Archive for December 2019
It’s been a long year, and in many ways, a difficult one. Not in the shop so much … it’s when I venture out of the shop that bad things happen. Sometimes.
But, good news, I’m not leaving the shop for a while. That’s good: I can do some interesting work if I just give myself enough creative time!
I’ll be working on a few shop upgrades (FINALLY) over the next couple of weeks, as well as finishing up the last few boards that didn’t make it to the finish line. I have about 30 pieces in process including bread saws, cutting boards, cribbage boards and a, uh, new piece of wall decor. They all need a bit more attention, but that’s for another day. Thankfully.
Here’s the latest, and last 2019 treats, to make it to the finish line.
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Yes, I personalize. Yes, I can customize. But, as the sign in the booth says, “Quickly? Maybe. Or Not.”
I can do things well, or I can do them quickly. It’s my goal to never move quickly if that compromises the work.
One of these pieces required a new technique: the cutting board, that was a wedding gift for Jaclyn & Spencer, had to have the board on the front edge carved on the CNC, and THEN I assembled the board. After the glue-up, I still had to do shaping & smoothing without damaging the personalization. Love the result, but it did take time to get it right. This was not a rush order for a last minute gift!
These pieces range from the aforementioned wedding gift to home decor to business gifts to special gifts for friends that have moved to the other side of the world. These special gifts are often a challenge to make, candidly. They always require special handling. But, I love the smiles on the faces of happy customers when they choose me to be the guy that makes their idea come to life.
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I’m in search of the perfect cheese & cracker server. This year, I’ve added Cracker Things … and Cheese Slicers.
I’ve gotten closer to my goal, one step at a time.
Cheese Slicers require some unique machining: at this point, it’s the only piece I make that requires a drill press. I have to make a vertical 3.75″ x 1/4″ hole in a 3/4″ board. Centering the hold, vertically, is a challenge.
After the hole is drilled, I have to make a sloping cut on the table saw to make sure the cheese wire can be captured by the handle without damage to the wire. That’s a key point, and when not done properly is the reason why many cheese slicers have wires that fail too quickly.
Thank goodness I have my lifetime guarantee: if something happens to the slicer, I’ll fix it. In my lifetime.
Gallows humor, in a cheese slicer. Who knew?
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The thing about making big cutting boards … is I can only make them when I sell them.
After all, if I keep making them … storage would be an issue. In my small shop, that’s no trivial matter. I have no room!
So, I’m pleased to say that I keep selling big cutting boards, and I had to make more to keep my inventory at a good level.
That’s a very good thing. I love making big cutting boards, AKA BDBs.
BDB = Big Damn Cutting Boards.
These are approximately 16″ x 21″ x 1.5″, which is the size I end up with when I start with a “blank” that’s 16x24x1.75″. Two glue-ups, 3 sanding machines, one table router and lots and lots of hand work later, these are the hand rubbed beauties that I am left with.
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One of my pet peeves is when a person enters my booth, looks at my work, and says, “this is a good way to use scrap.”
In a cooler moment, I can reflect on the word “scrap.” In a cooler moment, I can say without reservation,
I. Do. Not. Use. Scrap.
At. All.
It’s all in the definition. Some people call anything that’s not an 8′ board … scrap. To them, you use lumber to make a table or build a house … and when you cut a piece, what’s left is scrap. Every time.
Hogwash.
When I get hardwood to use, the first thing I do is cut it. Typically, I cut lumber (which is generally somewhere between 9′ and 16′ long, and 4″ to 10″ wide) into 6′ lengths, which are easier for me to process and store. When I’m ready to cut those 6′ lengths (or the shorter lengths I get when I cut a 10′ piece into 2 pieces), I cut them into pieces no longer than 24″. Those are easiest for me to work with in my small shop.
I collect pieces that are between 18 and 23″ long in one cabinet, and those “end cuts” or “off cuts” are eventually made into pieces like these surfboards, Lazy Susans, or trivets.
They are not scrap.
I save shorter pieces, too, down to 12″ in length. The smallest pieces go to Dr H, who turns them into pens that are gifted to people around the world. And anything shorter than 12″ and narrower than 3/4″ … well, that’s scrap, because it’s too small to use.
I don’t use scrap. I start with lumber, and I end up here:
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With all due apologies to Shakespeare, Cracker Things are proving that the cracker’s the thing!
I took Cracker Things to the Harvest Festival in Sacramento … and sold so many at that one event, I had no choice but to make more.
It’s a wonderful problem to have.
Cracker Things are always on a colorful base of many hardwoods. The crackers go into an angular holder that’s 10-1/2″ long, and perfect for holding crackers of all sizes, and keeping them neatly in place during your next party … even if it’s a party for 1.
Our last event of 2019 is this Saturday at Valencia High School. This event is a fundrasier for the award-winning VHS Choir, and you’ll find both Mrs M’s soaps & lotions and my food-ready products on display. Hope to see you there!
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New: Cracker Things
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