February 26, 2012

It has been a very busy time at the school. We have had several presentations including Raul’s chair, which he completed last month. He and his classmates have moved onto the passage and opus exercises.

Seven of our students joined Mary Boulding and myself on a two-day backcountry ski trip to Edwards cabin in the Tetrahedron Provincial Park. The journey began with a five-hour ski that took us through the less traveled Gilbert Lake route. We were fortunate to have Mary, Natasha and Reynold from the Tetrahedron Outdoor Club guide us through to the Edwards Cabin approximately seven kilometers from the parking lot. The route was a challenging one, but the reward, pristine wilderness and serinity. Once at the hut, Marty made a snow cave, in which he slept in and we all enjoyed a good meal. As we ate and sat around the fire we talked about the most enjoyable and challenging aspects of the day, something we coincidentally talk about at the school during walkarounds.

This past weekend Yvonne and I, and several of our alumni and students, visited Federico’s shop on Granville Island where he is hosting a exhibition Woodenough. The work of several of our alumni including Melissa Moure Evans, Doug Ives, Dob Stenner, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Brendan Johnson, and of course his own work. Federico is doing the school, and more importantly our alumni a tremendous service. His shop, Dalbergia Wood & Fine Objects is located at1333 Railspur Alley 604.669.9663.

We are just ten weeks from our own annual Student, Alumni & Faculty Exhibition takes place Saturday May 5th from 6-9 pm.

Be well and enjoy your work, Robert

February 2, 2012

It has been some time since I have had the opportunity to sit down and write. Our Craftsman program students are in the process of completing their Upward Spiral exercise and many have begun the wood selection and breakout for the Passage exercise. Our Resident Craftsman program students are completing their chairs and have begun the mockup and working drawings for the Opus exercise. The school continues to keep me very busy however; I do enjoy my Sundays in my little shop, a time for which I am most grateful.

Teaching Assistant
Inside Passage School of Fine Cabinetmaking is delighted to announce Melissa Moure Evans, shown above during the wrapping of her chair seat, as our new teaching assistant beginning fall 2012. Melissa is a two year graduate of the program. She possesses fine skills as a craftsman and equally fine people skills. Her woodworking education thus far has been entirely Krenovian influenced;

Yvonne and I are delighted to have this fine young craftsman join us as she continues to enjoy and explore, the many subtleties of our craft.

Resident Craftsman Program 2012-2013
Inside Passage School of Fine Cabinetmaking is proud and grateful to announce our selections for the Resident Craftsman program for the 2012-2013 school year. This years class includes six from our current Craftsman program and one from the 2007-2008 Craftsman program. Marjolein Hermans, Peter Flaxman, Walker Dosdall, Candice Smith, Eupho Kubota, Morgan Miller and Walker Savage (2007-2008) will all be joining us for a second year of study. This will be the largest group of second year students since the schools inception. Our seven selections include representation from Canada, United States, Belgium and Japan.

Minnesota Woodworkers Guild
I have been invited to a teach a workshop this fall at the Minnesota Woodworkers Guild, November 2nd, 3rd & 4th. On the Friday evening, I will be presenting a slideshow of Jim’s work, my own work and the work of our students and discuss the life and work of the impractical cabinetmaker. The Saturday and Sunday, will include two-day workshop on the wood, tools and details of fine cabinetmaking including grain graphics, plane and tool making, coopering, dovetails and carving consoles. I am very much looking forward to visiting our alumni in the area who are doing some incredible work out east.

December 4, 2011

It has been a very busy fall at the school. Our second year students are nearing the completion of their chairs and first years students have begun the Upward Spiral exercise.

The Resident Craftsman students have been carefully fitting the live compound angle tenons of their back splats to the crest rail and lumbar rails while dialing in the fit between the crest rail and legs at the same time. This coming week they will move onto fitting and shaping the arms, which evolves fitting an angled, mortise and tenon on the curve of the back leg. Then onto finish and wrapping the seat.

