Northern Woods 2012

This past weekend was that time again when the Minnesota Woodworkers Guild comes together for the annual show: Northern Woods Exhibition. I have been aware of it for years but have never participated because I felt I was too busy, or this and that.
I decided to give it a try this year with Cabinet in Chinese Elm which seemed to be well received.
The piece received Best in Show, Peer's Choice, also a privately awarded Paul Lee award which goes to "the best entry that has a playful spirit and sound construction."
I'd be honored to be given any of these, the end out come was a bit of a surprise!

Craig Johnson, classmate and friend, received Best Detail with a piece that I am happily familiar with. Yes, Craig won Best in Show two years ago with another piece I am quite familiar with!

Now that that's over with I'm hoping to get back in my own shop! I'm getting increasingly agitated with the lack of hours I've had to work in the last number of weeks!

Chair photos!

Finally got a chance to do a little shoot with the chair today.
Here are some of the products of said shoot!
Haven't gotten the Sofa back yet though. Hopefully it wont be too long.

Scattered showers

Boy, it has been a little bit.
I feel all lost in a time changing, weather changing jumble of distracting, disconnected mess!
Also the part-time has been demanding more of me as we have been short handed for the last couple weeks.
Well, I certainly haven't gotten much done, feels like close to nothing, but I did get to veneering the top and bottom panels of the cabinet. Also got some leg shaping done.

Come on spring, lets get this fling over with so I can move on. I feel like it's going to take a few more weeks, bah.
Hope others are having more productive time(s)! Or perhaps enjoying the weather rather than being overwhelmed ha.

Cabin Fever 2012

Are you interested in fine craft, but perhaps more interested in furthering cancer research?
Well, you may be able to hit two birds with one stone at this year's Cabin Fever event in Rochester, MN!
 I have donated a Frame-Top Pedestal to be in the silent auction included in the event!
Please go to the event's website to see the goings on.

March 17, 2012
Clarion Inn - 1630 S Broadway, Rochester, MN
Making a donation to Cabin Fever furthers cancer research being conducted by the Mayo Clinic, U of M Cancer Research, and Hormel Institute for Cancer Research.

Cabinet Beginnings

Finally back to some woodwork.
This being a veneer constructed cabinet, one of the first things to do is get substrates together. Here I'm laminating a few thinner sheets of plywood to make a thicker plywood. Sometimes I do this so that I can add an extra sheet or two of veneer to achieve a thickness I can't readily get or to just better control my materials and make a flatter sheet of ply than I often see stock.

While that/those cook I got on veneer duty. I'm using a plank of Walnut I've been hanging on to for a couple years now. I found this plank at the local commercial lumber yard and nabbed it without a project in mind. You may see why when looking at the end grain pictured above! Such tight grain! Such deep color, for a kiln dried plank. It has a a few small knots and one big one at one end, must have been shunned from a veneer auction or something. Well, now I have it and I am going to cut veneer out of it. I welcome a bit of that character that makes the wood "more" organic and breaths more life into the typically stale veneer we've all seen.

After veneer was cut I got a move on the "stand," which feels odd. The stand usually comes after the cabinet. Because of the kind of integration between cabinet and stand here, I'm needing/wanting to make the stand first. It still feels strange.

Got the stand joints dry fit and am continuing the mock-up to see how it works/looks.
The legs perhaps look a bit fat, even though a little will get cut away I may slim them down a hair. I actually have extra legs this time! So I can do a pretty exact mock-up with those.
I'm also a bit torn between open legs and adding lower stretchers. I think I'm going to have to get the frame and panel doors represented to better feel/see the kind of weights going on and to see how "line-y" it all gets.
Hmm.

Great Single Malts $40 and Under

Unfortunately my local tooling shop was having some difficulty with their machinery and I have been left twittling my thumbs over dull jointer knives. It has given me some time to mentally sit on ideas and concerns regarding the whisk(e)y cabinet which seemed to be helpful.
It has also given me (whether I wanted it or not) time to ponder the contents of such a cabinet. In closing of my time twittling I though I might make a post on the likely topic of single-malt Scottish whisky!


I am no authority on whisky. I am just a chap with meager earnings who happens to fancy his beverages be it coffee, tea, beer, whisky, what-have-you. With rising interest in such a stereotypically unapproachable commodity, I though it might be nice to attempt a fellow layman's point in direction to begin or further one's exploration.
The selections featured fit into the $40 and under range reflecting the best prices I have found around the Twin Cities.

The opinions are my own, the photos are not. I've linked them here from browsing images.
In alphabetical order...

