Fine Furniture Design

New Video Launched July 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:55:00 +0000

New Video Launched July 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:14:00 +0000

The new Marc Fish video has been launched on YouTube, you can view it by clicking in this linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB4PmdQhTqk

Let me know what you think.

Nautilus coffee table gets Marc a forth Guild Mark

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:40:00 +0000

Nautilus (2011)

With a brief for a large statement piece, with maybe a hint of the sea - its location being a large loft style appartment overlooking the English Channel. An open breif from the client is every makers dream.- room to explore, experiment and innovate. A new technique was developed to turn 4000 pieces of veneer strips into a 10 mm thick logarythmic spiral.

Edition of 2, no 2 is for sale, both are unique in colour and style.

Awarded Guild Mark no 435 by the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers

Drawing board project finally. June 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:16:00 +0000

Drawing board final pictures project finished

Pen stand comes off the drawing board base using a reclaimed aluminium light stand.

I made a paper feed using the parallel motion rollers from the old board and a couple of pieces of turned aluminium to hold the tube.

A finished project a very stylish and practical drawing board.

Drawing board project update. June 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:24:00 +0000

Acrylic top now fitted with chamfered edges, these have been polished. The board mounts onto the supports that you saw in the last blog

The drafting arm came from the states and I have stripped it of paint and hand polished it. Here it is in pieces before being rebuilt, take pictures before you take apart to aid re-assembly.

A nice abstract shot of the board, with the new drafting arm in place. The light is just hitting the edge.

New drawing board project 1920's restoration

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Fri, 20 May 2011 08:36:00 +0000

New Drawing Board

I have always wanted an antique drawing board and my partner Vanessa was looking for a gift as it was my 40th birthday. The hunt was on which did not take very long, Ebay Buy it Now located in London. I was going to be in London to drop my Nautilus table to The Millinery Works Exhibition and I could pick it up after that, little did I know that it was located in the next road, what a stroke of luck.

Like my bench this was not going to be any normal drawing board, with polished aluminium drafting arm, clear acrylic board, pen table and perspective drawing arms.

Over the next couple of posts I will show you pictures as I work through it.

Original Board before work started

Acrylic strengthening bars for the board to be mounted on.

Acrylic board with chamfered and polished edges

Drafting arm components after sanding

Starting the polishing

Furniture with soul New Book inclusion

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:57:00 +0000

David Savage's new book Furniture with Soul has been receiving rave reviews. It is due out in May and is a available for pre order through Amazon.com. It is a great honour to be included in this prestigious group of furniture makers. David has edited the book and also written all the profiles. Here is a little snippet of his comments on my profile.

He is one of those creative businesspeople that seem poised to take over the world, the computer graphics ability and furniture-making skills that Marc Fish possesses make him an

interesting person to watch. Marc’s business model sets a standard for how a small furniture-making workshop can grow and develop in the years to come.

Open Studio May Brighton Festival exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:51:00 +0000

Open Studio

We will again open our doors for three weekends in May to the general public. Please feel free to come and visit us. We will have furniture on display along with photography, sculpture, painting, metal work. Open 14,15,21,22,28 & 29 May 11am -6pm An ideal time to come and discuss courses, furniture making commissions or bench rental.

Claxton Stevens Award Winner 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:26:00 +0000

Marc Fish wins Claxton Stevens Award

This years Claxton Stevens award has been awarded to Marc Fish for the best guild mark issued in 2010. Fourteen were issued last year for excellence in construction, design, materials and purpose. It puts Marc firmly in the league of John Makepeace, Andrew Varah, Silverlining and Richard Williams.

Marc's 'robinson house studio' is going from strength to strength, definitely the place to watch and train.

Maquette making February 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:41:00 +0000

I have always made maquettes in the past however it was not until I was asked to write an article on the very subject that I have really appreciated their importance. Furniture and Cabinet Making Magazine asked me to give advantages of making models before making the actual piece of furniture. The full article can be found at www.marcfish.co.uk here are some pictures of some maquettes we have made in the past.

Nest of Table, stainless steel, glass and timber 2004

Macassar ebony and stainless steel never made.

Laminated sycamore and walnut rocking chair never made.

Walnut and maple work bench 2010

new woodworkers workbench finished January 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 21:44:00 +0000

Pattern makers vice fully detailed

Nice view showing both vices

Brass planing stop which has been routed into front of bench, this is one of my favourite additions to my bench.

Turned and milled aluminium handles with brass ferrule.

