails in wood working usally represent a sign of real craftmanship.

Monday, March 30, 2009

My path as a woodworker

Ever since i was a young boy, i can always remember going with my dad to one of his rental apartments and helping him fix something or more importantly build something. As far back as my memory will take me, i have always felt connected and drawn towards working with wood. Of course when I was just a young tike it usually meant slapping together something with 2x4s and old plywood. Then one day in the home that i primarily grew up in, I began to appreciate the beautiful, natural Gum wood moldings that filled the entire house. I never got tired of looking at there smooth, silky grains and there deep, dark, brown and black color. Then about 15 years ago i enrolled in a week long woodworking course on furniture making in Vermont at a school named "Yestermorrow". I knew that i had tapped into a deep, core longing that, until that week had been lying dormant my whole life. Soon after the course i knew that i needed more, so I began to research other wood working schools. There where two primary wood working schools that caught my interested. One was right here in Boston and the other one was in Northern California in a town called Fort Bragg, about five miles outside of Mendocino. The College of the Redwoods, was formed by and for a world respected cabinet maker name James Krenov. JK single handily revised the crafts movement in the 70s with a few books, one called "A Cabinet Maker's Notebook" and "Fine wood working program felt like a good fit for me. I sent away for an application and sent it back quickly. The school only has room for about 16 or 17 new students per year and gets around 60-80- applications.