The fine woodworking of Doucette and Wolfe

This eleven minute video chronicles the construction of a reproduction Block Front Chest using hand tools. It is impressive work.

Every now and then I run across something that is to good to keep to myself. Such is the case with the Block Front Chest crafted by Doucette and Wolfe Furniture Makers.

Thankfully, they utilize social media and have a presence on YouTube as well as Facebook where they regularly update their projects with video as well as photography.

I encourage you to view this eleven minute video which gives an over view a recent project, a reproduction of a John Townsend Newport Block Front Chest. The build utilized many hand tool techniques that I suspect would have been true to the original construction process. The use of chisels and hand planes is excellent and the video shows an overall master level of craftsmanship (if you are viewing this post via RSS or email, you may need to click through to my blog to see the video).

I'd like to someday get to this level of work.

Thank you Mike Morton and Rob Cosman

My first serious hand tool: the Lie-Nielsen #4 Smoother.

I took a really big step in my growth as a woodworker recently. A while back, I became aware that my woodworking was way out of balance. You see, I am a power tool woodworker - about 99% power tool, 1% hand tool. Sort of sad. If the tool I am using doesn’t have a power cord, then I don’t use it – exception being a hammer but often I'll side-step my hammer and use my pneumatic nailer. :(

Last month I set out to change my ways with a trip to Highland Woodworking in Atlanta, Georgia. They were having a sale and the Atlanta chapter of the Modern Woodworking Association was gathering there, so I thought it would be fun to drive over. Plus, woodworker Mike Morton would be on hand.

Morton creates product test videos for Highland Woodworking and is a very skilled woodworker. A bonus for me: he is knowledgable about hand tools.

Hand tool anxiety sets in
I had heard about an iPad app from PBS via WoodTalk Online Radio, which lead me to an episode of Roy Underhill’s Woodwright's Shop. The episode in question has Roy chatting with Chris Schwarz about hand planes. Chris explains the virtues of the Jack plane in great detail. I’m thinking if it is good enough for Chris Schwarz, then the Jack plane is good enough for me. As I drive over, a Jack plane is all that is on my mind.

A big, big reason I don’t work with hand tools more often is I don't know how to set them up, and then I don’t know how to take care of them, especially sharpening hand tools. Often when a chisel gets dull, I just go buy a new one. I am a very impatient woodworker. To me, there is a certain vagueness in hand tools that I don't find with power tools.

This frustration with hand tools, my lack of knowledge all lead to something I call hand tool anxiety. Once I get to Highland Woodworking, the anxiety rears its ugly head. I start talking to Morton and he is a big fan of the #4 Smoother as a first plane; not Schwarz’ recommended Jack plane. Already I know that Rob Cosman likes the #4 1/2 Smoother better than the #4. And at Highland Woodworking there are some cool looking Hock Krenov style wood hand planes - in kit form no less (I’d like to make planes at some point – that would be cool). All of a sudden, I don't know what in the world to do.

The Atlanta MWA group; Mike Morton has the ball cap and brown MWA t-shirt. Scott Meek has the beard. I had a lot of fun; a great group of guys (photo courtesy MWA).

For a moment, I consider post-poning my purchase - I'm thinking I should do some more research. But I am determined not to leave empty handed; I have to take this step once and for all. After a long talk with Mike Morton and custom hand plane maker Scott Meek, I decide to dive in and buy the Lie-Nielsen #4 Smoother. I wanted to make a statement with my purchase; Lie-Nielsen is serious stuff. I even consider upgrading to the bronze version, but it was out of stock.

In the shop
Once back home I ran into a problem. By the time I got my plane out for use, I had forgotten much of what Morton had taught me at Highland Woodworking. More than a week had passed by and I needed a refresher course on correctly setting up my plane for use. More anxiety!

I remembered the Rob Cosman DVD I purchased about six months ago (Hand Planing and Sharpening, see it here). I got it out and thankfully Rob goes through the steps for setting up a plane. I carefully watch the video over and over until I feel confident enough to give my #4 a try. I first wanted to see how good the plane would be right out of the box. After adjusting the depth of cut, I got some pretty nice shavings and I am pleased with my purchase (my first significant tool purchase in a long, long time).