Finished bench

New woodworkers workbench finished January 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 21:25:00 +0000

Woodworking Bench Finished January 2011

The bench is now finished so here are the last few images

The drawers are divided up to house tools both power and hand tool, above domino jointer and Lamello biscuit joiner

Router drawer with Makita Laminate trimer and all accessories

Plywood drawers fitted awaiting veneered MDF false fronts

Veneered MDF drawer fronts fitted, by using one sheet of 8 x 4 sheet we can match the grain across the drawers.

Finished bench in place aluminium handles fitted on drawer fronts and 4 coats of Osmo oil all round. Job well done.

Furniture Making Bench progress January 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 22:09:00 +0000

Latest pictures of the bench

Vices fitted and now starting carcass for drawer units

Using my Lamello biscuit jointer for the carcass components.

First half of drawer unit fitted.

Using the pattern makers vice, it is great for planing chamfers on pieces just adjust angle of vice until you are planing horizontal.

Bench located in its home with both drawer units fitted, these are made of Walnut veneered MDF with iron on edging. Next will be the drawers which we will be using soft close mechanisms from Blum.

January 2011 Back in the Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:52:00 +0000

Hi to everyone hope you are all well and have had a great break. Now it is time to get back in the studio and move the year forward. I have a lot of things planned for this year - some interesting commissions, finishing the Bench, a new video commercial for the website and YouTube. New changes to the courses we run are also exciting with improvements being made in the shape of outside lecturers in subjects like engineering, drawing, watercolours.

Back to the bench here are the latest project pictures.

As I had decided to flush fit a pattern makers vice, a lot of consideration was needed at both the design stage and throughout the making, here I am cutting the recess out to house the back of the vice.

Multiple cuts on the bandsaw has help remove the majority of waste required to house the vice. A small crosscut saw will remove the last of the waste and some filling, sanding will finish.

Dry glue-up with the front and rear rails.

Glue up front and rear rails.

Vice supported bracket fitted after quite a fair bit of tuning

Vice back fitted and new leather lining fitted, notice the first assembly of the Veritas twin screw vice at the other end of the bench.

Front section of vice fitted with new detailed machine wheel, these are custom items and do not come with the vice, it matches the ones we have fitted on the Veritas twin screw vice. normally all these vices would have a wooden bar handle. Not that cool

This is what it is all about the versatility, being able to adjust the vice at any angle if you have never seen one of these in action I suggest you check them out, it will change the way you work.

New freshly turned aluminium bench dogs which fit snugly in the brass ferrules mounted in the bench.

Image below shows new Veritas twin screw vice, these come with a chain cover but I like the look of the chain.

A busy New Year coming January 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 10:36:00 +0000

Wow Christmas over again, it always seems to sneak up on you and then your not ready for it. I always close the school for two weeks as I feel it would be nice to have a couple of weeks off - however after 3 - 4 days I get very twitchy and can't wait to get back to it. I have a few little jobs on the bench and I might go in today or tomorrow for a couple of hours.

The next intake date for students is second week in February, if you book a course before end of this year you will only pay 2010 prices. Do something this year that will change your life for the better. Have a look at our courses on www.marcfish.co.uk

I decided to biscuit the bench top pieces not for strength but for alignment. Even with the Plano clamp it is very hard to get them align perfect. On pieces of this size the biscuits add no strength to the construction and on this occasion no glue was added to them - this would help get it together without the biscuits swelling up and holding the assembly apart.

The first three pieces glued and clamped up.

Isobel the dog looks on.

Front rail being dry fitted to align vices - it is very important at this stage to work out exactly where the vices go as this will affect the position of the top. I had decided that the pattern makers vice should be inset as it looked a lot neater. It is however a lot harder to fit in this position. The casting of the vice is poor with different thicknesses and it is not square. A few minor irritations that you just need to be aware of if you ever decide to fit one.

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:30:00 +0000

Hi Welcome to the bench update, the frame is all done with feet fitted, I am now measuring up the side rails. It is a good idea to build this as a model to check proportions and the general look of the components.

The top is now being glued up with a dry run in our Plano clamp, it will be biscuited for alignment.

Biscuits are rarely perfect dimensionally here our apprentice is pressing them in an engineering vice to 3.80mm

Using a vernier gauge to check dimension of biscuits

Aluminium and brass plugs fitted

New workbench update.

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:23:00 +0000

Drilling using jig template for brass and aluminium plugs

Brass and aluminium plugs and bench dogs

Six of the twelve drawer handles

38 mm forstner bit used to bore out hole on the rails to join legs

Aluminium being turned into bench dogs

More soon

New workbench under construction

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 22:54:00 +0000

New Bench for the new studio

It is the ambition of many a furniture maker to build their dream bench. This has been mine for the last few years and I have have now embarked on this mammoth task. A lot of research and experience goes into building the right bench for oneself. Height, top size, storage, vices, work holding etc, but for me the aesthetic was equally important - I do have to stand at it for quite a large part of the working day, so shouldn't it look good. This is going to be quite some workbench. Walnut and maple with turned aluminium bench dogs and drawer handles. What this space for more images.

