Decorative Carving in 17th c. New Mexican Furniture

Here is a link to an article I wrote for Lee Valley's online newsletter:
Decorative Carving in 17th c. New Mexican Furniture.
Below are my photos from the article, in case you would like to see them in a larger format.

Sawtooth pattern on the edge of a board:

Sawtooth pattern on the face of a board:

Bullet design:

Handplane Essentials

On this day, the two year anniversary of my blog, I am giving away a [gently perused] copy of Chris Schwarz' new book Handplane Essentials.

Why am I giving this away? Because I have another copy, autographed by Chris himself, which I plan to sell on ebay in 20 years for 3 million dollars. Oh yeah. Can you say "cushy retirement"?

Chris is a fabu writer. Anyone who can weave Crystal Gayle's hair and Foghorn Leghorn into woodworking prose gets an A+ in my book.

But let's talk about his book instead.

In 312 pages, Chris walks you through the basics—the differences between the types of planes, how to sharpen them, which plane to use for which job, techniques to use them effectively—to understanding grain direction, flattening a workbench top, tricks for perfect set up, and reviewing modern planemakers. He also includes plans to build a plane cabinet.

Much of the book's contents can be found on his blog, but having all of the details about handplanes bound together, provides an excellent resource at the ready.

Chris is passionate about handplanes, and in his book he clearly explains everything you need to know to make them work perfectly.

So, how do you win the prize? The first person to write in the comments section the full names, including middle names, of my two dogs, wins! Last name is a given: Hultman.

Hint: I have mentioned their full names in a previous blog post.

Boring Box Makeover

No wonder our ancestors used chip carving as a decorative feature. The sliding lid boxes, reminiscent of 18th c. candle boxes, that we made in the handcut dovetail class I taught last weekend are incredibly ho-hum if left unpainted, unstained, or unadorned.

So I decided to "flip this box" by adding a little chip carving.

One piece of advice from this newbie carver: your knife must be sharp, sharp, sharp, or you will not get good results.

Use a magnifier to check the edge all the way to the tip, and if you see any nicks or flat spots, keep sharpening. There must be no resistance from the knife, especially since you will be cutting with and against the grain. If you are getting ragged edges or tearout, and if you are not able to swing the blade to get a smooth curve, your edge is either not sharp or you are using crappy pine like I am.

I was getting rough edges on the carving and having trouble swinging the blade through a curve until I started stropping the knife. That helped quite a bit. Still, you will get a smoother cut with Basswood, Sugar Pine or Eastern White Pine.

Another bit of advice is to sand your pencil marks* rather than run a handplane over them. My plane blade lifted little chunks out of the carving on the lid.


The box is looking better, but I'm going to carve all over the sides and ends, so it's properly tricked out.

Chip carving is addictive and adds a little flair to otherwise dull projects. If you would like to learn how to do this, I recommend getting a copy of Wayne Barton's book The Complete Guide to Chip Carving.

*See comments section for other suggestions. Sandpaper can dull your knife if you sand your piece before you're finished carving.

Boring Movie

I wasn't able to attend the WIA in August, so I did not see the Handtool Olympics contests. Nor did I see the "Boring Cat Fight" between Megan Fitzpatrick and Heather Griffin, and I'm going to compete against them at the WIA in October.

From start to finish, I can bore a plumb hole in a stud in 13 seconds. Does anyone know how that time holds up against my two opponents? Do I need to do more push ups?



Because my preference is to sit on my butt and be lazy if it's good enough.

Am I Doing This Right?

I was invited to participate in the "Boring Cat Fight" at the WIA Conference in October and compete against Megan Fitzpatrick and Heather Griffin to see who can bore a 3/4" plumb hole in a piece of pine the fastest.

Sure, I said. How big a blow to my ego can it be? The problem was, I had never bored a hole by hand before, so I figured I'd better practice.

This old, junky piece of lignum vitae has been laying around the shop for years, so it became my test piece.

I didn't do too badly but only 85% of the holes were plumb. Ugh. I'm going to have to do better than that if I want to save face.

