Sawdust Dreams, Splinter Nightmares

Tennessee!!!!!

2011-12-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

We are now in Tennessee! It has been an adventure, I do strongly dislike moving, but it's what you have to do sometimes.

The Journey

2011-11-04T14:48:00.001-07:00

I needed a place to post this, so this is as good a place as any.

In February, my wife had the first of four back surgeries that has still left her disabled. Trust me, without the surgeries, and the wonderful doctors, she would be much worse off. I am thankful for the care she has received. However, due to her disablement, she can no longer work a regular job. Sitting or standing for long periods of time are impossible. So she began working a network marketing job and has done so-so. I am proud of the effort and the drive she puts into it. She made me a believer in NM companies. But that is just one small part of the journey I am documenting here.

In April, after the four surgeries, she finally talked me into going to a church service with her. It was supposed to be a "how to get rich god's way" seminar but turned into a full blown healing and communion service for Easter. I have been anti-church for decades and I could see her flinch during the service. But a funny thing happened, it felt good. I felt better after the service than when it started. The mental certainty I had about the false need for church started to fade. She and I have not missed a service since that we were in town for. I could not be happier, and it has strengthened our marriage.

But we found out that without my wife's job, we could not keep our house. So we had to put it on the market and get ready (mentally) to move. It took three long months to get the offer and get ready to move. But we are there, and are 12 days from actually hitting the road. We had to "short-sell" our house, which means we market the property, get it ready and get the best offer the market will bear. The offer then goes to the bank and they accept partial payment for the home and clears the loan. This is normally a 60-120 day effort.... it happened for us in 14 days. Going along with this is some guilt that we feel over not meeting our obligations, but with the house selling for 90% of the original purchase price (7 years ago), and after 10's of thousands of dollars put in to it, I do not feel bad. The banks brought much of this pain upon themselves. I feel blessed, I just got almost a $1,000,000 debt forgiveness. How many people can say that?

Tonight, I hit a red-eye flight to the state we are going to be moving to. It's 1800 miles away and will mean a huge lifestyle change. This change is causing stress, and I understand that. I forgive that. I expect more. I will rent a house for us and on the 17th of this month, we hit the road. Oh what an adventure!!!!

I feel bad about leaving recently re-found friends, and the church we have grown into. But in order to grow as a person, you have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, and Tina and I are doing just that.

I am very thankful for my wife, and my son. They have been standing together with me all through this. It is not always easy, and there have been some loud agreements, but we are there. The journey so far has shown me how important my family is to me, and how important my church is to me. It has also shown me that I cannot make everyone happy, I don't intend to try. If people can't handle my choices, that's their problem. If other people aren't ready to grow, or accept my growth, too bad. I am not going to slow down to satisfy them. I owe it to myself, my family, and to the growing kingdom of god that I see to become the best man I can.

I have also signed up as a Independent Business Owner for a NM company myself. Talk about personal growth. You have to get used to some serious rejection, that isn't easy. However, for each no I get, I know I'm closer to that truly magical "yes". Some of those "no"s have been painful, especially those from my direct family. However, I'm sure that success will bring them around.

Through all of this, I find myself being much more of a philosopher. I look for the good in things and try to focus on them. I try to stay positive. I'm not successful all the time, heck, maybe not even most of the time, but I keep trying. So I'll part with one piece of philosophy, "He who stops being better, stops being good." I believe that was a quote of Henry David Thorough.

So, expect updates on the journey, even the journey inside the journey.

Gold and Silver??? I am GOING to be involved.

2011-08-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

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Gilbert Farmers Market

2011-05-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

Showing at the Gilbert Farmers Market this weekend and four more this summer. Looking forward to seeing the people and having some fun early Saturday Mornings!!!

Here is a look at some of the stuff I'll be bringing

Tempe Festival of the Arts Spring 2011

2011-03-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

BEST SHOW EVER!!!!

Wow!!! What a show, Sold one of the award winners and King Henry, several pens, books, and several other items. I really like what Tempe does and the patrons that come out. Tina and Matthew came out on Sunday, it was a GREAT show

The Book... she is out!!!

