For lots of woodworkers making boxes is
a great way to develop their skills of design and practical technique. They are
terrific for extending your woodworking repertoire as well as providing a ready
source of gifts or useful storage places for all those bits and pieces we tend
to hold onto “just in case”. There are
quite a few books out there to help with this so is this one worth the dollars?
First up Doug Stowe writes great copy, it’s
easy to read and to understand what he is getting at. Often design sections of
these books can get a bit too wordy, a bit artsy if you know what I mean. In
this book Doug is straight forward about what he likes and how it’s
achieved. The basic layout of the book
is simple. Ten projects each require a slightly higher level of skill to
achieve. They are all set out in a logical order, an introduction to each box
and some discussion on its form and design. Simple to follow instructions on
how to make the box together with some tips for variations on the theme, are
supported with some good photography as well as excellent sketch illustrations.
The projects here are as the title
suggests small scale so you don’t have to have a lot of shop space or invest in
great quantities of expensive stock to make them. To complete everything though
you would need a well-equipped shop (Band
saw, Router table, Lathe) but Doug offers plenty of tips on how to achieve
results with a less sophisticated arsenal.
There is a great section on creating some custom inlay and I
particularly liked the section on creating tiny versions of the classic
bentwood box.
If you want to take on a real challenge
the final box in the set is a Japanese puzzle box. This not only looks amazing it’s
a fiendishly clever and would be a very satisfying thing to produce and show
off to your pals. As with most quality woodworking books there are hints and
tips throughout and plenty of “that’s a great idea” moments thrown in.
So back to my original question is it worth
the dollars? In short yes, it’s a good book to browse and a great book to work
from, progressively building up your skills. For the experienced woodworker
there are some challenges to overcome as you are operating at the smaller end
of the scale. For the novice it’s a great way to improve your skills and have
inspiring projects to work towards.
Tiny Boxes . . . 10 Skill Building Box Projects by Doug Stowe is available from thegmcgroup.com and other
retailers online. ISBN-978-1-63186-447-6
As your woodworking journey progresses, most people shift from using highly stable man made board for their projects; to more decorative and satisfying to work with natural timbers.
Understanding the grain direction in a board makes a huge difference to both the structural properties of your projects and how they will look when finished. You also need to figure out how the board may move over time, given that natural timber never really stops reacting to the environment it’s in.
Triton Brand Champion Matt Cremona talks to April Wilkerson about the terms associated with milled timber, and how to take account of the properties it can exhibit over time.
Many woodworkers actively seek out timber with interesting
or decorative grain patterns for their work. For most of us that means a hunt
through the slabs already cut in the timber yard to find the perfect piece to
work with. However for Triton Brand Champion,
Matt Cremona searching for interesting figure in timber starts by understanding
how trees grow and the forces at work to shape their internal structures. In this film Matt talks to April Wilkerson
about the process of reading a tree as it stands to understand the hidden
treasures within.
Matt Cremona is an
emerging star from the rapidly-growing community of craft professionals who
generate at least part of their income from sharing knowledge and skills online
to encourage the next generation of woodworkers.
Where Matt differs from most however, is his unique enthusiasm
and experience of taking his work all the way from milling his own locally-salvaged
timber, to creating fine furniture and other projects. Matt shares his work via
his weekly shop updates on his YouTube channel, his website, a very active Instagram
account, and regular podcasts with fellow woodworkers.
Matt’s content features not only his own work and progress
on current projects but also the work of others, who send him their own project
details, as inspiration for the wider community.
In this short film, Matt talks about the motivation behind
his career change from software engineer to professional woodworker and
communicator. Matt is working with Triton, supporting our brand champion
program, providing feedback for product development, and supporting Triton with
personal appearances at major trade shows and exhibitions.
Check out Matts great content on his website www.mattcremona.com and by subscribing to his channel onYouTube or follow daily progress on his projects on Instagram.
This friend is a proper woodworker’s book. If
you are deep into craft with many years of experience, you will appreciate the
subtext of the writing and some of the fine details. If you have just been
bitten by the woodworking bug and are still at the dreaming stage of setting up
your shop, this will fire you up with enthusiasm to get on with it without
delay.
What’s more, on days when
you just can’t get into the shop (does that actually ever happen?) this
book will fill the void with tales of daring do and sawdust from some of the
coolest woodworkers in America. Nick’s style of writing is easy going and straight to the
point with a satisfying seasoning of well-timed humour throughout.
