The final presentation for WIA this year was by Vic Tesolin, on the topic of efficient hand work. I missed the very beginning of his demonstration as I was in Freddy Roman’s session on French Parquetry as he was pinch hitting for me.
As I walked into the room for Vic’s talk it was in the midst of a discussion, and he immediately told the crowd, “No, I don’t know the answer, but if anybody would know the answer it is the guy who just walked in.” So of course every eye turned my way, and of course I did not know the answer.
So Vic returned to his presentation of showing hand-work processes that were actually faster than machine work for many circumstances. It certainly confirmed a mindset evolution that has been in process with me for quite some time.
At one point Vic was asked if he eschewed machines and his response was priceless. “No, of course not. I love machines. I’m a guy!” Yup, Vic and I are old friends even though we met only recently.
By the way, Vic has a new book OUT TODAY, and I will be ordering several copies as soon as I remember where I put my wallet.
Following the book signing at the LAP booth my final stop of the day was Chris Schwarz’ session recounting the current state of his ongoing passion of research into traditional workbench forms. Though he often professes discomfort at public speaking, Chris always does a great job. At least that has been my direct observation.
This whirlwind sprint through two millennia worth of work hold benches was insightful, and given his active interest in the subject Chris always has some new material to offer.
It really is fascinating to see how the threads of craftsmanship interweave over the generations and centuries. I was once again struck by the similarities between the Roman benches of the First Century AD and the bench used by Maine polymath Jonathan Fischer.
I got a note today from an acquaintance who, on learning of my two prototypes being built for the workbench class next May, asked if I didn’t already have enough workbenches.
Hmm, interesting question. At this point I have only seven in the barn, or is it eight… Either way I think I will be maxxed out when I get to about 13 or 14.
The final morning of WIA was for me a Canadian bookend, with Tom Fidgen as the leadoff batter. He was speaking about his kerfing plane and its companion, the frame saw, for use in resawing stock as a matter of routine in his Unplugged Shop. I found his approach to be invigorating, and the demonstration was instrumental in my decision to make one of the kerfing saws myself (I already have a frame saw from my forays into Rouboland).
Over the winter I’ll be making my kerfing plane from a derelict plow plane body, and will be blogging about it as that occurs.
Tom’s presentation was what I like best about WIA — it creates or employs a new way of looking at doing, usually based on old ways of doing. Excellent innovation is often the result, and it was certainly the case with Tom.
Saturday afternoon we had scheduled a session where Narayan and Chris and I would all be at the Lost Art Press booth to sign copies of the HO Studley book and the new HO Studley video documentary. It was a reminder of how much I enjoy the company of these men and also John Hoffman, the other partner of LAP.
One of the secrets for the project is that although we worked very hard when on-site with the tool cabinet — 12 and 14 hour days were not uncommon — much of that time was spend needling each other and ridiculing the world at large and laughing with gusto. Chris and Narayan are exceedingly funny people, and even though I was occasionally the butt of the jokes it was okay because it was all so much fun.
And sitting alongside Narayan at WIA for a couple hours signing books and chatting I was reminded that of all the treasures related to the Studley Project, my friendship with Narayan that grew out of the project is perhaps that one I value the most. It joins the terrific relationship I have with Chris and John, making the collaboration with the LAP posse pretty much a delight.
I try to “re-blog” as little as possible, except of course when I am the topic of the original posting, but I cannot resist recommending this French violin-making video to you.
I was sent to it from Steve Branam’s Close Grain blog which is one of my “must read” chronicles of woodworking. Steve’s essays are uniformly insightful, and my only complaint is that Steve doesn’t write them often enough. I read his blog faithfully and it has improved my own work considerably.