Timber awaiting machining

Planing face side on walnut legs

End rails marked up and domino joints cut

End sections glued up and clamped awaiting drying

Frame glued up and clamped using ratchet straps, feet have been fitted

More images soon.

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:02:00 +0000

Chris' chair in rippled maple

Chris' side table, two small boxes and bangles

Rhys' demi-lune table in wenge and ebony substitute

Rhys' wenge bench

nice detail inside the leg, made with router jig.

students work and at work

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:51:00 +0000

Rhys' wenge bench two weeks of hand planing, every 10 strokes of the plane was making the blade blunt and required sharpening.

Rhys hand sanding Black MDF which is being used as a substitute to ebony, a technique developed at robinson house studio

Machine room banter

Chris with one of the largest spoke shaves I have seen

student pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:45:00 +0000

new studio opens

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:42:00 +0000

For many years I have been driven to set up a studio that provided an exceptional level of tuition, one of the best equipped shared workspaces in the UK and an area that inspires great design and exemplary craftsmanship.
‘robinson house studio’ is the result of identifying that need. Areas such as design-history, ergonomics, aesthetics and running a business are taught alongside the more traditional subjects, these areas are often overlooked - resulting in poorly prepared students leaving the safety of the educational facility with little or no chance of either gaining employment or starting up on their own. This type of holistic approach is essential to ensure success for the student in the years following their course.

‘robinson house studio’ will not be instantly recognisable as a cabinet making workshop or school and this is deliberate. Students are encouraged to be experimental and innovation is combined with mixed media making. From day one the student's attention to detail in all areas of furniture making is nurtured, practical skills are entwined with business management and marketing.
The new studio offers a new unique style of furniture making course – one that focuses as much on design as it does on construction. The studio prides itself on standing out amongst the crowd. Innovation and experimentation are as important as tight joints, design and new materials are equal to techniques in dovetailing or finishing, it strives for perfection in all areas and this is a quality that is looked for in students and members.

The studio's teaching model has taken inspiration from past recognisable educational establishments, Parnham College (1970's - 2000) and the German Bauhaus school of the 1930's. ‘robinson house studio’ is different, the furniture I make, and the students I train are all different. The studio’s motto is “Don’t make furniture invent it” Inspiration for design is not taken from furniture but from architecture, nature, product, fashion and car design. This ensures new exciting work will continue to come out of’ robinson house studio’ and its students.

The studio’s ethos follows the work of pioneers such as Wharton Esherick, Wendell Castle and John Makepeace.

In 1968 Wendell Castle said “ I believe that furniture should not be derived from furniture, this practice can only lead to variations on existing themes. New concepts will arise only when we clear our minds of preconceived notions about the way furniture should look.

A high level of tuition is available whether it is a one week course or a one year course, all courses are bespoke and tailor made, class sizes are limited to around five, this ensures a plenty of one to one personal tuition by Marc Fish and not an assistant. The studio has outside visiting lecturers and new optional subjects are planed for students starting in 2011 – life drawing, CAD, site work, fitted furniture, milling and lathe engineering. Many students will enjoy using unusual materials mixed with traditional timber, cutting edge techniques and innovative design.

Le Orchidee finished and exhibiting in London

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:40:00 +0000

Le Orchidee desk has now been finished and had it's first outing this month to London. The Millinery Works exhibition featured some 40 UK designer makers. The exhibition was very busy with a good deal of encouraging feedback about the desk. The desk is now back at The Workshop and ready for our open weekend on 22nd & 23rd May.

Le Orchidee update

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:23:00 +0000

Le Orchidee desk is nearing completion here are a few pictures of the work in progress

20th December 2009

Full repot on The Gathering

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fish) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:59:00 +0000

The Gathering 27/06/09.

Introduction

The Gathering now in its second year was the brain child of James Ryan of Edward Barnsley Workshop, its premise was to get together makers in an event that could discuss and implement improvements to our industry. We are an insular bunch who rarely see other makers, and some of us rarely see daylight! So this annual event is a great opportunity for us all to get out of our workshops, talk shop, and hopefully have some long term benefit for designer/makers. This year 60 top makers from the UK attended with names including John Makepeace, Andrew Varah, Robert Ingham and Joseph Walsh, no other event can claim to gather such talented makers and it was a great privilege to attend this year having missed the inaugural event.