After an initial and very readable
introduction to essential tools and workshop set-up, there is a really good
section on the properties of wood and how boards are cut. Doesn’t sound like much, but
if you are new to the ways of the saw; this is devilishly useful info when you
want to sound convincing at the lumber yard.
Now the main event of this very
readable volume is an introduction to a cast of fine woodworking folks who
share an absolute passion for making stuff; and have crossed paths with Nick
and his studio over time. Firstly, each of these twenty characters is
introduced in a very readable preamble which gives you a flavour of their own
particular brand of wood fever. Secondly,
you get some delightful projects presented by their makers and some pretty
detailed instructions; some accompanied with great illustrations to help you
make them if you choose to take up the challenge. Some are complex and require
serious time and skill, but you can start with a small but beautifully detailed
kazoo, and who wouldn’t want one of those?
Throughout the book are some
beautiful images. ‘Wood Porn’ is a fair description as well as some original pop
art and illustrations. There is a smattering of side articles on subjects as
diverse as beard culture and workshop fashion; all presented with the level of
irreverence and smart humour that are the hallmarks of this really great book.
Undoubtedly this is a terrific
book with some great original projects to pick up, either to do or to dream
about making in your own fashion. But more than that, it sets out in print what
the modern world of woodworking or making with wood is about. It’s a kick back at
conformity and the mass produced in favour of creativity and rediscovery of
craft skills. Not just for those lucky enough to make their living from working
with wood, but for the millions of us who enjoy freedom of expression made real
by our own hands.
Good
Clean Fun, Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop by Nick Offerman is available from thegmcgroup.com, and
other retailers online. ISBN-978-1-101-98465-9.
Meet 3 friends from
the ENSTIB Wood Engineering school in Epinal; who’s passion for woodworking and
creativity pushed them to create their own company, ‘Il Etait Un Arbre.’
Despite
one of the founders growing up working with steel, the company have discovered
the beauty that working with wood can offer- as well as offering an ecological
benefit too, which was the inspiration behind creating the company. ‘Wood is a
bio based material, completely renewable- we are working with a living organism
and there’s a special feeling that comes with that.’
In honour of #DIYweek our Best of the Woodworking Web post shows H.G "Skip" Brack who salvages tools from all over New England to resell at affordable prices; making DIY accessible to everyone.
Through this, H.G "Skip" Brack supports his local economy and craftsmen- He salvages up to 1 and a half tons of tools each week and resells at affordable prices. 'I price things intuitively, but I do it so people can afford it. People around here aren't rich, and I'm conscious of that.'
We first visited Ben Crowe at Crimson Guitars, based in
Dorset in the UK, in early 2014. At that time, Ben was pretty much flat out getting
his fledgling specialist custom guitar business off the ground. His infectious
mix of enthusiasm, passion for his craft and commitment to spreading the word
with a relentless social media schedule was difficult to resist.
A couple of years on and this dedicated #MasterofWood has
grown his business making guitars and a line of specialist luthiers tools for
building and repairing string instruments. He also trains and educates his
growing team of talented luthiers and apprentices, plus the wider fan base that
follow him on YouTube.
We thought it was time to catch up again with Ben and see
where Crimson Guitars have got to two years on. The transformation is truly
impressive.
Our Best of The Woodworking Web post tells the story of Luca Bressan, a designer born by The Dolomites; a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. His love for the ocean and wildlife created a 'cultural clash' between forest and saltiness. This short documentary by Marco Mucig 'Natural Goods' showcases Luca's passion for creating high performance surfboards using the best from nature. His idea of building surfboards and living in the mountains might sound crazy, but when Luca found out that madness was possible, the world became a different place. His background as a product designer, growing up around nature and his innovative eye made his passion for surf shaping incredibly natural to allow him to create uniquely crafted surfboards that no one had achieved before.
Launched in 2015 the Triton TWX7 Workcentre is proving a
real hit with woodworkers. Its combination of workbench, precision router table
and table saw is the core of a great workshop set up. We challenged the team at
Woodworkers Journal to come up with a quality project that could be completed
on the Workcentre. Chris Marshall accepted that challenge and has produced this
terrific project plan and accompanying video to build a quality tool chest that
would look great in any workshop.
You can watch the video of the project build below and download the full plans and step by step
guidance from this link. Triton Tool Chest Plans
For anyone who completes this project and shares a picture of the finished piece with us via Facebook or Twitter we will send you a unique Triton care package.
