Furnitude

Dear Fine Woodworking

2009-10-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

I just received my December 2009 issue of Fine Woodworking and was disappointed to see not just one but three articles showing people using power tools without wearing safety glasses. You can talk all day about the best bevel angles for plane blades or the proper set for the teeth of a dovetail saw. But if there’s anything to be a real stickler about, safety is it.

One of the people pictured is an editor of the magazine. Another is a legendary teacher. I’d never presume to know more about woodworking than any of these folks, but I will say this: when turning, you should always at the very least wear safety glasses -- if not a full face shield. (Not to mention ear protection.) And to see a picture of someone using a grinder without safety glasses makes me cringe (just ask Roy Underhill how it feels to get a metal shaving in your eye – and that was from a foot-powered grinding wheel).

If the folks in this issue choose not to wear safety glasses in their own shops, that’s their business. To be sure, the responsibility of safety ultimately lies with the individual woodworker. But for anyone on the edge about whether or not to use safety glasses, it doesn't help to see photos of accomplished woodworkers not using them. What’s the case for it? Sell me on not using eye protection while using a router (with your face positioned close to the cutting action) or cutting tenons on a tablesaw. One of the people was using a jointer, and while there might be a lower risk of eye injury using that machine, the risk/reward equation doesn’t measure up. Risk: everything / Reward: saving the work it takes to put safety glasses on your face.

Also, all three people were wearing standard eyeglasses. I’ve never understood why people think that standard glasses could provide protection from pieces of wood hurtling toward them at 250 miles per hour. If I had a chunk of wood shot back at my face by a tablesaw (and I have), I sure wouldn’t want shards of glass traveling along with it. Even if these eyeglasses are fitted with impact-resistant lenses, they still don’t provide adequate protection. Like everything else in Fine Woodworking, it’s all about using the right tool for the job.

I’ve read many articles about safety in Fine Woodworking over the years, so I’m not suggesting they are not conscious of safety. The other people featured in this issue were wearing safety glasses and ear protection. But like doing woodworking itself, you have to be vigilant about safety every single time. If you make it a habit, it isn’t difficult. I mean, in staging photos for publication, here’s your checklist: ear protection (check), eye protection (check). Anything less shouldn't make it into the magazine.

I urge all woodworking magazines to print some kind of safety tip or instruction in every issue. Make it a regular feature. More than any legal disclaimer, that would show readers the importance of safety and the magazine’s commitment to it. If I get a response from Fine Woodworking, I'll post it.

Woodworking in America Conference II

2009-06-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

Since I had such a great time at the Woodworking in America Conference last November in Berea, I'm happy to say I'm planning to go to the next one in St. Charles, Illinois (near Chicago) from August 14-16. The first WIAC conference focused almost exclusively on handtools and technique. On top of that, the marketplace between sessions (or during them if you skipped!), was a handtool free for all. It was great, but sometimes you have to stop focusing (or fixating) on thousands of an inch and step back a bit. If the first WIAC was left-brained, the next one is going to be right-brained.

Design is more about the qualitative than the quantitative. It's one thing to read about methods for cutting dovetails; it's quite another to read how to create something out of nothing. Where do you begin? Do you have a style in mind or are you making up your own? What are your client's requirements? What are your influences? What is your budget? What materials are available? The list goes on. Even if you are following a plan or making a reproduction, you still need to design it to some degree. You have to make decisions on dimensions, wood grain, joinery, finishes and everything else. I'm looking forward to hearing what some accomplished furniture makers have to say about their design process and how they answer some of these questions for themselves.

I'm going to do my level best to avoid visiting one of the golf courses at the meeting site but please keep in mind that I'm only human. I'll try to write as much as I can about the sessions and the general scene (here are my posts from the last one). You can find information about the conference at www.woodworkinginamerica.com. Please contact me if you're going to attend. I'm sure there are some beverages that will need to be consumed.

Furniture I Love: Susan Link Edition

2009-06-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

I found out about Susan Link's work in an ad for the Focus on Furniture show at Handmade in America. The show is up until August 14 in the furniture mecca of Asheville, North Carolina.

