A Woodworking Vacation

Finally, a post about what I did on my vacation:  A hand tools course at the local Furniture Institute of Massachusetts right here in Beverly.  The cost:  Almost nothing, thanks to a sudden roommate and donated tools (thanks Kohta!). 

First, sharpening.  Lots of sharpening.  You don't know the definition of sharp until you cut yourself.  Or shave your arm hairs.  Either one is a good barometer.  Many thanks to Kohta for lending me his water stones- I now have one of my own!

Second, make a rough-cut board flat.  Dead flat.  And square.  And parallel.  It took a while, but in the end we all ended up with what's called a "perfect board."



The rough cut board



The pile of shavings is just the beginning!



Perfect!

The class was taught by Phil Lowe, whose parents wisely didn't force him into college.  With 40 years' experience, Phil has a keen eye and solid directives to teach and catch where errors likely occur.  Like when I thought I'd be smart and move my tenon pin just a hair to the left.... bad plan.  He's also taught all the current teachers at Boston's renowned North Street Bennet School in the North End.


Sharpening: From grinder to stone to strop. 

The nice thing about Phil is that not only did he teach well, but he didn't take furniture so seriously that it was more important than the art itself.  Such as letting a current full time student work on a $5000 chair, or letting a bunch of newbies work in the shadow of a $240,000 high boy from the Peabody Essex Museum in need of repair.  How wonderful we could touch it, examine the joinery, and appreciate it without being chastised for it.

Our third chapter was joinery, including mortise & tenon, dovetails and "pressfit".  Or maybe it was called a rubjoint.  You'll see what I mean:

Mortise & Tenon, with pin



Cordless Drill

 

Rub Joint (I think)... when the wood edges are planed perfectly flat, the glue is stronger than the wood.

 

See?



I got some nice compliments on my first dovetail.  :)




Learning to cope...!  HA!  Get it??

A particular highlight involved a guided tour of the Peabody Essex Museum's American Furniture gallery by Phil, who had worked on at least half of the items shown, from finding hidden drawers to replacing broken bits of antique framing.  He even replaced two small pieces of molding on a $4.2 million dollar chest owned by one of the Salem Witch Trial prosecutors.  They were camoflauged perfectly- you'd never know which ones.

Wonderful examples of architecture and craftsmanship

 

$4.2 MILLION DOLLARS!! 

I left the class eager to take the next one:  Machine wood working.  Meanwhile I now have a wonderful collection of tools, skills and dangerous aspirations for future projects.  I've already been taking advantage of my planing skills, and am in the hunt for a good vise to affix to what else- my kitchen table.  :)