2010-11-22T08:50:00.001-08:00

The long wait is over. The book is released and is shipping from places like Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

The first review is in and it's a good one. Scroll down a bit on this page.

Facebook page for Pistol Grips and Gun Furniture

2010-10-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in following the facebook page for my pistol grips, hide-a-gun clocks and cases, here is a link GunpowderDreams

Grip Update

2010-08-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, you might say I've gotten a grip, but at the Costa Mesa Gun Show, I sold only items that I had made, no more Chinese goods. I think it went better than otherwise. I got a lot more interaction, and because of that interaction, I can publish the following:

Woods available for grips by special order:
- Ebony
- Amboyna Burl
- Nara
- Buckeye Burl
- Ironwood
- Tulipwood
- Walnut Burl
- Maple Burl
- Koa
- Snakewood
- Others possible, but I need to research the availability

News

2010-08-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted. Lots going on. I've been working gun shows to help finance the show fees for two LARGE craft shows I'm trying to get into. I just found out that I have been accepted to the Tempe Festival of the Arts show the three days starting 12/4/2010. This is the largest and most distinguished show in the country, and it will be great exposure and possibility to sell sets that were in the book and were award winners.

If you are interested at all in the pistol grips, see them here.

It's official...

2010-07-12T16:14:00.000-07:00

On a whim I did a google search on my name and up pops and these....

Amazon.com
Worldchesslinks.com
ebooknetworking.net
bn.com

So I guess it's official, the book will be out soon.

Awards

2010-04-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

I've been quiet long enough. Two of my chess set patterns recently won awards from the Scroll Saw and Wood Crafts Magazine. This competition, held every other year is for designs for the scroll saw.

I won...

The Editor's choice award in Compound Cutting with my San Francisco Chess Set, soon to be published in a Fox Chapel Book.

The People's choice award in Compound Cutting with my Venice Chess Set, also soon to be published in a Fox Chapel Book.

I want to thank the magazine and everyone that voted for my designs. I honestly don't now where this talent came from, but it's fun to be able to design these things.

Also, watch for the Notre Dame chess set to be published in the same magazine sometime later this year.

Get out and VOTE!!!

2010-01-29T10:08:00.000-08:00

Vote here: 2009 Design Contest

Sawdust Status

2010-01-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

Well folks, the book has been submitted to the publisher. I'm sure there will be some edits going on, but that is to be expected. I'm travelling almost every week for work now so there isn't much I'm doing in the shop.

Maybe I can get some grips done next weekend.

Travel Chess Set

2009-11-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

Here is the travel chess set, it took me 5 tries to get this right, but now that it's done, I'm very happy with the results.

The Vertical Chess Set

2009-11-21T18:05:00.001-08:00

This was an idea that was recommended to me by my cousin. It's a fantastic idea that I took a little further and added magnets to the shelves and the pieces. I also added storage for the pieces on the sides of the board.

New Pics

2009-11-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some new on-site pics...

Book Excerpt - Building the Classic Chess Set

2009-08-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

I like to start a chess set with lumber that is sized at 8/4 (eight quarters or two inches thick). That gives me a chance to dimension it at exactly 1 1/2 inches square by about 16 to 22 inches long.

The next step is to cover the piece with blue painter's tape. It helps when you remove the pattern later, and it also provides a lubricant to the saw blade as you cut the piece.

The pattern goes on next. I cut the pattern out long, and use the guide line down the center of the pattern to place it right on the edge of the piece of wood. I use spray adhesive and glue the pattern to the blank.

Now it's time to cut the piece. I use a jig to hold the piece every time I cut a chesspiece. It provides more grip, more weight and the jig makes it much easier to do the cutting.

Now, it's time to cut the piece. Take your time, be precise and use the tricks I discussed in the first chapter.

Now the it's my favorite time of all, open up the block and see what we made.

