Veneered boxes with legs

These have been in the works for a while. Clear Danish oil will be applied to bring out the natural colors of wood.

Make, fix and create...

Post Office box doors

In about 1977 I had been given post office box doors from my father who had purchased them at auction in Valley Nebraska when the old post office had been torn down. Planning to make post office door banks, I visited Nations Hardwoods and bought various interesting and contrasting woods. To do right by the ornate brass doors and to honor the gift from my father, I went to bed that night and "saw" the means to fabricate inlay to be used on each one. They were sold at Nelson Leather Company in Eureka Springs.

Two leftover doors found use, one as a gift to my daughter, and one as a bank for receiving contributions to the Carnegie Public Library. When the one from the library was stolen and likely destroyed, I used ebay.com to find replacement doors to make them a new inlaid box.

What you see in the photo is one currently being crafted with the two remaining doors, as I am currently trying to clear up a few projects, crafting a clean slate. The tape is to remind me of the combination.

Make, fix and create...

from 3/12/2010

 3 characteristics of narrative

The first characteristic of narrative is what Jerome Bruner describes as its "inherent sequentiality: a narrative is composed of a unique sequence of events, mental states, happenings involving human beings as characters or actors." Bruner's second feature of narrative is that it can be "real" or "imaginary" without loss of its power as a story. Hence the power of well crafted fiction. Bruner's third crucial feature is that "it specializes in forging of links between the exceptional and the ordinary." That which is canonical or normal and by the rules, or noncanonical, breaking or transgressing the expected norms.

My point, in case you didn't already guess, is that narrative may be as strongly present in hand crafted work as in speech and written discourse, and in some cases can be more powerful. We place far greater value as a culture on written or spoken narrative and place far greater emphasis in education on discursive narrative than on that which is expressed by hand. And so part of coming to better terms with the value of crafted work lies in understanding its narrative role in human culture. Our objects describe who we are, where we are going, and the means through which we will arrive at our greatest potential.

These photos above and below of a recent piece of furniture showing narrative qualities in conformity with what Bruner outlines above. 

You will note that this table connects normal and unusual or exceptional elements in the same work. The contrast between the natural edged top board and the more conventional mortised and tenoned base is an example. While some viewers familiar with the process of crafting such work would know the sequence of operations the work records and describes, a casual viewer is drawn to skim or read it sequentially, just as one might skim or read a published text. 

Each and every piece of hand-crafted work is autobiographical in that it records and describes the maker's character as well as his motions in making the piece. The meander cut through the center of the board is used symbolically in a fictional representation of a river or stream, while also allowing use of a traditional technique--the sliding dovetail joint. And so, I hope my regular readers will understand that story telling, the foundation of human culture, is not just something that happens through words alone, but can take place whenever the human hand goes to work on wood.

Danish oil

A Danish oil finish penetrates to bring out the color and contrast in the various woods making them more lovely, and accentuating the craftsmanship.The inlay pins are nearly complete. Magnetic backs will be added.

Pins

Wearable inlay pins? or refrigerator magnets? Your choice.

These are made from samples of inlay from one of my earlier books, and in the effort of clearing a few things out, are being turned to use... After finishing, and the colors of the woods come to life, magnets will be fitted to the backs to which the inlay has been glued.

Years ago at War Eagle craft show, a craftsman in a neighboring booth was selling hand crafted stools and children's tables. I explained my process for making inlay and he turned that by the next year into a highly successful craft business, by changing the scale of the work— small enough to make earrings. I stuck with the larger scale of things so that individual species of wood might be discerned and known in contrast to each other.

Make, fix and create...

White oak cabinet

I've made the doors for a white oak, wall-hung cabinet which I'll attach using European hinges that will allow for adjustment, as the wide solid panel doors will be subject to expansion and contraction from seasonal humidity changes. Next I'll make shelves to fit inside. No cabinet pulls will be needed as the fronts hang down below the base, providing an easy way to open.

The cabinet is shown lying on it back and will be offered to ESSA when completed.

Wall hung cabinet details

I have returned my attention toward the wall hung cabinet I'm making. The photos show short dowels used to hide the screws holding the sides to the cabinet bottom and tapered dowels used to secure the top to the sides. The holes in the cabinet sides are slightly offset, requiring the dowels to be tapered to draw the lid tight. Next comes the shaping of the cabinet doors and installation of hinges.

Make, fix and create...