You can get an idea of the range of Susan's work by looking at her two treatments of the buffet. The Craftsman Buffet (above) is light and dynamic and has an uncluttered design featuring a floating top. The Fired up Buffet (below) is similar in design and function, but much more dramatic with its use of ambient lighting.

I also want to point out her walnut/curly maple end table. It's a straightforward table done very well and shows some great choices in contrasting woods.

On the imaginative side of the spectrum is the wall shelf she calls Morning Jazz. It's completely functional in that it contains a mirror, drawers for small items like keys or jewelry and the shelf. But it also shows her creativity and humor. I'm sure working with all those complex angles was no small feat.

See more of Susan Link's work at linkwoodworks.com.

Photos credits: Craftsman Buffet and Fired Up by Tim Barnwel, Morning Jazz by Bob Gibson.

Sam Maloof, R.I.P.

2009-05-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

Iconic furniture maker Sam Maloof died last week at 93. It's impossible to quantify his influence on furniture and the world of craft. He's one of a handful of artists whose work will last well beyond his own life.

Here is an excellent obituary from the Los Angeles Times.

Here is my post about rocking chairs that includes some photos of his work.

More ICFF Coverage

2009-05-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

Looking at the coverage of the International Contemporary FURNITURE Fair (capitals mine) on the blogowebs, I'm noticing something I just now have been able to put my finger on: there's not a whole lot of furniture. Is it just me or is ICFF suffering from mission-creep? I mean, a bicycle, as cool as it is, isn't furniture. Neither are walkers, floor coverings, faucets or litter boxes. That's right, the winner of the ICFF Editors Award for accessories went for a litter box. I thought accessories were things like vases, trays and candle holders. But what do I know? Next year, I hope to go to the show and ask them what's the deal.

Until then, here's more coverage, and some of the items are actual pieces of furniture! (Thank you, designsponge, for writing about wooden furniture.)

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/05/18/icff-2009-highlights-from-the-contemporary-furniture-fair/

http://www.core77.com/blog/ny_design_week_09/default.asp

http://www.furniturestoreblog.com/2009/05/03/icff_2009_international_contemporary_furniture_fair.html

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/icff/andrew-moe-handmade-furniture-from-reclaimed-lumber-icff-2009-084990

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/05/icff-2009-i-heart-wood.html

A flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/photos/keegiespics/sets/72157618285742232/

ICFF Coverage

2009-05-13T07:26:00.000-07:00

The International Contemporary Furniture Fair kicks off this weekend in NYC. I'd love to be there, but since I can't, I thought I'd provide some links to coverage of the Fair. For any readers who'll be attending ICFF or exhibiting, please leave a comment with your impressions of this year's offerings. Friend-of-furnitude Palo Samko will be there. Here are the rest of the exhibitors.

Some preview articles:
Treehugger: What is Green Design? 13 Questions We'll Be Asking at ICFF

DesignSponge: ICFF Preview: iannone design

The Architect's Newspaper: ICFF Preview

NYCGO: Objects of Desire

A link from Designnotes that aggregates ICFF articles as they appear: http://topics.designnotes.info/page/icff

PS. Today is the last day to enter the drawing for a box by Doug Stowe. Go to http://designbloglist.blogspot.com/ for details.

Doug Stowe Box Giveaway

2009-05-06T18:42:00.001-07:00

Over at DesignBlogList, I'm running a giveaway for a box made by Doug Stowe. Check out the contest and find the rules for entry at http://designbloglist.blogspot.com.

Furniture I Love: Clark Kellogg Edition

2009-04-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

I'm really impressed by Clark Kellogg's work. I first saw an example of it featured in Fine Woodworking’s “Furniture: 102 Contemporary Designs” Special Issue, 2008. Called "10 Small Boxes Huddled Together for Warmth," this wall-mounted piece is an exercise in proportion. If I had conceived a project like this, I probably would have stopped with simply putting all the boxes together or making it complicated by integrating the boxes somehow. It's much more interesting that the boxes are separated slightly or at least have the illusion of being separated by recessed, ebonized spacers. To go another step in showing attention to detail, Kellogg framed out the holes that serve as door and drawer pulls. This is one of those pieces that shows incredible design talent combined with excellent craftsmanship.