Book Excerpt - King Henry XIII

2009-08-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

King Henry XIII is an icon in the history of England, not only for his wives, his religion, his excesses, but also for his progressive policies. It's fitting that we memorialize him in a chess set. The theme of the set is the general excess throughout the his court. The King and Queen have narrow collars, but large convex bodies. The Rook is modeled after a drinking goblet. All in all, it's an impressive, heavy, impressive set.

Book Excerpt - Building a Chess Board

2009-08-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

Sixty-four squares. That's it. Two colors, same size, alternating. Those are the requirements for a chessboard. It's simple. Yet it's not easy to make. The first decision is to find the two contrasting colors of wood, forget staining, and obtaining them.

Once you have the lumber, you have to cut them into 2 inch wide strips, 17 inches wide. This gives you space for the kerf you will cut in a little bit.

Once you have the 8 strips cut, glue them together edge to edge, using a gluing jig and waxed paper.

Then you cut the strips crosswise, this gives you 8 more strips that we glue with the alternating squares.

Prototypes Ahoy

2009-07-04T16:44:00.001-07:00

Here are some chesspiece prototypes that I've been working on.

Workshop Update

2009-07-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well I bit the bullet and updated the tools in the workshop. I sold the two miter saws, the table saw, the scroll saw and some other odds and ends. I then bought the following new equipment

Dewalt 12" Miter Saw and Laser Attachment
Dewalt Table Saw and mobile base
Dewalt 788 Scroll Saw
Grizzly 14" Drill Press
Grizzly 1100CFM Air Filtration System

And other odds and ends.

I should get endorsement money from Grizzly and Dewalt

Get a grip

2009-05-31T20:04:00.001-07:00

Here are a few grips that I've done

Some updates

2009-05-26T10:41:00.001-07:00

Ok, I'm taking this week off to get some stuff built. I have also started to build pistol grips for the 1911 colt automatic. I'll have some pictures shortly.

I have finished two chess sets and will have pictures coming shortly for that as well.

The big news is I signed the contract with the publisher for the book. It is scheduled to be complete 11/1, but I'm hoping to beat that.

Give a geek a camera....

2009-05-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

you get geeky pictures, But you go see a professional, such as Marnie with Crescendo photo, you get pictures like these....

Book News - Cutting News

2009-05-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

Well I've spent the entire month of April trying to get the contract ironed out for the book with the publisher. It has been a pain in the neck. But I think we finally have it on track. The downside is that the editor at the publisher just came back with an outline change after I had the book about 20% written. The good news about that is I can re-use most of what I have.

So I've been designing and cutting little pieces that help display some design techniques. Those turned out well, at least until I re-injured my wrist. I think I'm going to have to cut with a splint or support to make sure I don't re-injure it again.

The next time I write, I hope to have some concrete news about the contract.

Pictures Pictures Pictures

2009-03-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

I got my studio lights in and worked on taking pictures of the chess pieces with them. Here are the results.

e-book updates

2009-03-25T19:41:00.001-07:00

I got some good news and I've got some bad news.

So, let's start with the bad news. I won't be doing the e-book.

but...

It looks like it might make print...

Updates forthcoming.

lots of stuff in the works

2009-03-01T18:44:00.000-08:00

Well, let's see, I've got four projects underway. I've got the side clamshell chess box underway. I've got to put some finish in the inside so I can flock it, then put the hardware on and then take it off so I can put finish on the outside.

#2... The lazy susan. I'm building a 22" lazy susan for our dining room table. It's going to be a nice addition, but I bungled the glue-up and I sanded on it for 3 hours. So I got it sanded close, but now I've got things out of square so I've got to check up on that.

#3... I'm working on my King Henry XIII chess set

#4... A deadblow hammer.

I need more time in the garage.

Made a Decision

2009-02-25T05:37:00.000-08:00

I've made a decisions where it comes to the chess set patterns. I'm going to sell them. I'm going to put together an E-book that has the patterns, instructions, jigs, hints, tips, and tricks for each of the patterns I have.

I'll dump it to a PDF file and offer it that way. I'll also work on a second one that has some of my other items in it.

I've got to find a way to keep some cash rolling in so I can at least keep up with the cost of consumables.

