teal and gold

Jointing the Jointer

2012-01-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

I'm generally pretty relaxed, until it comes to machine tolerances. My jointer fence had a slight dip in it, and flattening it has been on my "things to do" list for about a year. I called a friend with access to some massive tooling and it made short work of making my fence flat. To give you an idea of the size of this mill the clamped fence is 36"x6".

-Tyler

Oak Hall Table

2012-01-25T21:18:00.000-08:00

This is a commissioned white oak hall table I delivered last week. The client and designer had the layered wood concept in mind so I suggested a few tweaks, and I was off.

Here's the bottom detail of the drawer pulls. The drawer is blackened but I left one face natural so the client has the option of flipping it around. I stumbled upon the idea of a reversible drawer and it put a smile on my face.

-Tyler

Walnut Bed in the rough

2011-12-08T12:04:00.000-08:00

Here' some pictures of a commissioned walnut bed.

With floating nights stands.

The bed has two large drawers under the mattress, a great addition if you need the space.

I'm looking forward to throwing some finish on it, and seeing it with some drawer fronts.

-Tyler

Radial Saws and Oak

2011-12-05T12:52:00.001-08:00

I had a hankering for a large sized radial arm saw, and some wide white oak. Oregon here i come.

A 16" Dewalt GE radial arm saw popped up on my radar, meticulously restored by the previous owner Doug Westlind. If the Yates snowflake isn't an indication, his shop is amazing, stocked with every dream machine i could ever want. I wish i had more time, but road trips of this nature are a series of time accumulating choices. So it was off to the next stop to get some wide Oregon white Oak planks.

The 2000km and 39 hour trip went well, a lot of driving but sometimes when you need something travel is a necessity.

Here's the Dewalt safe and sound at its new home needing a table and a confident operator; it's a very intimidating type of saw. But it'll be nice to have a trusty crosscut saw, my Makita mitre was never used for finish cuts and it's capacity is now dwarfed.

-Tyler

Knick Knack

2011-11-07T16:42:00.000-08:00

Brass and Walnut salt cellar.

Walnut Burl candle stand.

It's getting crafty time over here.

-Tyler

Modern Shaker doors

2011-11-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

Shaker doors? Not sure, but i dig 'em.

These are for a vanity project i just completed but have yet to install.

-Tyler

New Shop hand

2011-10-21T08:25:00.001-07:00

Got a new shop mate to keep me company.

Tyler

Fir Walls and Fir Benches

2011-09-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest build, a large Fir architectural wall with acoustical properties. It'll provide a back drop for shows, events, and kill some of the echo large rooms create.

300 plugs! Needless to say I invested in a Bosch flush cut saw, and was quite impressed.

It's in an amazing room, with beautiful timber frames, and very stout construction. I'll be excited to see it come alive with people and events.

I also did four fixed benches throughout the building.

-Tyler

Walnut credenza

2011-08-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

Walnut credenza with holly is complete.

Tyler

Wenge Credenza

2011-08-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

Well the wenge credenza is all done. Actually it was completed about 2 months ago, but i'm a bit slow.

I was really excited to use this technology of fusing glass to veneer, the results are stunning and need to be seen first hand. Fusion Glass is doing this work exclusively. Wow does it ever produce a rich high gloss. Also the doors and exterior wrap are from the same tree, matchy matchy!

-tyler

some details

2011-07-22T12:52:00.001-07:00

more to come

-tyler

another one

2011-07-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

The wenge credenza is all finished and off getting fitted for some pretty cool doors, but more on that when they come in.

Since the last credenza turned out so nice i decided to make a similar one in walnut. A second time around everything flowed smoother, and my confidence was at a higher level.

On the tool front this is my latest acquisition made by Jessem. Not the Domino i've been wanting but it was a 1/4 of the price. Apparently you can't purchase the Jessem anymore because of patient infringement, all i know is it's well made and robust. Good enough for me.

The mitred and doweled doors are also going to get the special panel treatment as the wenge piece. Pictures to come!

-Tyler

Wenge beech credenza

2011-05-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

This is the latest project i've been working on; wenge credenza with beech interior.

Here the wenge edging is being applied.

This was my first time working with holly. We're using it for some small detailing.

Legs

Dry run. Mitres scare me.

Glued! But stressful.

Drawers and finishing next...

