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TORONTO – When a 130-year-old rotting oak on his family’s private woodlands had to come down, Patrick Murphy, owner of One Wood of Toronto, decided to give the tree a second life as custom furnishings.

About 15 years earlier, the tree’s massive trunk had split in two. Part of the tree was used to firewood, but the other part was still standing, albeit unbalanced and stressed. An inspection of the tree last year revealed that it was rotting from the inside out. The tree was removed to salvage as of its lumber-laden trunk as possible.

According to One Wood’s website, Murphy custom woodworking projects frequently begin “with selecting and salvaging trees destined to rot, or to be mulched or burned, and ends with bringing new life to its lumber. This wood is processed and sculpted by us from start to finish, creating beauty in something nearly lost to time.”

Murphy partnered with Odami, a Toronto-based design studio to design furnishings that he could fabricate that capture the "immense presecence this might oak once possessed." Odami was founded in 2017 by Aránzazu González Bernardo and Michael Norman Fohring to offer architectural, interior, and furniture design services.

The collaboration resulted in the design and manufacture of the Case Study 01: On Mass collection consisting of an armchair, table and lamp. Each piece was constructed exclusively from thick slabs of solid wood milled from the red oak.  

The Odami website offers this flowery description of the collection: “As simple compositions of heavy masses, each piece is an expression of this strength and power. Solid rectilinear volumes give way to gentle curves and softened edges, creating deep shadows and comfortable forms. With timeless simplicity, each piece is a humble celebration of material richness and craft, and a study of the coziness of mass.”

The old red oak’s story does not end with the new furnishings. Murphy wrote on his website that he “transplanted its seedlings to advantageous locations so it may live on through its offspring.”

"From milling the tree, all the way through to building and finally transplanting young seedlings, I am grateful for all that I have learned throughout this entire process," Murphy said.

TORONTO – Unique Store Fixtures is savoring the sweet taste of victory for its work on KitKat Chocolatory’s first permanent North American retail store.

The custom millwork shop was awarded gold for the global A’ Design Award in the 2019-2020 Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category.

Unique Store Fixtures, which employs approximately 100 people, fabricated all interior elements of the project including custom stonework, metal fabrication, glass and wood. One of the signature components of the award-winning retail space is the architectural millwork adorning the entry to the store located in the Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

The interior of the KitKat Chocolatory, which opened in November 2019, was designed by Toronto-based model/ctzn.

“Unique Store Fixtures was extremely capable of converting our intricate, highly co-ordinated design into a functional built form in a very limited time frame,” said Justin Vinet, senior environmental designer with model/ctzn. “They gave us faith in every step of the process.”

“Model ctzn was the design firm on this project and we enjoyed executing their creative design and bringing it to life through the fabrication of our custom millwork. This is an absolute honour to be recognized for our work and awarded this prestigious global design award,” said Ferro Corrente, COO of Unique Store Fixtures. “We share this award with our entire team, including our incredible team of craftspeople, who worked tirelessly in creating this space within tight timelines.”

The KitKat Chocolatory in Toronto is intended to be the Canadian flagship store for the world-famous KitKat chocolate bar.

The A’ Design Award & Competition is organized by the International Design Academy to honor outstanding designers, artists, architects, and brands from across the globe. The judging panel consists of journalists, designers, academics and entrepreneurs.

CHICAGO -- A renovation is taking place on the Cook County Hospital, which opened in 1857. Regarded as one of the world's greatest teaching hospitals, this building has housed poor, military (being commandeered for the Army during the Civil War), and the general public during its long tenure.

The photo here shows what the customer provided to Adams Architectural Millwork Co. as templates. Adams then drew the window in their CAD software. These oval windows are fabricated from northern white pine and have nine divided lites (3W-3H). The complete unit is approximately 44 inches wide x 60 inches tall.

What started out as fixed units became a technical challenge for Adams employees. They were up to the challenge and devised a way to utilize the sash and frames that were built to allow for hinges and two types of weatherstrip, to ensure the cold winds off Lake Michigan would stay outside.

