R designs

The bitterness of poor quality remains

2013-02-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten." - Benjamin Franklin

Wise words by Ben Franklin to be sure. I remember a while back listening to the host of a nationally televised program complain about a particular furniture store. I won't say which one exactly, but it starts with an "I" and sounds a little like "chia" (like the chia pet). He complained about the assembly. He complained about how quickly it falls apart. He said, "I don't know why people keep buying this stuff (he may have used a descriptive term other than stuff)." At that point two thoughts crossed my mind. I was certain that if I walked into his house that I would see a whole house full of furniture from that store. And I would have felt pretty confident betting (with my own money even) that once that furniture fell completely apart that he was going to march right back to that store and buy some more of it. Everybody sitting at the table with him all nodded their heads in agreement and piled on a bit. The bitterness of poor quality was very much on display. The sweetness of low price was as forgotten as who lost the Super Bowl in 1982. If it wasn't for the fact that I had already poured myself a stiff drink, I would have had to pour myself a stiff drink.

Those people on that television show aren't alone by any means. In fact, I'd say that they are the norm. Why do I say that? Let me sum it up this way. The biggest furniture manufacturer in the world (last I heard) is also known for making furniture that can't survive a move. People line up when they open a new store. Some people literally camped out on the sidewalk in front of the store the night before the new store opened near me. People were stoked. It was an event. The beginning of a new era. The best thing to happen since someone came up with a way to actually go to the bathroom indoors. I watched the news coverage and poured myself a drink. For the record, I'm not as big of a lush as I'm making myself out to sound (although I am working on it, you have to constantly strive to improve your skills after all).

What gets me is watching people complain bitterly about the low quality of what they bought last time (either at that same store they bought it from or at a competitor just like it with a different name). If you are so annoyed with the low quality, why are you back to buy some more of it? Oh yeah, the sweetness of the low price. Suddenly choosing the sweetness of high quality while enduring the bitterness of the higher up front price (a post in itself for a different day) becomes almost a revolutionary thought.

Well hold up a second there, some of you say. It's not that we don't want to buy high quality furniture. Nor is it that we are unwilling to pay the price for that furniture. It's just so hard to find it. Nobody does that sort of thing any more. I have actually had people say that very thing to my face, while looking at 100 square foot display of woodworking that I have for sale. Honestly, I have no idea what to say to people when they tell me that. Okay, that's not entirely true, but my sarcasm is not the point.

If you are tired of being bitter about buying low quality, then stop! There really are literally hundreds (and more likely thousands) of high quality craftsmen (and a growing number of high quality craftswomen) in this country. You don't even have to put in all that much work into locating one of us. As I'm writing this there are over 2,100 items in the furniture category on Etsy. There are 788 woodworkers in the woodworking community on Google+. Most of them will build you a high quality piece of furniture if you but ask. Are you on Facebook? I don't even know how many individual woodworkers and small woodworking shops are there. I find new ones every time I go on it. Last but not least, you're here. So you've already found one. All you have to do now is decide to make a better choice.

And with that, I'm off to..... I bet you were thinking I was going to say pour myself a stiff drink. HA! Fooled you. I was going to say make supper. I poured the stiff drink back on the first paragraph.

2012 Apex Craft Fair - Arvada, CO

2012-10-28T11:02:00.000-06:00

The 2012 Craft Fair is almost here! It is a long running craft fair with lots of great hand-made vendors. It starts Friday, November 2, 6-8:30pm and goes through to Saturday, November 3, 9am-3pm. While it is a much smaller show than the Colorado Country Christmas show at the Denver Merchandise Mart (which is the same weekend), this cozy little show sure is a charmer. Assuming that the same people are cooking, the food is pretty darn good too.
So here’s the secret. Check out that Friday time again. It’s Friday night, only for 2 ½ hours. It’s almost kind of a sneak preview before everyone else comes by on Saturday. And the show is small enough to see the whole thing in 2 ½ hours. More than one of our shoppers last year were at one of the other shows during the day, but made a point to come to this one Friday night. I have no doubt that most of them also had another show in mind on Saturday. So if your plans sound similar, jump on I-25 to Hwy 76. Get off onto Wadsworth Blvd and head north (turn right). The community recreation center is on the right hand side of the road at 6842 Wadsworth Blvd. There’s parking in the front and more around the left side of the building. Stop in ($2 admission or free with a donation of school supplies), grab a bit of dinner and put your feet up for a bit. Then wander around the best little craft show you will find this weekend. We will be up on the stage, be sure to stop by and say hello.

