Ken Tunnard Woodworking | Blog

Rejigging

2012-02-14T10:16:00.000-08:00

I recently watched John Alexander's dvd Make a Chair from a tree, in which he (you guessed it) makes a chair using only hand tools and some simple jigs.
My previous forays into ladder back chairs have been done on the drill press, however I was thinking of future course offerings as well as finding easier and/or different ways to achieve the same results.
So I started making some of his jigs.

The only changes I made to the jigs were to cut a rabbet into the seat jig to receive the level vials.
I felt this would give a bit more gluing surface as well as ensuring the vials were parallel to the surface of the plywood.
The vials were removed from a 16" level I purchased at the dollar store (or in this case the $1.25 store).After all this is an experiment and all these jigs may end up on the shelf.

The metal jig fits over the boring bit and hangs off the bit extension to help keep the hole parallel to the floor. This one is made from aluminum sheet stock, a bolt, some nuts and a line level ($5 at Home Depot).
It works well,and is quick to pop on and off over the 5/8" bit.

The leg jig holds the rear legs the correct distance apart, and allows one to rotate the legs to achieve the desired flare.
I made the bottom portion of my jig a little smaller than the top to create a taper in the back assembly.
I simply used a web clamp to clamp all 3 pieces together.

My end goal is to narrow down the chairs to a few simple styles, nothing groundbreaking Im sure, but hopefully something with a bit of an original flavour.

First course of the year

2012-01-18T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well I got the first course of the year finished, it was a lot of work which I expected as it was the first time I did the adult treasure box.
The new larger size and the rabbeted corners made for a good challenge as well as a good looking box.

As with all these classes I learn a lot, this is especially true when doing a project for the first time.
I generally allot 1 hour per process and try to do setups that are safe and rather easy, however I wanted to be sure people understood the contradictions when crosscutting on the table saw so we spent a good bit of hands on time on the table saw.
The first cut is simple enough, a through cut to square up the end of the stock to be cut to final size.
The next part of the process is to do a non through cut to nibble away the wood to create the rabbet.
This process really illustrates to me how understanding what is going on will not only make for an excellent joint but one that was cut in a safe manner.
when crosscutting it is a good practice to slide your workpiece away from the blade a fraction of an inch to preserve the fresh cut. doing the same when cutting the rabbet is unsafe as you can pull uncut wood into the back of the running blade.

We had the chance to use the very comfortable and balanced Veritas plow plane. The hand plane was an option to making the cut on the table saw. The plow plane worked about as fast as setting up the saw and taking a couple of passes to make the groove.

This really illustrates to me how understanding what is going on will not only make for an excellent joint but one that was cut in a safe manner.

I wish I could say the second course of the year went as well.
Unfortunately I had to cancel the Hand applied finish course due to an injury I suffered working in a very short basement,for an extended period of time. It was nothing gruesome just serious enough to prevent me from getting to and doing the course.
I'm sorry for any inconvenience this caused anyone and I hope we can reschedule this class in the spring.

The second photo is of a little cabinet I built the other week, and just downloaded it for fun.

Ho No

2011-12-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

I don't know how it got to be Christmas, ZOOM, now it's New Years eve.
In my world, everyday minutes go by in seconds, yet paradoxically big plans are always the same distance away.
Fortunately all the Christmas projects were small (jewellery boxes and turned items etc.), so feelings of being behind were gone when each job was completed.

My first class of the new year is the treasure box at Lee Valley Downtown.
This was originally a kids project that was all butt joints and nailed, (a kit with a little cutting required). The little box attracted a lot of attention from both parents of the kids who made them as well as anyone who saw the original in the shop that I thought it would make a good beginners adult course. All the box needed was a few more challenging joints.

I had intended to get one built for display in the store to promote interest in the course, however time has sped up once again and the class is sold out.
My only fear now is if the description gives the impression of a box that is more blanket,than bread.

I have included a picture of the original, and will build the new (perhaps larger) version on Monday.

