Honing in on Proportions
Small changes can make a big design difference – and help train your eye. How do you dial in the proportions on a furniture design? I used to pose that question a lot. Perhaps what makes this [...]
Using Grain Pattern to Choose Lumber
The end grain holds the secret to what stock to use where. The single-most important factor in the appearance of any woodworking project is the selection of the material. This isn’t what species [...]
Rustication in Woodworking Design
Rustication adds a sense of nature to refined designs. One of my favorite places is a neighborhood Italian market called DeVitis. Every time I step through the door, I stop and let the smells of [...]
Fine-Tuning Furniture Designs
Minor adjustments typically beat a hatchet job. I knew a guy who didn’t shave or cut his hair for 12 months at a time. On day 365 he looked like the wild man from Borneo. On day 366 (or day …
Make the Most of Figured Maple
The right orientation adds shimmer and pop to your work. by George R. Walker pages 18-20 The barn loft was hot and dusty – and especially so after digging through piles of [...]
Understanding Lines & Edges
Control the eye for better design. Nice Lines. We say those words to describe a well-designed boat, sports car, chair or saw handle. It expresses our pleasure when all the parts of a design seem [...]
Build Without Plans
Move beyond a measured drawing and let your imagination reign. My 6-year-old nephew, Ryan, loves to eat cheese puffs and play with Legos. For his birthday, I bought him a set of the colorful [...]
An Exercise in Repurposing and Design
As woodworkers, we possess the remarkable ability to augment everyday objects by adding wooden components to them. From crafting knobs, handles, and legs to forming frames, lids, pedestals, and [...]
Chester County Style
This Pennsylvania area developed unique and recognizable furniture. From its green rolling hills in the south and plains-like farmland in its middle to the nearly mountainous terrain in the [...]
Draw Your Way to Better Woodworking
Using your hands to sketch can teach your eyes to really see. Most of us use our eyes to avoid bumping into things; we probably are only using 20 percent of our visual ability. I had a student [...]
An Overview of Chinese Furniture
When it comes to the history of woodworking, period furniture styles, and woodworking techniques, most woodworkers think about William and Mary, Queen Anne, Federal, Chippendale, and so on. It is [...]
See Like a Designer
Look for the ‘bones’ to observe how form defines design. It happens during almost every furniture design workshop. At the start of day two, a carload of students shows up 20 minutes late. One [...]