A straight forward answer and a puzzling reaction

2012-10-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while I will be engaged in a discussion regarding the expected life span of my work. This seems to come in two forms and each form has distinctly different reactions. Some will, upon inspection, note that they are certain whatever they are looking at will last for a very long time. It is something that they appreciate in the piece.There is another group of people though who ask how long I expect something I built to last (and thus how long they should expect it to last). Their reaction is different and I'm not exactly sure what to make of it. Talking with a potential customer a few weeks ago provides a perfect example. While at the Art Fair in Loveland earlier this year a man walked in and inquired about one of my humidors. This humidor as a matter of fact.

Mahogany and Planetree burl humidor

We talked about the solid Spanish Cedar lining. We talked about the interior size. We talked about the humidistat. Then he asked me how long I thought the box would last. I answered, "You won't live to see that day. Chances are, neither will your children. They will be leaving it in their will to one of your grandchildren." I went on to say that with normal use and care 100 years should be within easy reach and longer being quite possible. When I said this he got this mostly blank and slightly bewildered look on his face. He isn't the first. In fact, some variation of that response seems to be the general rule. Sometimes it is accompanied by them saying "Oh...." which kind of trails off. You would think that I started breaking out physics calculations involved in long distance sniper shots or something (well, once you account for spin drift and the movement of the earth while the bullet is in the air using these formulas...). My first question is what reaction am I actually seeing? My second question is why?

The Art Deco Style

2012-09-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Art Deco style was at its zenith in the 1920's and was the perfect style for that point in history. World War I was recently ended and still being called the war to end all wars. The stark and looming economic troubles that had come to a head in 1920 were turned aside to such a degree that few remember that those difficulties existed at that time and only remember that the era was known as the "Roaring 20's". It is easy to see why it is remembered that way. Industry and other businesses were roaring. Hollywood was at a peak of glamor that is still reminisced about today. Granted, we still couldn't drink legally.... Although it was a curious ad campaign from around that time that you could buy these large containers of grape juice. Even more curious was that when you bought this grape juice, you would get a package of yeast as a free gift. You would also get a stern warning not to add the yeast to the grape juice, cover it, and let it stand at room temperature for about two weeks because you might accidentally create something alcoholic. I seem to have wandered off topic. Where was I?

Ah yes, the Art Deco style. Several elements came into play with this style. The first two things were glamor and optimism. Times were good and people were happy. As a result, they looked to incorporate some of the glamor that they saw surrounding many of the celebrities at the time and they had the means to do that. Advancements and prosperity were generally moving along at a good clip. Where as you would see things like an inlayed dragonfly in the Art Nouveau style that proceeded Deco to hearken back to preindustrial life, during this period in history there was much more of an embrace of industry and modernism in general. As an interesting twist, one other influence on the Art Deco style was completely unrelated to the embrace of modernism and cubism of the time. Archeology also made some great discoveries at the time. The the tomb of Tutankhamun, Pompeii, and Troy were all discovered during this time and it had a direct impact upon the Art Deco style. So now that we have a taste of the when and why surrounding this style, let's get to the what part.

While the Art Deco style has often be described as eclectic, there are some reoccurring themes. Much of the structure is based upon geometric shapes, stepped curves, and repeated patterns showing distinct planning and intention rather than a more natural, random aesthetic. Chevron patterns, ziggurat-shapes, fountains, and the sunburst motif were common as well as the stepped style reminiscent of Mayan temples and the earliest Egyptian pyramids. In terms of architecture, there is perhaps no better example than the top of the Chrysler building.

Source Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Deco

As for materials, aluminium, stainless steel, lacquer, Bakelite, Chrome and inlaid wood were often used. The wood was often exotic and the inlay was more so. Rather than being left with a more natural feel, wood was often lacquered to give it a more sleek and streamlined appearance. Exotic materials such as sharkskin, zebra skin, semi precious stones were also evident.

The Art Deco style began to decline in the 1930's. If you wanted to point to one or two things that rather killed off the style, it would be its own success and the economy of the 1930's. One of the things that was a draw for many in terms of the style was that it had a feel of exclusivity or specialness to at least a certain extent. As industry got better and better at mass producing these items, they became less special and exclusive. It then started to get derided as gaudy and presenting a false sense of luxury. Couple that with the economic downturn of the 1930's and the glamorous, jubilant style just didn't fit with the times. The style faded at that point, until a resurgence in interest came about during the 1960s with the first book on the subject by Bevis Hillier in 1968 and later an exhibition organized by him in Minneapolis in 1971.