Venue

This year’s gathering was held at Ercol’s headquarters and factory. James Ryan, who designs a range of furniture for Ercol, was able (with the generosity of Ercol’s Managing Director) to hold the event at these wonderful premises. Built in 2002 the factory itself has won numerous awards. The entire Ercol production team including over 100 staff is housed in 160,000 square foot of modern, clean, working environment with a state of art extraction system enabling all areas of production to be side by side. The air is so clean even the upholstery and polishing section is located in the open plan factory. There’s a wall of natural light bringing the outside in and the factory makes full use of modern CNC machinery.

History

Ercol is one of the UK’s last remaining, large furniture manufacturing companies. Founded in 1920 by Lucian Ercolani and still family owed it is now run by nephew Edward Tadros. The family have moved with the times and invested heavily in new technology enabling them to still be trading in difficult times. The work force has decreased from 800 to 150 today which will ensure profitability and longevity. Their range of furniture has also evolved employing contemporary designers to keep the furniture modern and appealing to a new younger market. A lack of forward thinking and unwillingness to change has been the demise of many large manufacturers. Ercol are well set to still be making furniture for another 90 years.

Speakers

This year differed from last – the first year prominent designer/makers spoke about issues affecting the industry however this year outside speakers were all chosen for their background; a photographer, branding company, curator, public relations consultant and creative industries centre The Metropolitan Works.
All the speakers were very interesting but I personally gained the most from Brian Kennedy a curator, The Metropolitan Works and Barnaby Scott.

Brian Kennedy worked with the Irish Crafts Council prior to workig with the London gallery CAA. It was enlightening to hear him speak about what a curator’s role is and the impact it can have – Joseph Walsh who was in the audience has had his career catapulted through Brian’s input into exhibitions abroad and his work with the Irish Crafts Council. Furniture exhibitions often suffer from overcrowded exhibits, an endless sea of wood and no true connection between exhibits. Brian’s skill of choosing and mixing different disciplines in a setting helps the visitor imagine the pieces in their home and therefore having an impact on sales levels.

The Metropolitan Works is London’s leading Creative Industries Centre, helping designers and manufacturers develop ideas and bring new products to the marketplace with access to digital manufacturing, workshop space, advice, courses and exhibitions. Facilities can be hired on a project or day by day basis. This is a subject close to my heart as I feel the way forward for the industry is shared facilities and those available at The Metropolitan Works are very enviable.

The last to speak was Barnaby Scott of Waywood Furniture, Barnaby took the plunge last year and purchased a 3 axis CNC router, he was speaking of his experiences, the advantages and disadvantages of such a tool for a small workshop. The machine should be used to push the boundaries of designer/makers, and Barnaby who has only had the machine some 6 months and is already producing some ground breaking work; his walnut chest of drawers (F & C no 155 page 51) certainly is right on track in this respect.

Maker’s views

It was nice to put names to faces at the event and get an insight of what is happening with other makers – although the recession was not mentioned and everyone seems to be doing really very well! I am not sure if this is a true measure of the state of British furniture making or spin. I have however had many conversations with makers over the last few months with many saying that clients are backing out of commissions even at the last minute causing difficulties with workshop scheduling and, of course, cash flow. These are difficult times but as Ercol MD quoted “we have seen difficult times before and we will see them again”.

Jason Heap the new owner of Betty Norbury’s Celebration of Craftsmanship and Design was present and I spent some time with him discussing his plans for the future. Wisely this year the exhibition remains unchanged, but next year Jason will be putting his mark on the exhibition and hopefully building on the good work Betty had done over the last 15 years.

The most prominent moment for me that might have gone un-noticed by many, was a question by John Makepeace to the speaker on company branding “Did he not feel company branding was indeed unnecessary for an artist, and the artist should be known for his work and not a logo?”
I felt this to be a very valid point that provokes further thought as to the direction of furniture-making. It was however a question that was misdirected to the speaker as he would never be able to answer sufficiently coming from a biased angle. The group of 60 makers however must have had their own answer, if asked the question did they consider themselves artists or craftsmen? I think they would be split, with many of them benefiting from company branding and some of them happy to stand by their artist status feeling that a signature would be enough. What makes one furniture maker an artist and another a craftsman? Is it the value of his work financially or is it that the work is of cultural importance? It is this split that John’s question had highlighted that excites and intrigues me about our future.
Design Art the movement created by gallery owners to describe this very concept is fast growing, picking up momentum and gathering rich collectors along the way. The
V & A Furniture Futures in September will bring to the forefront these very subjects. The exhibition Telling Tales: Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design which will be running alongside this is already provoking much thought but little in the way to answering the question what is the future for designer/makers? I think we will see a definite split in the near future of art furniture from the umbrella of ‘furniture’
These may be difficult times but boy are they exciting times.