Split, Shave and Turn Movie on Youtube

2011-11-21T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well I finally got a movie up on Youtube
At the last bunch of seminars I have asked permission to set up the camera and film some of the goings on at the seminars.

My initial thought was that it would be good for people to look at a seminar demonstration again for a reminder of how to do something that we had covered in the class.

I also wanted to promote the seminars.
The vast majority of the feedback I get is that people had fun and learned something, and at each seminar I have fun and learn something so why not have more seminars.

The problem with the film a seminar Idea is despite what many employers want to believe, multitasking is a physical impossibility, sure you can tie a broom to your belt and sweep the floor whilst you walk to the copier, however the floor wont get done very well.

My proof of this thinking is my initial attempts to film some seminars, this resulted in rather static shots of me standing and talking or someones back as they leaned against the bench or shelf that the camera was on

I then found out that filming was the easy part compared to editing.
So I set up the camera and filmed a bunch of different operations at a bunch of different angles with the intention of editing everything into a logical sequence of events.
The next revelation was that logical is boring, I suppose that is why the calculus books on tape don't sell too well

The result of all this brain activity is my first attempt at film making, and there is nowhere to go but up. I just have to remind myself like the song in the video says its a slow boat ( what? you can't just use any music) see it while you can, it's called Split Shave and Turn

Perfectly Imperfect

2011-11-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

I Conducted my mitred box class at the Lee Valley east store last week. It was a challenge, as I hadn't done this project for 2 years and my notes from last time neglected to mention whether I had prepared the raised panels before the day of the class.

I now suspect that last time I had completed panels prior to the day, as this time the assembly of the boxes were about 2 hours behind schedule.
Thankfully I had a really charitable group of people who patiently waited while I ran pieces through the router table.

I had laid out most of the carcase boards so people could take advantage of the "defects" (or knot).
I was pleasantly surprised when one person chose a panel with a knot hole in the centre. This led to a discussion about aesthetics, which led to Wabi Sabi, a subject that has been occupying my design thoughts lately.
In trying to explain my Wabi Sabi perspective last Saturday I used the work of George Nakashima as an example(Table picture), but I thought I had better try to distill a definition.

The way of Wabi Sabi honours the humble and unconventional.
Wabi Sabi is frequently associated with the Japanese tea ceremony. Wabi Sabi fosters balance throughout all of life as well as design, celebrating the unusual occurrences of nature as valuable, not as defect to be removed.
Wood that is less than impeccable is regarded as humble, the idea being that humans need constant reminding by nature that the imperfect is the norm. (as we are nature and less than perfect).

The day was once again a reminder to me that the road is better than the Inn, even if it is bumpy and takes longer than you planned.

Thanks for a perfect day

Hand Applied Finishes

2011-10-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

Hand planes

2011-09-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

I did my hand plane seminar at Lee Valley Scarborough last month, and once again I had an excellent group of guys who participated in not only using the tools but in sharing their insight.

What I especially enjoy about the seminars is connecting and re-connecting with people. One of the guys has been to a couple of my seminars so we got to catch up on things and swap stories of our summers.

Another participant was a high school shop teacher who brought a few #5 Stanley planes as well as some fascinating information from the other side of the generation gap.

It was timely as I had just read an article in September 5th's Maclean's magazine entitled "why our kids can't use a hammer"

The picture is of the enclosed tail vise I mentioned (photo from Wood magazine) it is a great way to hold boards whilst using the hand plane. This is what I was missing from the seminar bench, however we borrowed the bench pucks from the showroom and I was really impressed how well they held a board in place as I worked the surface.

The article I mentioned during the class was called,"Try back-beveling your plane blade" by Chris Gochnour in the March/April issue of fine woodworking.
This sharpening technique will help you tackle difficult grain.
Another excellent reference text is called Hand Tools, their ways and workings by Aldren A. Watson

I finally wrote the blog

2011-09-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

Well I managed to do this,(write the blog) and I'm at a loss to explain where the time went. In an effort to figure out where the time went I am now re-examining the evidence.