Broomfield Days 2012

2012-09-10T15:13:00.000-06:00

It's Broomfield days, September 14 &15th. It starts with a golf tournament, concert, and bingo games on Friday the 14th. Saturday has a parade, a 5k race, demonstrations, and an art & craft show. We are looking forward to having a whole new line of outdoor decorations done in time for this event. So be sure to stop by and check them out. You can find the schedule of events here.

Oh. It's a clock

2012-09-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

Time for another one of those what's your take on this posts. I have some of the wall clocks that I have made hanging up on portable walls in my booth when I go to various art shows and craft shows. From a distance though, it is apparently not always obvious that they are clocks.


Four Point Wall Clock

Some people will notice them and comment. Others will simply walk up for a closer look. Then they say, "Oh, it's a clock.". Then walk off. Sometimes they will add that they don't need a clock. I have come to some conclusions after making various observations of shoppers that have come through my booth. Actually, the conclusions appear to be different sides of the same coin, but it comes down to this. Either they are looking at the piece as decoration, figuring out how well it would fit in their house or where to put it, then see that it's a clock. Then they stop looking at the decorative aspects of it and see it only as a clock. The question is not if it would be a nice decoration for their house, but rather whether or not they need a clock. Or they notice that it is a clock (and since some of them have a 6" brass faceplate, it can be hard to miss), remark upon how cool the decoration is and how they would like something like that, but they don't need another clock. Yep; it is two sides of the same coin.

Red Oak clock with a Celtic knot carved in leather

So would you, gentle reader, react the same way? You see this really cool wall decoration. It would look great in your family room, right over the couch. You walk up to get a closer look at it and notice that it's a clock. Do you stop looking at it as a home accent or decoration because it is also a clock? Would you decide against buying it because even though the decoration would look great over your couch, you don't need another clock?

Or maybe to put it another way, should I build some wall decorations that are purely wall decorations and stop making them a clock?

A question of quality

2012-08-28T13:23:00.000-06:00

There are some things that I'm trying to understand. Okay, there are many things that I'm trying to understand, but I'm going to try to narrow it down to one thing and probably some side trails for this post. On the one hand, I have heard many people deride poorly built furniture that you often times have to assemble yourself and never lasts more than a couple of years or one apartment move. On the other hand, I recently read that IKEA is the biggest furniture retailer in the world.

Photo by John Lawton

So the question is, why do these two things exist? I have some hypotheses about this and I will go into them in future posts. But first, I want to hear your point of view.

So do you lament not being able to find great quality furniture? Or do you agree with a statement that a former boss of mine once made, "I like to buy new furniture every five years or so."? Where do you fall on this spectrum and why did you make the purchases that you did?

Sofa/Hall Table made by Wayne Marcoux. Photo by Nick Roulleau. Photo taken at the NH Furniture Masters Exhibit 2012

Art in the Park Loveland 2012

2012-08-09T09:11:00.002-06:00

August 11 & 12th is Art in the Park at the North Lake Park in Loveland, CO.

We will be in spot D4 if you are looking at a map, kind of in the northwest section near Taft Avenue.

This is the 48th year for this show and will have 200 artists this year. It is also being held in conjunction with two sculpture shows. To aid parking, there will be several shuttles operating both days. Please see their website for more details. Hope to see you there!

Greeley Arts Picnic

2012-07-25T14:49:00.000-06:00

The Arts Picnic in Greeley, CO is almost here! There will be over 150 juried artists and crafters (click here for a list) as well as live music, food, and a beer garden. I will be in booth 123 (click here for a map) on the north side in the middle. The arts picnic runs 9-5 on Saturday July 28th and 9-4 on Sunday July 29th.

There will be a children's hands on area where the website states, "... they create art and craft projects that excite the imagination and encourage a sense of great achievement." This is also on the north side behind the food court. The beer garden is just about smack dab in the middle to excite the imagination and encourage a sense of great achievement in the adults.

High Peaks Art Festival

2012-06-06T13:31:00.003-06:00

We will be at the High Peaks Art Festival on June 23 & 24th in Nederland, CO this year.

It's an outdoor, juried show behind the Visitor's Center that has free admission and live music both days. The Nederland Community Library Foundation is the featured non-profit for this year's show and they will have a booth there this year as well, so be sure to stop by and say hello to them. Don't forget to check out the sponsors for the show. We will probably be scouting out the New Moon Bakery for breakfast (Mmmmm, doughnuts.....) and will probably feel the need to make a stop at the Wild Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery. Don't forget, Nederland is 8,236 feet above sea level, so wear the sunscreen. The sun is a bit more intense than lower elevations.