-tyler

batch

2011-05-01T17:36:00.001-07:00

As much as batching is the way to go, the repetitive operations can be mind numbing. In the end it's efficient time spent, but for some reason i find the lathe harder on my body then other woodworking machines. Feel sorry for me.

-tyler

black done

2011-04-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

I finally got to installing the sideboard after a slight hiccup. The two tone colour wasn't working for the client, the black got sanded off and all was well.

-tyler

Moved

2011-04-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

Happy to report I have a new space for my shop. I have found lack of space has been my major bottleneck in the majority of my builds, but no more! Working from home will be missed as it has its perks, but it was time to step it up.

-tyler

Sharpening Day

2011-03-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

Time to get out the patience. The 130 planer is a nice machine but setting up the knifes is a bit tedious; no jack screws unlike the Poitras jointer. I pretty much follow Bob Vaughan's excellent instructions for jointers and planers, but i find with the jointer i can get great results with just a straight edge and a sharp ear & eye.

-tyler

on the go

2011-03-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a barrage of things we've been working on this month:

This is the long sideboard's finish, the exterior is black and the fronts deep brown. It's getting close to install time.

A friend dropped off a reclaimed Douglas Fir beam, he's commissioning me to build a stool.

It's a little to big for most of my tools, nothing like the classic work around.

All bucked up with some major checks, but that's to be expected.

Some grinders getting some milk paint.

Some feature wall samples I've been fiddling with.

Same concept just bigger with fir veneer.

This would be fun.

-tyler

Current work

2011-03-12T11:16:00.001-08:00

I'm almost at the finishing stage of a long sideboard. I'm basically making two mirrored credenzas with removable gables so they can be united into one large unit, or separated if the future needs of the customer change.

This is the two top pieces together, a total length of 144".

-tyler

Danger

2011-02-26T11:41:00.001-08:00

I was stabbed in the face the other day while working with a router doing an edge treatment. All is well, i found the whole incident quite comical, but it reminds me that the most mundane tasks could be life changing.

-tyler

b&w assortment

2011-02-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

Fir and Arbutus

2011-02-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

I decided to ebay some camera gear that i had squirreled away. Maybe put that money toward a future slot mortiser. Digging through my once prized possessions, i emersed myself in a past interest i was quite obsessed with. Here's a photo taken on Vancouver island, it looks like Fir and Arbutus. It's giving me some ideas for my next personal piece.

-tyler

Improvements

2011-01-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

Making objects out of wood is lovely, but it can a messy profession. I've been trying to tackle dust control this past year to some success. I upgraded my dust collector with a pleated filter, and installed an air filtration unit. These additions are doing a good job of keep the dust out of my lungs and out of our house.

To build upon the cleanliness theme, Kelly commissioned our friend Iris to make me a wonderful shop apron. I love it. It's my favorite shop improvement of 2010. So simple.

Christmas morning.

-tyler

Delivered

2011-01-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

While waiting 48 hours between coats of finish i was working on a bed made from white oak. Here's some grainy cell phone photos.

Living room assembly! My wife is awesome.

The client is getting some custom sheets and a duvet made up, so i'll be needing to retake some photos.

-tyler

Sorry Mr. Badger

2011-01-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

It was my first time using a Badger hair brush, and it was a joy to use. I imagined friendly badgers getting sheared every month to make a product such as this, i was quite wrong.

The table is ready for delivery, i just hope it doesn't snow to much.

-tyler

snow time filler

2010-12-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

It's winter, so we bought netflix. Lots of filler but there's this little gem 'Note by note'. The making of a Steinway L1037.

-tyler

books and bowties

2010-11-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

Handcrafted Modern, I Love this book, full of designers well used spaces. Leslie Williamson's blog is worth a gander.

Getting the lay of the land, trying out some different layouts. I eventually went with three. I'm not a big fan of contrasting bow ties, or large hunky bow ties. I really feel they should blend as much as possible. Subtlety goes a long way.

-tyler

new bend

2010-11-17T11:42:00.001-08:00

It took awhile, but we have a new item in our etsy store. Accompanied with our two favorite wines.

-tyler

models

2010-11-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

Well i feel a fool for never making a model of a build. Silly me.

3 leg designs for hopefully an ultimate direction. Did i mention this table is 42" high?

