My friend John was fielding questions too. Everything from, “How long are the classes?” to, “Now exactly where are you located?” It was a special weekend for me because I connected with so many new faces and made friends along the way. It is intense to say the least because so  many were looking for methods of working wood that were diverse, real, inspiring and effective. With hand work you get everything and more. People who have never seen a #4 Stanley raise a raised panel or a two-minute dovetail by eye it ticked all of the boxes. Here are a couple of comments out of emails I received:

I was one of those at the show yesterday. I have been traveling the 2+ hour ride each year for inspiration and knowledge. Without question your seminar was by far the most impactful I have ever experienced.

This is indeed what I think is important. Inspired woodworking for everyone and anyone no matter their background, financial or social status, origin, gender, age, aspiration and so on. And…

…Paul, I was one of those people who waited for you to complete the picture frame as the show people were dimming the lights.  I am sure I am speaking for all those who attended the show out at Somerset, NJ and who took the time to witness you show us that woodworking is really about forming  a bond between the woodworker, the tools and the beautiful wood nature has bestowed upon us.  Beautifully inspiring, Paul

Or simply put…

…Paul,

Enjoyed the show today and your demonstration.

For me, every show is attended by intensely passionate people learning as much as they can about their craft the feel so much about. I am just glad that New Legacy New York is so strategically placed and that we have such support in establishing a new center for excellence in Greenwich. It will be interesting to see just how this develops.

I also want to congratulate Joe strong on his efforts to promote woodworking and Do It Yourself. He and his team work exceptionally hard every year to put this show on the road. It’s the only one of its kind in the WORLD!!!!

As I wander the US aspect of the globe during my visits I imagine the woodworkers attending the shows working in their 12 x 20 garages on Black and Decker workmates using inappropriate tools and realise that creating just about anything with or without the right tools or equipment is important to us. It’s something we feel compelled to engage in to better what we have or do for ourselves and for others too. No amount of psychotherapy can match making a garden gate or a canoe and when you do little else other than software programming all day for a living or working in a warehouse pushing stuff around with a forklift, knowing you can spend an hour or two in the sanity of your home-based creative workspace somehow gives meaning and value to our life.

Last night, as the show was closing, a hundred or more people refused to leave until I finished off a picture frame corner with a few final strokes of a #4 smoothing plane. The lights dimmed and the announcer declared the show was over for the day, but the importance of completion was near and as important to my audience as it was to me. I think you will understand what I am saying.

An audience looking for answers is key to a good show. There were many demonstrators there trying to make a connection; woodworking guilds and master woodworkers like myself who have a lifetime of experience to pass on to the next generations of new-genre woodworkers. That legacy is why we gave the New Legacy School of Woodworking its name. It was to pass on skill and knowledge and a way of life to future generations and that is why I write. Over two decades in the making I finally concluded a work that was important to me. Conclusion, finishing what you started, is critical to our wellbeing and sanity.

I so enjoyed connecting with the hundreds of fellow woodworkers I met yesterday and the day before. I look forward to meeting even more today.

Paul

This morning we past around a guitar made by Frank Klausze and had a jam session with Vic Tesolin from Veritas, Roland Johnson from Fine Woodworking and of course Frank himself. His guitar was one of those things he always wanted to to do and so he was pretty pleased with the results.

there is a lot to do at the show and my demos are going well.

I have wanted to spend an extended period with new-genre woodworkers for some time and we have created this year’s course to that end. Many woodworkers are looking for a short but highly intensive apprenticing course proactively developing hand tool skills and this course is developed for exactly that. From 16 July to 11 August 2012 we have combined three major projects as an apprenticing Artisan Course for new and seasoned woodworkers. The month also covers many critical elements so that you actually master the skills of hand tool sharpening, project layout and how to design your own pieces. Understanding wood and its substance is fundamental to fine woodworking, so we take sourcing wood and milling stock as critical elements to your training.

We want you to be able to apply different finishes successfully and so we have included finishing in this course. Students use a variety of wood finishing methods and techniques at the conclusion of each one of their projects. We will discuss the various options available today using both modern and traditional finishes and methods including waterborne finishes, shellac, natural oils and so on and we will discuss the issues of safety as well.

