March 24, 2014

Over the past few weeks at the school, in the Impractical Studies program, students have completed their grain graphics and shaping exercise, made three planes including a jointer, smoother and a curved bottom plane. In doing so have sharpened and dialled in their handtools. Last week they have begun cutting carcass scale through dovetails and begun making more shop specific tools for their task at hand. This week, they have moved onto Joinery & Surfaces. In the Upward Spiral and Composing programs, joinery and surfaces and edges treatment are well underway. Our Resident Craftsman Caroline Woon, has returned and has just completed the upper rear assembly of her chair. Several visits from alumni in the past few weeks including Fergal Spain and family from county Sligo Ireland, always nice to see so many familiar faces around the school. In my own shop, I continue with my work, dismantling, cleaning, lubricating and tuning of each of Jim’s old machines, and getting myself organized. This past week, I moved my chair parts home from the school and more of my personal wood. My shop is 165 square feet in size, so when I bring something in it needs to have a place. The bandsaw and jointer are connected to power and have been looking at the options for connecting the shaper, table saw and mortiser, which are three phase machines. When the jointer arrived, it’s simple guard was in need of repair. The metal base was bent, and the wooden sole of the guard was cracked and was attached to the metal base with duct tape as the holes for the brass machine screws were stripped. I dismantled and cleaned and straightened the base, then repaired the sole and reattached it as shown below, maintaining all original paint. The restoration work is slow, but steady and very gratifying.

This coming week, I will return my attention to the tablesaw trunions and the sliding table. I have waited for more than a decade for a shop of my own again, and a place to continue with my work. In the Fine Art of Cabinetmaking, Jim wrote “The best shop for you is one in which you can do good work and feel happy doing it.” I am happy, and enjoying the work very, very much. 
Be well and enjoy your work,
Robert

March 2, 2014

This week at the school, we began the spring intake of the Impractical Cabinetmaker Program. We have students joining us from Canada, United States, Singapore and Cyprus enrolled in Impractical Studies, Upward Spiral and Composing. In the first week of Impractical Studies, Graphics & Edges, we have just completed the Gumby exercise. The exercise focuses on preparing our tools, careful selection of wood, and shaping including surface preparation and edges treatment. In the Upward Spiral program students have rough milled the stock for their solid wood piece and have moved onto dovetails. In the Composing program, students have selected the wood, mocked up, rough milled the stock for their pieces and have joinery underway. Our resident craftsman, Caroline Woon, who has just completed her second year of study, is taking a well desired break, joining her family in Europe for a few weeks.

A little over a week ago, JK’s original machines arrived in my home shop. I have spent the last week dialling in the placement of each and am awaiting the electrician to come by to connect them. I have begun the process tuning up each of the machines. I suspect this process will take several weeks, but will give me the opportunity to become familiar with the subtitles of each machine. This week, I began with the tablesaw and mortiser. I dismantled the chuck on the mortiser, cleaned and lubricated it which now runs freely and takes bits from 0-15mm.

This coming week I will remove the table and clean and lubricate the trunions which have not been moved much in the last decade. I will then turn my attention to the sliding table. I have included a few photographs of my little shop. The main shop is approximately ten by twelve feet and the adjacent wood room, which is also home to Jim’s old eighteen inch bandsaw measures about nine by five feet. His hand tools, hang above the bench and old mechanical press sits next to his old Italian shaper. Before he passed, he said he wanted his tools used. It was based on this comment, and a conversation I had with Yvonne that I have decided that the hand tools I have collected, pampered and used for more than twenty five years will remain at the school. As I sit in my shop writing this I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude, as I begin the return to my work.
Be well and enjoy your work,
Robert

February 21, 2014

I have been away a while. It seems, that since the fall of 2009, I have been at a loss for words. In the coming weeks I will begin to bring you up to date with the exciting developments at IPSFC. In a few months we will be entering our tenth year of providing quality craft education for the aspiring amateur. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people from across the world who have joined us over the years and are reminded that this school not only exists for you, but be cause of you.

This past week we moved my bench, JK’s hand tools, wood to my new home shop. Yvonne and I are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a few very special machines, which we will share with you in the coming weeks on the Journal. Every time I walk through its doors, I am reminded my partner in life and work who has been with me my entire life as a craftsman. Without my soul mate, none of this would be possible.
Be well and enjoy your work,
Robert

July 14, 2012

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We have just completed our Artisan and Journeyman programs for 2012. Yvonne and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our alumni for their patronage. This school not only exists for you, but because of you. This year, we have had the opportunity to work with students from across the world including Japan, Mexico, Belgium, Ireland, Australia, Israel, South Africa, the United States and Canada. Over the next seven weeks we will be busy preparing the school and ourselves for our eighth Craftsman and Resident Craftsman programs. This fall we have the largest contingent of second years students to date, with representation from Japan, Belgium, Singapore, United States and Canada. You will notice that our Plane Making and Surfaces and Mortise and Tenon images are the same. This is because we neglected to take a class photograph that week. The classes were identical with one exception. Our dear friend John Newton from Saltspring Island is not shown. Sorry for this oversight on our part.

Craig Johnson, our school's first graduate of the Journeyman program, completed the final assembly of his chair on Thursday, leaving enough time for he and Robert to discuss finishing, wrapping of the seat and his next chair, coming later this fall. This was Craig's third program at the school. It has been most gratifying, watching Craig develop as a craftsman. I very much look forward to visiting him, Nick Nelson and several of our alumni this fall where I will be presenting the 'Life and Work of the Impractical Cabinetmaker' for the Minnesota Woodworkers Guild on November 2-4.

Journeyman Program blog by Craig Johnson

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Yvonne has successfully completed this years Artisan program. As Yvonne is often the first contact our students have with the school, we thought it would be beneficial for her to have the students perspective. There is still limited space in our Craftsman program which begins September 3rd, 2012. If you would like more information please contact Yvonne.

Student Work from the Craftsman & Resident Craftsman Programs 2011-2012