Exhibit "A" it was Summer.

Exhibit "B" The house was for sale.

We listed the house for sale in April and I blocked out how all consuming that process is.

We had a home stager come in and of course that means all our stuff went out, the house looked good and I was fine with the minimalism. I just couldn't find anything.

I was even o.k. with agents giving a moments notice to show the place (which means getting out for an hour).
This was fine for the first month (which is how long it took to sell the last house)but it soon got annoying.

We kept waiting and nothing happened, apparently it was an odd real estate year. Most of the houses in our neighbourhood didn't sell, including ours.

I dealt with real estate experience by making plans for the new shop and new direction. The latter fell into place in quick fashion when I was introduced to Wabi Sabi by my friend Jayson.

Wabi Sabi is an aesthetic that is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete". It immediately became the description to what I have been trying to achieve in my work, more craft and less cabinetry.

September arrived and the artistic development continues, I am currently reading an excellent book on creative anxiety that is really putting things in perspective for me. (Mastering Creative Anxiety by Eric Maisel)

Of course I am also doing my seminars at Lee Valley tools, the photos are from last weeks hand tool course, I had some wonderful participants that got "stuck in" and gave most everything a try.

Thanks for a great evening

Spring Focus

2011-03-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and I can feel the difference.
The weather hasn't really changed, perhaps it's the anticipation of things to come, the tomato's are sprouting, new growth is palpable.
I have one more commission to complete then I will be able to enact my plan to focus.
Focus by narrowing my focus, less boxes and more sculpting and shaping (carving, bending turning).

I conducted another steam bending seminar at Lee Valley Tools on St. Patrick's day.
We certainly had the luck of the Irish, many successful bends as well as a good group of people who participated and asked some great questions.

The photo on the right answers the question as to how to get the oval box home without taking any of Lee Valleys clamps.
I have converted many of my jigs to use wedges instead of clamps ( much nicer when working alone) however I was short some pegs and wedges so the old clamp holes saved the day when bending this oval piece.
Once cool the tape was used to keep things in place until it is ready for assembly.

As well as the classes I have been getting some pieces ready for Maclaren Gallery here in Barrie. I need to replenish stock from last months sales.
The gift shop at the Maclaren carries my spurtles,cutting boards and wands.

Quite a Scrape

2011-02-27T09:59:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who attended the scraper class at Lee Valley tools. It was good to see some familiar faces (Scott and Mark) as well as some new faces.

Like everything in wood working the card scraper seems difficult, however with a little practice you will be scraping up shavings in no time. Here is a brief overview of the card scraper procedure.

The purpose of the operation is to make the 2 long edges flat and at a right angle to the sides, then we want to roll a fine burr (to do the cutting)

Filing

1. clamp the scraper into a vise (wood protected jaws or a machinist vise)
2. using a mill file, file in line with the edge. We used the Veritas jig for this
in the class to help keep us at right angles.
3. Clean up the 90 degree intersection (sides) with a stone ( Diamond or slip stone
or some fine grit sandpaper backed by a block)
4. remove scratches from long edges , my method for this is to use my diamond stone
like a file whilst the scraper is still clamped into the vise, it is easy and
there is less chance of rounding over the edges.

Roll The Burr (two steps to this, raising the burr and turning it)

5. To raise the burr the scraper is now laying flat on the bench, close to the edge.
slide the burnisher back and forth about ten times ( the burnisher is
perpendicular to the long edge of the scraper and angles down a few degrees ( this
is when the ticking sound is produced)

Turn the Burr

6. I find it easiest to put the scraper back into the vise and run the burnisher
over the edge, with the burnisher at an 85 degree angle.
7. with medium pressure downward slide the burnisher forward and across at the same
time. Then take a test cut, fingers along the sides and thumbs pushing the
scraper into a bowed shape.

if things aren't working out try again but alter your angle and pressure.

