Well it’s been an incredibly busy few months since the summer came and went. A few custom pieces of furniture designed and commissioned. The bulk of my time though has been spent on my book. Writing, designing, constructing its been an incredible journey thus far. I should apologise to my frequent readers for not keeping things up to date here. I’m usually good for a new blog every few days but lately it seems there aren’t enough hours in the day.
That said, I’m finally into the ‘project’ chapters and am very excited with the turn-out thus far. My hands, legs and shoulders are getting quite a work out, dimensioning a few hundred board feet of lumber all by hand! Good for the soul. The first project chapter is a small side table out of Ash which was a real pleasure to work with hand tools; the second is a bookcase with glass doors in Birch-Flame Birch. Now I don’t know if anyone out there has ever had the opportunity to work with a highly figured wood like this Birch but what I can say is this: if these trees don’t grow out of the Devils garden then I don’t know where they come from! Reversing grain every few inches, tear out occurring with my sharpest Smoothing planes….well, isn’t that just lovely.? Hey, gotta remember, it’s good for the soul;now if Robert Johnston can get things done how should I?
Stay tuned…
5 Comments
Sounds like you have some interesting projects and the makings of a book with some interesting reading.
Any idea when it might come out?
Luke,
Thanks for the comments. If all goes as planed you should be seeing it around this time next year…We will be offering some pre-ordered copies that will have a few special bonuses for the early birds!
Stay tuned…
Good to hear from you Tom. Congrats on such great progress on the book. I’m really looking forward to it. BTW that is such a good picture! It says it all for us hand toolers out there.
Tom,
I second Adam on this. What a striking picture. Hand planing has got to be the most exhausting and entirely rewarding thing we can do. I didn’t know about the book project and now my interest is really peaked. Can’t wait to get it!
+3 on the picture. Really just captures the act in a very poetic way.
No need to apologize for minimal posting. Happens to the best of us. Life has a natural way of trying to keep us away from computers. Go figure.