Picture frames are a regular for the woodworker. They make a
great gift or quick project to add a nice touch around the home. But you don’t always
have to go to the trouble of a full mitred joint. Sometimes a simple joint done
well using a quality timber and well finished is all you need. In this video George Vondriska from
Woodworkers Guild of America shows us how to make a simple, frame with no
mitres on the Triton TWX7 Workcentre. Be sure to check out the full and extensive
online library of resources at www.wwgoa.com
Our latest Master of Wood is Marc Besnier a craftsman whose
business Au Fil Du Bois is based on a beautiful hill top in Ardecshe, Southern
France. Marc creates high performance
dog sleds and wooden luges. Some are bespoke creations, fitted to the user’s
size and weight, destined for use in the harshest sub-zero environments as a critical
element of a polar expedition. Whilst the smaller luge can be seen in smart
resorts across the Alps and beyond. Though many modern composite materials are
available, the use of wood primarily Ash coupled with the skilled hands of a
craftsman such as Marc still provides the high performance, durability and flexibility
that is required when you are operating in the toughest conditions.
This week’s review is for a new book from the ever-popular
stable of the Taunton Press, which has a great catalogue of woodworking and
hobby titles to choose from. The first thing to understand here is the title and
aim of the book. The term “shed” has slightly different meanings around the
world. This can be a wooden building in the garden for storing the lawnmower
and assorted household junk that can’t be accommodated anywhere else. Equally
it’s a refuge from regular life gainfully employed as a workshop for making or
fettling objects or small projects of all sorts. This book is very much aimed
at the former, concentrating on the design and construction of a range of
storage sheds, with some innovative features that make them easily adaptable to
a range of uses.
This is a really well-illustrated book with a very
hands-on style beginning with the basic principles of methods and materials.
Keeping in mind that there are different rules and regulations around the world
with regard to permitted development and building codes, there is a lot of
ground covered here with good levels of detail. Getting a great foundation is
important for any project so whether you need to put in frost-proof deep-level
piles or a simple wood skid frame, this opening chapter gets you off to a great
start. With sections on walls, cladding and roofing, the basic design and
choices of materials are laid out with good images of most of the options. There
is certainly enough information here to inspire you to design your own shed.
If, however, you want a bit more guidance in
building a quality shed of your own, then there are five full projects to
choose from where you can follow step-by-step guides from the foundation to the
rooftop. Each project has illustrations with key timber dimensions as well as
lots of photos of the entire build process. None of them look like a quick
weekend project -̶ in fact, a couple
look substantial enough for a small family to live in. These are all achievable
given sufficient time and budget. None of the projects requires a great number
of specialist tools, although an impact driver, a circular saw and a nail gun
are really going to take some of the pain out of it for you.
These are all pretty impressive structures that
would be a really positive addition to your property. Some of the design
features mean they not only look great but have some well-considered
practicality built in. It would have been great to have a compiled cutting list
and materials list consolidated for each project to make it easier to work out
the budget. However, there are links to websites where the full plan can be viewed
and purchased from third-party vendors who make these sheds commercially.
If you are planning or dreaming of building your
own purpose-built stylish shed as your ideal workshop or garden store, then this
book is well worth a browse. A serious case of shed envy is guaranteed.
Building Sheds by Joseph Truini is available from www.thegmcgroup.com and other
retailers online. ISBN 978-1-62710-770-9
It’s been a
while since we shared a ‘Best of The Woodworking Web’ Post, so it’s that time
again.
Meet Adam
Magers, a skilled craftsman who believes we live in a world where a vast
majority of the furniture is mass produced out of man-made materials with the
intent of generating excessive profits.
In Adam’s
experience, furniture like this doesn’t last and his passion for woodworking
led him to start his business, Timber Furniture KC, where by taking time and
care to craft furniture by hand that can stand the test of time.
For Adam,
making furniture is more than just a job, it’s his passion.
Charlie Palmer works as a project manager with William and
the team, but also has an independent business - Charlie Palmer Models - which
is based in the East Sussex county town of Lewes. Charlie Palmer Models
provides architectural model-making services specialising in high quality
context/off sight buildings.
We met up with Charlie to discover more about making
professional architects’ models. With a background in ‘silversmithing’ and the
many subsequent years spent running the workshop at Cockpit Arts, Charlie still
has a big appetite for design-and-make projects, with an eye for detail and
precision that’s required to deliver huge projects on a small scale.
This is the next post from the amazing team at In’Bô in
France, where they make really exciting products using innovative techniques
fused with traditional materials.
