With the website launched and a short camping trip in the Westfalia. I have returned to my bench. We arrived home on Friday. Saturday morning I began cutting dovetails for a small cabinet on a stand that I began seven years ago, last month. The cabinet, a commission for some very patient clients started out with the name 'Writer's Friend", a low cabinet on a stand with the purpose of storing stationary.
After the Artisan Program I spent just over two weeks getting the website launched, it was exhausting and while I realize there is still much information to post I will put that aside for the time being for amateur development. During this time, I did take breaks from the computer, and milled the drawer bottoms and chopping blocks. The wood is local cypress, harvested in Vancouver by Artisan Alumni Dan McCallum. The gentle curve follows the fronts as if the tree grew around my form. The pink to orange colours compliment the balsamo and doussie.
This morning I finished chopping the pins in the curved fronts, and backs of each drawer. The doussie was a dream however the curved joinery in the balsamo was a bit of a exercise in patience. Tomorrow I will begin to refine each set of pins and put in the schwong, or the flair that Jim describes in the Fine Art of Cabinetmaking. Then onto transfer and tails. For those of you who have attended graphics lectures at the school over the last seven years you may recognize the drawer parts. A students during Drawer making & Fitting this summer asked "How long should do you allow your drawer parts to settle?"I said "A few weeks is, fine depending on the wood of course, but I prefer to allow my wood to settle seven years." Yvonne is the only one who picked up on it. It is so nice having her back at the school.
In recent weeks I have thought of new names for the cabinet including "Seven Year Ache". Given the length of time the cabinet has been underway, and the fact that I ached every time I looked at it sitting in the corner of my benchroom. It also coincides with the number of years of years since we opened our doors. Although with respect to that, I am more excited than ever with the programs that we have developed and now offer here at Inside Passage School of Fine Cabinetmaking. A school that is proud to be founded on and dedicated to the teachings of my teacher,James Krenov. Our Craftsman and Resident Craftsman Programs begin in just five weeks, with five students from last years Craftsman Program, returning for our newly revised Resident Craftsman Program.
I would like to remind you that this school not only exists for you, but because of you. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of our alumni who have contributed to the shaping of this school and its programs. Next Sunday I will post a few pictures of my progress and of course my new benchroom conveniently located in our home. Oh, I do have a patient soul mate. The sun is shinning and the garden is calling.
Be Well and Enjoy Your Work, Robert