This fulltime course includes a range of optional evening seminars and lectures at the bench to expand your horizons and develop true artisan skills. With fulltime bench work at the heart of the course, students develop the confidence to work with hand tools as never before. From dovetails to compound mortise and tenon joints and leather upholstered chair seats to beautiful solid oak rockers, you will be following the same apprenticeship steps I took to become a master craftsman almost fifty years ago.

More information is available on the New Legacy School of Woodworking USA website. 

We drove to the New Jersey show from Greenwich early this morning and at noon I was ready for my first demonstration, which went well considering it was the first of the day. It’s always a psychological challenge in the first hour of a show because you never quite know if everything will fall exactly in place. The first demo was cram-jammed full with not even standing room. The questions were great and we covered a lot of ground. The show is very supportive of the work I am doing and especially with its educational dimension, which for me is a critical element. My demonstrations were directly opposite the Veritas booth and right next to the show entrance so we were easy to find. This show was steady throughout the afternoon to be good and there were a lot of people attending for mid afternoon on a Friday. I looked around the show when things quietened down between demonstrations, but I think tomorrow will be very busy indeed.

I like The Woodworking Shows show. The people attending are always friendly in searching for new things to see and incorporate into their home woodworking. In the three demonstrations that I did I asked each audience if any there were professional woodworkers earning their living from it. Not one person there raised their hand. I think that that says it all.

This is what the new hand tool workshop and teaching facility looks like today. This wek the floor gets sanded and finished. The bench tops look lovely and now there are only 128 3/4″ mortise and tenons to make and the benches will be ready for the first intake of students at the bench. With only a couple of places left in the opening class in April I am hoping you have booked your places.

Gary and I went to do some shopping on Tuesday and I have some finds that i want to tell you about in another post later on.

David Ashdown is not really new to woodworking and he has been training his children to make dovetails. Can you believe that using the methods we teach, a ten (birthday was this week) made these dovetails?!!!

Arian is an architect by craft and he also loves woodworking. We had a blast all day interchanging our thoughts and ideas. I can only imagine what goes through his mind when he is looking at furniture concepts and thinking through future possibilities as our furniture company comes together this year.

Nick built the workshop, with a little help from the team. He was the overall team leader and made the hundreds of mortise and tenon joints that hold the superstructure together. An amazing young man! These joints are a little smaller than the massive through-tenons on the cross-ties, but they were equally demanding I think.

Mark had a blast all do. The hardest thing to do is to get Mark to stop working and to stop smiling. He loves his work and it shows in the results.

And last but not least is Jacob who is a cabinet maker here in New York. We had supper together this week and we talked a lot about the hopes we have for future woodworking and woodworkers. He has a passion for fine craftwork as does everyone mentioned. I will be excited to see how all of this develops won’t you?

As for me. My investment is in the lives of others and soon the school will  be fulfilling its purpose to serve as a centre for excellence. I am soooo looking forward to meeting you all there.

Paul

Hello everyone,

This is more just a thought really. A few years ago I bought the saw above. I am including the description to take the description point by point. Before I start I want to say that this saw is made from good, solid beech wood, good thick brass and quality high-carbon steel. In other words it’s a workable saw.

Here is the quote from the Traditional Woodworker tool catalogue in the USA. This has always been an excellent company to deal with.

“Spear & Jackson is one of the oldest saw manufacturers in the world having started production in 1760. We are proud to be the exclusive US distributor of these legendary Saws that are still being made the old fashioned way in Sheffield, England after over 240 years of production. This Traditional Tenon Saw represents an excellent choice for a quality crafted mid-priced tenon saw.

The following features distinguish this saw:

• Hand-crafted from the finest high carbon steel with resharpenable teeth.
• Solid brass back for maximum rigidity.
• Precision ground teeth for extra sharpness.
• Universal teeth pattern for versatility. Cuts equally well along and across the grain.
• Handles crafted from Beech and securely attached to the blade with Brass rivets.

This saw has the following key features:

• 10″ Length of Blade
• 15″ Overall Length
• 15 tpi
• 3″ Depth of Cut
• 0.025″ Thick Blade
• 0.042″ Kerf

These are very good saws for general joint cutting and for sawing other small pieces of wood. Made in England.”

”

This description says several things but there are some issues that need looking into

1.The name S&J is indeed one of the oldest UK saw makers, but today’s standards of production reflect nothing of the care and quality of the old makers and so it’s not the “quality crafted” product of old at all.