Though Kellogg makes the full range of seating, tables and casegoods, I want to feature another box. This one was commissioned to store CDs and has an ingenious recessed tray to hold an iPod. The box also allows the iPod to be charged. This piece, though small in size, involves the full range of woodworking skills and is executed flawlessly. See how he cut the dovetails by hand here.

With training from both the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine and the College of the Redwoods in California, Kellogg has skills beyond his years. His Double-Trestle Desk is one of the best interpretations of the Arts & Crafts style I've seen in a long time.

I encourage furniture makers and furniture appreciators both to explore Clark's website, as it shows more of his beautiful work and includes his thoughts on design and construction. Check it out at www.kelloggfurniture.com.

Photo of the wall boxes by Jim Dugan; photos of Double-Trestle Desk by Patrick Bertolino.

One Good Chair 2009 Competition

2009-04-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

From Designaddict.com, I found out about this competition some of you may be interested in: One Good Chair (www.onegoodchair.com):

Be Eco-Lazy For Earth Day

2009-04-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Day, I'm recycling (!) an old post about a concept I call "eco-laziness":

As I was mowing my yard yesterday in the hot sun, a new concept dawned on me, one that, if it were practiced on a large scale, could have a positive impact on the environment and, perhaps more immediately, save me some work. You see, dear reader, I’m lazy. La-Z. Lazy with a capital Z. Here’s what I started to ponder as the sweat started dripping: Why do we people who have yards have to mow them every week? Is it because the neighbors do? Is it because our aesthetic sense dictates that a mown lawn is the ideal?

The answer is probably ‘yes’ to both. Well, I want to propose a new way. The way I see it, there are at least two things that are harmful about our national addiction to a mown lawn: 1) it necessitates the use of gasoline, which is something we need to stop wasting and which releases bad stuff into the air and 2) it necessitates me exerting myself. Let’s say, conservatively, that one million people mow their lawn every week. Let’s also say that each uses a half-gallon of gas. The easy math says that if they went from mowing every week to mowing every two weeks, that would save 500,000 gallons of gas every two weeks! That’s exponentially huge when you consider the $2 million bucks it would save, not to mention preventing the environmental harm of drilling, refining and transporting the gas. (Obviously, I could save even more gasoline by mowing the yard with the push mower that is gathering spider webs in my shed, but if you think I will do that, you are missing the point entirely.)

Here’s another example. Aside from mowing the lawn every other week instead of every week, I practice eco-laziness when I drink milk straight from the container (thus avoiding having to waste water – and expend energy -- by washing a glass). So the definition of eco-laziness is: To not do something that harms the environment mostly to avoid doing work. An environmental two-fer, if you will.

Who’s with me?!?

Announcing Design Blog List

2009-04-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

Since part of the mission of Furnitude is to connect the furniture making world with the interior design blog world, I wrote a post a while back listing over 100 design blogs. The list grew (it's over 200 now!) and people seemed to like it as a resource, so I decided to spin it off as its own blog. Please visit http://designbloglist.blogspot.com. Don't you love the clever name? Happy clicking!

Feats of Craftsmanship

2009-04-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

I hope you'll indulge a non-furniture post. I wanted to share the impeccable work my father has done over the last several years restoring a 1931 Model A Ford. This wasn't something he found in a junkyard. This was his father's car. They used it as a tractor to plow a hundred acres for corn in Indiana (and later harvested the corn by hand). He and his brothers weighted down the back with cinder blocks so they could tow other cars out of ditches during snowstorms.

Most of the car is original, some of the parts are vintage and others are new, but it's a faithful restoration. It's an amazing accomplishment, especially since the car sat in a field for several decades and had a tree growing through it. This car, it's fair to say, is in better shape now than when my grandfather bought it used in 1947. I'll bet it's in better shape than when it rolled out of the factory.

I'm very proud of him and inspired by his skill, tenacity and patience. I only wish I could be 1/10th the craftsman he is.

Flickr embedding isn't working, so click here to see some brief video.

Furniture I Love: Marc Spagnuolo Edition

2009-04-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Before he ever whispered to a piece of wood, Marc Spagnuolo was developing his skills as a designer and woodworker. As part of his training, Marc served as an apprentice to David Marks, of "Wood Works" (on the DIY Network) fame.