At the Show

2009-02-20T14:23:00.001-08:00

No, I'm not at the show, but the chess set you see in the previous post is now at the 5th Annual Excellence in Woodworking Show in Mesa, AZ. When I dropped it off this afternoon, I got some oo's and ah's, so we'll see how it goes.

I just finished my Notre Dame Set

2009-02-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

I've been working on this set for a long time. The whole thing is built from Padauk and Cherry. The pieces are weighted and felted. The box is flocked.

I'm going to enter this is the 5th annual excellence in woodworking show.

Introducing....

2009-02-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

Canterbury...

Da Box

2009-02-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

Here is the completed cherry and padauk chess set box.

Friday Movies

2009-02-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

Here is a video I found on youtube....

Hobby is a hobby

2009-02-05T17:46:00.000-08:00

My wife had to knock some sense into me. The issues with Etsy (the woman who bought the board cancelled the order), time I can't spend because of work and family obligations were getting me ... well... anxious. My wife had to remind me by saying, "It's a hobby isn't it?" Meaning it's not work or brain surgery, so unclench and enjoy it. I intend to do exactly that. So I'll be finishing some things up this weekend and maybe go to a show, it depends on the damn weather.

Etsy... hmmmm

2009-02-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

OK, I've been down on etsy, but today I sold a $99 chessboard. I'm very pleased. I guess I just have to show some more patience.

So those of you who shop etsy... THANK YOU!!!!

Movie Day

2009-02-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

I made some videos cutting chess pieces and have posted them on Youtube. Here are links for your enjoyment. Please please please leave feedback if there are things I can improve.

Chesspiece Pawn Part 1
Chesspiece Pawn Part 2

Chesspiece King Part 1
Chesspiece King Part 2

Decisions Decisions

2009-01-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

I've made a few decisions regarding the new Canterbury set. I'm not going to weight them. I've discovered I've designed the set with too shallow a base for me to weight it. So I'm going to change the design once these are cut.

I've also decided to not do wood hinges on the notre dame box. It would be nice, but I could not find a scrap of wood of cherry or padauk to use. So brass it is.

I've oiled and poly'd the box. The board is Poly'd and I oiled the pieces last night. I need to get some lead shot to put in the pieces to weight them, then fill in the base, then I can poly the whole thing and put the felt shoes on. Then DONE!!!!

Now, also thinking about the next box. I've got a little bit of maple, a nice large board of walnut, and three real nice cherry boards.... so I'm still thinkin'. But as an alternate, I bought a cheap box from Michaels (5.99) and am going to finish it with some scroll work and put a chess set in it. That way I can sell a set without building an intricate and expensive box.

Etsy finally came through

2009-01-27T17:33:00.001-08:00

Finally

My god almighty

Finally

Etsy finally came through and I sold a $10 puzzle. Let this be the start of something big.

Please.

Notre Dame complete

2009-01-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

Well, not complete, the cutting is done. I still have to sand, finish, weight and felt the pieces. I also oiled my box, so I'm letting that cure and I'll flock it and mount the hinges this weekend and it will be complete.

I'm pissed at etsy. It's not doing anything for me sales wise. If I want to discount things to the bone, I can probably sell, but I can't sell things for less than materials. What a friggin' crock.

So here are some pictures of the completed Notre Dame set, with board and box.

So now I get to start the next set, the Canterbury set in African Mahogany and Walnut.

Continued Chess set cutting

2009-01-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

Here are a series of pictures continuing to document the building of the chess set.

Coverage of the chess set building

2009-01-23T09:41:00.000-08:00

I've got a thread going on the Scroll Saw Forum about the chess set I'm building, here is a link -->> Chess Set in Progress.

Keep scrolling down to see the latest pictures.

The workshop

2009-01-21T10:15:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pics of the workshop with some happy dirt.

Scroll Saw Throne

2009-01-21T10:13:00.001-08:00

This was not my idea.... it was from "Great Dane" on the scroll saw forum. I had an old office chair that I was about to get rid of, but instead, I built a riser from some pine boards and bolted it between the seat and the base. It works great.

