Save The Dates

Popular Woodworking Magazine posted its dates for Woodworking In America 2013: October 18-20. There is just one conference this year—in Cincinnati—and I plan to attend.

I didn't make it last year and really missed seeing my buddies.  A spirit of camaraderie defines WIA, so you can't help but make friends. And the more times you go, the more friends you make. I've attended four conferences, so WIA has become a reunion to me. And what better reunion is there than one spent with your woodworking family?

This Wednesday, January 9, at 9:00 p.m., the Modern Woodworkers Association will have PopWood's new editor—Megan Fitzpatrick—as the guest speaker. If you have questions for Megan—about the magazine, WIA, or pets of the feline persuasion—you can post them in the comments section on the MWA blog.

February 3-9 is Get Woodworking Week, created and hosted by Tom Iovino. It's an opportunity for you to encourage others to take up the craft. Even if you're not a blogger or podcaster, there are many ways for you to reach out to your community: invite a neighbor kid into your shop and, depending on the age, show him/her how to properly use a hammer or handsaw; start a woodworking club; offer to give demonstrations at local events; or write an article for your local paper.

Interview With Megan Fitzpatrick

2013 is off to a great start for Megan Fitzpatrick and Popular Woodworking Magazine as she takes the helm as the new Editor. Many of us have interacted with Megan over the years—through email, blogs, WIA, facebook—but here are some things about her that you might not know.

1. Are you from the Cincinnati area?

Yes and no. I was born in Cincinnati, but my family moved to Louisville, Ky., when I was two weeks old – so I consider myself as being from Louisville. I moved here in 1986 to attend the University of Cincinnati (and to be close to my grandparents, who had moved here from Louisville in the 1940s), and I never left.

2. How did you end up working for PopWood?

I was working for our parent company, F+W Media (F+W Publications, at the time) in the Creative Services department (the arm of the marketing department that writes direct mail and other promotional stuff), and, after seven years, was about to leave to return to grad school. But Christopher Schwarz (who had just become the editor) and Steve Shanesy (the publisher at the time) asked if I'd be interested in the managing editor's job. I was, and we worked it out that I could do both. I spent my "lunch hour" (and then some) on campus, and made up the time at work. 

3. Did you have any woodworking experience before then?

Only a little DIY stuff around the house, mostly using mechanical fasteners.

4. What sparked your interest in woodworking?

My grandfather earned a trade certificate in cabinetmaking and was always making stuff, so that was probably my first introduction to the craft. Also I like nice furniture ... but can't afford to buy it. So, given that I had daily access to several excellent instructors, I decided to pester my co-coworkers to teach me (and I felt that, as a member of the staff, it would be useful if I knew the difference between a rabbet, groove and dado).

5. Do you migrate toward certain styles of furniture?

I admire early modern pieces (16th and 17th-century), in part due to my literary interests in the same period – but I haven't built much in that style because it would look out of place in my 19th-century house. Plus, unlike you, I haven't yet become a proficient carver (one of my goals for 2013 is to get started in that). I tend to build Shaker-inspired pieces and other period pieces that aren't very adorned.

6. What types of projects are your favorite?

Inexplicably, I like really large pieces – massive bookcases, stepbacks, dining tables...the kind of thing folks are sometimes surprised to learn were built by a relatively small woman.

7. What are some things on your “must build before I die” list?

An English Arts & Crafts inlaid sideboard, a joined chest with carved panels (a la Peter Follansbee)...and a larger circulation for the magazine!

8. Do you have a preference between hand and power tools?

Oh come on – you know the answer to that one! (But I do prefer, in the interest of expediency, to do most of my rough surfacing by machine.)

9. What is your biggest challenge as a woodworker?

Like many woodworkers, the biggest challenge is finding enough hours in the week to get into the shop. After that, it's my champagne taste in tools but with a Boone's Farm budget.

10. Many folks know that you love Shakespeare. Are there ways in which you tie woodworking and Shakespeare (or the time period) together?

