So now it looks like I have a nasty case of rhykanitis! Following a lot of recent plane talk with some fellow woodworkers, I had the urge to make yet another plane…

OK, I'm lying!This one is actually a little under 2 ½” long. A real pocket plane….a baby smoother…a tiny trim plane…I decided to call it a fingernail plane :^) I’m just playing now, going smaller and smaller it seems…

The plane iron was made from a piece of broken HSS jointer knife.
Be inspired and make more planes!

Yours in sawdust

Howzit Div,

Here is a link to the latest FPC wood auction held in May.

http://www.auctions.com.au/auctions/2011/05/21/wa-log-burl-burl-slices-c...

Hope you are ready and able to control your drool from not shorting out your keyboard.
Wish I had access to milling equipment, some of those logs just need cracking open to reveal their inner beauty.

ENJOY!

Man this wood is great to work with see the bowl attached. One of the first gifts i am bringing back to SA when we visit. I will try and send you a small sliver or beer coaster made of Huon Div when i get a chance. I will bring one over in July. The picture attached will never be able to show how small the pine graines are on this bowl. " apparently" this tree is the oldest growing tree in greater Australasia. The Aussies like to boast! I made wooden beades for my wife the other day and the piece i cut on the lathe had 4 growth rings within a milimetre no jokes i used a magnifying glass. I will send you a piece of it. Can i send the photo to an email to get the bigger Size?

Recently I had to show someone his way around a table saw. It got me thinking about sharp blades and shortened fingers….

The table saw is at the heart of any woodworking shop – every piece used, whether solid timber or sheet material, goes through it at least once – and will therefore be in use for more of the time than any other single piece of equipment. Unless you are a turner or scroll sawyer!

Consider the versatility of this machine: it is initially used to rip raw timber, can be used for cross cutting, it will mitre, bevel, groove, rebate, tenon, fingerjoint, house and otherwise joint components. Beyond these basic uses lie hundreds of specialist operations which can be carried out with ingenuity and some jigs. In this way even cove moldings can be formed for example.

The table saw’s design is fundamental and normally has only one exposed moving part – the blade. Although simple, I have seen more fingers removed on these than on any other machine in the shop. This might be due to its simplicity, inviting a lack of care and a disregard for safety that invites the machine to bite back – which it can do with alarming ferocity.

With this in mind, the following few simple guidelines will increase your chances of keeping all 10 fingers:

DOS AND DON'TS:
DO ensure the sawblade is sharp; the resulting cut will be more accurate. A blunt blade will make pushing wood through the saw difficult, increasing the chance of a mishap. It will also give a bad finish and might cause burning of the material.

DON’T rush – take the time to set up properly.

DO wear safety goggles, dustmask and earplugs. I don’t wear any earplugs and 20 years later, I can’t hear my wife complaining any more….

DON’T leave clutter on the bed of the saw. This includes offcuts, tape measures and cups of coffee!

DO use a push stick when running wood through the saw. It is an obvious extension to your hands that won’t drip blood if it accidentally touches the blade. It is easily made out of an offcut – ensure the notch is sufficient to hook over the end of the wood for a firm downwards hold. I have several hanging at the ready on the side of my saw.

DON’T wear loose clothing and if a stranger to the barber like me, tie long hair back and out of the way.

DO set the blade as far above the timber as possible so the cutting action is in a downwards direction against the bed – a blade set to low will tend to force the timber back towards the operator. Too high a blade exposes more teeth for potentially taking fingers so try to find a balance, keeping all this in mind! If possible stand slightly to one side of the cutting line so that if the timber does come shooting back, it won’t ruin your manly (or womanly) parts.

DON’T work with the table saw when tired, unfocused or in a hurry. Every single accident I’ve had has been with at least one of those factors in play. Mostly at the end of the day when I’m tired or rushing to meet a deadline…I still have all 10 although some of them are a little crooked and scarred!

DO make sure the fence is locked down firmly. Recently I was cutting some shallow grooves in a batten. I didn’t lock the fence down (unfocused!) and as I did the cut, unbeknown to me, the fence moved. I managed to cut neat grooves in two of my fingers! Lady luck was on my side, the blade only protruded about 3mm above the bed at the time!

DON’T pull out those loose slivers that sometimes lodge themselves beside the blade until the machine has stopped running.

DO make sure that the OFF switch is very accessible and easily switched off. I can switch off my saw with my knee, thus I can keep my eyes and hands on the table. Fitting a homemade wooden hinged paddle can facilitate this.

Guards and riving knifes.
Although a lot gets said about blade guards and riving knifes in safety circles, the reality is that the table saws in most shops don’t have these, for various reasons. The main function of the riving knife is to prevent the wood from binding or pinching the blade. If you don’t have one or can’t fit one, have a shallow wooden wedge handy. If the wood you are cutting moves and starts binding the blade, shove it into the cut behind the blade to force the pieces apart until the cut is done.

Cross cutting.
Never, ever, cross-cut so that the off cut is trapped between the blade and the fence. Always dimension timber from the free side of the blade using a stop on the cross-cut fence and clear off cuts with the push stick immediately.