My schedule for the second day of Woodworking In America 2015 had a few anchors — giving the breakfast banquet address, a 2PM booksigning at the LAP booth, and Chris Schwarz’ 4 o’clock talk updating his ongoing workbench research — and a lot of open time. Sure, I could have spent every minute in the multiple superb classroom sessions that would have no doubt benefited me greatly, but frankly I was weary of the conference center seating,which no doubt won an award from the Marquis de Sade Design Institute. Even with my own cushion added to the chair “padding” I needed because of the diminution of the muscle mass of my kiester from inactivity in the previous six weeks, I decided to take a break from the sessions and spend much of the day in the Marketplace. It’s a mind blowing extravaganza of tool purveyors, teachers, and woodworking suppliers that is not to be missed.
After breakfast Mrs. Barn and I headed off to the exhibit hall, where she stayed with me for a few minutes before heading off on her own in Kansas City. I chatted with many friends and acquaintances old and new.
As has become customary, the dueling tool pushers of Lee Valley and Lie-Nielsen are about the first thing you encounter upon entering the hall, that is once you clear the bibliofetish temptations of the PopWood booth. Over the years I have become friendly acquaintances with the crews of both outfits, and I am responsible in some part for their burgeoning presence. Not because of anything I actually did other than send them money when they send me tools.
Among the folks to greet me was the effervescent Anne Bohnett of Ann of of All Trades blog fame, who radiates enthusiasm and encouragement. I feel much more optimistic about the future of the skilled crafts with newcomers like Anne in the mix. We talked mostly about rural life and shellac.
I spent a fair bit of time visiting with James “Stumpy Nubs” Hamilton and his dad, Mustache Mike, as they were right next door to the Lost Art Press booth. Somehow I failed to record the event photographically, but it seems as though I spent a half hour chatting with them on a variety of topics.
Chris Vesper on the left and Jason Weaver, my webmeister, on the right. In the rear at the center of the frame is Chris from Sterling Tool, and at the right edge is Mark from Plate 11.
Directly opposite Stump was the inestimable Chris Vesper, who seemed to be attracting steady traffic of visitors ogling his squares, bevel gauges, and marking knives.
Rounding the corner brought me to the four-plex of booths with Jeff Hamilton selling his marking gauges next to Chris Vesper (I bought one of Jeff’s small gauges in tulipwood but have yet to employ it in battle), Scott Meek with his ergonomic high performance planes (and he is beginning to experiment with surface texture on the plane bodies), Mark Hicks of Plate 11 workbenches (he had both a workbench and a chevalet to show), sharing a space with Texas Heritage woodworkers and leatherworkers, and Chris Kuehn of Sterling Tools. I do not know how much commerce was being conducted in this cabal, but I do know a whole lot of fun was going on.
Next to this batch of galoots was the new friend I feel like I have known for a lifetime, Vic Tesolin. Vic and I met first only a couple of years ago but it seems like our temperaments and world-views harmonize so completely that one of us should be afraid, very afraid. Vic has a new book due out any day and I will be ordering several copies as gifts.
Of course my friends from Knew Concepts had a presence there, not only featuring their ultimate coping and jeweler’s saws, but premiering a new lighting fixture for detail work. One of these is one my Christmas List now. (And if my reference to Christmas offends you, get over yourself.)
In the other rear corner of the hall was the Hand Tool Olympics being run by the Minnesota crew of the SAPFM. I wound up sitting and visiting with those guys for a long time.
Some of the best fellowship and learning at WIA occurs in the Marketplace. Don’t miss it.
These images are all courtesy of Jameel Abraham.
A month from now we will be convening the second French Oak Roubo Project wherein Jameel Abraham, Jeff Miller, Will Myers, Raney Nelson, and I will be helping a dozen participants to construct workbenches true to the vision of Roubo’s Plate 11.
The white oak timbers we will be using were harvested sixteen years ago following the infamous Christmas Day 1999 Ice Storm across Europe that felled hundreds of thousands of mature trees in French and German forests. One amazing fact is that these trees were alive while Roubo was writing his treatise!