In this film we get to see the entire process from the
construction of the laminated deck from layers of wood veneer, flax fibres and
topped with their own marquetry deck. To make such a high performance product you
need to take real care in the storage and preparation of the wood. Temperature
and humidity are critical factors in the preparation as is attention to detail in
the finishing. The final product is very cool.
Filmed in French this film has English subtitles.
In previous posts we
have talked to woodworkers and craftspeople about the rapidly growing interest
in making stuff and being a ‘maker’.
The stumbling block for many people in realising their
vision is the lack of access to suitable resources such as tools or a space to
work in. This is where a ‘makerspace’, sometimes called a ‘hackerspace’ or ‘fab
lab’ comes in. A makerspace is a community of like-minded individuals who club
together to create a facility that supports all members in their creative
endeavours.
We visited the Dallas Makerspace in Texas, USA, to find out
how such an organisation gets off the ground and just what makes their set-up -
one of the largest such facilities in North America - so successful. In short they have great membership bases who
all contribute financially as well as sharing collaboratively in the running of
projects. The community has grown to provide support for dozens of small enterprises
and Kickstarter campaigns with great facilities, as
well as sharing experiences with members and teaching new members.
If you are interested in working with wood, metal, plastics,
or other creative arts, or if you would like to include 3D printing or laser
CNC machines in your armoury, then working collaboratively is a great way
forward. Alex Rhodes, a board member for the Dallas Makerspace, gives us an
insight into their community in this short film.
If you have a collaborative ‘maker’ project, we’d love to
hear from you, so why not drop us a line and share your experiences?
Hamish Boden from Studio Hardie talks about the challenges of fabrication and installation of a Douglas Fir timber frame farmhouse in one of the remotest parts of the British Isles.
The house was designed by Cameron Scott and
was a contemporary take on a traditional four bay farm house, using douglas fir
and larch. The brief was to build something that was both eco friendly and
robust (considering the regular storms gusting up to 80mph) whilst making the
most of the epic landscape.
(This time lapse video has no soundtrack) The main thing that attracted me to this
build was the location. Eigg is a remote
island on the west coast of Scotland at just six miles long by four miles wide,
with a population of fewer than 100. Everything
about this place is dramatic from its sweeping mountain-scape to its expansive
views and often turbulent ferry crossing, all adding to the islands rich history. Therefore it is only right that the farmhouse
exude a similar kudos.
Another major attraction to this project is
that my family live here. My Father and
Grandfather have both built houses on the island. I couldn’t pass up this
opportunity, whether I liked it or not. Naturally my competitive side is to build
something bigger and better so the Studio Hardie team and myself set off on the
600 mile journey to build the house of all houses.
We built the frame off site in our
workshop. It meant that we weren’t
exposed to the elements during winter and could give the extra attention to
detail that it deserved. Logistically it
was ambitious. Transporting the timber
to the island was the first major hurdle. The articulated lorry was full to the
roof and it literally wouldn’t have taken another piece of timber. We had to
use a specialist boat for carrying the freight and lastly a tractor and trailer
for the last kilometer on the island. It was a relief to get the project to
site.
I’ve
done a few small projects there previously. I started with building a little
shepherds hut that taught me a lesson on being prepared. You have to be militant
in planning and it helps to be resourceful.
The closest builders merchant is in Fort William so any materials take a
week to arrive. You can’t just nip out
when you have forgotten a box of screws. Problem solving is as important too. I know my
tool kit better than I know the back of my hand and probably spent more time
with it than I have my own family.
Like any project thinking through every
process is key. Knowing what happens
next and what you will need in advance. I guess this is something that comes
from experience, both good and bad. There’s nothing like getting something
horribly wrong to teach you a lesson. Its
how you recover from that situation that really sets your principles.
Another challenge is the lack of and
limitations on access to modern luxuries like a crane or access equipment. We didn’t even have mains electricity so had
to rely on generator. We resorted to the medieval technique of raising the
building by hand. In some ways it’s the most pleasurable way to put up a
building. It’s slow but you can be
methodical and finesse things as you go.
Eigg is one of the first communities in the
UK to produce all of is electricity supply locally with renewable resources so
building a house out of renewable timber seemed like the obvious thing to do. For me timber framing is the essence of
carpentry and teaches you so much about wood. I really think it’s a good
starting point for any carpentry discipline. Being able to read a piece of
timber to knowing what the grain will do over the years and how it will be affected
by shrinkage. You don’t get many second
chances with green oak as its not like you can cover up a mistake with a bit of
filler or paint. One thing it also
really helps with is getting good at using hand tools. The timber is often so
large and difficult to move hand tools are the only option, You learn to use the
circular saw in all directions and sometimes even cutting upside down.