-tyler

beginning prep

2010-11-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

Well it's time for a scraper plane, freshly sharpen steep iron angles, and patience. Working a table top with this much figure is going to be an enjoyable challenge.

The Claro is truly amazing.

I am a big fan of the Veritas Mk. II honing jig, 4 years and going strong.

Arsenal ready. Begin sore arms count down.

-tyler

big box

2010-11-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

Just finished installing a kitchen job for some good pals. Here's a sneak peak of the dovetailed uppers, made with a Leigh jig. We used quarter sawn fir, i forgot how directional this species is. Gorgeous stuff, and well worth the extra care.

Doing the large boxes pins was quite comical.

I'll get more photos when the counter tops are installed.

-tyler

enjoyable pace

2010-10-09T00:50:00.000-07:00

I take satisfaction from reveals in design, a part unseen until the object is used. After a year of making my s&p mills i finally figured out how to apply some branding to the underneath of the cork. These little guys are heading to SF.

-tyler

round, square, round

2010-10-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

Usually to make a large radius round over you'd use a shaper with some large tooling, but in a small shop like mine sometimes you have to get creative (my wadkin shaper is still making an excellent out feed table but nothing more). I needed to get a 3" radius for some gables on my current kitchen build. It's 40-50's inspired.

After laminating your stock, joint square and then cut your corners 45 degrees and then 22.5 degrees. The last cut had the possibility of being sketchy, i took it slow. Next time I will figure out a safer way to do it.

The piece pushed the limits of the lathe, but with a slow rpm the lathe was content with not much vibration.

Next was the part that i was dreading, quartering the piece. It went way smoother then i had hoped. I began with attaching a sled and riping down the middle.

Still a fair bit of material so off to the bandsaw.

officially halved.

The sled also acted as a planer sled. Awesome.

Now with a flat reference surface, it's time to 1/4.

The parallel clamp keeps my fingers away.

done!

-tyler

Thrifted Thurdays

2010-09-23T00:48:00.000-07:00

We came across this Fritz Hansen teak table on 2nd last day of our trip. I love Creston! I've been trying to figure out who designed it, nothing definite so far.

.

-tyler

good trip

2010-09-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

We just got back from an epic road trip. A month on the road to Chicago and back with good buds.

-tyler

Box complete

2010-08-06T15:50:00.000-07:00

The Garry oak and mystery wood (leaning towards Sitka spruce) came together quite well.

The finish is on and the hinges are installed, all that's left is the delivery.

The Brusso hinges are tops, the built in stop justifies the price.

-tyler

Credenza finished

2010-08-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Cleaning up the legs.

Had to use my old router table setup for the rail tails. I was reminded of why i upgraded. The stock adjustment on the 2 1/4 pc is junk.

Rails with legs. Dry fit, then disassembled for finish.

Unrelated but awesome garage sale find: big Gross Stabil F clamps for 10 bucks.

Inset 3mm felt Runner.

At his new home with some buds.

Boxy, but ideal for socks and undies.

-tyler

Two tone Mill

2010-08-03T10:58:00.001-07:00

It's lovely what vinegar and steel can do.

-tyler

Fire and box

2010-07-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

We had a brush fire break out 3 km away from our house yesterday, luckily it was contained quickly with a fleet of retardant bombers and helicopters. Anyways in my frenzied hast to document our belongings for insurance reasons i erased a bunch of photos of the box build.

I am beginning to think the panel isn't red wood, it looks like yellow cedar but lacks the smell. So i really don't know. Ideas?

I am going to pre-finish the panel then assemble and fit the lid.

Some brass Brusso hinges are on the way.

-tyler

Tails First

2010-07-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Small box project with Garry Oak from Victoria, and some sentimental red wood from Sooke.

The oak is really twisted but i got what i needed. First time i've resawed on the Davis and Wells the results where smile inducing.

The lid will be frame and panel construction. An elegant design i don't feel the need to mess with.

Super rusty when it comes to handcut dovetails. Aunties mac & cheese and black tea with a mound of sugar and cream pulls me through.

Oak and dovetails, i've been down this road before. It's not a forgiving wood. In the cuts i try to find some patience.

-tyler

Band saw number 2

2010-07-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

My personal projects always tend to get pushed aside and gather dust for some months. I've been meaning to finish up a band saw restore, but i halted at crowning the tires. My last band saw's tires where tedious and harry, so I've been avoiding the task. But at the time of my discouragement i lacked a disk sander, what a difference the right tool can make.