Maple and Walnut box uh oh

2009-01-21T10:05:00.001-08:00

I made a boo boo.... I miscalculated the size of the dividers for the display case box. I was 3/16 of an inch too high. I have already redone the dividers pattern and have it on a piece of mdf ready to cut.

Padauk and Cherry Box Progress

2009-01-21T09:57:00.000-08:00

Before I left for vacation I added a few things to the cherry and Padauk box. I put feet on it that stick with the angle theme and are semi-pyramid in shape, with a truncated point. I also designed a couple of handles for carrying the thing, and a lid lift. Both of those were compound cut items.

I also designed and built the dividers that have custom depths to each cubbyhole depending on the type of piece that goes in them. I also put in two checkers trays. I intend to flock the entire interior so it may look a little rough now.

Back in the sawdust house

2009-01-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

I got back from the road trip and said hello to the scroll saw. That's all... We got in late due to drama in Albuquerque... I'll fill you in later.

Sawdust Free Time

2009-01-15T05:55:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be away from the workshop for a few days. We are driving to Denver for a show my wife and mother in law are involved in. When I get back I'm going to be fabricating wooden hinges for the Padauk and Cherry box. I've fabricated handled and a lift for the lid, and put feet on it. The dividers are all installed and have the supports in them for different height chess pieces. I also included two trays for checkers. So here is my to-do list to get that done...
1. Build hinges
2. Fit the hinges
3. Do the finish sanding on the box and interior
4. fill in any cracks or gaps in the dividers
5. Flock the interior and lid
6. Finish the piece with Danish Oil

Once I get past the crack filling, there is not much dedicated work left. Lots of working and waiting. It's a good thing I have other projects in the works!!!

My maple and walnut box had a set back. The dividers I designed did not fit. It's funny how you make one measurement miscalculation and it multiplies across the whole piece. I've fixed the divider design and have the design on a sheet of MDF ready to cut. Then I have to put the catch and hinges on, and put a decorative piece of walnut in the center opening to make up for the kerf I lost when I cut the piece apart. Then I'm at stage 3 above.

I'm also working on two chess sets. I've got the pieces designed, and on the wood. I trimmed the bottoms and need to put holes in the bottom for weights, using a 7/8 inch forstner bit. Then I cut the pieces. That should be a couple of week's work.

But all of that starts when I get back.

Boxes

2009-01-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

I'm in the middle of building boxes to house chess sets. Larger boxes, like the ones I need to make are not easy. You need to consider how you want to join the different faces of the box. I decided to do hand-cut box joints. They make an attractive joint, and are the second strongest joint in existence, with the dovetail being the strongest.

As you can see in this picture, the joints on the edge between the walnut strips alternate from one face to the other. They were a bugger to fit together. In the end, I still had to use a rubber mallet to convince them to join.

This is the back of the same box. It shows the strip of walnut I added to the box after it was glued together. I cut a channel with the table saw to put the strips in then fit them by hand. That took me about two hours.

The box itself will be in three pieces opening like a showcase.

Each side will have one full chess set - 16 pieces arranged to show them off, and a space for checkers. It's going to be very attractive.

The other box is made from Cherry and is more square. It will be a top closure design, and the pieces will snuggle into individual cubbyholes.

This one, I used a dado blade to cut a channel in the middle of the box joint and add a strip of Padauk wood. The cherry/padauk combination is striking and I wanted to play off that.

I'll publish more as continue building.

Child's Necklace Tree

2009-01-09T13:40:00.003-08:00

This free scroll saw plan is for a necklace three for a little girl. My niece was putting her necklaces all over and this helped straighten them up.

Click here to get the PDF Plan.

Compound Cutting Jig

2009-01-09T13:34:00.001-08:00

I posted this on the SSWC forum and am posting it here too. It's a jig I designed to allow me to put two items in it to compound cut. It provides a heavier, more manageable piece to run through the saw.

Click here to get the PDF plan

Etsy Betsy

2009-01-09T06:37:00.000-08:00

I took the plunge and listed a few things on Etsy. Take a look if you wish...

