Friday, November 30, 2007

About This Page

I specialize in designing and building fine custom furniture and architectural woodworking. This site includes a few examples of my work; if you'd like to see more, click the "FLICKR" link on the left-hand side of the page, and you'll be taken to my portfolio. Be sure to look at both photo sets--there is one for furniture and another for architectural woodworking.

My contact information can also be found in the left-hand column. If you're in the market for custom furniture or other household woodworking, please do get in touch.

Lastly, while this page will remain largely static, I frequently update my Wood Mechanic blog, where I detail projects in progress.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Federal Pembroke Table













This table is a close reproduction of a New York pembroke table from the Kaufman collection, a private collection of American furniture exhibited at the National Gallery of Art in 1986 and catalogued in American Furniture From the Kaufman Collection by J. Michael Flanigan. The table's primary wood is mahogany, with accents in crotch mahogany, satinwood, boxwood, ebony, and rosewood. It features a subtly hidden drawer (veneered with crotch mahogany in the photo) which matches the fixed apron on the opposite side.

Butcher Block Table















This work table features a "real" butcher block top--one with the grain running top to bottom. Old butcher blocks were made that way because the harder end grain is more resistant to knife strikes. The butcher would use his table all day, then at work's end, he'd pour scalding water on it and scrub it with a stiff wire brush. That's why all the old tables one sees in antique stores are so wallowed out in the center. The table's base is painted and shellacked poplar constructed with pegged tenons.

Arches & Columns














These fluted columns with elliptical moldings are typical examples of the architectural woodworking I do. I particularly enjoy the logistical and design challenges posed by projects of this kind.