With the tires crowned and some new bearings my 14" Walker Turner from 1948 is finally done.

Best friends!

-tyler

Current works

2010-07-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

I have a small built in on the go. It's a dresser with some cushioned bench seating. I've used Baltic birch throughout its build, it's a great product. Everything will get painted, except the drawer fronts which are quarter sawn walnut with exposed plywood edges.

Next is to plug the screw holes and fit the drawer fronts.

-tyler

credenza drawers

2010-06-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

I finished the drawers today. Getting the pulls and grain to line up took some thought, and a slow pace. Originally i was going to run the drawer grain horizontally, but the effect wasn't what i wanted. I opted for running the veneer vertical, i thought it would work well with the contrasting pull details.

I've got some sanding, legs and finish to do when i get back from Mexico!

-tyler

Arthur Erickson done

2010-06-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

This was a really fun kitchen build. The other trades are done so i could come in and finished up the little things, completing the project! Here's pictures i took today:

Small beach house kitchen details.

Vanity details

The big cabinet is holding the water heater.

Lots of things in small space made the design process a little tricky, but i couldn't be happier with the results.

-tyler

Credenza me

2010-06-02T23:47:00.000-07:00

I've accumulated some extra material over the last couple projects so it's time to combine my favorite things: shop cleansing, credenzas and new to me wood species.

Here the panels have their applied veneer and are waiting for some sanding, doweling, and splines.

Bottom, back and sides assembled.

I have a pretty good idea of what the front is going to look like, 3 long drawers (but i am still hashing it out). I have no idea what the legs will look like, i am thinking 1 3/4 maple dowels. Maybe that's to simple.

-tyler

New member of the family

2010-05-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

I lied to myself and others when i said no more machines for the rest of the year. I guess i am a promises breaker. But apparently $60 bucks gets you 1400lbs of shaper.

-tyler

Thrifted Thursday

2010-03-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

Last summer i found an Ayr Spiers infill plane for $8 at a garage sale. The chip breaker and blade are original to the body so apparently it's more collectible. I finally own something Scottish.

-tyler

Veneer Done

2010-03-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

Happy to report the veneering went smoothly. I really feel its important to challenge myself with my work, but sometimes the unknowns can be a little stressful. One wrong move or veneer flip i'd loose a weeks work.

The pulls are all done, and if i ever build a kitchen for myself this is the route i'll go.

Next step is sanding and finishing.

-tyler

Boxes

2010-03-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

Cabinetry is giant lego. The boxes are all done except the finish on the edges. The kitchen is small, and there was a bunch of obstacles to design around so it resulted in a box flow that isn't perfect. But doors with tight tolerances will clean it all up. My shop is a mess, it's time to regroup and then hit the doors and drawers. I am pretty excited to make them.

-tyler

Thrifted Thursday

2010-02-24T23:50:00.000-08:00

This is probably one of the best deals I've ever found on a furniture piece. $1 for a Herman Miller Eiffel base, designed by the Eames. I rule.

-tyler

Bday

2010-02-21T11:58:00.000-08:00

I made this tote for my mom's 50th. We're in love with Filzfelt.

-tyler

New Project

2010-02-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

This chance doesn't come around to often. I am building a kitchen and some other pieces for a 1967 Arthur Erickson house. I started with building a sample of the door's built in pull, and it's a successful start. I am really pumped about this feature. I feel it fits with its surroundings, but it's an intimidating project.

Here's a Photoshop mock up of the door/drawer orientation. It's not going to be mirror matched that's just the Photoshop mirror function.

-tyler

Livingdoom

2010-02-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

The Olympic fever hit. I took our 9.5" Tv out of storage, and claimed our last craft free room for a greater good. World unity. My poor wife.

-tyler

Finished without the finish

2010-02-09T23:43:00.000-08:00

I finally standardized my totes. It makes the work flow when working in batches. I am happy to get these done, the timing worked out well for me. I have a bunch of sheet goods arriving on Thursday, so i can get everything sharpened and organized for my next big project. I am super excited about it, details to come.

-tyler

New Batch

2010-02-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

We've been flooded with interest thanks to a couple of blog post (notcot, stilsucht,selekkt,postgradhaircut). It has been a crazy week for us. The totes are all sold out, but we've decided to to do a limited run of four. They'll be ready in about 2 weeks. Reserve yours now.

