Miscellaneous Shop Projects

These are just a few miscellaneous projects I have worked on in the last couple of years. I especially enjoyed these projects as I was allowed substantial free reign on the design and construction of the foyer  arch, front door, carved mirror frame and office door.The more grey hairs I sprout the more people seem to trust my judgement. Go figure.

House Photos

These are some photos of a house I was recently working on. The design and the owner's desire for attention to detail made this project a personal favourite of mine. The owner and I have personally built all 68 windows from scratch using premium grade Douglas fir. You would have to see it to believe it.

Fine Woodworking and Fine Home Building magazines

This is the address to one of the most popular wood working periodicals. Fine Woodworking and Fine Home Building magazines have been offering valuable resources for more than four decades. I personally have had subscriptions to both these magazines for over 30 years. This kind of dates me doesn't it. Not only are they chocked full of superb ideas, they are also an excellent source of information on the latest building materials and procedures.

http://www.finewoodworking.com/toolguide/

Fine Furniture Projects

This is an interesting slide show on some beautiful, completed fine furniture projects. These projects are built by craftsmen and women who were dedicated and brave enough to follow their dreams and see their designs come to life. If you appreciate quality and meticulous detail you will enjoy this brief slideshow of artisans at their best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXjvRglAuak Fine furniture video

The Three Amigos

The three amigos: The lieutenant(Moi), the Captain and the Fire chief.

                   

This is a photo of my crew and I laying on the floor fighting this fire in the kitchen.

                                         

The temperature at 1 meter above the floor was approximately 700 degrees F.

Fire Fighter Training

Firefighting training

My number 1 passion is woodworking, but I am also actively involved as a training officer in our local fire department. I thought some of you may like to see what volunteer fire fighters do on weekends. Before you get the wrong impression about all of the smiling faces, I should clarify that the following shots are from a house that was slated for demolition and was temporarily turned over to us for training.

The first picture is the house before we started. 

In the second picture, we are conducting interior searches.

Lee Valley Tools

Mention these words to my family and they will most likely roll their eyes and grin. This is one of my favourite tool suppliers and is Canadian Owned. Their specialty is hand tools and accessories, and their Veritas line of tools is highly regarded around the world. I have personally bought dozens of miscellaneous tools from them. Most of the tools are well made; some of the accessories do not measure up as promoted. All of the Veritas brand tools are of exceptional quality and beautiful to work with. If possible I would recommend you contact someone who owns or has used the tool you are interested in and ask them for some feedback. Here is the web address for their catalogue.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/Index.aspx

Making Wooden Gears

I really enjoyed this video on making wooden gears. Matthias Wandel makes this look like 1^st year woodshop and even supplies information on how to select and layout the appropriate gears required. Even if you are not an avid woodworker, you will be impressed by how well they function in their chosen application.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNuhr3htNWs  

Articles on Woodworking

This website offers a selection of free woodworking articles for all levels students who may need advice on tools, procedures and materials. It is easy to follow and also offers advice on common problems us WW enthusiasts regularly run into. It also has links to products that should be researched and priced out before buying.

http://www.woodbin.com/misc/index.htm

Passionate Chair Builder

I came across this video while researching for discussion topics. Although I have only made a handful chairs myself I was impressed by his designs and thought some of you folks might enjoy or have an appreciation for this craftsman and the quality of his workmanship.

A Warm Welcome

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of my fellow PIDP 3240 classmates, and especially those who may have some interest in working with wood. My personal shop is quite literally my sanctuary where I can go and create beautiful projects out of many different species of wood and other materials. Although the end result is a very gratifying experience, the process of working with quality tools in a comfortable shop always gives me great satisfaction as well. Feel free to join me as we investigate some informative and amazing topics and people. For now this blog is intended to share whatever knowledge I can, and eventually I hope it will generate enough interest to possibly develop a series of woodworking courses that might turn into continuing education courses.