In the last few years, Marc has managed, with the help of his wife, to combine his woodworking skills, his love of technology and his natural teaching ability into the Interblog phenomenon that is The Wood Whisperer. To me, the most valuable aspect of his blog is the message of trusting your instincts and just getting in there and trying.

That said, it's important to remember that it all started with making furniture. Marc is an excellent craftsman, and I'm happy to be able to feature some of his work. The pieces I love the most are the ones that seem the most organic. Have a look at some of them below and check out the gallery on his website.

Aside from the beauty and quality of this keepsake box, I wanted to feature it because if you look behind it -- on the couch -- you'll see a video game controller! Nerd Alert!

I wish Marc the best in growing his empire and hope that he continues to use his considerable talent for good and not evil. I appreciate all he has done for his fellow woodworking bloggers. You can find him at www.thewoodwhisperer.com.

To the Editor of the New York Times

2009-04-02T08:57:00.001-07:00

I just submitted the following letter to the New York Times. I don't know if they'll publish it, so I thought I'd include it here:

RE: "Obamas Give Queen Elizabeth an iPod"

To the Editor:

In giving the Queen of England an iPod, President Obama missed a valuable opportunity. Instead of giving a gadget mass-produced overseas, why not showcase the exceptional range of American artistic talent by giving heads of state works of art such as pottery, sculpture, textiles, painting or woodworking? Perhaps the White House could sponsor a juried competition to find works of American art that would serve as future diplomatic gifts. Such a competition would help artists in a particularly art-unfriendly economy, show the world the brilliance of American craft that has always reflected the spirit of its people and help President Obama find the perfect gift for the head of state who has everything.

Mitch Roberson
Nashville, TN

Furnitude I Love: Paul Duffy Edition

2009-03-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

Intrigued by what I saw on his website, I asked Paul Duffy, from Sómhar Furniture Design in Ireland, what he meant when he described his furniture, which is beautiful and even novel in its use of surface texture, as being "uniquely Irish." Paul responded that "apart from the unique Irish landscape which provides both inspiration and clarity of thought, the Irish have a great way of getting the best out of what's available."

That's a great segue into his efforts at being more responsible with the materials he uses for his furniture. He sources Irish hardwoods locally whenever possible and plans his milling carefully to get the best possible yield from the lumber. I like his view of the larger ecological picture and respect the range of his efforts, from reducing travel to meet clients by using the Internet in the design process to using scrap wood in the energy-efficient burner that heats his home. I also had to know about the word "Sómhar" from the monicker of his enterprise, which he said translates into "comfortable and luxurious." As you'll see, that is a fitting description for his work. Check out these chairs with their clean, fluid backs and the wedged through-tenon construction. I love the texture on the seat.

He uses a similar texturing technique in this beautiful hall table.

Finally, I love his Driftwood Table with inlaid curves mimicking the Irish coastline and the flow of water.

Visit Paul's website at www.somhar.com to see more of his work and read about his philosophy of making furniture.

Furniture I Love: Craig Yamamoto Edition

2009-03-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

I love to see examples of artists taking clearly defined influences and transforming them with personal vision into original creations. That's what Craig Yamamoto does with his Japanese- and Shaker-influenced work. If you start with quality craftsmanship and an eye for proportion and add exceptional wood treated with respect and reverence, you end up with uniquely beautiful furniture.

I especially love Yamamoto's take on the Tansu -- an upright version to accomodate a client's needs.

Check out his adjustable music stand. I know the butterfly key can be overused (guilty as charged!), but in this case it saves a beautiful piece of wood from the scrap heap and looks beautiful doing so. The craftsmanship of the adjustment mechanism is off the charts.

I'll end with his Trestle Base Zataku Table.

There's a lot of furniture and great detail photos on Craig's website, so have a look around. You can find it at www.yamamotowoodworker.com.

Etsy 101 from Handmadeology

2009-03-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

If you've ever wondered how Etsy works, here's an interactive video from http://www.handmadeology.biz/. It's a very informative overview of selling handmade items on Etsy.

I'll embed the video once I get permission.

Name that chair!