I personally have never used the inside of a goose neck scraper. Any concave shape I have ever encountered was taken care of with a scraper that I have ground to match the shape at hand. When the question of attacking the inside of that goose neck came up Stephane had a set up that is simply brilliant ( see the photo of the vise)
The file is clamped at 90 degrees to the jaws in the soft wood of the vise. The scraper is passed by the file resting on the top vise jaws.

E-mail is ken@kentunnard.com

2011-02-19T10:11:00.001-08:00

Square peg in a round hole

2011-02-16T09:48:00.000-08:00

This month I have 2 seminars at Lee Valley tools.
Last Friday I conducted steam bending techniques at the Downtown Toronto location ( thanks to everyone who attended for a superb evening) and tonight I will be scraping up a storm at the east end store, as we explore the cabinet scraper.

Yesterday I was in the shop, building some drawers for a project. Generally when I build drawers, I will either dovetail the boxes together or rabbet and peg them. I use the second method more often than the first as it is fast and strong and fairly easy. I talked about this method at a recent seminar and I said I would do a little follow up on the blog, so here it is.

I start by planing and cutting all drawer parts to size, then I rabbet the drawer fronts to hide the butt end of the drawer sides.

The sides are drilled on the drill press to receive the pegs (1/4"), the holes are squared with a chisel to a depth of about 1/4".
I like the look of the square pegs better than the round hardware store dowels, and when you make them yourself they begin as square dowels.
The pegs are made from offcuts so they can be made from any species. (oak in this case)

The rip fence is set to a heavy quarter inch and the blade is turned up to just shy of a quarter inch. this method keeps the peg attached to the block after being passed over the blade on both the side and edge.

The square pegs are the pulled away from the block ,carefully passed over a block plane, whittled roundish (leaving the head of the peg square) and hammered into a 1/4" hole in a steel plate.

Once the drawer is assembled and the glue is dried, the drawer front can be drilled to accommodate the round portion of the peg, and because the sides were drilled prior to assembly everything aligns perfectly.

The last step is to cut the excess peg flush to the drawer side.

This method works well for box making as well.

time to clean the air

2011-01-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays I went shopping for one of those Items that was really overdue. An air filtration device.

A dust collector picks up the sawdust that you can see and an AFD gets the stuff you can't.
For years I have used a window fan with a furnace filter wired (tied) to it's face, this worked, however one of my goals for 2011 was to focus on shop needs and stop all the occupied woodworking.

Occupied Woodworking is my term for quickly slapping together a jig or fixture, because the need is immediate.
the term came about after reading stories of craftspeople and designers during the Nazi occupation and how they continued to work using whatever resources were at hand. The projects were not always pretty yet they did the job.

So for 2011 patience and the future will be my watchwords.

On the top of my list of post war projects was the air cleaner, it was elevated to number one after a cold/throat ailment that started in November and lasted for a month.

The plan to purchase over making was simply due to the fact that over the years I have thought of building an AFD, a furnace fan has never made it into my possession, so I figured I would simply buy a manufactured unit.

Two hooks in the ceiling and one plug in the wall later and I was filtering air.

After some time and observation, I think I feel a difference and I also believe there is less fine dust on a lot of tool surfaces, but then I fear it is what I want to see (like a placebo effect), and I wonder if I could have simply willed the dust away.

Managing Work

2010-11-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

I am managing to get some work done as well as making some plans for the shop.

Most things I have built for the workshop have been for a specific job and therefore time has not been a luxury. My intention is to take care of things later and get the jig at hand to the working stage, but of course later has to be scheduled.

This really hit home for me at my post and rung stool class, when I was unloading my shaving horse. The edges were sharp and the finish was not complete so I made it my first "later" by rounding over edges sanding and putting 3 coats of wiping varnish on it.

I am now looking around at the shop for more targets, and I believe the open lathe stand will be next.
The open shelves get covered in shavings which in turn wastes more time, as whatever is stored there gets removed and replaced during cleaning.