2. Spear and Jackson told me on the telephone that, “these saws were now made in China, along with most of their other products because it’s more cost effective that way.” So, according to the person I spoke to at S&J that they are not made in Sheffield although I suppose they could possibly be assembled, packed or shipped from there and it does say on the saw in the image that it is made in Sheffield.

3. There is nothing old fashioned about mass manufactured saws today that compares to a man shaping a handle with his own hands as was the case at one time with S&J. These handles are routed by CNC machine and they look and feel that way too.

Now what my point is in this is to say that the steel, brass and plate are indeed good materials, so see this saw as an assembled kit for redefining and improving. The first problem that can be resolved in a minute is that they are always overset, so you have seen or can see my previous blog on correcting that. Dead simple. Secondly, these saws will not arrive as well sharpened as as they should and no where near some of the finer saws costing a hundred plus dollars or pounds, but that is a simple corrective procedure and that too can be found in a previous blog. Filing a saw takes only a few minutes too. Thirdly, it states in the description that the saw has brass rivets, but they are actually brass-coloured rivets in that they are plated alloy. That doesn’t really matter, they do secure the handle to the plate but they won’t polish or look like real brass. I suppose you could replace them with retrofits but that can add more expense.

I don’t have mine here with me to show you so I cannot post a picture of how it looks, but all of my posts show how you can redefine a saw handle and personalise it into a pristine beauty. I have done that with this specific saw and it will come out stunning when you do. Work first on the plate and upgrade the finish with wet and dry abrasive till it glistens. Do the same to the brass back until that polished brass reflects your face; only a few minute’s work and elbow grease. Leave the rivets alone. Unless something has changed they are alloy of some kind and not brass or derivative of brass alloys.

Have fun!

Winding my way along the coast road the sea reflects the lights of Llandudno and then Colwyn Bay further along. It’s almost 5am as I look ahead and behind but see no other vehicles on the road. This is the first leg on the conveyor belt we call life. Some people do this every day and at one time so did I. yesterday I was walking through woodlands with snowdrops carpeting my walk. Hard to imagine.

I parked my car on the remote park and climb onto the shuttle bus that takes me to terminal 2. They call it terminal because this is where life ends I think. More conveyor belts that make you into a passenger so you can be poked and prodded like cattle into and through the chutes to be branded or check that you have a brand. Security has its part and the chutes narrow even further. You give up all of your possessions into plastic trays and then stand in a cubicle with your hands in the air. The man with the turban in front of me has a harder time with his flowing garb and his headgear.

In the airport lounges the food lines are jammed. More conveyor belts. Next one is the air traffic conveyor belt, another motorway in the sky really. Not the same as working at my bench in  the workshop is it?

I have a new agenda for the presentation that will build from one Masterclass to the next and on to the next in the same day. In the past I have tended to repeat the same demo because I thought that the crowds would be different, but I found that half of the attendees kept returning for more. This is an ideal opportunity for me to share about woodworking in all of its many dimensions.

One thing I like about demonstrating at the shows is it gives me the opportunity to help woodworkers expand their horizons and investigate the possibilities of entering the wonderful world of working wood by hand. People love the idea of traditional woodworking even though they may not altogether understand or even consider that many of the methods are much faster than machine methods and so freeing in many ways.

I leave on Monday morning for the USA and the following weekend we have the shows. In between the shows we will have more training as we conclude our tool boxes all being well and then I return to the UK.

If you will be at either of The Woodworking Shows in the next two weeks, please stop by the Masterclass stands and visit for a while. I love to hear from other woodworkers when I am away.

Not too many people know this so I will tell you. Tom Lie Nielsen knows this and so too Veritas and Bob Wenzlof. Too much set makes a saw most useless. It makes it grossly inaccurate and hard in the cut – sometimes twice as hard. I have one hammer in the vise. It becomes my anvil. With a second hammer the set yields and I temper its aggression with equal taps from both sides. My saws need minimal set. The right set is equal in importance to sharpness. No saw needs too much set. It’s an enemy to all good work.

My saw is lovely now, after 47 years, I at last appreciate its loveliness. It rests beside my 4 ½ and my 5 ½. I still polish its brass now and then. Bit of a luxury look I suppose.