August 14, 2011

"... so you pick up your guitar, and play it for yourself. These days you only play it seems, for everybody else."- Stephen Fearing

Before Jim passed, he left his hand tools and machines to our school, with the hopes of establishing a small shop for me to continue my work at home. With our recent acquisition of one of his cabinets, we have had to delay the building of the James Krenov Memorial Shop for at least a few more years. Until that time, with Yvonne's office back at the school, I have moved my benchroom, including Jim's hand tools to our home. My new benchroom, above, is small but well organized and has an abundance of natural light. His machines will remain at the school, where they will see limited use and serve as fine examples of efficiency.

This week I have selected exercise and project material for our upcoming Craftsman and Resident Craftsman Programs. I just spoke with Terry at A&M Wood Specialty. who hand picked fresh stock for our wood room including 12/4 Narra, 8/4 Goncalo Alves, 8/4 Cedar of Lebanon, 8/4 Olive, 12/4 Pear, 16/4 Maple, 16/4 Cherry, 16/4 Walnut, 16/4 European Beech, 12/4 Teak and 8/4 Limba.

I am currently working on the drawers for a cabinet on a stand. The curved laminated fronts are balsamo with doussie sides and backs. The bottoms are of locally harvested cypress. I have  finished flaring each of the pins and have moved onto the transfer.This coming week, I hope to be moving onto the assemblies of the drawers. Life is good.

Be well and enjoy your work... I know I am.

Robert

Our school and its programs are founded on and dedicated to the teachings of James Krenov. If you would like additional information, or would like to register please contact Yvonne.

August 7, 2011

With the website launched and a short camping trip in the Westfalia. I have returned to my bench. We arrived home on Friday. Saturday morning I began cutting dovetails for a small cabinet on a stand that I began seven years ago, last month. The cabinet, a commission for some very patient clients started out with the name 'Writer's Friend", a low cabinet on a stand with the purpose of storing stationary.

After the Artisan Program I spent just over two weeks getting the website launched, it was exhausting and while I realize there is still much information to post I will put that aside for the time being for amateur development. During this time, I did take breaks from the computer, and milled the drawer bottoms and chopping blocks. The wood is local cypress, harvested in Vancouver by Artisan Alumni Dan McCallum. The gentle curve follows the fronts as if the tree grew around my form. The pink to orange colours compliment the balsamo and doussie.

This morning I finished chopping the pins in the curved fronts, and backs of each drawer. The doussie was a dream however the curved joinery in the balsamo was a bit of a exercise in patience. Tomorrow I will begin to refine each set of pins and put in the schwong, or the flair that Jim describes in the Fine Art of Cabinetmaking. Then onto transfer and tails. For those of you who have attended graphics lectures at the school over the last seven years you may recognize the drawer parts. A students during Drawer making & Fitting this summer asked  "How long should do you allow your drawer parts to settle?"I said "A few weeks is, fine depending on the wood of course, but I prefer to allow my wood to settle seven years." Yvonne is the only one who picked up on it. It is so nice having her back at the school.

In recent weeks I have thought of new names for the cabinet including "Seven Year Ache". Given the length of time the cabinet has been underway, and the fact that I ached every time I looked at it sitting in the corner of my benchroom. It also coincides with the number of years of years since we opened our doors. Although with respect to that, I am more excited than ever with the programs that we have developed and now offer here at Inside Passage School of Fine Cabinetmaking. A school that is proud to be founded on and dedicated to the teachings of my teacher,James Krenov. Our Craftsman and Resident Craftsman Programs begin in just five weeks, with five students from last years Craftsman Program, returning for our newly revised Resident Craftsman Program.

I would like to remind you that this school not only exists for you, but because of you. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of our alumni who have contributed to the shaping of this school and its programs. Next Sunday I will post a few pictures of my progress and of course my new benchroom conveniently located in our home. Oh, I do have a patient soul mate. The sun is shinning and the garden is calling.

Be Well and Enjoy Your Work, Robert

July, 17, 2011

Since our small school's inception our goal has been to provide quality craft education, founded on and dedicated to the teachings of James Krenov. Before Jim passed, he left with us with his final thoughts on the craft and on craft education. We have made curriculum changes to all our programs in an effort to pay homepage to my teacher and friend, and to create better flow and alignment of our programs.

We have added one week to each of our programs. The Artisan Program now consists of the first seven weeks of the Craftsman Program. The Resident Artisan Program consists of the second seven weeks of the Craftsman Program. The Craftsman Program has been revised and includes seven exercises, each building on skills previously taught. The Resident Craftsman Program has also been completely revised with more structure and includes a chair making exercise. The Journeyman Program available to Craftsman Program alumnus consists of the first seven weeks of the Resident Craftsman Program.

In between the Craftsman and Artisan programs we moved Robert's benchroom home to make room for the return of Yvonne's office to the school. I am not sure what is better, having Yvonne back at the school or having a place to work at home.

While the website is not yet complete we thought we had best get what we have launched. There are a few pages which we will be working on, most notably James Krenov and Our Work. At the moment I with the school closed until the commencement of our seventh craftsman and resident craftsman programs, I have returned to my bench for 'amateur' development. In a few weeks I will begin to post the progress of of a cabinet on a stand for a client and friend who has been most patient. The cabinet will be presented in to this years class prior to shipping. Yvonne and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our students past and present, this school not only exists for you but because of you.

Be well and enjoy your work,

Robert

July 16, 2011

Inside Passage School of Fine Cabinetmaking is delighted to announce our acquisition of one of Jim Krenov's cabinets. The cabinet in Claro walnut burl and european cherry was made the year I was in school. The cabinet is of significant importance to me, as Jim had asked me to assist him with the glue up of the carcass. A special thank you to David Welter at the College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking Program helping make it happen.