The Renaissance Woodworker » On the road

Colonial Williamsburg is my Disneyland

Shannon — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:40:27 +0000

I’m back from another trip down to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. The Liberty passes we bought last October have definitely paid for themselves since this is our 3rd trip down there. For a woodworker this is a great place to go. For a woodworker like me who is fascinated by history and proud of my American forefathers, this is like Disneyland! This time around was a little different. The weather was glorious with sun and upper 60 degree weather. It was the last week before the official season begins so the crowds were low and the interpreters were warming up their presentations for the bustling masses that will descend in the coming months. This meant that we were fortunate to get the “extra” bits of history that they normally don’t have time to tell you. The house tours that normally run 15-20 minutes during peak season can sometimes run 45+ minutes when there isn’t a line forming outside.

This means that I got to spend a lot of time in colonial interiors and up close and personal with southern Queen Anne or “Neat and Plain” furniture. I particularly recommend the Peyton Randolph and Everard houses for a look at fine furniture of the Virginian Gentry. Another great spot is the newly opened Charlton’s Coffeehouse where you can sample coffee or chocolate and get to see and use some more common furniture.

And don’t forget the DeWitt Wallace museum. This is like Winterthur south of the Mason Dixon line, where you can really get a look at southern furniture.

I also got to chat with the historic tradespeople extensively. Over the next few weeks I will be putting up individual posting on the woodworking related trades practiced in Williamsburg. I also will be heading back for a full week in early June once school lets out for my wife and will have an opportunity to ask more questions put forth by any of you who follow this blog.

In the meantime, I urge you to head over the Williamsburg website where you will find a bounty of information. This is an organization that has ironically embraced 21st century multimedia marketing and has well over 300 podcasts in audio, video, and enhanced formats. Pay particularly close attention to the episodes on the historic trades and you will learn a lot about cabinetmaking, brickmaking, wheelwrighting, coopering, joinery, etc, etc. There are also several trade slide shows and videos that contain great pictures of the tools and processes for each trade.

The motto in Williamsburg is “that the future may learn from the past” and it is indeed a noble pursuit. Regardless of our woodworking passion, there is so much to see and learn from this trip and you cannot but be proud and impressed with our founders and what they have wrought. You may be surprised at just how little things have changed in 250 odd years politically and socially.

The sights are beautiful to take in and you can easily get lost in the moment and be transported back to the last half of the 18th century. Most of the trades still practice the apprentice system and this is run by the Historic Trades department. Apprentices are taken on for 7 year contracts and in almost every case the folks I spoke with had little to no knowledge of their craft when they started their apprenticeship. Many of them either joined the foundation as an apprentice or had spent time working as a tour guide or retail shop worker before making the leap into a lifelong pursuit. This was inspiring to see and the extremely low turnover in the employee ranks is a testament to the experience each of these tradesmen live. I must admit that my thoughts are turning to making my relationship with Williamsburg more of a professional one and you can believe that I will keep my eyes open on this apprentice program and will be the first in line should something come available. Anybody want to put in a good word for me?

As a parting thought, the woodworking world seems to have gained an interest in design lately. This is largely driven by the intelligence of fellow SAPFM member George Walker. For those of you who follow his column and blog you will appreciate the proportional ecstasy provided by this structure.

Can you tell I really like this place???

On The Road to Colonial Williamsburg Again

Shannon — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:06:12 +0000

We have the full year Patriot pass so why not take advantage of it and scheduled another trip down to Williamsburg for this weekend. It is spring break for my wife so I am taking a few days off so we can get out of town. I feel continually blessed to live in the mid Atlantic in such close proximity to historical wonders like this and remain committed actually taking advantage of it.

This trip we are hoping to spend a litte more time in the DeWitt Wallace museum up close and personal with some incredible 18th century southern furniture. There are regular furniture tours taking place and I hope to catch one of them. The weather is expected to be warm and nice so we are both looking forward to strolling up and down Duke of Gloucester street and just relaxing. I am also curious to check out the new coffee shop Charleston’s since that last time I was there the Carpenters had just raised the roof.

Of course no trip would be complete without a stop into the Cabinetmaker, Cooper, and Carpenter shops. So my dear readers, please tell me what you would like to know about the 18th century cabinetmaker and joiner. I have plans to spend some time talking with these fine folks and I would love to be armed with questions from you all. Submit a comment here or send me an email at shannon@rogersfinewoodworking.com and I will do my best to get your questions answered.