I have a lot to learn about hand planes, but I at least I have made a start. I need to finish getting the plane set up for use, but I am in no hurry. I am just glad I have taken this first step.

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Before I let you go, I'd like to bring your attention to some cool woodworking resources...

Modern Woodworkers Association - this is basically a group of on-line woodworkers who meet monthly and talk woodworking. The Atlanta group has had an excellent SketchUp class taught by Aaron Marshall and the get together with Morton and Scott Meek was great. To see if there is a chapter in your area, visit the MWA website by clicking here.

WoodTalk Online Radio - this is simply the best woodworking podcast there is. If you don't listen to it, I highly recommend it to you. See their site by clicking here.

The Highland Woodworker - I think this is the best online woodworking TV show today. The episode I watched recently visits a high end hand plane manufacturer, an exceptional chair maker and a saw mill. The production is very high quality and it is an impressive effort by Highland Woodworking. See the TV show by clicking here.

The PBS iPad app - Access many of the PBS series through this app. Sorry, but the Woodwright's Shop is the only woodworking series I have found so far. You can see a number of interesting documentaries and I love Austin City Limits. Get the app here.

That's it. Thanks for reading.

Time to take a break, sort of

At least a break from woodworking in my shop. This is a photo of my current outdoor woodworking project - the renovation of our front porch steps.

My wife has been super supportive of my woodworking projects. I have been hard at it now for about three years with at least one project underway at all times and sometimes more than one project. My non-woodworking responsibilites around the house have been placed in a secondary status all this time with just the critical things being attended to.

With my latest project now complete, I am going to take a short break from anything related to furniture making so I can knock out some repairs and updates on my wife's to do list.

In the photo above, you can see I have started what really could be considered a woodworking project since the renovation of our front stairs will be accomplished with wood. You can see some serious rot where the first step used to be. We became suspicious of a problem when the newel post at that step (already removed in the photo above) began leaning outward which is never good.

Note the totally rotted away end to the skirt board. I was careful to remove the railing without tearing it apart.

I began removing the rotted wood yesterday and I'll have to replace the stringers for the stairs since all of them are rotted at the first step. This means I'll have to tear out all of the steps and replace them with new wood.

Even though I think the contractor who built this front porch should have done a better job of protecting those boards from rot, he did an excellent job of nailing the stair treads in place. It has been extra tough removing them. Once demolition is completed, the rebuilding process will move pretty quickly.

I also have a wall to repair where some plumbing work was completed. I am very much a novice when it comes to sheet rock work, especially getting a smooth layer of sheetrock mud laid down and sanded. Once that task is finished, I'll paint the room. Then I'll be back to woodworking. :)

My next woodworking project...
Once these home improvement items are off the checklist, I plan to spend what may be a full year renovating my workshop. I need a new router table, a dedicated miter saw station, a secondary work bench/storage cabinet, and an additional storage cabinet for power tools and hand tools. This will likely include some new lighting and more focus on dust collection. All of this is pretty ambitious really, but these improvements are very necessary.

My next woodworking project: a new router table (click the image to enlarge).

My current router table was state of the art about 20 years ago, but it is now woefully out of date; it wobbles a little and it's hard maple fence has become slightly warped. The design shown above was inspired by an article in Fine Woodworking's year end Tools and Shops issue. The router table they unveiled in that article was designed to literally hang from table saw fence rails. It had the most clever fence design - one that clamped to the table saw fence and provided dust collection as well. My design won't hang on rails; rather I plan to use the space under the router for storage, so a cabinet is in order.

My new router table will replace the right table extension on my table saw. This will free up some much needed space in my shop and enable me to later build the miter saw station I desperately need.

I am still tweaking the design, but note that it has raised panels on the sides. I plan to use a variety of left over lumber from previous projects. The panels, top and drawer fronts will be made of African mahogany; the gray parts will be a combination of plywood and pine, and I'd like to use tiger maple for the fence. I am not totally sure I'll use casters, but I'd like to be able to move it around the shop if an unusual routing operation pops up. I have decided to use my upcoming shop improvements as exercises in design, so this router table will be purposefully interesting to look at.

I have another blog post in the works about a recent tool purchase. Look for that in the next couple of weeks.