I think the highlight of this project for
me was seeing the frame slowly take shape. It took around 2 weeks to erect. Each day you would see a little progress and
begin to see how the house is going to sit in the landscape. It was every bit
as fun, challenging and hard work as it looked.
When we first saw this video a few weeks ago, we just knew it was perfect for our next 'Best of the Woodworking Web' post. The Wintergatan Marble Machine was built by Martin Molin, a Swedish musician, and is powered by 2,000 marbles. The end result is really impressive.
Here on the Triton blog we usually concentrate our efforts on telling the stories of other woodworkers around the world and giving you an insight into their craft. Those of you who have followed the blog for a while might remember an interview by Chris Marshall at the IWF show in Atlanta in 2014, where we first previewed the Triton TWX7 Workcentre for the US audience. As a departure from the usual fair, this week we are really blowing our own trumpet. We sent the TWX7 to Woodworker's Journal Magazine in the United States for them to review and this is their short film.
Come and see us in action
For those of you in Europe, you can see this product with live demonstrations at the International Hardware Fair in Cologne, Germany, from the 6th 'til the 8th of March. We will also be joined by some of our #MastersofWood contributors to the blog who will be on the Triton booth taking part in live demos and answering your questions. So come along for a chance to meet April Wilkerson, our favourite YouTuber from Texas, Patrick Burnett, maker of amazing wooden surfboards from Cape Town, South Africa, and Jamie Smith, a cabinet maker from the UK. If you are at the show, stop by for a coffee and a chat.
Back in December, we published an interview with April
Wilkerson, our USA Triton Brand Champion. It was one of our most popular posts
to date, bringing lots of new people to the Triton pages so welcome to those of
you who are new to our blog. While we
were in Texas with April, we filmed a new project build exclusively for Triton.
April usually builds, films, edits and publishes her own projects
single-handedly, so we thought it might be fun to help out for a day. If you want
to find out how to build robust and mobile paint storage cupboard for your
workshop, check out this short film:
Lots of
people contact Triton looking for support for their organisations. Usually it
is for sponsorship or donations to help a worthy cause, and like most
responsible organisations we do our best to help out where we can. Just
occasionally, a request comes with a unique story that is worth both
supporting, and in particular, sharing.
In many industrialised countries there is a
growing understanding that the long-term educational goal to put all kids through an advanced
academic programme is missing an important point. Both students and even
advanced economies need to have a base of practical skills – or in other words,
people who can actually make things.
Vocational qualifications and aspirations have long
been looked on as something for those who were not smart enough to achieve
academically. In many places, even access to practical or craft subjects such
as woodwork, metalwork, automotive etc, has become a rare opportunity at high
school level. So without the active encouragement of a parent or grandparent or
another suitable role model, very few young people are getting the chance to
experience the joy that making or growing something with your own hands can
bring.
Peyton, Colorado is a small town not far from
Colorado Springs. With the prairie stretching out on one side and the Rocky
Mountains in the background, it's pretty typical mid-America, though in one
respect it's doing something really ground-breaking. By making great use of a
previously abandoned building, they are reintroducing practical education -
specifically woodworking - to the games console generation in spectacular
style.
This is not the old woodworking programme of
previous generations; this syllabus aims to teach advanced, professional, lean
manufacturing techniques as well as hands-on design and construction to
students with an equal weighting to more traditional academic subjects. It's a
unique education and industry collaboration that is being seen as a model for
similar programmes, not only in America but across the globe.
This short film provides a background to the programme, how it came about and where it's heading for the future. We love the way the students are supported by retired volunteers, bridging the generation gap and sharing not just practical skills but genuine life lessons. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.
During a recent trip to
the United States, where we were travelling to woodworking events, we were
lucky enough to discover a timber mill high in the mountains of Colorado. The
owner/operator of the mill kindly allowed us to look around and gave us some
valuable insights into its operation.
Most of the timber is cut within a short distance from the
mill, and includes many different species and grades. Local beetle kill pine is
also processed - with its blue grey colouring that’s so distinctive and sought after
by designers. The owner wasn’t keen on any
publicity, but we thought you might like to see where they work.
The mill stands around 9,500 feet above sea level, and in
late October the cold, clear air makes every splash of colour really stand out
against the dust and grey-green of the surrounding forest and timber stacks.