One Man’s Exotic is Another Man’s Construction Lumber

Shannon — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:44:22 +0000

Here in the US we tend to be a little ethnocentric. Call it American swagger, call it geographic isolation but we often forget that things are different elsewhere in this big world. So it is nice every once in a while to be shaken out of our preconceptions.

Last weekend I made a trip up to Hearne Hardwoods to pick up some 12/4 Walnut for the table I am building for The Wood Whisperer March Guild build. While the Hearne folks were tallying my total I noticed this column that looks like it came off some kind of temple. It was broken at the bottom so it looked like it was just snapped off in demolition. It is elegantly shaped and faceted and I can imagine that the structure it once adorned was a thing to behold. The curves evoke something from Asia and once I looked closer that was confirmed when I realized that the entire column was made from solid East Indian Rosewood!

…Paradigm shifted…

Just because it is exotic and hoarded in tiny parts for pen turning and the like here doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be someone else’s 2×4 construction lumber somewhere else in the world where Rosewood grows naturally.

Suddenly this digitally small world just got a whole lot bigger.

A Curious Little Table

Shannon — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:01:50 +0000

I paid a visit to the Baltimore Museum of Art this past weekend. I had heard tales of their excellent decorative arts wing that contains excellent examples of 18th century furniture with an emphasis on local cabinetmakers from Baltimore and Annapolis. Unfortunately on my way down the hall to the exhibit I was told by a docent that they were closing that wing due to a shift change in guards and no longer had the manpower to keep that wing open. I understand this is a product of a recessive economy and the museum just not being able to employ the number of guards necessary. It was understandably disappointing but I was directed to some other parts of the museum where I could see furniture. Surprisingly I saw a great deal so I can only imagine what the dedicated decorative arts wing must look like. Stay tuned for that report later as I am chomping at the bit to go back.

Ironically the piece that sticks in my head the most was shuffled off to the side of an exhibit and I only noticed it because I was assuming the role of husband waiting for his wife outside the restroom. Behind and to the side of a pretty Queen Anne dining chair was this curious little table.

While it was still an exhibit meaning I couldn’t touch it, I was able to get very close and take some snapshots and sketch some of the curves. This later point provoked some rolled eyes as the aforementioned wife left the restroom. There are hundreds and hundreds of these little candle stands sprinkled throughout period furniture exhibits, but this one particularly caught my attention because of it’s simplicity. The turned central column is not overly detailed and it represents the truest essence of the Queen Anne style that I like so much. There isn’t a wide flare into a bulbous base that is so common in this form but a gradual widening that terminates in a small bead. This whole shape adds a very delicate feeling to the table which seems to support the beautifully shaped top as if it were weightless. This is an interesting contrast to the tripod feet that snake down and firmly plant themselves. Many of the designs I have seen like this seem to stand on tip toe but this one has it’s heels planted and I like the curve formed at the ankle because of it. This speaks to the Queen Anne style as well since this was really before the ubiquitous ball and claw came into vogue.

I took a shot up under the table as best I could and confirmed that it wasn’t a tilt top (that would be unusual for such a small piece) but I also want to confirm the joinery points as I was already mentally marking out a piece of Walnut that was sitting back in my shop.

Here is a better shot of the top profile with it’s Porringer-esque shape that beckons you to set your drink there and settle down in your Windsor chair with a good book.

I think this very simple piece embodies much of what I admire about the Queen Anne period and it will definitely get a place on my “to build” project list. The challenge of dovetailing the feet into the central column is something I look forward to as well as the freedom I have to design my own take on that column while at the lathe. Expect to see this piece pop up again in the near future as I already have a spot in my house picked out for it. Maybe while I’m at the lathe I’ll turn some candle sticks or an oil lamp to accompany the table so I can read in the “old style”.

Taking Your Tools On The Road

Shannon — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:32:52 +0000

Listen!

via AudioBoo

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RWW 75 Colonial Williamsburg

Shannon — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:40:08 +0000

For our 10th wedding anniversary my wife and I paid a visit to one of our favorite places: Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. We took in the whole town and were fortunate to be one of the first people to take the furniture enthusiasts tour of the Everard house next to the Governor’s palace. You can hear some of my thoughts in an audioboo here regarding that tour.