This picture above shows the inside of the opening. The window is square on the inside and has a radius on the exterior

Architects, contractors, or owners of historical buildings or homes who are looking to renovate a property can contact Adams Architectural for their architectural millwork needs.

Adams fabricates windows, storm windows, doors and storm doors, including products that most large window and door companies would refuse. Capabilities include manufacturing custom millwork for homes and buildings across the United States. See www.adamsarch.com

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y -- Master veneer artist Scott Grove has taken his latest marquetry project to a new dimension by applying 3D graphic techniques to make a marquetry image seemingly come out of the wood.

It’s Up To You, uses the iconic Uncle Sam’s “I Want You” image in a never-before-seen visual 3D effect in wood. Grove says the piece is also a statement about the current political turmoil, the importance of the upcoming election, as well as the fortitude needed to find common ground.

“I’m an artist first and a craftsman second, but expressing my thoughts through art and technique is a vital part of my creative spirit,” Grove said. “I’m very concerned about the suffering that Americans have been experiencing, so I took the opportunity to add to my patriotic and political body of artwork. With this piece, I express hope in the country that I love while challenging my veneering skills."

Grove, a multiple winner of the prestigious Veneer Tech Challenge Award, achieved his special effect by combining 32 hand-cut, custom-dyed veneer pieces with chroma color separation in a classic process, creating a completely new method of marquetry. When the work is seen through a pair of red and blue 3D glasses, Uncle Sam’s finger jumps off the surface and points directly at the viewer.

Many of the visual elements are made from fine, thin strips of red, blue and green-toned veneer, with a number of them overlapping the central form. One of the technical challenges was to pick the right progression of dyed veneers, and sequencing them was quite challenging; the layup took more than 50 hours of magnified detailed work.

The dyed veneer was a critical part to the success of the piece and carefully selecting and placing each element helped to emphasize the 3D composition. Grove also worked with a computer program to create the color separation while processing the image twice: once for the body and once for the pointing finger.

There are many layers to Grove’s creative expression in this piece: He says the blurry appearance of the stand-alone work reflects the turmoil of today’s political and social environment and the glasses’ red and blue lenses represent the two-party system. "Viewers must interact with the piece: They must put on the glasses and use both colors to find the clarity and compromise that America needs today," Grove said. "All sides merge to form a new image, then suddenly, Uncle Sam is clear in his purpose: It is up to you, America, to make change and heal our nation."

Grove states, “I want to encourage all citizens to take action and accept responsibility, not only in this election, but in our relationships with others in our everyday lives, with our fellow Americans, and with our global neighbors as well.” He adds, “Please vote on November 3^rd and in every election from this time forward.”

Scott Grove demonstrates a sprial match veneer layup.

Grove, who has contributed a number of articles to Woodworking Network and FDMC magazine, is an international award-winning master craftsman, woodworker, woodturner, artist, sculptor, teacher, author, tool designer, small business owner, and YouTuber. He also lectures, demonstrates, and judges at national and international conferences. His work can be found in prominent museum, gallery, and private collections. He maintains a studio in the Finger Lakes region of Western New York, where he produces Zoom classes, commission work, and speculative art as well as limited edition pieces. Visit http://www.imaginewoodworking.com, a portal to Grove’s sites, for more information.

SIERRA VISTA, Calif. - Most of the projects that come through Clyde Martin's Top Tread Stairways business are priced between $500 and $2,000.

Then came the O'Brien family, who commissioned Martin to build a 33-foot all American black walnut staircase and slide combo. The project took two and a half years to build and install, and ran for more than six-figures.

Martin describes the project as the most challenging of his career. 

The slide was constructed with 438 layers of 2-foot-wide by 8-foot-long cross-laminated planks. Martin and his team first built it in the company's 5,000-square-foot shop, before breaking it down into three large pieces. Pieces were then transported to the O'Brien home, carried in, lifted into place, and joined back together using seven hidden bolts at each joint. The adjacent stair stringer was assembled as one piece, with each tread being attached on-site.

Martin is firm believer in pre-building, refusing to take jobs that would require on-site building.

