Garage Shop

I  decided to build an enclosed insulated shop in the back of our garage so I can work in the shop year round.  It was a bigger project than I thought but the investment will be worth it during temperature extremes.  It is no fun to work when you can see your breath.  100 degree temperatures are no fun either.  With the insulation, I hope to only have to use an oil filled radiant heater to get it to 50 degrees or so in there for comfort.  I still have to put a door on it.  For now, I may just hang a quilt for the doorway.  It does not have to be secure.  I can build a door later.  Too many other things to build now.

Tom Hill Canoe Project Update

Here is an update of the canoe project I am building for a friend at work.  I hope to get it ready for paint when it warms up in a few months.  The truss pattern method worked great for getting accurate lapstrake planks for the sides.  It came out perfect for me.

Paul Sellers Woodworking

Sometimes things just all of a sudden come up in life that are truly amazing.  They are like wonderful gifts that can change your perspective in an instant.  One such thing happened to me a few weeks back when I discovered a master woodworker, Paul Sellers on YouTube.  After watching about 30 hours so far of his videos and Woodworking Masterclass project instructions, he has by far become my favorite woodworker.  No other woodworker I have experienced comes close.  He truly loves working in wood and does so with mainly hand tools.  He is not just using hand tools for the novelty of it, but shows that they are superior to machines in a variety of ways.  He says, “I keep old tools to work with because they work; not because they look nice”.  He is one of the few remaining woodworking artisans that apprenticed under the 70-80 year old master craftsman that starting woodworking pre-1900’s.  These masters were working with tools older than they were and in some cases, tools they crafted themselves.  He dispels many myths about sharpening which is a subject that has grown so inconsistent in the past 20 years that there is a mass confusion which keeps hobby woodworkers constantly searching and buying the next great sharpening machine, stone or method.  None of the master craftsman had flat sharpening stones for instance.  He also focuses on hand planning all surfaces during project construction where sanding then becomes a way to “roughen” up the surface prior to apply finish.  Think of that!  This is completely opposite to the way most hobbyists, including me, work.  Normally, sanding is a process that takes more time than building and no woodworker likes doing it.  With Paul’s way of working, you basically only need a quarter sheet of 180 and 240 grit sandpaper to rough up the glass smooth surface so the finish has something to adhere to.  On top of all this, his gentle way of teaching while clearly explaining each step is indeed a rare combination of skills. 

Also, the hand tools you buy will last a lifetime when properly cared for and sharpened.  Contrast this to the disposable cheap products we have been trained to consume so quickly in the name of advanced technology.  There are not many new things today you can purchase or build yourself that can still be used by your great grandchildren.

I am sorry that I did not find out about Paul Sellers sooner, but I am just thankful I found out about him now so I can learn woodworking the right way and pass that knowledge to others who are interested in this hobby or vocation.  Paul has a blog that is a wonderful collections of his writings.  This collection of information is so thorough that any question I’ve had, I can just search his blog and find an article that addresses that question. 

I was on the “conveyor” with many other woodworkers that get taken in by salesman, machines and contraptions that are expensive and leave you far away from actually “working” the wood.  They also leave you with a bulk sandpaper supply that requires you to build a special rack just to hold all the grits from 60 to 400.  Woodworking is now fun again.  I will be posting woodworking projects this year that will be built by hand tools and some newly practiced skills.  These will be pieces that will still be around for the next 150 years or more which is exciting!

https://paulsellers.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/PaulSellersWoodwork

Werewolf Plywood Yard Art for Halloween

I added to our Halloween plywood yard art this year by making a Werewolf.  I saw the pattern idea in the Winfield Collection and did something similar.  I used 1/4" underlayment plywood so it is a little flimsy but it made it really easy to cut out.

Halloween Pumpkins 2015

Here are the pumpkins we carved for this Halloween.  I did Freddy Kruger, James did the flaming skull and Naomi did the Mummy.  I especially liked how the Mummy came out with all the shadows.

Varnish Alternative

In 2012 when I built the Nez Perce boat, I wanted to keep the inside of the boat clear and not cover up the wood.  I was not looking forward to varnishing though.  Most all who have done it realize it is a lot of work and does not last very long.  Then you have to do all over again.

I came across a blog post by Barry Long entitled "Just Say NO To Varnish".  After seeing Barry's work where he built two melonseed sailboats, you can see he has good credibility.  The boats are extraordinary.  His videos and photographs on traditional small craft boating and sailing are some of the best you will come across.  Anyway, I tried out the Le Tonkinois product he used instead of varnish and I can say it is excellent after 3 years has passed.  It is non-toxic and self-leveling so there are no brush marks.  It does take less coats to complete the work and does not need sanding between coats.  I would not use anything else on any wood project that is not painted and must be outside in the elements.   The Nez Perce boat built in 2012 has not required any interior maintenance since Le Tonk was first put on besides a few light touch ups here and there on the gunwales this summer.    It is a trailer boat and does not get the sunshine as a boat docked in a harbor all summer though.    Time will tell by checking out Barry Long's experience and seeing how my boat goes.  I don't think many people know about this product.  

I just used on my semi-dory transom and forgot how easy it is to use and how good it looks.   

Boatbuilding Projects

I am working on building a John Gardner semi-dory.  It is all planked up now with the outwales installed.  I still have a great deal of sanding to go but I do a little each day.
I have also started the Tom Hill, Charlotte canoe which is a commission project for a friend at work.  The picture shows the building jig with the stems and keelson installed so far. The bottom picture is of the semi-dory built with glued plywood lapstrake planks.