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6744221

Potpourri Bowls

2009-01-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

I love this design. it's simple and based on 60 degree angles.

The fish box

2009-01-06T18:26:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that nobody bought this for christmas. I've had 50 men come by and admire it, but nobody bought.

Hurricane Lamps

2009-01-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

here are a few of my Hurricane Lamps. The design is mine, and the mixture of woods, domestic and exotic make them really stand out.

Canterbury Chess Set

2009-01-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite design. I read the history of the Canterbury Cathedral and actually visited several years ago. So the king and queen are designed after the north and south ends of the cathedral. The Knight is a saddle recognizing william the conqueror who won the battle of hastings nearby. The rook is a reproduction of the actual ruin of the canterbury cathedral. This was fun to design, it's fun to cut and it's absolutely striking to see.

King Henry XIII Chess Set

2009-01-06T17:42:00.001-08:00

This was one of the more fun to design. I took a broad stomach (waist) and tight neck and designed around that. The Rook has a special design so it looks like a wine goblet.

Neo Classic II Chess Set

2009-01-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

In looking at the neo classic set, I wasn't completely happy with the pointed tops, so I took a more rounded approach while keeping the swooping curves. Here is the result.

Notre Dame chess set

2009-01-06T17:33:00.000-08:00

This is one of my two best designs. I took a good hard look at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and took elements and entire pieces directly from it.

Neo Classic Chess Set

2009-01-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Here is the Neo Classic chess set. The waists of all the pieces and the faces of the king and queen have angled curves that almost make it look like they are doing the "twist".

Trojan Chess Set

2009-01-06T17:24:00.000-08:00

Here are the King and Queen of the Trojan chess set I have designed. These are shown in Zebrawood. The Trojan set is designed around four strong pillars with inside cuts providing some extra three dimensional effect.

Classic Chess Set

2009-01-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of a chess set I designed. This is a classic chess set with wasp waists and standard heads. The set here is shown in African Padauk which will keep this natural red color.

Recent work

2009-01-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

Here are the chessboards that I just completed.

Reboot

2008-12-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

Been a long time since I posted. Well things are actually moving along rather well. I probably sold $2500 worth of product this year. Next year I'm shooting for $10,000. I hope to be in a position to be able to rent a shop somewhere. Yeah I know I'm dreaming big. But you have to.

I've done about 200 puzzles, and many of them are in Tubac. I hope to hear how those have sold soon.

I'm now starting to look at chess sets again and have five boards and 10+ sets in progress. I need to make some prototypes for marketing purposes, and cases for the pieces. I can get checkers at the local hardware store and will get a bunch of them. I will also get some flocking for the inside of the cases.

I'm going to be more serious about my blogging and to get going on several other self-improvement activities.

Whew!!! Getting Serious

2008-08-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a ride. I've done about four shows at cat shows and have gotten progressively more profitable. I'm now taking the plunge and have a booth at the Phoenix Cornfest at the Shriner's Auditorium this coming weekend, August 23/24. I've got almost $2,000 of inventory and am hoping for a very very good show. My goal is to make this hobby of mine self-sustaining.

The WEBSITE!!!

2008-05-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

yes, I went ahead and built a website, you can find it at SawdustDreams.net.

Enjoy!!!

Signs Signs Signs

2008-05-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

Here are a few signs I've made for myself and for special orders.

New Saw!!!

2008-05-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

I found a serious deal on a Dewalt DW788 scroll saw. This is a serious upgrade from my 20 year old Delta scroll saw. It uses a different technology with much smaller moving parts which results in much less vibration which allows me to be much more precise.

Palm Springs show report

2008-04-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

Much better show this time around. Was not as much gate, so the sales I made were all to cat people, but I garnered three special orders and sold three other pieces. One of which was a box, so that was very good.

I have to go gets some more materials for the work I just got, but that's good. It gives me something to do.

Now if I can get out from under honey-do's to be able to get work done (shhhhh!!!)

