The Easy Woodworking Blog

When a tree is dead, what should be done with it? Most people would say it should be cut down and discarded, but others come up with more creative solutions. One Colorado man fills a niche in his area by making woodwork projects out of standing beetle-killed trees into a variety of items.

Mark Mahoney of Summit County, Colorado, specializes in creating custom carvings out of standing beetle-killed pine and other trees. He sees that kind of work as green construction and a creative way to use the dead wood. He shifted into his current niche after owning a tree removal service and hearing customers say that they would rather the wood was put to good use.

He does some large and elaborate projects; such as a fifteen-foot totem pole he created in Dillon Valley, but will also do smaller projects like carving a stump into a toadstool. He did the totem pole with a chainsaw, chisel, sander, and other tools over the course of eight days. Although it is not his focus, he does take trees down as well, using his portable mill to build them into custom furniture, sheds, playhouses, or other projects.

Mahoney’s work fills a niche for green construction, carving beetle-killed trees, and custom woodworking and craftsmanship in Summit County, Colorado. The Mountain Pine Beetle, which is native to the forests of western North America, kills large numbers of pine trees in Colorado annually. Making good and creative use of these dead trees in Colorado is a useful practice. Many people also enjoy having something as visually arresting as a totem pole carved out of a dead tree on their property.

Mahoney’s practice of carving standing dead trees into interesting objects is an unusual but intriguing idea. I think it’s always a good idea to reuse something instead of throwing it away.

Technorati Tags: ideas woodworking, woodwork projects

One of the most exciting advances in Web 2.0 is social networking. While sites such as Facebook do include woodworking groups, there are advantages to sites that are designed specifically for creative individuals. A social networking site called The Behance Network offers a forum for artists such as woodworkers to showcase their work, get feedback from peers, and get offers for professional work.

You can post pictures of your woodwork projects on The Behance Network for free and get exposure. The number of photos you can post is unlimited and the projects can be finished, in progress, or part of a portfolio. Behance advertises a professional, stripped-down portfolio display which eliminates the need to build your own website. They also claim to have millions of visitors and offer the ability to stream your projects to partner websites. To join, you must request an invitation by submitting your email and a brief description of the work that you do.

Another benefit of The Behance Network is giving and receiving feedback from other woodworkers. Your work can be rated and critiqued and you can do the same for others. You can also create watch lists of projects from artists you admire and collaborate online with others. The site also offers discussion groups known as “circles” in which users can discuss issues and design trends. I only found one listed in the “Wood Working” category, but more could be created.

If you are a professional woodworker of budding professional, Behance can be a great way of finding work. The site claims “recruiters, editors, and other creative industry leaders from around the world use the Network to find, track, and hire top talent.” Whereas with sites like monster.com and careerbuilder.com the employer posts a job description and receives a flood of applicants, it works the opposite way with Behance. There, the job seeker posts his or her woodwork projects in a portfolio and the employer sifts through the various portfolios to find the type of designer they are seeking. Then the client initiates contact with the freelancer or job seeker.

If you want to show your woodwork to the world, give and get constructive criticism on it, or find paid woodwork projects, the Behance Network is a place to go. Why not take advantage of all that the Web has to offer?

Technorati Tags: ideas woodworking, social networking for woodworkers, woodwork projects

“Two heads are better than one” is a well-known saying. So, why not put the two woodworking heads of supply and work together? Some woodworkers in Champaign, Illinois are doing just that by starting a dual-purpose woodworking retail store and workshop that will offer benefits to its members.

Dennis Coleman of Champaign is the originator of the project, which will serve the Champaign-Urbana region. He says that the idea grew from his own need for a larger workspace in which to do woodwork projects. Many other local woodworkers have the same problem. The building, which has a planned opening of October 1st, will take up 15,200 square feet, with the workshop on the west side and the retail store on the east side. The woodshop, to be called The DreamShop, will include band saws, sanders, planers, routers, table saws, joiners, panel saws, drill presses, and computer controlled routers. The retail store, to be called CU Woodshop Supply, will hold about $150,000 to $200,000 worth of quality, brand-name tools.

The retail store will be open to the general public but the workshop will only be open to members. Members will be joint owners in the venture, making an initial $10,000 investment. That will make them a stockholder in the company with a 1/500th share. They will also be required to perform maintenance work on the facility and pay a $1,000 per year maintenance fee.