-tyler

My First Vehicle!

2010-02-01T16:25:00.000-08:00

I'm a little old to be getting my first ever motor vehicle but it happened. It took me a year of dilly-dallying until I finally made a decision. I'll take you through the evolution of my car wish list.

It all started with the Japanese mini trucks. Great on gas, but in the end just to small for my needs.

Next up, we have the VW double cab, which fits the bill in every way. Unfortunately I have no mechanical knowledge and didn't want another project if something went sideways. I do see one of these in my future though.

Then there was a 1947 Studebaker for sale locally. I thought I'd let practicality slide but Kelly wouldn't. So shiney! Honk! I don't know why i am turning into a premature old timer.

Well in the end, I ended up with something so boring, and maybe even creepy.

-tyler

Almost There

2010-01-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

Getting close to the end I just have to make the fence, and apply some finish. There's been a couple times when i've wanted to take some short cuts on this project, i opted not to, because i know i would regret it.

Glue up.

Levelers

Cabinet build.

Fronts.

Inside workings.

Now i just have to find a suitable place to put it in my congested shop.

-tyler

Router table

2010-01-24T23:19:00.000-08:00

I found a 3 1/4 hp router for cheap, its not a router i'd like to push around, way to heavy. I've been wanting a nice router table set up for awhile, the router in my bench did me well but the height adjustment mechanism wasn't reliable. After some research i bought a discontinued Bench dog router lift, which seems to be very well made. No gimmicks just solid construction.

I wanted a heavy stationary table. I decided to laminated three pieces of mfd for the top.

The legs are getting box joints, and the rails are half lapped.

the box joint was cut on the table saw and the remainder chiseled out.

Test fit, i didn't go all the way, getting them apart would be a real pain.

Half lap fitting.

I was hoping to get this done in a weekend, but these large box joints take forever to make. I should save this kind of joinery for a table. But i figure i spend the majority of my time in my shop, so why not work on something nice and get some practice. More to come.

-tyler

Bloggy Award

2010-01-24T12:11:00.001-08:00

Valerie of Cabin+Cub was very sweet to pass on a Happy 101 blog award to us. The rules of the award are that you list 10 things that make you happy and tag 10 bloggers who brighten your day.

Here are 10 things that make me smile.

1. Tyler, my co-blogger, fire builder, appreciator of botched cooking experiments.

2. Coming home to a warm house and a fire raging in the fireplace.

3. All the animals who share our yard: the deer, the fearless family of raccoons, the drifts of quail, the coyote who passes through every morning, the black bear, the great horned owl and the big bully Steller's Jay.

4. Saturday mornings reading in bed while Tyler sleeps in.

5. The moments where time and inspiration occur together. Crafting bliss.

6. Board games and my fiercely competitive friends.

7. Dogs. Dog walking. Dog snuggling. Dogs.

8. Soft wool socks.

9. Meandering road trips. Whether we are hunting for undeveloped hot springs or furniture in junk stores, singing Talking Heads at the top of our lungs or listening to Radio Lab in silence, on the road is when I am happiest.

10. My creative, crafting buds.

And the 10 bloggers who make me smile. These are the blogs I read when I drink my tea in the morning and who often provide the inspiration to get my day started (when I wish I could be sleeping).

Paige and Modern
Lord Godfrey
Grain Chronicles
For me, for you
Sauer + Steiner
Wikstenmade
all the mountains
Shelter
Haiiku Design
Commas and Clauses

-Kelly

Tables Done

2010-01-20T22:39:00.000-08:00

It was a long night of installing last night it went very smoothly. The tables got assembled on site. Below they're pictured in front of the large cord wall i made the Streaming Cafe last year. Julie Doiron is playing this friday at the cafe, we're super excited.

The tables are fixed to the ground for life. I'm going to get some better photos with natural light.

The colours are off in the photo, but the water-based finish is a champ. I really like it on lighter woods. The product suggests using a foam brush, i am still figuring out the technique. But on large flat areas application is easy, and it dries ridiculously fast. Just watch out for foaming.

-tyler

Clutches

2010-01-14T23:21:00.000-08:00

I just finished these commissioned clutches. They were going to be a one off, but i am reconsidering since they turned out so nice.