I have been sketching, and I believe I am closing in on the plan for the lathe. Some of the perameters are that it has to be strong enough to support the lathe as well as being able to endure the odd roll around the shop. The cabinet must also have drawers, and only drawers (I am growing to despise doors that are located close to the ground.)

The shaving horse was designed by Brian Boggs Fww139

trying to bend and coming up empty

2010-10-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

I am having some busy days lately, I have a few pieces to build as well as seminars and courses to prepare.
First up is a steam bending seminar at the Lee Valley West store.
This has inadvertently resulted in me taking my first hit of the battle, trying to find wood.
Apparently I have been really lucky in getting bending stock these last 10 years.
Initially I dealt with a small mill in Oro/Medonte who air dried his lumber, and like a kid in the candy store I simply wandered about picking the pieces I wanted, but he is no longer in business.

The fellow I presently buy from kiln dries his lumber. This has not been a problem , as he has been most accommodating in leaving a board or two out of the oven for me whenever I need some bending stock.
The difficulty this time was, he had no oak logs that had been recently felled.

I tried another sawyer only to find he has closed his doors and turned off the saw for good.

I finally honed in on some green wood by calling 2 guys I know, one sells portable saw mills and the other sells firewood.

Herb the firewood guy kindly went for a walk in the woods ,looking for a straight piece of ash, and I spent the other afternoon splitting and shaving it into parts for the class.

Falling for Hand Tools

2010-09-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

The Fall is already shaping up to be a busy time, I have enough courses and commissions on the board that I will now declare 2010 over.

One of the above mentioned courses scheduled for Lee valley, involves building a magazine rack/carrier.

It is from a plan I drew and built several years ago, however it was built with power tools. So in the interest of truthful representation, procedural explanation and fun, I decided to make another.
I honed the bench plane, spokeshave,and chisel, together with a couple of hand saws and my camera I put another magazine rack together and heard every word of the music.

Hypersonic summer

2010-08-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Does every summer go too quickly? perhaps the winter causes forgetfulness.

This summer I did 4 courses at Lee Valley (east Toronto) and once again it was great fun.
I was concerned as to whether we would get enough people for the seminars to run but that was not the case.
I even remembered to dig out the camera, and a charitable participant took some terrific pictures.

The speedy summer didn't completely get the best of me, and I did make a point to set aside some time for a shop project. This is a bigger job than it sounds.
Fixtures and such are generally constructed because a job requires them or a homeless tool causes more bother than building a shelf or a board with pegs.

This was the case with my hand planes. The hand tool cabinet was getting packed often with one tool sitting in front of another which made for a frustrating experience every time a plane was needed, so I decided to make a hand plane cabinet to free up some space.
I believe it was a piece of leftover plywood that convinced me , and before I knew it the carcase was made the planes were in place all that was left was a face frame and doors to keep the dust at bay, that was 2 years ago, apparently the hypersonic summer infected the autumn which in turn....

So the winner of the first shop project was the incomplete cabinet.
The doors and face frame are ash, panels are wormy Butternut and the knobs are African Mahogany, all courtesy of the scrap pile.
Now all I need is a few more planes to fill the empty spots.

Skittles and Seminars

2010-07-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

I conducted 2 seminars at Lee Valley tools during this past week.
Thursday evening we looked at the cabinet scraper, and Saturday we were finishing wood.
Once again I was among enjoyable, enthusiastic people that asked a lot of good questions.
True participants

I mentioned a few books on Saturday, they were Understanding Wood Finishing by Bob Flexner. Flexner's book was the "textbook".
I particularly like the myth and fact sections that are throughout the book.
Another good book is by Teri Masaschi (Foolproof Wood finishing)she has included some good recipes as well as a fine explanation of rubbing out the finish.

I even managed to take a photo at the end of the scraper evening, as well I included a picture of a walking stick. One of the attendees had a really convoluous laminated stick that had inspired him to begin to make a walking stick, which of course reminded me of walking sticks I have made.