Another amazing thing about the timbers are that they are, well, amazing. If I recall these have been slabbed at six inches thick, with widths up to almost three feet and lengths of more than twenty feet. Yes, that is a real adult human next to the pile.
Yeah, we ought to be able to manage to get some decent benches from that. Perhaps this winter I might even complete mine from theinitial workbench gathering two years ago.
Several months ago I received the distinct honor of being invited by Popular Woodworking Editor and Major Domo Megan Fitzpatrick to be the speaker for the WIA 2015 breakfast banquet on Saturday morning. Even though I had lost my bout with the wheelbarrow in the intervening period and could not fulfill my commitment to teach, mostly because I knew I simply would not be able to maneuver behind the workbench enough to demonstrate, giving a banquet speech allowed me to stay in one place and talk. That, I can do. Especially since the requested topic was The Studley Tool Cabinet and Workbench Project. Actually I can talk about that one a very long time!
As the event was commencing I was greeted by the other Studley fellow in the audience, Vic Tesolin, who was sporting the pair of Studleyesque suspenders I gave him at the exhibit in Cedar Rapids. He looked so dandy in that pair that I thought he needed another pair and at his session the next day gave him the ones I was wearing.
The audience was large and well mannered, by that I mean they laughed in all the right places.
Thanks again, Megan, for the invitation to speak. It was a delight.
Last week I spent some time puttering in the balcony library in The Barn, arranging books and adding door latches and what not in order to keep critters out of the collection.
But Monday was my first real full day or serious work in the studio, an appropriate celebration on the eve of the two month anniversary of the broken hip. Since I was working in a relatively defined small-ish space with workbenches and other supports around me, my cane spent most of the day hanging on the hook with my hat.
I spent the morning working on client’s projects, and around lunch time my friend Bob came over and together we worked on a small table top we started fabricating three or four months ago for a salvaged sewing machine base for his wife (hmm, I hope it is not a surprise). It was a great time of fellowship and shavings, as I am teaching him about my way of woodworking, as he will continue to teach me about his way of gunsmithing. We worked until quitting time, at which time I drove down the hill and helped Mrs. Barn move another load of firewood from the lower barn to the firewood shed alongside the cabin.
As we watched a documentary DVD after supper I noticed the general ache throughout my body from such a (comparatively) vigorous day. Even the muscles in my hands were sore from hand-planing boards and rasping some joinery!
I woke the next morning with the delightful stiffness felt after a deep night’s sleep following a day of physical labors.
It was wonderful!
Two months ago as I was in the hospital awaiting the surgery to bolt together my broken hip I called and left a message with Megan Fitzpatrick (when you call a shaker and mover like Megan it is likely you will get her voice mail rather than her actual voice) that I would not be able to fulfill my commitment to teach two lengthy session at WIA 2015. My topic was going to be “Roubo Parquetry.” I was a bit chagrined inasmuch as Megan had made a special dispensation to give me two very long sessions at WIA (3 hours) rather than 3 two-hour sessions and here I was bailing on her.
When we spoke in real time the following day she asked, “Well, who can do it in your place?” I immediately put forward the name of Freddy Roman, the hard charging and brilliant (and apparently indefatigable) young furniture maker from the Boston area renowned for his Federal style inlay work. She called him and much to our relief he said yes, although knowing Freddy a little bit I was sure he was already overbooked in every facet of his life.
Freddy taught the session the afternoon of the first day, and the morning of the third day and I made sure to be there in the seats to both encourage him and learn from him. I’m not sure he actually needed any encouragement, but certainly I learned from his teaching. It was quite fun to see the topic I had presented many times before being presented by someone else. While the information was essentially the same, the order and emphasis was different, and I plan to purloin some of the points and demonstrations he made and incorporate them into my own teaching on the subject.
I apologize for the pictures, but as I said the lighting was dreadful, and I did not want to drag my bigger camera around.
Thanks Freddy! Your account in the Bank of Don is burgeoning.
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