Follow these guidelines and not only will your chances of finger survival increase but the accuracy and quality of cuts will also improve. Nuff said!

THE NATURAL EDGE GALLERY

Showcasing original handcrafted art furniture, fine woodturning, wooden sculpture and quality wooden gift items.

I have teamed up with furniture maker Richard Henley and turner Dave Stephenson of The Natural Edge gallery outside Sedgefield. We have doubled the floor space to exhibit original art furniture, fine wood turning, wooden sculpture and a range of quality wooden gift items. Both Richard and Dave are master craftsmen who do work of the highest international standard and I am very pleased that I have been invited to become a partner.

This is an exiting new venture for me and I will be showcasing a selection of my work at The Natural Edge gallery on a permanent basis. Apart from my popular range of wooden bird sculptures that has been part of the gallery’s exhibit for quite some time; I will be adding a variety of original art furniture pieces. Another exiting new development is my WAWA(Wooden Abstract Wall Art) series which was very well received on the first day of exhibit – Saturday 16 April 2011. The piece entitled “The boxed Comparisons Cabinet” sold within a few hours.

Some other interesting items for sale at The Natural Edge gallery include:

-A selection of finely crafted miniature wooden planes, fully capable of making shavings.
-A range of pen turning blanks in various indigenous timbers, even Pink Ivory!
-The full range of Penetrol oils and products.

We are located in the Scarab art & craft village just outside Sedgefield.

The Natural Edge gallery is open Monday – Friday, 09h00 – 16h30 and Saturdays, 08h00 – 13h00.

Check in for a chat and a coffee!

1790L x 400W x 360H

Banksia and Salmon Gum

Another piece currently on display at the “Out of the wood” exhibition. Since natural organic lines are always popular, I had to do something in that line…. Besides, everybody loves those butterfly keys! This coffee table was inspired by the work of the Japanese American woodworker, George Nakashima, specifically his well known Minguren table. No better way to show off the natural beauty of the wood! The timber I used is known as Banksia (Banksia marginata) which is indigenous to Australia where it is apparently quite rare. I was fortunate indeed to obtain just a few boards from an Australian friend who immigrated to SA. He had some dying Banksia trees on his property which he felled, milled and brought with him. It is very likely that this is the only example of the timber in my country (apart from the bookcase I made for the Australian in exchange for the timber!) The keys are Salmon Gum, also indigenous to Australia, also from my friend.

As always, comments, critique and suggestions are welcome.

PS. I am very happy to say that the response to the furniture component of this exhibition has been so good that the gallery decided to extend the exhibition by another month. Furthermore, they have decided to make it an annual event! Myself and the 4 other furniture makers/designers are very excited about this!!

Well, actually the S word, but the S word is part of the F word anyway…?!

I need all the help I can get…..I do have the Wood Spirit looking out for me…..or is it that fellow that sits on our shoulders….

Busy sanding a 4.1m long African mahogany top for a very long built in desk with drawers. 4.1m is about 161 inches for those who still prefer to measure with King George’s thumb……

PS. The F word is Finishing if you didn’t figure it!!!!!!!!

Some of you might very well know what a red sticker on the price card means. I’m talking about the price card of pieces at an art exhibition….Well, I have some news to share…

On Sunday 3 April, the “Out of the wood” Exhibition opened at Strydom Gallery in George, a smallish city/large town here in the Southern Cape, South Africa. Apart from sculpture, wood turning and paintings, a total of 5 furniture makers, including myself, have works on display.

With the exhibition opening at 11h00 on a Sunday morning in what is a rather conservative town (I mean, everything is totally shut on a Sunday), I was pleasantly surprised by the large attendance. The place was pretty packed. Even the press was represented and it looks like my mug shot will be appearing in print soon (only local weekly papers though)!

My aim with the work I entered was to break away a little from the conventional and the fashionable. Art furniture as a genre is hardly known in South Africa. I attempted to focus on creativity and design, to explore the sculptural possibilities of furniture, to minimize time consuming (and price escalating!) traditional joinery without sacrificing quality and craftsmanship. As such, my work is “out of the box” in comparison to other entries, not necessarily fashionable or in vogue as presented by interior design and décor magazines. I really wondered how my work would be received by the viewing (and hopefully buying!) public. I was pleasantly surprised! I received numerous compliments and was constantly approached by people who wanted to talk about the work!

The best news? I got 2 red stickers!!! The first for one of my more expensive works, a hall table/occasional writing desk, the second for a small sculpture of a bird. Heeha!!
On the furniture side, a total of 7 stickers went up within an hour. Four, out of the five woodworkers sold at the opening which only lasted around 2 hours. I’m so happy for all of us! These guys are all good mates of me and they certainly deserve it.

More good news is that our exhibition is running concurrently with a major national arts festival which started yesterday in a nearby town, Oudtshoorn. Serious art buyers always make a point of visiting other galleries in the area. This means we will be getting plenty good feet in the coming week. We also have Easter weekend coming up – lots of rich holiday makers visiting from the interior!

In the words of my soul brother, many many thanks to my Angel!
Also to the Wood Spirits, my family and my friends.