"What we really specialize in is pre-building stairs and parts in the shop, and keeping site time down," he says. "I find that one day in the shop equals about two to three days of work on the site."

Founded by Martin in 2006, Top Tread Stairways is a custom stair-builder specializing in stairways and railings in all types of wood. The company stocks thousands of stair parts in every wood species to expedite installation. 

 

 

 

 

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Oct 18, 2020 at 6:39pm PDT

BIARRITZ, France – George Woodman of George Woodman Garage acknowledges that he probably overdid it in retrofitting a Yamaha XSR700 motorcycle with a full fairing made of carved beech wood.

To keep the wood stable, Woodman applied an overlay of fiberglass saturated with resin, similar to the process used in the manufacture of surfboards.

“To shape the wood parts, I did all by hand with mostly a grinder with sanding discs,” Woodman, a furniture maker, interior designer and carpenter, wrote on his website. “It was a mad work to do and I cannot say how many hours I've spent on it but I can say with no doubt that it is the first and the last full fairing that you will be able to see ;).” 

The makeover of the Yamaha XSR700, which he dubbed “Hommage,”  is the latest in a series of motorcycle transformations Woodman has undertaken using wood. Hence the slogan, “Ride against the grain.”

Woodman ended his post about Hommage by noting, “This bike is actually for sale.”

As Will Rogers said, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” For woodworkers, we usually get only one chance to show our work to potential clients through our website and social media; to art, craft, and museum show juries; and to judges like those in the Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge. So, if you want to make a good first impression, make sure your photographs are as best as they can be.

Quality of your photos can make or break the possibility of selling your work; getting accepted into craft shows; and winning awards. Of course, your first goal is to make beautiful and flawless woodwork, but your secondary goal should be to create stunning photos of it.

Although hiring a professional photographer is usually the best way to go, it can be costly. You might have to move large pieces to their studio or pay extra for them to come to your dusty shop. Set up can be time consuming. Photography is an art, and the field has its experts, but with available books, classes, and YouTube videos, you can get a decent education on taking good photos. And investing in a good camera and light boxes can dramatically increase the quality of your photos.

Start with basics

Luckily, with today’s affordable digital cameras (and even high-quality smartphone cameras), you can take good pictures with reasonable effort, expense, and practice. Start with the basics: Be sure to carefully clean your work, as any dust will show up in your photos. Take your time and schedule a half day (at least) for photography.

Be prepared to review test shots on your camera screen or PC. Adjust lighting as you go along. And while you’re set up, take a wide variety of shots so you can select the best ones later. Most cameras have a video mode, too, so take some short videos of opening doors and drawers, and move around the entire piece.

Lastly, take a shot with you in the image, take a formal one and a fun, crazy one. Don’t use them for jury or award submission; you can be disqualified if you include your face or name in the shot. But fun shots are great for your website and marketing collateral.

Here are some more specific tips:

Camera

Start with a digital device, either an SLR camera (Single Lens Reflex – where you see through the actual lens); a compact camera; or a smartphone. Next, connect it to a stable tripod, preferably with a remote control, as even pushing the shutter trigger can shake the camera and blur the image. I use my timer when shooting with my SLR and voice control with my smartphone. (My wife sometimes hears me yelling, “Cheese, cheese, cheese!” in my shop during a shoot.)

Background

There are two types of product shots: 1) studio with a white or neutral background; and 2) in-situ (“on site" or "in position,”) i.e., in a bedroom for a dresser or a hallway for a console.

Although in-situ shots can help give your work context, sometimes the surrounding background can take away from the piece. Avoid outdoor settings or piles of sawdust. Although they can be creative and great for your website, they are usually distracting for show or award applications.

Unless the work requires an in-situ shot to explain the function of the piece, or it’s installed, it’s best to shoot in a studio or your shop with a full background. Note: some publications like or require in-situ shots, so if time and funds allow, do both.

Studio backgrounds are typically created with a “seamless” (a large wide roll of paper) or fabric backdrop hung and curved down and under the work. Fabric drops are usually left wrinkled as it is hard to get them smooth. Fabric often comes with a molted print to help diffuse the look of the wrinkles, although sometimes patterns can be distracting.