I wish to correct that statement a wee bit. I like and admire Shakespeare; I love Francis Beaumont, Ben Jonson and Thomas Middleton (but "Shakespeare" serves as convenient shorthand for the plays of the period, because few have heard of Beaumont!). But to answer your question, yes – I always look for references to "rude mechanics," furniture, tools and the guild system (in any craft) in every play I read, and someday – I swear it – I'll finish that joint stool I started in Follansbee's class (see "Taming of the Shrew" 2.1.192).

11. What are some woodworking techniques you haven’t tried but plan to?

As I mentioned, I hope to start carving this year (I'm impressed by your work!), and will look first to Follansbee's videos because that's the type of carving in which I'm most interested. And gosh...there are a lot of techniques I'd like to try. The first two that pop in my head are steambending, so I can make a Windsor chair, and bent lamination, for no reason other than it  looks cool.

12. PopWood has made big changes over the years, and Editors have had a strong influence in that regard. Under your leadership, what are your visions for the magazine regarding content, layout, digital applications, online content and site design, outreach to the community....

Well, I've been on vacation almost since the day I was promoted (nice, eh?!), so I haven't had too much time to talk with Kevin Ireland, our publisher, and the rest of the staff (heck – I'm not even sure everyone on the PWM team even knows yet!). And I want it to be a group effort, because everyone brings a different set of skills and experience to the table, and everyone has a valid point of view to offer. So I'm afraid I'm dodging this question a bit until the staff has time to convene. But I will say that what's of great importance to me is offering articles and techniques that you won't find elsewhere, and content that's so well written/engaging/interesting/provocative that you'll want to read it even if the subject isn't something you'd typically enjoy (I realize that's an improbable goal to always realize; we won't deliver on every single article...but we can darn well try!). And as far as online content, well, we need to get back to blogging a lot more often; we need to give readers a good reason to visit our site every day (and hopefully some changes to the site itself will also help achieve that – more on that to come soon).

13. Are we likely to see more hand tools or power tools in future issues?

Yes.

14. What types of projects might we expect under the Fitzpatrick regime?

I hope we'll be be offering projects that not only will appeal as a form, but that have something new/interesting/surprising to teach. 

15. What will be your biggest challenge as Editor?

Looks like Megan needs
another 5.25 cats in order
to qualify.

At the moment, finding and training a new managing editor. After that? Ask me again in a couple months (by which time I fervently pray that first challenge will be resolved).

16. Any hints you'd like to drop about WIA 2013?

We're having only one (yay!), it will be in the autumn (again), and I hope you and Nancy are there! (We haven't yet signed any venue contracts, so I really don't know anything more.)

17. Exactly how many cats do you have?

2.75. 

Thank you, Megan, for accepting my request for an interview!

Swedish Spoon Maker Video (1923)

Enjoy!



YouTube link to video is here.

Big News From PopWood

Please join me in a warm round of applause for Megan Fitzpatrick: the new Editor at Popular Woodworking Magazine!

I had the good fortune to work (remotely) with Megan for two years and witnessed her hard-working, attention-to-detail, nose-to-the-grindstone, and grace-under-pressure demeanor.

She will make an excellent Editor and I'm looking forward to her vision for the publication.

Congratulations, Megan!

Sliding Lid Box

Making a sliding lid candle box is a fairly easy project. Still, decisions need to be made regarding joinery.

If you research boxes from prior centuries, you'll find ones that are mitered, rabbeted, dovetailed, and butt-joined.

Then there's the question of how to attach the bottom.



Pennsylvania Germans normally nailed or pegged the bottom board onto boxes and drawers, but if you prefer the look of a concealed bottom, you'll need to cut grooves.

If you cut the groove with an electric router, you can make stopped cuts, which means the groove will be completely hidden.

You can also make stopped cuts if you use a chisel, scratch stock, or router plane (and probably a bunch of other ways).

However, if you want to use a plough plane, you'll need to think about the inevitable holes that will result from cutting the full length of the side pieces.

I used a rabbet joint for the back of the box, so the holes disappeared in the groove. However, cutting a rabbet joint in the front of the box is a little tricky when you factor in the groove for the lid.

So, I chose to use a butt joint instead, which left two square holes right in front of the box.

Shape the pegs to fit with an inverted
plane. You'll want to be careful with
that exposed blade.

