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Dog of Monster Cabinet
Posted on January 1, 2010 | No CommentsFunctional art cabinet that is part dog, part tiki god, part cabinet. Man’s Best Friend is now also Monster’s Best Friend. As promised/threatened, the Dog of Monster Cabinet has emerged from my Laboratory ready to roam the Earth in search of his Monster Master. -
Ten Best Birds 2000-2009
Posted on December 28, 2009 | No CommentsI have seen other birders summarize their “most important” birds of the last decade, so here is my list! -
Armoire Storage
Posted on December 15, 2009 | No CommentsIn this commission the client had an armoire which she wanted retrofitted to store plates, flatware, and linens. -
Holiday Greetings!
Posted on December 5, 2009 | No CommentsI know it’s the time when everyone is sending you sale offers for your holiday shopping. I want to thank you for your continued patronage over the years. Independent craftsmen rely on word-of-mouth and repeat customers like all of you. I appreciate that even during this rough economic year, you’ve chosen to support local artisans. As a thank-you, I’m providing free delivery on orders of at least $100 within 50 miles of Washington, DC. You’re chosing to shop local, so you shouldn’t have to worry about shipping costs or gifts getting lost in the mail.
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Saw Gong
Posted on October 6, 2009 | No Comments
A few years ago I decided to invest in a high-quality blade for the table saw. Since I actually do not own a table saw myself and rely on being able to rent time on friend’s saws, it seemed like a wise choice. The shops I use do mainly scenery and other production work. They use softwoods and plywood and other manufactured materials, so having one dedicated to the hardwoods I use was more than just common courtesy (I was using their equipment, after all).
Every time I took the blade ( a Forrest Woodworker II) off of the saw I gave it a tap. It had a wonderful sound; a clear "clang!" followed by a rich, lingering, and enticing harmonic. After doing this for a while I thought that a saw blade just might be the right thing for a gong or cymbal.
Not wanting to use an otherwise usable (and sharp) blade for such a project I waited. And waited. Finally, about a year later i saw one of the guys at my friend Paul’s shop changing the blade on the mitre saw. The blade was missing many of its teeth and was well beyond repair. I picked it up and gave it a tap; it had a nice sound. Not as good as the Forrest, but not bad.
I now had the heart of an instrument, now I needed the body.
I came up with a basic plan, consisting of three rough planks and a beam from which the blade would hang. I knew the specifics would come when I had the time to devote to the project.
A year later I decided to make the time when I saw what the piece should be. I wanted to create a piece which while creating a new use for something worn and broken would echo the objects former life.
Thus the disk hangs suspended, "caught" in a piece of wood it was meant to vanquish and reduce to dust. -
Silver Bell Bakery
Posted on August 25, 2009 | No Comments
I had long heard of a Lithuanian bakery in Queens which put out some of the best bread in the world. The best bread in the world being, of course, Lithuanian. This is good, hearty dark rye bread without any caraway. There used to be a Lithuanian bakery in Brockton, Massachusetts (Montello Baking) but it closed about five years ago. It was only a few miles from my mother-in-law’s house and I always made sure to make the detour when we were visiting her.
In 1998 I brought a 2 kilo loaf back with me from Lithuania. In 2003 Carly & I took a round 8 pound loaf from Montello with us on a trip to Vermont. We had it each morning for breakfast, slathered with goat cheese and honey.
When I decided to head to Jamaica Bay for the shorebird migration I looked up the bakery as well. (A number of web pages are devoted to guiding devotees to our Source of Life; it was on one of these pages that I discovered Silver Bell).
One way of taking mass transit to the wildlife refuge meant taking the 7 train to 61st & Woodside and transferring to the Q53 bus. A few stops further down the line is the Junction Boulevard subway stop; Silver bell is on Junction Boulevard a few stops south of the station. -
Mirror for Tall Left-handed Man
Posted on June 4, 2009 | No CommentsA shaving mirror for a tall, left-handed man. What more is there to say? -
Six Fifty Four Book Shelf
Posted on May 5, 2009 | No CommentsA one-of-a-kind commissioned piece using Paulownia, a non-native tree, from the client's yard and Osage Orange wood from a local farm. -
And Now, A Few Minutes With Inlay
Posted on March 19, 2009 | No Comments
Pith Crack, originally uploaded by A. Drauglis Furnituremaker.
If there is a crack in a piece of wood, it is possible to arrest or repair the damage by bridging the gap with a piece of hardwood; the patches are usually called dovetails or “butterflies” from their shape.
Andy Rooney taught me how to do this. -
The Clean Up Crew
Posted on March 16, 2009 | No Comments
The Clean Up Crew, originally uploaded by A. Drauglis Furnituremaker.
I made another chair, and like the last one it has a seat made of fruitwood branches. I shaved the bark off of the Apple, Peach, and Apricot wood after drying the pieces in the oven yesterday.
Derby was more than willing to help clean up the mess I had made.
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