I was describing the pictured stick which was a reject from the chair part rivings. It is simply a piece of split ash, shaved (preserving the form created by the wood flowing around a couple of knots) .
The "T" shaped handle was inspired by a painting I saw at the National Gallery of Ireland, The handle provides a perch to lean on as well as a hook to hold back branches.

I believe these are the best projects they are quick and simple, require the least amount of tools but provide the most solace.

Just Cutting Wood

2010-06-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

Nothing too groundbreaking to report, this month.
I have been cutting and turning and chopping mortises
I am presently working on some nightstands, small boxes and wands (magic sold separately)

The wands are one of the ways I stay on top of the short pieces that get kept because they are too good to throw out.
I want to make an effort to turn them into something, (no pun intended) instead of gathering them into an ever increasing collection of offcuts.
It takes a conscious decision to prioritise the seemingly unimportant things as well as the effort to act on an idea that appears somewhat frivolous.

Quite often that bit of meandering will stimulate greater ideas as well as clean out the short stock box.

I am also preparing for some Summer classes at Lee Valley Tools (Toronto East).
I have never done any classes in the summer so I am curious to see if we get enough people.
Surely everyone doesn't have a cottage.

By Guess or by God, the Table saw class

2010-05-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday the 22nd I ran a Table saw class at the Lee Valley east store.
By guess or by God was one of the comments from one of the evaluation forms,it was referring to his previous approach to woodworking. I liked the saying as well as the author.( it's the first time I ever heard it)

Once again I was blessed with a wonderful group of enthusiastic people who made the day very enjoyable,and as always Jennifer Hart the seminar coordinator had things ready and organised.

As is often the case there is never enough time to talk about all the woodworking I want to, that being said naturally I forgot to take any photos of the day.

Lee Valley has the big Sawstop cabinet saw, this is the machine that shuts down and retracts the blade if contact is made with flesh. It is a good Idea ( this being a hands on class one doesn't want it to become hands off)
The saw took a little time to get used to,( lots of bells and whistles compared to the 1951 Unisaw) But I suppose this is not unlike driving an unfamiliar car. in time it will become second nature.
There is a demo of the mechanism on their website Sawstop.com

I am starting to realise that sailors are a sentimental lot.
I have just finished another boat transformation, this time a portion of the stern was turned into a display case.
I guess woodworkers are nostalgic as well, I found some photos of McGowans mill (no longer in operation unfortunately) so I thought I would post them.
This place was like stepping into the past, a belt driven circular blade that ran off a tractor, that produced good lumber, courtesy of good people.

plodding,and board(s)

2010-04-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

Well I have spent the last couple of weeks working at converting a gun cabinet to a book cabinet. That must be an analogy of some sort (the book is mightier than the rifle ?)

As well as my disarmament activities, I have also been working on some pieces for the Maclaren Gallery gift shop.
I turned some spurtles and made a new line of cutting boards. the boards will be in the product section of my website soon.

Another website addition will be another little film.

The first film is a spontaneous product of my friend Brians creativity and has garnered so many favorable comments I asked him to do another.

The new video follows the same casual flavour as the last one, and is a review of some of the process involved in making a post and rung stool that I hope will be offered as a fall 2010 course at Lee Valley Tools

Cast Your Sabots Into The Machinery

2010-04-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought it was safe to hit the on switch , my lathe started to make a noise. Not the rattle of the variable speed pulley, it was more of a metal on metal sound, perhaps a bearing.
I wasted no time and prepped for exploritory surgery.

What I found once I got the lathe open was a broken pulley, that went to pieces when I removed it from the machine.
The quality of the broken part was dissapointing to say the least, white metal (cast aluminum) with a flange that was as thin as a bad artery.

To add insult to injury the price for a new pulley was $180.00, I just couldn't do it.

