Spring Session / Grain Graphics

Early spring Greetings from Inside Passage!

We have just finished our first week of the new spring session at the school. With five returning students in the advanced programs, collectively known as the Apprenticeship program, it is shaping up to be an exciting term with many different projects in the mix.

Jesse and Danielle on their Perfect Boards

For the Upward Spiral students, this week has been focused on reacquaintance with their hand planes, flattening and squaring a piece of Eastern Hard Maple by hand in the Perfect Board Exercise. It is a challenging and often frustrating task, but pays off with a deeper understanding and skill with our most essential of hand tools.

Jesse scrubs a piece of English Walnut for his cabinet

 At the same time, material for projects is being pondered and selected, with the graphics of grain and colour the foremost consideration. It is a very exciting time with boards being opened up, first cuts being made. I am so looking forward to seeing these beautiful woods transform.

Rotating the grain - "Impractical Millwork"

As a central focus in our work, we introduce the concepts of grain graphics to our Impractical Studies students in their very first week at the school - how the different cuts of wood display their grain in various ways, and how to rotate the grain to yield graphics that work with our intentions for each piece. 

Grain following the curve of the Gumby Leg

In the Gumby Leg exercise, the students straighten and rotate the grain of their leg blank, then cut the curves on two faces. The resulting grain lines flow with the curve, gently accentuating its shape. The leg is now ready for shaping with spokeshaves and chisels, a story all of its own...

Robert rotates the grain for a crest rail

Robert topped off the graphics lecture with a demonstration on the Vidar's Chair crest rail. This part, though slender, curves up and back simultaneously, and was thought to require 12/4 stock. Several years ago, a spark of ingenuity led Robert to discover in his own shop that he was able to obtain the crest rail with just 8/4 stock while preserving ideal grain graphics - a moment of great creative triumph, the fruits of which we are very lucky to enjoy!

Thank you all for a great first week back in the shop!

New Arrivals

Recently we received some welcome inspiration in our favourite form - some amazing planks of wood!

Robert splits a plank of Doussie along an existing crack, for easier storage

From A&M Wood Specialty in Ontario, we acquired three majestic planks of Doussie, a couple of Swiss Pear, a most special of all, an extraordinary plank of English Brown Oak. 

English Brown Oak

This 8/4 plank had been set aside for Robert for some time, a wonderful surprise as we were expecting 4/4! 

Many of us felt drawn to this wood, with its unique curl-ish grain, somehow reminding one of wool... it has cloud-like depth and texture, and shines with warm, true brown. A very special wood, hard to describe. 

Granadillo

We also received some amazing Granadillo, Ipe, and Agathis from Westwind Hardwood on Vancouver Island, where the class visited on a wood run. Despite not being able to make the trip this time, I celebrated with our new acquisitions, and Robert and I began to plot how to expand our wood storage...

Thanks A&M and Westward Hardwood!

2016

Happy New Year from Roberts Creek!

At the school

Greetings from the bench room!

This week the Impractical Students have been practising cutting dovetails by hand, one of my favourite parts of our craft. The mood in here has been peaceful and focused... lovely.

Jesse, my new benchmate this session, working on a small box in Pear 

Roger perseveres - the consequences of a pillow fight with his young son

I've been having a great time working with such determined and enthusiastic students.

Lavi cuts a plank of Pear

We were delighted to welcome back our friend Lavi to the Upward Spiral program. He has begun work on a dovetailed cabinet in Pear wood, rough milling, selecting material, and practising dovetails in this very friendly but unforgiving wood.

Danielle, Tim, and Refael at work

Refael has been making good progress on his Vidar's chair, completing his rear assembly on Friday. 

Chad mocks up a leg

Chad is Composing a desk of European Sycamore in his final session here, based on JK's writing desk in Italian Walnut. The top will have a slight curve to it, as in the original, and he has laminated curved aprons to follow the shape. 

Spencer checks out how it stands

Our resident craftsman Spencer has been building a substantial cabinet in Sipo, Western Maple, and Spanish Cedar. This session he has been working hard on the stand, which features veneered aprons and dowel construction. This week he cut the tapers in the legs, and bevelled them in the front to match the curve of the cabinet.

Twin mortise and tenons

I finished up a small stand in Ash with twin mortise and tenons. It was quite a bit of work fitting these joints, and it reinforced what I already know - a good fit off the saw is critical. The final result I will share with you in my next post.

Tiny dovetails

I picked up again a tiny box I started months ago but left unfinished... The sides here are just about 4 millimetres thick - an offcut of my Boxwood cabinet - I remember it was quite challenging to cut such small joints! I ran the grooves for the bottom and sliding lid, dangerously close to the joinery, but it was all good in the end. 

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We finished the week with an inspiring evening with Gary Kent, who shared about his life and work with the school and friends from the community. His thoughts on serendipity in his life stirred up much intrigue and also for many I think, some resonance and curiosity about our own lives... 

Afterwards, in my little cabin, a small gathering around the fire with some lovely people and lots of tea… 

Next week, perhaps, I will start on something new.