- An Cnoc 12 _ Speyside
Bright, shining and complex. Refreshing, as far as whisky goes. This expression shows confidence in the bright side of Speysiders.

- Bowmore 12 _ Islay
Sweeter and softer than some of its kin. This Islay not only offers a nice gateway to the peat, smoke, and brine of the region but plenty of character of its own to enjoy. Imagine a dissolved fisherman's friend (cough drop) in a small rock pool near a seaside campfire.

- The Dalmore 12 _Highlands
Dates on the nose and perhaps some raisin in the finish. These are presumably attributes yielded by the 50% sherry cask maturation. A soft entry and spiced finish makes this an easy "daily dram" or a nice variation to a brighter collection.

- Glenkinchie 12 _ Lowlands
Floral, light citrus, with a wisp of smoke hiding among some grassy notes. Unfortunately there are only two Lowland distillery options we can get here in the U.S. This lowladdie may have a couple quirks but it still paints a lovely picture for me.

- Glenmorangie Original 10 _ Highlands
Fairly bright and highly complex, such as the An Cnoc 12, however this expression offers a very light hint of smoke. It is also a tad drier perhaps due to the little smoke, or maybe its Highland nature. Either way, you'll have plenty to think about.

- Highland Park 12 _ Highlands (Island - Orkney)
The malt of Highland Park has been touted as "the greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whisky." I am inclined to say that rings true for this group. Hints of peat with a great soft smoke surrounded by a balanced body showing the qualities one might expect to find in a highlander.

- Laphroaig 10 _ Islay
Here's your smoke and peat monster on a "budget." Smoke, peat, briny seasides, iodine, it's all there. For many it can be a love/hate thing. I have yet to decide. Most of the time I'm interested in a "sophisticated" balance, but sometimes I'm in the mood for something more gruff.

- The Macallan Fine Oak 10 _ Speyside
The Speyside region represents about 50% of Scotland's distilleries. If you are looking for an overview of the region I may suggest this number. At "first glance" the Fine Oak 10 may be a bit "boring" or middle of the road. Well, that's the trick isn't it? In furniture craftsmanship I know it is quite difficult to produce something in which nothing sticks out.
Sure, it may be a bit simplistic, but there are quiet details to be found. It also illustrates the qualities shared by many expressions of the region in a fairly clear and unpretentious way.

- Tomintoul 16 _ Speyside
What it lacks in brand presence, design, and packaging, it makes up for in quality and at a bargain price. The Tomintoul 16 has a sophisticated nose with so much to explore it will take your lips some time before greeting this "gentle dram." Among other things, the palate has a lovely vanilla cream taste and texture leading to a very softly spiced finish.

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Alright, that wraps up my little list. I hope you've been able to enjoy this divergence from woodwork, or just brush it by.
Rest assured, it's back to shavings, and swarf next time!

Liquor Mock

After a few days of sitting around and thinking I'm happy to be working on a mock-up and design for a liquor cabinet geared towards brown liquor/whiskey.
One should be able to store 8 or 9 bottles with enough room to jostle them around a bit without much worry. Depending on the dimensions of bottles I imaging one could fit a couple more in. Perhaps a maximum of 3 deep and 4 across. Myself, I could imagine having 3-7 bottles which works out great because I like space.
On the right side there will be some glass storage with an adjustable shelf. Also a drawer for such things as a tasting journal, watch-glass covers, perhaps your Whiskey Bible, a towel/shammy? Whatever.
I'm wanting this cabinet high enough as to make use of it comfortable but low enough to use the top for service.

I'm looking to make the cabinet integrated with the stand in a way that I have seen before but have yet to make. The top of the "stand" will also be the bottom surface of the cabinet. This therefore has to be a veneer constructed cabinet. This gives me a chance to try another option I have yet to try. A different species of wood in the interior than the exterior.
I'm looking at a Walnut exterior and a White Oak interior. This plays on a couple of things. I'm aiming to make this a fairly masculine piece and play on the craftsmanship of the liquors them selves. What woods are typically regarded as more masculine than Walnut and oak? Also these liquors get their color and shades of flavors from Oak of course. Also the Oak will better illuminate the interior. Walnut? Well there's just something about oil finished Walnut that warms my blood a bit, like a nice glass of whiskey.

I have a feeling this is going to be another simple looking yet fairly tricky build. There are plenty of details and construction considerations to be pondered and re-pondered. Hopefully they wont keep me up too late at night.

I would also like to take this opportunity to mention that I should be bringing the table into it's home, Rustic Bakery tomorrow morning. I also work a closing shift there tomorrow. If you are perhaps interested, come in to see and use this table before it gets abused!