I can't take full credit for the strap arrangement on the version with the wrist strap. That was the Natalie Richardson's design, she commissioned the pieces. I like her strap version better. She's in her final year at London College of Fashion and will be using the clutches as an accessory piece in her collection. I wish her all the best.

The tables are finally coming along, a few set backs (i was shipped the wrong finish, and the Powder-coater loves the holidays). Photos soon.

-tyler

Wahoo

2010-01-12T16:50:00.000-08:00

We couldn't be more thrilled to announce that Rare Device will be carrying our mills and wall ornaments. The shipment is heading down to San Francisco as I write this. Their store is beautifully curated and designed, featuring a gorgeous mural by Amy Ruppel which cleverly camouflages the fire alarm. I am so proud to have our pieces alongside some of my favorite artists, including co-owner Lisa Congdon. Her collages and, more recently, her animal paintings have been a huge inspiration for me and have helped me deal with my fear of colour (or love of white, grey and beige).

-kelly

Boots and Axes

2010-01-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

Well i think its official, i've become a man.

It was an easy 2 step process:

1. Go to Salvation Army buy some stunning Brahma boots.
2. Buy a Swedish Gränsfors maul.

Presto you're a man.

Here we have a head to head, the Brahma vs. Red Wing. No contest in my opinion.

-tyler

Poppytalk Holiday Madness and Market Sale

2009-12-21T06:44:00.000-08:00

Teal and Gold is participating in the Poppytalk Holiday Madness and Market Sale. We are so proud to be alongside such talented and inspiring artists. Come check it out!

-kelly

Sunshine & Showers

2009-12-20T11:53:00.000-08:00

We did a photo shoot for the new Sunshine and Showers mobile in our shop. What you can't see is the couch on it's side to the left of me and the bag of books counterbalancing the mobile. We really have to make a mess to take such a simple and fun picture.

-kelly

Table tops done-ish

2009-12-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

On the underside i tried a walnut bow tie for a name plate.

Pictured below are the two pieces sliding along the dovetailed rails to form the table top. You can see the amount of checking would render these boards useless if cut down for component parts. I feel good about using heavily checked wood for Nakashima style tables. But a silly amount of bow ties was required.

I am curious to see the colour streaking with a finish.

I am waiting on some General Finishes water based polyurethane, to do some tests with. I'd love to use something more natural but the tables will be high use.

-tyler

Bow ties and Dovetails

2009-12-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

I love the sliding dovetail, easy to make, and strong. Great for tables with a thick top, it eliminates all the ugly hardware. I've used this method once before and really like the results. I have a metal fabrication friend (Derrick S, pictured below what a hunk of skid) who's making me the legs. Each table is only getting two legs to reduce knee knocking. The tables are for a coffee shop so they'll see a lot of traffic, we'll be anchoring them into the cement.

Skateboarding and photography use to be a big part of my life. Love Hate.

The tables rails are walnut, they're going to get tapered. Looking a little chunky at the moment.

I really don't like using contrasting woods for my bow ties, these are even popping out to much for me.

Scribe isn't perfect, i'm not sure how far i should take it.

-tyler

Two tables

2009-12-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

The desk project is done, and now it's George Nakashima table time!

I've got eight planks of Garry oak which are a mix between stunning, and badly checked (cracks). I bought the planks about two and half years ago from boat builder Paul Gartside. Great guy, I'd visit him daily. His boat shop was in the same complex where i ran a Weinig 6 head moulder. It was a terrible job, loud and dull. Paul's shop was the perfect lunch break refuge: calm and engaging. It was the first time i was around someone who loved their craft.

My jointer and planer don't have the capacity to handle these planks. So to flatten them i am using the router and a large sliding jig with rails.

I like using a center clean plunge bit. I'd go with the largest diameter you can find. I'm using a 2 1/4 hp router, it's a little whinny for a job like this, but its all i got.

With this technique you get great results. Zero tear out if your paying attention, slowing down for the tricky grain and knots.

I think these planks will work really nice. There's some nice spalting in the sapwood. I'm keeping the live edge, but I'll have to scribe the two pieces together removing most of the crevice in the middle of the table.

Here's the massive desk and shelf project i finished last week, i should have taken photos before they moved in.