So I've started doing push ups to increase my upper body strength and so far I can do about 30 in a minute.

But they're only the one-handed kind. I still have to work up to the two-handed version.

Sheesh.

Megan, Heather, and whoever else decides to go head-to-head in the boring competition—you have nothing to worry about. Believe me, I'm no threat.

Handcut Dovetails Class

Five enthusiastic people attended the handcut dovetails class I taught yesterday and by the end of the day everyone had joined at least one corner.

Some speed demons cranked out more than one, but all did very well, and hopefully left with an interest in woodworking with handtools.

Here's how the class proceeded:

1. They watched the handcut dovetail video I made as an overview.

2. We checked chisels for sharpness and I showed them how to sharpen them on waterstones if they wanted to sharpen their own.

3. We practiced sawing straight lines.

4. They learned how to mark their boards with cabinetmaker's marks and I explained grain orientation.

5. We talked about the difference between 1:6 vs. 1:8 ratio, how to set them on a bevel gauge and why you would use one over the other.

6. I demonstrated how to mark the depth of cut with a marking gauge, and then saw and chop the tails. Then they did this with practice boards.

7. Next, I demonstrated how to transfer marks to the pin board and saw and chop the waste. I also showed how to use a chisel to make a shoulder in which to set the saw blade. This works well when you saw away the outside pieces of your board, be it pins or tails. Then they worked on their own pieces.

8. They learned how to bevel a board by marking the depth with a marking gauge, lay out the field with a combination square and pencil, and remove the waste using a block plane and bench hook.

9. I showed them how to use a shooting board and how to make a finger pull with a knife and gouge.

10. I also explained the use of a drawer jig to clean up the corners.

The photo of the assembled corner is not my work; it's one made by a student who had never made dovetails before. And this was his first attempt!

A couple guys who work at Woodcraft, where the class was held, stopped in several times to see the progress. There is something about watching people work with handtools that is captivating.

We talked about pins first vs. tails first and I explained how to transfer the marks if you cut pins first. I told them that the most difficult part is trying to balance the pin board while you're marking the tail board, but that I had seen a jig in a magazine where two boards that are joined to make a 90º angle could be positioned in front of your pin and tail board so you can clamp the pin board in an upright position. I said that this would not work with protruding pins and tails.

Well, here' s what they came up with to remedy the problem. The last two photos show their idea of moving the jig to the inside of your workpieces instead.

This not only allows for protruding tails, it makes it easier to transfer your lines, since there is more space between pins (and therefore, more room in which to insert your pencil or marking knife) on the outside of your board.

Nice one, guys!

Little Bundles of Joy

What is it about newly milled, neatly stacked pieces of wood that make our hearts go pitter patter?

Is it the challenge? the potential? the thrill of starting a new project? the result of an overly active, obsessive compulsive disorder?

These pretty little packages will be distributed in a handcut dovetails class I'm teaching on Saturday. They consist of an oversized top and bottom, each measuring .375" x 5.5" x 11.125"; two end pieces, measuring .625" x 3.5" x 4.875"; and two side pieces, measuring .625" x 3.5" x 11".

This is a technique class, only 5 hours long, so the students won't be able to complete a box in that amount of time. They'll finish the project at home and can choose to add the lid and bottom with their method of choice.

Tomorrow, I'm taking the day off to build one that can be knocked apart, so they can use it for reference while they're cutting their own dovetails.

I will teach them the same method I learned in a class taught by David Finck, except that he played classical music for us. I'll probably just serenade my students instead.*

*Hearing protection will be provided.

Egyptian Woodworking

We've sure come a long way since ancient Egyptian woodworkers. Or have we?

Ancient Egypt dates back to 5500 BC, and while few wooden relics remain intact, tomb reliefs, paintings, and remnants of furniture provide examples and clues regarding style, construction techniques, and the types of tools that were used to make them.

As far back as the First Dynasty (3050-2686 BC), evidence shows that beds with rectangular frames and short legs shaped like bull's feet were made. Fragments of wooden stools and chairs were found in royal tombs.