Palm Springs Weekend

2008-04-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Palm Springs for a weekend of vending items. I'm taking a few new signs with me in order to chum up some custom order business. I'm also going to lower prices a bit and see if I can came up the price in volume. If nothing else, I'm having fun with it.

Holy Cow

2008-04-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

Thomas, of BareFoot Woodworks finished his chess set. I designed it, but he gets credit for the manufacture and design and build of the board and case. It is one magnificent piece of work and I'm proud to have done a small part. Thomas's accomplishment is truly awe-inspiring.

Show Wrapup

2008-04-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

I didn't get the gate and walk-through I was looking for, but I still had fun. I was able to talk to several people who were appreciative of what I've done and that made me feel very good.

I sold 5 pieces, and that provided a tidy little profit and enough resolve to go to another show this weekend. Wish me luck in Palm Springs!!!!

So, I have a few items to work on this week, such as desk or table signs.

Going to the Show!!!

2008-04-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

My first show...

I'm going to the Cat Show in Pomona at the LA county fairgrounds on Saturday, April 19th. I have an 8 foot table to vend my wares.

Here is what I'm going with

21 Chesspiece Prototypes at $5 each
11 Business Card Holders at $8 each
3 Desk Clocks at $30 each
1 Diorama at $30
My one complete Chess Set for $395
The cat box for $35
The Coyote box for $30
The Fish box for $50
The Large Basket for $60
The Small Basket for $35
Several Keychain/magnet items for $8 each
The Square Box for $40
Two Bowl Holders and Bowl for $40
The Rocking Chair for $40
The Nut Box for $40
10 different Barettes, for $10 each
6 different letter openers for $12 each
and lastly, two Hurricane Vases with Glass for $65 each

Wish me luck.

Skipping ahead to what I built this weekend

2008-04-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

I got into making boxes and baskets and vase holders so I got the big idea to make a fish box. This is how it turned out.

I also made this bowl holder. I love the way the oak turned out.

I used a slab of Padauk with this pine box to jazz it up.

My mother doesn't know it yet, but this vase holder is destined to be her birthday party.

This basket was my own design and wow, I love the way it turned out.

Another basket of my own design.

A cat box.... makes me laugh.

A picture frame will go in the circle on this diorama

Dammit!!! What's next?

2008-04-10T19:24:00.001-07:00

Then I'm left with a conundrum, what am I going to do next. I'll try some little things like business card holders and letter openers.

The Chess Set

2008-04-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the final product, in it's regal glory...

Various Chesspiece Prototypes

2008-04-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

When I got going with the chesspieces, I looked high and low for patterns. There aren't many out there. So I kept asking and asking, and I was told "go make one." Well I didn't, I've made 15 so far. Some of the have worked, some have not, but I learned with each and every piece I cut. Here are a few winners and losers.

Then it hit me... what kind of finish would I put on them. I found out mineral spirits will clean a piece and it gives you an idea of what it will look like when it's finished.

Then I got serious and developed my production pattern. Here is how it started.

Desk Clocks

2008-04-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

Now I decided to make some small desk clocks. I got some trash pieces of mahogany, sirari, spalted maple, and some other DAMN hard dark wood....

Sink Inserts

2008-04-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

I took some hickory and glued it together to make it look like a cutting board. This makes the sink look much better and cut it to shape and finished it with a food safe oil.

Bishop to Queen's Pawn 5

2008-03-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

Well then I thought it would be really cool to make a chessboard and chess pieces. I made the board...

Then I figured I'd make the chess pieces. I tried carving them freehand first. Failed.

Then i tried carving them with a Dremel. Failed

I then tried to sand them into shape with a bench sander. Failed, but it is a great tool.

I then bought a $30 scroll saw off of Craigslist and things started to click into place.

Now I have a plan, and the ability.

Poppin' the cherry

2008-03-06T19:02:00.001-08:00

Here is the first post. I'm going to post some of the first woodworking things I've built since December, when I got into this.

My original intent was to make the easels for Christmas presents. When I got them done, I found that I had some cherry wood left over and I built a jewelry box for my niece and it turned out very well. That's what started the whole thing....