-
Recent Posts
Archives
Categories
Design
Organizations
Toolmakers
Woodworkers
Woodworking Schools
Category Archives: Design
Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge
“It takes wisdom to build a house, and understanding to set it on a firm foundation; It takes knowledge to furnish its rooms with fine furniture and beautiful draperies.” Proverbs 24:3-4 from “The Message” It has often been said that … Continue reading
Posted in Design, General
Leave a comment
Shaker Furniture and Design
Shaker furniture first caught my attention about 35 years ago with the publication of Thomas Mosers “How To Build Shaker Furniture.” I built a few items from that book for my own use. Since then I have accumulated perhaps two … Continue reading
Posted in Design
Leave a comment
“Centers” create the “Whole”
In my last post on “Unfolding a Design” I noted how a relatively complex piece of furniture can be “unfolded” from relatively simple shapes to create the “whole.” Each unfolding creates a new center which supports existing centers and sets … Continue reading
Posted in Design
Leave a comment
Details Matter – Cutter heads and hand molding planes
Details Matter – they matter in the natural world around us, and they matter in the things we make. Molding profiles are a good example. Recently I’ve been experimenting with some antique molding planes; some are are termed “complex” because … Continue reading
Posted in Design, Tools and Construction
Leave a comment
“Unfolding” a Design
In my last post I noted how a complex piece of furniture like a traditional highboy is often composed of shapes that are relatively simple (like a 1:2 rectangle.) After reflecting on this piece a bit further, I realized that … Continue reading
Good Shapes, Good Proportions, Good Design.
Quoting from a prior post: “The challenge in making really good furniture is to first get the overall shape right. Once that is done, the path toward getting the details right is sure to follow. I think the basics of … Continue reading
Posted in Design
2 Comments
The Old Way of Seeing
Perfection in joinery is relatively easy to achieve. In the final analysis it requires learning (through instruction and practice) just two things: First, how to mark a line precisely (or perhaps transfer a mark from another line), and second, how … Continue reading
Posted in Design
Leave a comment
The “Shape of Things To Come” or the “Shape of Things Past?”
In 1977 Triumph introduced their wedge-shaped TR7 car. It was advertised as “The Shape of Things to Come.” The shape was considered very futuristic – though few cars on the road today have actually taken this shape. At about the … Continue reading