I like to use a white backdrop because I can create a dramatic transitional shadow (a white to black gradient) by hanging a light-blocking panel above the work. A piece can also be digitally cut out and then I can create the background in Photoshop.

For larger work, limited space, and shooting in a shop, you can use bed sheets and/or white foamcore as a backdrop. You can overexpose these irregular backgrounds with additional lighting focused only on them, so they will appear smooth and all white. Don’t fret about dirt smudges or seams.

When you calibrate exposure time, start with the lights off. When taking shots, turn on the background lights and it will appear bright, smooth, and white. Using a shallow depth of field (wide lens aperture) will also put these imperfect backgrounds out of focus, which helps smooth them out.

If you don’t have a clean backdrop, you can also use a shallow depth of field, and set something consistent behind your work, like stacked wood or your row of hanging tools. Place your work as far away from the background as possible and keep the attention on the piece. Many smartphones have an automatic setting (live focus) or filter for this blurred background effect, and it works great.

Composition

Depending on the size of your work, capturing an entire piece can be a challenge. Start with a straight-on, overall shot, then take ¾ views from both sides and above. Follow up with more angles and details, with drawers or tops open, half open, etc. Include details, too, especially of any fine craftsmanship that can’t be seen in an overall shot, including fine joinery and inlay.

When you present your images on your website or in a jury/award application, consider how they will look as a grouping. Make sure the backgrounds are all the same, too.

Lighting

Most cameras have an auto white balance feature that keeps this step simple. The camera will calibrate on a white surface, then adjust and compensate for warm (yellow) or cold (blue) lighting. Light temperature can later be adjusted in post-production too.

A good intro lighting set includes a backdrop hanging rod system, and two side and one overhead soft box lights, all on adjustable tripods. I can set up my entire lighting system in 10 minutes.

Start by turning off all surrounding room lights and block out any window light, if possible. Next, I place my two soft light boxes on either side of the piece, pointing at a 45-degree angle toward the work, and lift them high enough to point downward, also at about 45-degrees. It’s important to use soft lighting and pay attention to shadows and reflections, which will be exaggerated in the photo. Your eye won’t be able to see this in real time, and reflection and glare can ruin a shot. Be sure to carefully review the image on the camera screen or better yet on a PC or tablet.

To help with glare, sometimes I shoot through a black wall of fabric or I place a frosted shower curtain in front of the lights to soften the white reflections on glossy finished pieces.

I also place white foam core on the floor just out of the camera frame tilted toward the work to reflect ambient light and fill in shadowed areas. I use another single light, 45 degrees off the back, to accent the back edge, a technique called rim glow.

Good lighting is critical and can be time consuming. Look for hot spots, dark shadows, reflections, and glare, and move your lights around to soften them out. Take lots of pictures.

File saving and post-processing

Be sure to save your pictures in the largest file format that you can. High-end cameras allow you to save in multiple formats such as RAW, TIFF, and/or JPEG. (JPEG is a condensed format that contains all the information needed for editing, but each time you save a JPEG, you lose information, so avoid resizing and saving multiple edited versions.) Work in larger formats and then save smaller files for your website and submission to juries or judges. You never know, they might ask for a larger file for the cover of a magazine.

Knowing how to edit images in a software program like Photoshop is a good skill to have, but if you are not accomplished at it, avoid it or use it very sparingly. Judges frown upon touched-up images, especially ones that are poorly cut and pasted on a fake gradient background. Don’t do this. Really. Don’t.

With a little practice, patience, and a few tools (new tools!) you can show your work off with high-quality images that will make you stand out from the crowd and even might get your work on the cover of a magazine or win you the grand prize.

Steve Guenzel is used to challenges. His company, Advanced Stair Systems supplies stairs and handrails for custom projects in the greater Philadelphia area. “We specialize in creating reproduction handrails using the Tangent Handrail Method and 3D modeling, which is an art and science unto itself,” he said.