-tyler

Winter Cache

2009-11-23T20:51:00.001-08:00

Only five days left until Winter Cache!
-Kelly

Busy

2009-11-17T22:36:00.000-08:00

Last week we went to Seattle and saw Devo with a bunch of friends. Everyone had a great time. Devo put on a great show, i wasn't sure what to expect, but they ruled.

Kelly is developing some new goods for the Winter Cache art/craft show , her schedule is running a little tight. There is a bunch of great artists involved, we're very happy to be included. Kelly also got a scroll saw, her first tool!

I am 90% done working on a large 2 person workstation photos to come soon. It's pretty 'meat and potatoes' stuff, but coming together smoothly.

Today i finished some pepper mills to go with our existing s&p line. They're fun to make, lots of boring. We're using the ceramic crush mechanism, I like that they give you ability to streamline your design. I'm a big fan of neutral aesthetics.

Wood types: Eastern maple, American Black Walnut, and local Walnut.

-tyler

Thrifted Thursday

2009-10-22T09:59:00.001-07:00

Thrifted usually implies cheap, but how about free, or stolen. I was once in a mortuary in Paris, the hospital was getting demolished within the week, and i saw beautiful lamp. First instincts were to lightly tear it out of the wall, i did. The Lamp is made by Jielde in France around the 1950's, it's a great monument to my youthful delinquency.

-tyler

Crazed Day

2009-10-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

Thursday i received a heads up email saying our tote made it to the Etsy front page. I was pretty excited, and shocked what 30 minutes of front page coverage can do. In the end of the fame we came out with no sales, darn. Skunked. It's a hard thing making wares and hawking them. I'm mean who doesn't want a 'two person bucking saw' brooch.

Anyways ten minutes after all the hype i got what i thought was a brilliant joke. An email from a producer at Martha Stewart. You know where this is going. It is legit, and who knows. A great day, even if nothing comes of it, it confirms we're on the track.

Plaid with tiger stripe camo, also workstation box progress.

-tyler

Thrifted Thursday

2009-10-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Every Thursday we will be posting some of our most cherished thrift store finds. Few things beat the rush of spotting something great amidst all the muck and laying your hands on that baby before anyone else.

This little critter was sitting alone at the Salvation Army when I spied him from across the store. I remember rushing toward him looking over my shoulder so no one else could get him first. I won.
-Kelly

Delivery Day!

2009-10-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

Ups and Canada Post united today to put a smile on my face. I received mutliple shipments today from Lee Valley and Joe the woodworker . The coincidence made me feel so organized.

All these gid-gits and gad-gits are for a large two person workstation/desks i am working on. But there's a couple goodies for me (lee valley lipped brad point set)!

This week I broke down some alder to make 15 shaker doors and panels. The panels get prefinished, and the rails and styles are kept in grain order (there must be a name for that). Maybe an unnecessary process when staining, but it keeps me on my toes. I am matching a kitchen, thus the stain.

Some cabinet box components getting there solid alder edge treatment. Next stop dados!

-tyler

Recent happenings

2009-09-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

Well i had play time in the shop for two weeks, but that's coming to an abrupt end. Monday i will be picking up 20 sheets of ply and 450 board feet of eastern maple for my next project. Yeah shop congestion, my favorite.

This is a briefcase/messenger sample i just finished working on. The productions ones will have all the bugs ironed out.

The inside needs the most work, instead of the cork, and wool i am going to use industrial felt. Pricey stuff. It will be designed around the macbook pro.

Unrelated but awsome $5 dollar find

It needs some work, and a sharpening, but it feels good in the hand.

-tyler

Our Shop

2009-09-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

It's a small shop, 400 square feetish. Designed around one person. But that works for us most of the time. We completed closing in our carport last year so the shop is about a year old.

Kelly is a full time social worker, and i a cabinetmaker; i try to use that term loosely because making boxes doesn't sound very poetic. But it is the majority of my work, so i will try to embrace 'cabinetmaker', it just sounds so limiting . To balance our work lives Kelly and i have just opened an Etsy site. It's like having a dog that might barf up money. Who wouldn't like that!

-tyler

Pioneer Stock

2009-09-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here we are, having fun. Kelly and I have been wanting to take this photo for awhile, it took some prep work though. Making beards, finding a large fallen tree, borrowing axes and a two person bucking saw, getting motivated, and finding a friend to press the shutter release. It all came together this weekend.

-tyler