Our Craftsman program students have completed their fundamental exercises and have moved onto the Upward Spiral exercise, the reproduction of the Andaman Padauk box that JK made in 1969. While the wood and the fittings will differ from the original, all other details no matter how insignificant will remain unchanged. All materials for this exercise are provided including the wood, hinges and lock.
Each of woods they will be using, have their own properties, and I mean this in the most unscientific way.

The way a plane feels on one wood is an entirely new experience on another. How the wood feels when being pared cross grain with a fine chisel? Is the wood abrasive requiring even more frequent sharpening’s? How does the end grain respond to a shearing tool? Are my cutting angles to steep, or too shallow? They will need to pay attention while they work. They will need to use their experiences thus far to make the process enjoyable require less effort. This exercise will build upon the upward spiral that Jim spoke of. The revisiting of past experiences; and will be presented with new work like carving pulls and the installation of butt hinges and locks. Knowing when they will need to slow down, and pay even closer attention. What tools and even what processes presented and modifications made contributed to their ability to do fine work? These are just some of the questions they will begin to answer in the coming weeks.

Our annual semester party will take place at the Gumboot Café, just across the courtyard from the school on December 10, 2012. Semester break begins the end of the following week. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our students and alumni for their ongoing support of the school. And remind you that this school not only exists for you, but because of you. From all of us at the school we would like to wish you health happiness and peace over the holiday season and in the coming year.

Be well and enjoy your work, I know I am.
Robert

November 5, 2011

We have just returned from our annual pilgrimage down to the Gilmer Wood Company in Portland Oregon. Recent changes with Canada Customs have made the process of importing wood a difficult proposition. While our student as individuals do not seem to experience the same challenges as the school as a commercial entity; we will be working with Canada Customs and Agriculture Canada in streamlining this process. We will continue to stock our wood from several sources. Having the access to the resources at Gilmer’s is not something I am welling to let go. Jim came in on his day off to share with our new students his knowledge of wood and lumberyard etiquette. He joined us for a late lunch at the local Mexican restaurant.

We also returned Powell’s Books where we bought all remaining copies of JK’s books, new and used for our reference library. A few new additions to our library

include The Fine Art of Marquetry by Craig Vandell Stevens and Classical Guitar Making by Jack Bogdanovich, both College of the Redwoods graduates.

The group stayed at McMenamin’s Edgefield in Troutdale. We were first introduced to McMenamin’s a few years back by Craftsman Program alumni Evan Bush. It truly is magical place surrounded by art, with onsite restaurants, winery, brewery, locally harvested food and soaker pool; some would say is worth the trip alone. The historic Poor Farm has been transformed into a hotel, with very reasonable accommodation and is an easy commute to both Gilmer’s and Powell Books. Our trip home was uneventful with the exception of having to change the alternator on our 1987 Westfailia on the side of the road in Lynnwood Washington.

The first year students will be moving onto drawer making and fitting this week and frame and panel as we wrap up the Wabi Sabi exercise next week. While we will still need to complete the Sailing and Upward Spiral exercises, this year students have been encouraged to begin to think about the Passage exercise early. Many have begun selecting wood, an exciting time at the school.

The second year students and I are completing of the shaping of our chair parts. We will be mortising the lumbar rail and begin assemblies this coming week. Their enthusiasm for Vidars Exercise has carried through to our first year students, several already talking about a second year of study.

Over the break, our son, who is mechanically inclined, came out and maintained all of our machines and changed the knives on JK’s jointer and both planers. Melissa took time out from shaping chair parts to change the knives on both General jointers. Today I will complete the change over of parts from the tired Poitras shaper to our new vintage model 2800 General shaper, a gift to the school from Artisan alumni Dan McCallum.

Congratulations to 2007 Craftsman Program alumni Lael Gordon who was awarded Alaska’s biannual prestigious Earth Fire and Fiber jurors choice award for his Greek Key Cabinet shown above. Lael continues to divide his time between teaching Mathematics at the local college and working in his Seward shop.

Yvonne and I would like to take the opportunity to welcome local firm Great Bear Web design who will be undertaking the long overdue completion of our website. We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our students past and present; this school not only exists for you but because of you.
Be well and enjoy your work, Robert