After investing some time and money coming up with an alternative solution I am left with a quieter lathe, however the process to change speed is slow (despite the beautiful new steel pulley) I like the original shift on the fly action of the machine but not enough to put up with the sound of being on a train.

I think the next step is step pulleys

recent woodwork project

2010-03-13T08:26:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy month in the shop. I had a commission for a cabinet to house an entertainment system (interesting how these have changed from a cabinet to hide everything to a unit to display the components.)
This one is made from Butternut and maple ply. I included the shop photo as it more accurately shows the colour of the wood

I wish I could build as fast as I make plans,I want to build some of the things I have been sketching, as well as some shop fixtures, as well as some furniture for the house. I did get a kitchen table built, so thats a tick in one box.

I also want to do some shows this year, I have always regarded them as advertising rather than retail, however lately I have realised that I miss that personal contact.
I think one or two shows or events will be good, I just have to decide where and when.

Vacation is over

2010-02-09T08:26:00.000-08:00

I'm back from the south, it certainly was nice to feel warm again.
I met a wonderful woodworker named Monty. We had a great time talking about woodworking and tropical wood.
I had taken a gouge and a woodworking book as a gift and Monty presented me with one of his sculptures.
Now I am back home to the cold weather, it's time to get to work, I am finishing a commission and then onto some small pieces for a gallery and some shows.

new year's resolution

2010-01-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

One of my resolutions for 2010 is to have some blog consistency.
So in an attempt to check off "update your blog at least once a month", I am forcing myself to sit at the computer and just do it.
In lieu of having something to say I have included a picture of a recent cuttingboard, made from some "wild" looking maple and a couple of strips of purpleheart.
Happy New year

One persons trash is another persons witherby

2009-12-17T18:49:00.000-08:00

I was at the Restore last year and while digging through a bin looking for a clamp,
I found a chisel.

It was an old socket chisel with some splinters that were once the handle. It is funny how the older steel simply looks better than a lot of the new chisels one sees these days.

The chisel was stamped Witherby, which it turns out was made by the Winstead edge tool works in the U.S.
wkfinetools.com has a good write up on the company.

The chisel sat patiently without it's handle on the magnetic tool holder beside my bench until a couple of weeks ago when the table saw adventure freed some time.

I chucked a piece of cherry into the lathe and cut a leather washer, and now I have a useable chisel, on the magnetic holder.

Table saw highs and woes

2009-12-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

After living with a table saw with substandard mitre slots, I decided to take it to a machinist to correct the problems.

It was decided to machine another slot the proper (standard) width in the top and adjust the right hand slot to the proper depth.

The next day instead of getting a call that the job was complete,I was informed that something had gone wrong.
I arrived at the machine shop to see that the thickness of the top was never checked and I now had a hole through the table top.(right hand picture)

After considering repairing or replacing the top, I looked at Kijiji and like a gift on Christmas morning there was an old Delta Unisaw at a reasonable price just waiting for me.(left hand picture)
Little did I know that the roller coaster ride had just begun.

All I had to do was remove the 3/4 hp motor that was on the Delta and replace it with my 3hp motor, it sounded simple,then came the wiring.

The Delta came with a lovely push button switch, however it had many terminals, and this confused me.
The old saw had a toggle switch with 2 terminals (one for each wire)
I was out of my comfort zone So I called an electrician.

Everything on the saw was wired 120 (which I was aware of) so the relay had to go and it was decided the best course of action is to put a new magnetic switch on the saw. So off he went(the electrician) and into the picture comes the customer service desk .

The price for the switch was a flooring $308.00. After I came to, they started to look for another supplier and found a switch for $132.00, the only problem is that the second supplier delivers via carrier pigeon and it would take 3 days to arrive.

I wait the 3 days which puts me into a second week without the saw.
It would take an additional day and a half before I finally get lucky enough to talk to a person, who tells me it would be Monday (tomorrow)

I'm certain I will laugh at this someday, I just know that it isn't today.