This trip has sparked greater interest in southern furniture of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The book store at the visitor’s center is a goldmine for literature on this subject so bring your checkbook. I plan to explore this topic more in future posts. However in the colonial section, the time period recreated is from around 1710 to 1750 give or take. Essentially it is pre-revolutionary America and firmly within the American Queen Anne period; also known as the Neat and Plain style. Being prior to the revolution you see a great deal of British influence mixed with American styles. In essence you can walk through one of the nicer homes of a wealthy resident and see imported Chippendale style with ornate details and carving mixed with the Neat and Plain smooth lines and slipper feet. At the same moment, when you travel to the smaller homes and merchant building you take in the relatively rustic and common styles of Joiner’s furniture like pub stools and tables. In other words, so much to see and learn.

Of course the major draws for the woodworker are the Anthony Hay cabinet shop and the Carpenter’s shop. The weather was really cold and wet and while not pleasant it really kept the crowds to a minimum so I was able to spend a great deal of time talking with the Cabinetmakers and Joiners. God bless my tolerant wife for hanging out with me while I indulged in 18th century woodworking esoterica. Unfortunately during my visit to the cabinet shop I was recording the floor for a bit and when I raised the camera to record I hit the button and stopped recording while I thought I was. Bone head that I am I repeated that error for the better part of 45 minutes and didn’t get much footage. I did my best to piece together some video and some stills to recreate my visit.

The good news is that this failed filming has only spurred me to get back down there and capture some more. My wife and I have annual passes and will be getting our money’s worth. So enjoy the show, but please comment here or drop me an email at shannon@rogersfinewoodworking if there is something you would like to know or a question I can ask the interpreters. We should be back in Williamsburg during Christmas and again in March for my birthday.

PS: there is much more woodworking goodness to taste in Williamsburg from the Cooper, Wheelwright, and Wallace museum to the Plantation and saw pit. This is just the tip of the iceberg so make your plans to pay a visit.

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RWW 73 WIA Wenzloff & Saw Sharpening

Shannon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:19:08 +0000

This is my last post on WIA and I save a good one til last. Mike Wenzloff knows everything there is to know about saw sharpening and in this episode he hits on the highlights to get a great performing saw. So enjoy this post as I am done reporting on WIA. It was an amazing event and I can’t imagine how Popular Woodworking will top it next year.

Stay tuned next week for more Roubo. She will finally stand on her own 4 feet…

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RWW 72 WIA 17th Century Carving with Peter Follansbee

Shannon — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:50:11 +0000

One of my favorite seminars at this year’s WIA in Valley Forge was Peter Follansbee’s look at 17th century carving. We learned a lot about the furniture of the style, the carvings, and how they were made. I got a great deal of footage during this session and it was really hard to pare it down, but I think you will get the gist of it here.

Enjoy!

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RWW 71 WIA: Moulding Planes with Williams & McConnell

Shannon — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:49:52 +0000

Time to head back up to Valley Forge to see what we can learn about molding planes. Larry Williams and Don McConnell talked to us about the history and usage of these ubiquitous yard sale finds.

This seminar was my first at WIA and has captivated me with regard to the history of molding profiles and the execution of these profile using only hand tools. Since October I have acquired a few more of these planes and hope to get them into working order to use on my next period project.

Enjoy the show!

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RWW 69: WIA Western Sawing with Ron Herman

Shannon — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:08:09 +0000

If you think you have a lot of saws then think again. Ron Herman probably has more saws than anyone alive. What’s amazing is he uses everyone of them and uses them well.

Enjoy this episode full of gratuitous vintage saw footage.

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RWW 68: WIA Stringing & Inlay with Chuck Bender

Shannon — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:37:29 +0000

Another great seminar at WIA this time centered around traditional inlay techniques with Chuck Bender.

Make sure you check out Chuck’s blog for complete instructions on how to make your own set of Bender inlay tools.

Finally, a few points on Sulfur inlay that I forgot to mention in the podcast. When cutting the recess for the Sulfur, you should undercut and create a kind of dovetail effect to lock in the material. Once the Sulfur is cool and scraped clean, it should be painted with Shellac to seal it in and protect the color before applying your finish of choice.

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Furniture Tour of Thomas Everard House

Shannon — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:10:52 +0000

One of the products of the Anthony Hay shop

Listen!

via AudioBoo

Posted via web from renaissanceww’s posterous

RWW 67: WIA Cherubini’s Joinery Planes

Shannon — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:57:58 +0000

Adam Cherubini gave an entertaining presentation on the typical joinery planes found the the 18th century Joiners tool chest. Here are a few clips from that presentation and a bonus look at Adam cutting dovetails in the hand tool olympics.