By the time the Old Kingdom (2686-2181 BC) rolls around, 2 types of seats were made: stools with square legs and arched bentwood braces, some with backs; and stools with decorated frames and carved bull's feet. Beds with canopies and long columns carved in the form of papyrus culms were typical. Some had carved, inlaid, and gilded foot boards, and carved bull's feet gave way to lion's paws. Ornate toilet (toiletry?) boxes were found in the tomb of Hetepheres. A low arm chair with straight back and high arms, an inlaid arm chair and chest, and a gilded jewelry box from this time period are on display at the the Cairo Museum. Other important discoveries include the use of animal-based glue, mouldings, and plywood.

At the time of the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BC), folding stools with high backs (which were sometimes sloped for comfort) were common; better proportions were developed for the back and arms; folding stools with slung leather seats became a staple of interior design; sophisticated paneling and joinery methods developed; and some workshops specialized in complex intarsia consisting of tiny slivers of the most valuable woods.

From the New Kingdom (1570-1070 BC), many more pieces and fragments have been uncovered in tombs of well-to-do officials: beds with headrests and bedding, chairs, various stool designs, small tables, numerous boxes, some of which were elaborately painted, and baskets. Tables were small and were used as stands, rather than surfaces on which to eat. Stools with 4 slender legs and stretchers were either painted white, left plain, inlaid, or constructed with thicker, carved legs. Folding stools with leather seats were typical, some with legs terminating into duck's heads or lion's claws. 3-legged stools and those with 4 legs and corded seats were found in less wealthy homes.

Solid wood seats were sometimes shaped with an easy curve; small tables were plentiful; gaming boards with stands or with legs attached; and cupboards with drawers were built. Boxes with internal dividers to hold jewelry, wigs, and toilet items, had flat, gabled, barrel-shaped, or sloped lids that were often detachable. Some lids on smaller boxes pivoted sideways on a single peg. Larger boxes sometimes opened upwards on pivots fastened into the sides of the box. Metal hinges, including barrel hinges, and sliding bolts developed during this time period.

Among the findings in King Tut's tomb were a folding bed with bronze hinges; a folding stool of ebony inlaid with ivory and gold, the legs of which terminate into duck's heads; and an ebony stool with ivory and inlaid ornaments and red leather seat, which is housed at the British Museum in London.

By this time, woodworkers were making veneer, marquetry, arched/coopered box lids, and were using metal pins and nails.

Throughout ancient Egypt, woodworkers used handtools, including adze, axe, straight edge, try and miter square, bow-drill, mortise and firmer chisel, awl, mallet, glue, sandstone rubbers (I'm not touching that one), pull-saws with wood handles and with blades of copper and later, bronze. Missing from their tool cache were planes and lathes, which were introduced in the Roman Period (332 BC-323 AD).

The Egyptians mainly used native woods—acacia, sycamore-fig, tamarisk, and sidder—and imported woods—cedar, cypress, juniper, and ebony.

For joinery they used dowels, tongue and groove, pegged mortise and tenon, dovetail, miter, scarf joint with butterfly insert, and butt joints. Evidence exists that Egyptians used clear varnish made from resin and oil; natural finishes; black varnish made from pitch and oil; and beeswax.

Traditional woodworking in the 21st century doesn't seem to be all that different from ancient Egyptian woodworking. It's an interesting concept to sense a connection to people who lived 7,500 years ago.

And to think that ancient carpenters carved way better than I do, makes me wonder if perhaps I should adopt some of their customs in order to improve my skills. (That's me at right, in full Egyptian regalia. Might be a little too cumbersome in the workshop, but we'll give it a go.)

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Reference material and photos are from: World Furniture, An Illustrated History, edited by Helena Hayward; Furniture, World Styles from Classical to Contemporary, by Judith Miller; Egyptian Woodworking and Furniture, by Geoffrey Killen;and Ancient Egyptian Furniture and Woodworking.