But he tackled a different kind of challenge when he started making flags that are made mostly of solid American hardwoods but look like they are flying in the breeze. “We have been making American hardwood flags for a few years now,” he said. “The original idea was a personal challenge to do better than a few that I saw on the internet. They make a stunning statement of beauty and patriotism.”

His most recent project really stretched the limits since the flag is 6 feet long and 2 inches thick.

“This particular flag is a lot larger than most flags we made previously and is 39”x 72” and 2” thick,” he said. “I had designed the waving profile a few years ago, and just had to modify a few things for the larger size. The stars are the greatest challenge, but I feel also they are the key element that had to have the right look to them. Getting the stars to a sharp point is difficult, and took a little trial and error, but in the end, I think we nailed it.”

The stripes are 3 inches tall with the white stripes crafted of hard maple and the red stripes from sapele mahogany. For the star field, they chose black walnut, using hard maple again for the stars.

“The stars are a little more than 2 inches point to point and ¾-inch thick, with care taken to align the grain correctly with the stripes,” he said. “They are cut out, and then inlayed into the walnut star field with a lot of precision, as any gaps or poor fits are extremely visible.”

Gluing up the parts of the flag requires three stages, then the whole thing is planed to the finish thickness of 2 inches.

The next step is what really makes the flag distinctive: carving the waves to make the flag look like it is flapping in the wind.

“The machining of the wave and the final cutout of the flag is done on our 22-foot CNT Motion CNC router,” Guenzel said. “For this project we used Aspire CAM software to program the CNC and Autodesk Inventor for the 3D modeling to get the wave just right.”

Guenzel says it is impressive seeing the flag take shape on the bed of the CNC.

“Watching the CNC cut the wave is amazing and is surpassed only by the spraying of the first coats of clear coat on the flags, and watching the true colors just pop,” he said. “This stage almost brings you to tears.”

For maximum effect, the flags use only the natural wood coloring.

“Cutting the waves across the wood brings out an interesting grain pattern and lets the natural beauty of the wood come out,” he said. “No stains are used on our flags, as the genuine tones of the wood are incredible on their own.”

This flag will be proudly displayed in the showroom at Advanced Stair Systems’ new shop north of Philadelphia. For more on the company, you can visit their website at advancedstairsystems.com.

With so many students not able to attend classes on site in schools during the pandemic, the Minnesota Tool Library launched a program to encourage woodworkers to build desks to be donated to needy students.

The Minnesota Tool Library is a member-based, volunteer-driven nonprofit that offers community access to tools and training for woodworking and DIY projects.

"Part of MTL's mission is to empower residents with access to tools, training, and workspace,” said Kate Hersey, executive director. “When it comes to distance-learning, there are a lot of variables, but we know that a desk makes a difference. As a community, we couldn't be more excited to put our resources and skills to use on this project and provide our kids and our community a Space to Learn."

The original goal of the Space to Learn program was 500 desks, but they built more than 600 desks and had volunteers replicate the project using MTL’s plans across Minnesota, in New York, Florida, and even in Nova Scotia.

The program was also inundated with thank you letters from teachers and students. “I just wanted to send you a big thank you,” wrote Ms. Mattlin from Jackson Elementary. “I checked in with E. today and asked if she got her desk. She was thrilled to tell me that she got it and ran with her iPad to show it to me. She has all of her school supplies tucked inside, and it was the most excited I’ve seen her in a long time. We appreciate you and volunteers!”

Materials for each of the desks averaged $20 to $25 and estimated building time was about four hours per desk.

Happy students and teachers flooded the Minnesota Tool Library with thank you notes.

While MTL has exhausted its funding for the project, the organization is still making available its plans for people who want to make desks on their own. You can get more information at https://www.mntoollibrary.org/.

Frank and Oak, a clothing retailer that prides itself on sustainability, looked to make eco-responsible choices when renovating its Montreal corporate headquarters.

The company worked closely with Imperatori Design, an architectural firm based in Montreal, to strike a balance between maintaining the atmosphere of the original workspace and improving the quality of life for its employees.

Imperatori’s design includes a main entrance and its adjacent showroom that introduces two zones. One is focused on social gatherings and the other zone - more quiet and relaxed - leads to the workspaces. Included is the creative workshop where designers are surrounded by textiles, sketches, and samples.