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RWW 66 WIA Boring Cat Fight

Shannon — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:22:13 +0000

Here it is for your viewing pleasure, Heather Griffin, Megan Fitzpatrick, and our very own blogging heroine Kari Hultman step up to the plate to bore us all.

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RWW 65: WIA Keynote Radio Drama

Shannon — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:29:05 +0000

Roy Underhill pulled out all the stops with this keynote speech. I have edited out a lot of this, but here is the gist of the old time radio drama entitled “The Liberty Ladder”

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Shannon — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:21:55 +0000

Ok folks so in a little less than 2 weeks I will be heading up to Valley Forge for the WIA Hand Tools and Techniques conference. I have still to push out one more podcast on the topics from the design conference and barring any major tragedies that will be out tonight. With all of the coverage of that conference behind me I would love to hear from you my loyal listeners/readers what you thought of the coverage and what you would like to see me do differently for this upcoming conference.

Let me preface this by saying I am no longer limited by technology this time around. Since the design conference I have sold two commissions which were invested back into the show to purchase a new iphone so I can now be cool like Matt Vanderlist and Marc Spagnuolo and post video real time from the conference. I will probably continue my audioboos as I have time to get some of those random thoughts out there too. The really exciting addition to the show is my new video camera. I have been eyeballing something in the Canon Vixia line for a while now and since relentless wheel of technology has turned and released a new and improved model some of the older “obsolete” models have been popping up on ebay for a steal. Steal is just what I did and I am now the proud owner of a Vixia HFS100 that shoots in 9.8 MP resolution. What this means for all of you is no more fuzzy video and low res shots of my workshop.

The design conference was much more of an academic lecture than a hands on experience so naturally I think my coverage strategies will need to change to accommodate this hand tool conference. I still need to respect the presenters intellectual property rights by not producing full length videos so this is just now an option. I have gotten great feedback from my recap, throw in my own opinion method of reporting for the design conference so let me know if you would like that to continue or if you just want me to get out of the way and show you what happened in video.

Please let me hear from you. This promises to be a great event and I know so many people who wish they could get there so I want to help out how I can and bring to you the coverage you desire. Woodworking podcasting on demand. I will be tweeting and blogging throughout the conference so drop me a tweet or an email and say “go get some footage of that Lie Nielsen plane” or “smack Matt Vanderlist up side the head and see if he cries” and it will be done.

Of course for all of you going to the event, come find me and we will wax rhapsodic about hand tools and wispy shavings!

RWW 62: WIA Jeffrey Greene Anatomy of a Masterpiece

Shannon — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:24:43 +0000

I really enjoyed this seminar as it was a look into what drove the “golden era” of furniture styles. With so many styles coming an going in such a short period it is hard to keep up but Jeffrey Greene broke down the defining elements of each style and related it back to political and social events that drove those changes.

Make sure to check out Jeffrey Greene’s site for some great examples of Newport style furniture.

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RWW 61: WIA George Walker Seminar

Shannon — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:03:40 +0000

In this episode I run down the basics of George Walker’s Unlocking the Secrets of Traditional Design seminar.

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George taught us about the basics of design and observation of architecture to gain inspiration for our own furniture. He showed up that basic shapes make up most of our designs and allow for symmetry in proportions and major and minor contrasts as well as punctuated elements.

He also told us that man made architecture can only get us so far and nature is our ultimate source of ideas…

Take a look at this quick video from the seminar where George takes apart a windows into it’s simple shape elements. I apologize for the beginning as I could not get my camera to focus at all. Hang tight it will come into focus in a second.

And here is another clip where we get to see what bad proportions look like on a house compare to good proportions.

RWW 60: WIA Measure Twice, Measure Not At All

Shannon — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:25:47 +0000

Here is another seminar from the WIA design conference. Jim “Table Saw Magic” Tolpin talks about how he hung up his power cords and does his work unplugged now. A really interesting talk about the industrial vs. artisan approach to woodworking and design. Jim followed it up with a talk around taking dimensions from the human body to build furniture.

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RWW 59: WIA Composing with Wood Grain

Shannon — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:46:32 +0000

This was Brian Bogg’s seminar at the WIA design conference. Brian was full of great ideas and it was inspiring and humbling to watch the master chairmaker.

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