The facility will be a great place for its members to do woodwork projects. In addition to The DreamShop, they will have access to an owner’s lounge, library, computer lab, and over $150,000 worth of tools and accessories. They will also receive discounts on purchases from CU Woodshop Supply and priority status in signing up for demonstrations and classes that will be held at the facility. Perhaps the greatest benefit is the interaction they will have with the other woodworkers and the sharing of knowledge and ideas.

The side-by-side woodworking shop and supply store will be a unique facility that gives advantages to its shareholders. Perhaps others should take it as an example and start similar facilities in their communities.

Technorati Tags: woodwork projects, woodworking shop

“When you see kids selling lemonade by the sidewalk, always buy from them.” That is a piece of wisdom I once read in one of those short books of fatherly advice. I think it is good advice and that kids’ lemonade stands are a great summer tradition. Writer Susan Dunlap of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram also thinks so and wrote an article giving instructions on how to build a simple lemonade stand that she designed.

Dunlap says she got the idea to design and construct a lemonade stand when her daughter expressed a desire to sell lemonade. She remembered her own childhood of selling lemonade in the summer and calls it a rite of passage for children everywhere. As she says, the kids may not make any profit and end up drinking most of their stock, but it is a lot of fun for them and a good way to spend hot summer days. Besides, they may even learn something about work.

Dunlap saw an unfilled need for a simple lemonade stand. She writes that she used a rickety card table when she was a kid and that her daughter was using a tray table that was too weak to hold all of her supplies. She searched online for an easy woodworking plan for a lemonade stand, but says that everything she found was too complicated. So, she devised her own plan to suit her self-described limited woodworking skills. Her plan only requires a circular saw, power drill, sander, and some paint.

The end result that is shown on the article’s web page is an attractive white lemonade stand that is staked into the ground. It is three feet high by two feet wide with hinged parts and draw catch clasps. It is staked into the ground with two tent stakes. It is sanded down and painted white, probably a good idea to keep the surface from absorbing too much heat. Dunlap pained the word “LemonAde” on hers with an art brush and Rustoleum paint, but cutout letters could also be used to add that touch.

For the detailed instructions, click here. If you have kids, building a nice lemonade stand would be a great easy woodworking project for you and something that they would appreciate.

Technorati Tags: easy woodworking, woodwork projects

Ten thousand Windsor-style chairs were shipped from Philadelphia to Havana between 1797 and 1799. The chairs were very popular in their day, and still are among classic wood furniture lovers. Woodworker George Mathews constructs Windsor chairs, which have a long history and solid construction.

George Mathews is a woodworker who lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and has a long-standing passion for Windsor chairs. He was first introduced to hand-made Windsor chairs on a high school field trip to Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Their beauty struck him and a seed was planted. However, it was not until he was well into his adulthood that he actually attempted building them. Intimidated at first, he studied with master Windsor craftsman Mike Dunbar and overcame his fears. After retiring as a carpenter, he decided to make Windsor chairs to provide supplemental income. He now makes sought-after, historically correct Windsors, using vintage tools, milk paint, and without sandpaper.

Windsor chairs are about two hundred years old, with origins in England. Their origin and name are uncertain. One story is that they are named after the royal town of Windsor in England. Another is that they got the name after King George III stopped at a house near Windsor Castle after a hunting trip and encountered the chairs there. But, according to Mike Dunbar, they were around before the time of King George III, first making an appearance during Queen Anne’s reign in the early eighteenth century. He cites the first record of a Windsor chair as being in a British probate inventory of a man’s estate in 1709.

The chairs became very popular in the United States after being imported from Britain. They were redesigned by colonial furniture-makers in the mid-eighteenth century to be more lightweight. The chairs were originally very heavy and ornate, intended for the elite of society. In the democratic spirit of the early United States, they became the chair of the common man. They could be found in kitchens, dining rooms, entryways and gardens.

The chairs have always had a solid construction. Many of the antique chairs can be found today. Their solid construction comes from the fact that the legs are fit directly into the bottom of the chair and splayed. Because of that, the joints get stronger as they are used because they tighten. Chairs whose legs attach directly to the back, such as ladder-back chairs, are likely to weaken as they are used over time.

George Mathews is a woodworker who loves making the storied and sturdy Windsor chair by hand. Because of their quality, they will never go out of fashion.

Technorati Tags: Windsor chairs, woodwork projects