Focus on wood: Goncalo Alves

2012-05-21T09:30:00.000-06:00

Goncalo Alves is a love / hate wood for me to work with. I’ve used it several times (mostly in boxes), but it does have its challenges. First, let’s take a look at the wood itself. Goncalo Alves is one of those woods that is sold under a couple of different names. You are getting used to hearing that by now aren’t you? It is also sold as tigerwood and Brazilian koa. It also gets called Zebrawood, Urunday-Para, Mura, Bois De Zebre, Chibatao, Guarita, and Aderno. Just to be clear, it is not zebrawood (that’s a different wood). It is also not related to koa from Hawaii in any way. Goncalo Alves is, however, from Brazil. The sapwood is very light in color. The heartwood is a lighter brown/reddish in color with very distict streaks of very dark brown to almost black. The color will deepen and redden with exposure.

Goncalo Alves jewelry box with anigre top

Goncalo alves is a very hard wood, which can be rather brittle. That is to say, you need to pre-drill when nailing or gluing. When used as hardwood flooring, even the flooring nails will split the tongue with frequency. This can also cause issues when performing some operations such as routing in a rabbit. When routing in general, light passes are advisable lest the bit grab the wood and tear a large splinter out. This wood can produce a very sharp edge. Having sliced my thumb open running it across a planed and jointed edge, I can testify to this. It wasn’t a splinter, it was a slice. It also produced a good amount of bleeding and swearing.

With all that being said, I love the way this wood finishes. It doesn’t absorb much finish. If you apply a finish like Danish oil, be aware that you will be wiping much of it back off. Sand it to a 400 grit though and you have a surface that is silky smooth. Add a coat of wax to it and you have a surface that is smooth as glass.

Goncalo Alves jewelry box with a bubinga top

So, while it is temperamental to work with, I love the way it looks when it is finished. It’s getting a bit hard to get a hold of as of this writing, but one that I’m looking forward to working with some more. It always pops to mind when I’m looking for a lighter wood that will really show off a secondary wood.

Colorado Arts & Crafts Spring Festival 2012

2012-04-09T15:40:00.000-06:00

The Colorado Arts & Crafts Spring Festival is coming to town April 20-22 at the Denver Merchandise Mart (I-25 & 58th Ave.). There will be over 250 different booths, including myself. There will also be live jazz daily from 11am until 2pm and specialty food sampling. Parking is free and here is a coupon to get $1 off of admission. So be sure to stop by and say hello!

Making veneer decisions from Veneernet

2012-03-16T10:05:00.000-06:00

There is a lot of good information on this page (and on the entire site for that matter, expect to see links to other pages in the future) for people wondering about wood veneer and how it can be used. First, here's the link: http://www.veneernet.com/decisions.html.

Since I, personally, am more used to using veneer in small applications such as the drawer fronts on this recently completed silverware box, I occasionally forget how often it can be used in large architectural settings.

Veneer paneling would work wonderfully for wainscoting walls of a room, adding a decorative touch to the inside of an archway, or wrapping structural columns as seen here (photo from construction.com)

Focus on wood: Bubinga

2012-01-13T17:00:00.001-07:00

Bubinga is a hardwood that comes from the Guibourtia family of woods. While three species come from South America, the majority of Bubinga comes from Africa. You will also see this wood sold as African Rosewood, Essingang, and Akume (among others). When rotary cut, it is sometimes called Kevasingo.

Jewelry box with a Kevasingo (rotary cut bubinga) top

Bubinga has several uses from furniture, to turned items, to veneer (as shown here). I've most often seen it used as a slab for table tops, when used as solid wood in furniture making. Coloring which includes browns, reds, pinks, and purples make for a striking element. Wit the color and figuring that is found in this wood, it is no wonder bubinga is used to provide a dramatic accent. The well rounded sound that it produces also makes this wood desirable for musical instruments.

Bubinga is a hard, heavy wood that can have interlocked or irregular grain and a moderately coarse but even texture. While it can be worked with relative ease, it does like to blunt tools. Bubinga also glues and finishes well. This wood contains pitch pockets which can cause trouble while machining and contributes to bubinga’s poor bending properties.

Be sure to stop by our website to see what we have built with bubinga, see what other new stuff we have made, or talk to us about what we can make for you.