2009-03-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

Calling all Mid-Century Modern chair aficionados! A reader emailed me with some photos of a chair he bought wanting to know if I could help identify its designer/maker. With my limited knowledge of Scandanavian furniture, my guess is that it is Danish or Swedish. And it looks like something from the 1950s era. That's as far as I could go. One interesting feature is that the rungs are attached to the legs with wedged through-tenons. Very cool! The upholstery is leather and the reader thinks the wood might be mahogany. If you have any ideas about the origin of this chair or any clues to follow, please let me know.

In the course of doing a little research, I found a very cool blog devoted to chairs! It is http://www.chairblog.eu/ and I've added it to my mammoth list of design blogs.

Furniture I Love: Caleb Woodard Edition

2009-03-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

A former Tennessean, Caleb Woodard lives and makes custom furniture in the Washington, DC, area. His work was recently featured in the McLean Project for the Arts Artfest. When I lived in Washington many years ago, I attended that show and was impressed by the quality of the work. I love the way Caleb is willing to experiment with shapes other than the typical squares and rectangles. His South Beach Coffee Table is a case in point. The elliptical top made of spalted maple suggests the shape of a surf board. I love how the legs are classic (even Mid-Century Modern) and let the top be the star of the show.

One of the first pieces that caught my eye was the Elm Trunk Lounge Chair. Made of a chunk of spalted grey elm burl, it is rustic and modern at the same time.

Though it's not a piece of furniture, I also wanted to show this maple bowl. I love the shape and the texture of the gouges he used to make it. This piece, along with the rest of his work, honors Caleb's intention to make each thing personal -- a reflection of the maker that shows the marks of being made by hand.

To see more of Caleb's work, visit his website at www.calebwoodardfurniture.com.

Rocking Chairs I Love: 14 Makers

2009-02-23T16:52:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks, I've written a series of posts on contemporary rocking chairs. While not comprehensive by any means, it does show the range and quality of the rockers being made today. Here is my introductory post. And here, in alphabetical order, are the makers I featured, a photo, their websites and a link to the post in which they were featured (photo credits, if not the maker, are included in the original post):

Jennifer Anderson www.jenniferandersonstudio.com Furnitude post

Timothy Clark www.timothyclark.com Furnitude post

Parker Converse www.parkerconverse.com Furnitude post

Robert Erickson www.ericksonwoodworking.com Furnitude post

Harold Greene www.antiquesofthefuture.net Furnitude post

Bill Lindau www.lindauwoodworks.com Furnitude post

Dean Ludwig www.deanludwig.com Furnitude post

John Moldovan www.jmoldovan.com Furnitude post

Scott Morrison www.finewoodworker.com Furnitude post

Hal Taylor www.haltaylor.com Furnitude post

Robert Van Norman www.insidepassage.ca/rvn_000.htm Furnitude post

Leslie Webb www.lewebb.com Furnitude post

Gary Weeks www.garyweeks.com Furnitude post

Jolyon Yates www.jolyonyates.com Furnitude post

I offer my thanks to these incredibly talented chairmakers and am honored to feature them.

Rocking Chairs I Love: Hal Taylor Edition

2009-02-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

This is the last entry in my series about rocking chairs, and I couldn't think of a better chairmaker than Hal Taylor to close it out. Hal Taylor has been making extraordinary rocking chairs for over 15 years, and he also teaches the art of rocking chair making. I love the way Hal carefully documents the particulars of each chair that leaves his shop, noting the date, the chair name and the chair number. He signs his name and will even inscribe a poem or quote. The reason he does that is because he is looking to the future when the chair will be an heirloom and when small signs of wear will show that the chair has been used and loved for decades and passed through generations.

Some woodworkers have a talent for teaching, but that's not always the case. I've heard and read that Hal is a fine teacher and that his classes are as inspirational as they are instructional. Check out his Rocking Chair University. I hope to take a class someday.

Beyond that, please enjoy these incredible chairs. Hal makes each one to fit the customer for maximum comfort (see the range of sizes, above). And the quality, needless to say, is exquisite.
The following chair was made for his mother.

An incredible headrest.

Look at the bird's eye maple! This arm is a piece of art in and of itself.

You can find more chairs, Hal's musical instruments, plus links to other rocking chair makers and lumber sources at Hal's website: www.haltaylor.com. The next post will be a digest of all the makers I've featured. Of course, I've just scratched the surface of all the amazing rocking chair makers working today. I hope you've enjoyed what you've seen.