It's not difficult to cut perfectly square pegs by hand. But if you don't have a plough plane, you can saw or split pegs, then invert a block plane in your vise and shape them to fit.

The box above was made for a friend who loves chip carving and PA German pieces, and who wrote a nice article about me in a local paper (below).

The editor of the paper removed a couple key things that I feel are important lest it give readers the impression that I build high-end pieces, which I obviously do not.

So, I edited the attached—thank you, Photoshop—and my revisions are in red. The text that's been covered with a red bar toward the end of the article is a statement that a good friend made that was way way way too generous. Thanks just the same, Alan.

The dovetailed box in the last image was one that I made at a demonstration, so it's not perfect, but certainly good enough to house scratch stock in my shop.

Feel free to share your methods for concealing the groove—preferably without the use of electric—and another way that you would make these boxes.

I can't think of an easy way to cut a rabbet joint at the front of the box because of the groove for the lid, so I'd love to hear your ideas.

Relief Carving: A Novice's Observation

As I learned nearly three decades ago, one of the unexpected benefits of being an art student is that your friends will readily disrobe for you.

Let me rephrase that.

Willing models are always close at hand for the sake of art.

Case in point—my friend Kevin. With his athletic and sinewy physique, it was very easy to envision the skeletal and muscular structure beneath the surface, which made him easy to draw.

His figure (just like everything else in nature) can be broken down into simple shapes. Sketching basic forms first creates volume; adding details later provides interest.

Similarly in carving, if you break down the structure into general shapes—rather than focus too soon on the details—it will provide a solid foundation for your project.

Unfortunately, I'm a gal who "can't see the forest for the trees," so I must force myself to ignore details when I begin to carve.

In art school, we were taught that if you squint, the details are obliterated and you see only basic configurations. We used that technique in typography class in order to determine whether or not characters were well-spaced. It forced us to focus on negative and positive relationships rather than nuances between letters.



Maybe that's why Shaker furniture is so appealing. Their furniture is the "squint" version of the fancier pieces of the age. They still hold up to design scrutiny because they're perfectly balanced, the dimensions are pleasing, the overall shapes are simply correct.

If the squint version of furniture isn't working, it's unlikely that ornamentation is going to save it.

Similarly in carving, if the basic shapes don't seem right, the details probably aren't going to give you the results you want.

This is what I've noticed as I'm trying to get a grip on relief carving. I am not completely able to put this observation into action as I have not yet mastered control over the tools (and may never). But it's an enlightening learning experience.

It reminds me that all the arts share a common thread.

And sometimes those threads wind up on the art studio floor. Thanks, Kevin!

....and Janet, and Roger, and Bob, and Nancy, and Mickie.....

Gothic Stool: Part IV

For the gothic stool I'm working on, I plan to chip carve a design on the outside of each leg, carve the handle for the seat, and carve a scene on the front of the stretcher.

I have a ways to go, but here is an update on my progress.

The chip carved designs I'm using are right out of one of Wayne Barton's excellent books. The handle is based on a tiny graphic I found in a book about gothic furniture. The design for the stretcher relies heavily on carved scenes I found on medieval panels.

It was a humbling experience while searching for references for the stretcher. It seems as though every wooden surface from the middle ages had something carved on it. The apparent speed and skill of the craftsmen is mind boggling.

I can't imagine how it would feel to be among a team of carvers that was asked to embellish the entire interior of a church when I can't seem to peddle any faster with this tiny little project I'm working on.

For the relief carving, take my process with a grain of salt. I'm figuring this out as I go along, so if you really want to learn relief carving, you might want to invest in some good books or DVDs from folks who've had training.

Basically, I draw the design, make stop cuts straight down along the outline, use shallow gouges to pare away and level the background, then start on the design.


To do that, I also outline the pencil lines with stop cuts, and then carve away portions that should appear to be further away in perspective. I start with basic shapes and then work back in with finer details. No sense getting too detailed in case you find you need to make certain areas lower as you go along.

Onward....

Happy Hallowoodworker!

My Halloween costume as a fledgling woodworker 20 years ago. 

By the look of the handsaw and table saw blade—and the apparent reference material on hand at the time—I had not yet developed an obsession for hand tools. 

I did, however, have a penchant for liquid latex.