2009-11-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

Well this year has really got away from me, (I blame the absence of summer)
As a result my best laid plans will most likely have to apply for official do over status.

In the mean time I thought I would put up a couple of pictures of some things I did do

Lee Valley Downtown & East Seminars

2009-10-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in my Hand Applied Finishing course at Lee Valley on Oct. 10 Downtown and on Oct. 24 at the Scarborough store.

Both groups were excellent participants and we had a highly enjoyable learning experience.

Untable

2009-06-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

During a storm last winter a large branch came down from one of our maple trees.
I harvested a few pieces of wood, one of which was this branch.
It immediately presented it self in my sketches as a small table base. The photo shows the result of the drawing.

Kid's Stepstool

2009-05-31T18:57:00.000-07:00

The step stool is a very popular project in my woodworking kids class. So I thought I would put it up here. It is a good project for all ages, however, it's especially good for young woodworkers.

I pre-cut all pieces and the participants shape and assemble the stool. The two side-stretchers are counter sunk and screwed in place to be concealed with wood filler. There are two mitred support pieces that are about 6 inches long. These help square the construction. The top is attached to the gables by use of pocket holes and can be shaped with a block plane or a file.

This stepstool is made out of pine because it is easy to shape, however any wood in your scrap bin will do. It only uses 3 board feet.

2009 Is Upon Us

2009-02-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

And I'm already feeling the weight!

Each year I have a habit of labelling the new year with a goal related phrase.

This year I believe it will be "Getting in to the Work".

I am spending time with my sketchbook designing some new projects that are just for me.

2008 was spent doing seminars and classes for the most part and it was great. I always get as much from my students as I give. It is very inspiring to see new woodworkers (sometimes only 6 years old!) getting excited about the craft.
My roots are in sketching and painting and sometimes I need to get back in touch with my purely creative side.

So in 2009 I am taking time to allow myself the luxury of exploring ideas and designing purely for visual effect without considering the actual function of the pieces. (I will let form lead for a while)

I will stay in touch and share my sketches as the new body of work develops.

Autumn Update

2007-11-26T14:02:00.000-08:00

The last quarter of the year has been full of activity and inspiration.
This has included an excellent visit to the Irish Craft Guild in Kilkenny and the National Gallery in Dublin.

In October I was at the Woodworking Machinery & Supply Expo in Toronto where I had the pleasure to work for Mini Max tools demonstrating the 300 Smart combination machine.

It is a quality machine and a first class company.

Many thanks to Massimo Paganelli from Mini Max, Italy and Richard Hould From Mini Max, Canada, for a great show.

Another Year at the Show

2007-03-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well, another year the Canadian Home Workshop Show is over and, once again, the overriding memories are of meeting all the wonderful woodworkers who stopped by the Masters Woodshop to see the project - a really sturdy and still good looking workbench - to observe it being built and to just talk shop.

I really appreciate all the positive comments about the project and we were all really pleased that the raffle for Habitat for Humanity was a rousing success.

Finally, congratulations to the winner of the workbench and the Bosch tools that I used to build it, Pat Strange.

Are you looking for one of Ken's Woodworking Seminars?
Go to the Courses page for full information and course schedules.

Canadian Home Workshop Show

2007-02-14T03:11:00.001-08:00

See Ken in person at the
Canadian Home Workshop Show!

TORONTO
CANADIAN HOME WORKSHOP SHOW
MARCH 2-4, International Centre, free parking

Hundreds of great ideas for do-it-yourselfers; supervised hands-on woodworking workshops and seminars.

Master Craftsman Ken Tunnard will build a workbench that will be raffled off with monies going to Habitat for Humanity. Paul Daly, the creative show carpenter on HGTV's Divine Design and Mag Ruffman a.k.a. the Tool Girl , who will be on hand to share their expertise. Other areas are the interactive Women's Woodworking and the Dream Workshop.

Show tickets, hours and information call 416-218-3550 or visit www.canadianhomeworkshop.com/show.