Rocking Chairs I Love: Parker Converse Edition

2009-02-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

Parker Converse makes gorgeous chairs from the best lumber available. He was an apprentice to Hal Taylor (the next and final entry in my rocking chair series) in 2001. The first photo I want to show is from Parker's section on how he makes his rocking chairs.

What Parker is doing in the photo, in my opinion, shows the difference between handmade furniture and furniture made in factories. Sitting on the floor of his shop, he isn't conducting a religious ceremony -- though what he is doing is certainly spiritual in many ways. Rather, he is reading the wood. He is studying the grain to find pieces that lend themselves to certain parts of the particular chair he is making. He's also looking for structural defects to avoid and particularly beautiful parts that he would want to make prominent. This is what furniture makers do. From here, he will make marks to show where to make rough cuts to begin the incremental process of getting the wood closer and closer to the final shape it will take on in the chair. Have a look at the other photos in this section to see the rest of the process (though keep in mind that it doesn't show the multiple, arduous steps it takes to get the wood even this far). It illustrates how decision making is perhaps the most important skill in making furniture. His decisions are informed by experience with wood's inherent strengths and weaknesses, his own vision of how a rocking chair should be, the needs and expectations of his client and the constant play between engineering and artistry that make his chairs some of the best being made today.

That's enough babbling from me. Have a look at some Converse rocking chairs and some detail shots showing the level of Parker's skill. First, his Amboyna Rocker.

Curly Maple Rocker

Detail of lumbar support

Detail of Fiddleback English Walnut Rocker

I hope you enjoy Parker's work. His website is http://www.parkerconverse.com/.

Happy Birthday to Furnitude!

2009-02-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

Can someone please tell me where the last year went? I can't quite believe it, but today is the first anniversary of Furnitude. If I had known back on February 5, 2008, how much work it takes to write a blog, I can't say I would have started. But I'm so glad I did. That proves the value of sometimes going in blind! Along the way, I've met some amazing furniture makers and readers. One of the highlights of the year would have to be the Woodworking In America conference where I got to meet some fellow bloggers in person, including Matt Vanderlist, Kari Hultman, Chris Schwarz, Mack McKinney, Al Navas and many others. Thanks also to Marc Spagnuolo for his support and the great work he does that helps the rest of us. And I especially want to thank the folks all over the world (95 countries in the house!) who actually read Furnitude and come back to read more. Believe me, there have been plenty of times when I considered stopping, but then a reader would email to thank me for featuring a particular furniture maker or even to say that he or she was inspired by the blog. Thanks for that and for sharing it with your friends. Please keep emailing me and leaving comments. I love it! Writing this blog has helped develop my critical eye, and I'm sure my own furniture will benefit from that. I hope yours does, too. I really feel like I'm just getting started. There is so much great furniture being made and the more people who see it, the better. Lastly, I want to thank my wife for being so supportive of all the time and energy it takes me to keep this thing going. Onward!

Mammoth List of Interior Design Blogs

2009-01-31T10:37:00.000-08:00

The mammoth list of interior design blogs that used to be in this space got too big for its britches, so I spun it off as its own blog. Please visit Design Blog List at http://designbloglist.blogspot.com. Don't you love the clever name?

Rocking Chairs I Love: Scott Morrison Edition

2009-01-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

Scott Morrison is an incredibly talented chairmaker. His rocking chairs are beautifully made and ingeniously designed. Scott's Rocker Cradle (below) won the People's Choice Award in the 2006 Western Design Conference. It stands as a testement to his abilities as an engineer and an artist.

His Double Rocking Chair, called "Make Mine a Double," won First Place in the 22nd Annual International Design in Wood Exhibition.

As if these two weren't enough, I also love his Classic rocking chair out of claro walnut and his Butterfly Chair, which incorporates his trademarked Butterfly Joint.

The photographs are by Valerie Morrison, Scott's wife. As a side note, Scott's website (designed and built by Valerie) is one of the best I've seen in terms of its content and its design. Be sure to check out his section on the benefits of rocking and his description of the construction process. His website is www.finewoodworker.com.