De Gaspé, a local custom woodwork firm that has made sustainability a core value, played an instrumental role in the final results. The company executed the custom millwork and built-in cabinetry and bookshelves mostly using Russian plywood.

The quality of their millwork is impeccable and they are masterful with millwork that integrates metal and wood,” says Chantal Ladrie, senior designer of Imperatori Design. “More importantly they are a local workshop and their work is very representative to the Montreal vibe in terms of design.”

Frank and Oak turned to office furniture manufacturer Teknion of Toronto for seating, tables, desks and workstations. Frank and Oak's re-done space also includes Teknion privacy rooms.

Seeking to create two historic desks comparable to the U.S. President’s historic HMS Resolute desk, a team of Navy Seabees used parts of famous ships, including the USS Constitution, to build desks for the Vice President and the Secretary of the Navy.

Timber from the USS Constitution was used to build the desk now used by Vice President Kamala Harris. Often referred to as Old Ironsides, the USS Constitution was one of the six first frigates of the U.S. Navy. It was launched in 1797 in Boston, Massachusetts. Today, 224 years later, the Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat, according to the U.S. Navy.

The team also built a desk for the Secretary of the Navy made of parts from the frigates USS Constitution, USS Chesapeake, sloop of war USS Constellation, and battleships USS Texas, USS New Jersey, and USS Arizona. The Seabees team was attached to Naval History and Heritage Command, located at the Washington Navy Yard, which is responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage.

Former Secretary of the Navy, Kenneth J. Braithwaite, poses with Seabees during an executive desk presentation event at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy. The desk project was initiated to deliver a desk of comparable provenance, history, and heritage as the president’s HMS Resolute desk. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Randy L. Adams II/Released)

“It’s a huge opportunity to be a part of,” said Builder 1st Class Hilary Lemelin, assigned to USS Constitution. “It’s amazing to create a desk for someone who makes such large decisions for the country and Navy knowing they’ll sit there every day is huge. The importance of their job can affect everything we do. It’s a piece of history now.”

The Seabees constructed the desks in about seven weeks. Staining and applying finishing coats was the longest part of the process due to the 24-hour drying time between each finish coat.

They used wood, copper, and nails from Constitution, wood from Chesapeake and Constellation, steel plating from Texas and Arizona, and deck bolts from New Jersey. The Secretary’s desk was made primarily of salvaged excess wood and copper from Constitution, a small amount of donated original wood from the frigate USS Chesapeake, donated salvage wood from the museum frigate USS Constellation, donated metal from the museum battleships USS Texas and USS New Jersey and a relic from the battleship USS Arizona.

Builder 1st Class Hilary Lemelin, assigned to USS Constitution, speaks with Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Harker during a heritage desk presentation at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alexander C. Kubitza)

The team left square-nail holes in parts of the panels to show they came from the planks of the Constitution and as a reminder that sailors served on it. The panels were a piece of history they didn’t want to cover up. Yet, these were not the parts of the desk that mean the most to Lemelin.

“In each desk, we built pen trays in the center drawer and SECNAV Kenneth Braithwaite has a note written in there with a piece of the Arizona,” said Lemelin. “That’s the biggest thing for me because every time they open that tray to sign an important document that could potentially change the Navy or the nation, I think I put that there for them to use. For me, that’s history and we’re helping whoever sits in those seats think about the immense weight they hold.”

Vice President Kamala Harris conducts business at the USS Constitution desk. The Naval History and Heritage Command undertook the project to create a heritage desk for both the Vice President of the United States and the Secretary of the Navy. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

“This was the highlight of my career for sure,” said Senior Chief Constructionman Noah Ziegler, assigned to Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Atlantic. “We worked together every day and learned from each other while we made desks that I’m extremely proud of. Watching the way the team meshed and helped each other on top of knowing these desks would be used for many years to come, it was an awesome overall experience. Saying it was an honor is a significant understatement.”

Ziegler said the team constantly talked about how they could maximize the materials they used to capture the spirit of the old ships and all the sailors who served on them.