Rob Hetler Furnituremaker

Why are hand tool skills important

2011-12-07T16:15:00.001-08:00

Why are hand tool skills important in a computerized and technological society?

We all might agree that there is a correct way to do certain things, even if approaches may differ. The learning of a given approach opens us to the intellectual and manual skills required to enter a larger body of knowledge, in this case woodworking.

Chisels only work if razor sharp, otherwise they are lumps of steel frustration good for blunt trauma to hands and wood. The same is true of hand planes. Many of you probably inherited a bench plane from your Dad or Granddad. You tried to use it, but the thing never did the job correctly and it was relegated to the garage to rust and be forgotten. I would bet no one gave you the instruction to sharpen and tune that plane, and you, out of convenience, decided to use a sander instead. Yes, things felt smooth, but if you looked closely at the surface with a jeweler’s loupe, you would see that all you really did was scratch your project into submission. If one wants to see the true beauty of wood surfaces, a finely tuned hand plane gives you a mirror finish, in less time than you could ever do the same with abrasives.

Learning how to easily sharpen a bench plane iron and tune the plane, allows one to work wood as it has been done, literally, for centuries. When we understand how to accomplish woodworking by hand tools, then we have basic concepts such as flat, sharp and smooth, that allows us to use more advanced tools, such as computers to control cutting or shaping. If you understand sharp and tuned, regardless if it is a hand tool or a CNC router, you will be able accomplish the task correctly.

Picasso learned to draw before he was able to paint. One learns to walk before running. You study the alphabet before you can write a novel. Learning to sharpen edge tools and tune a plane are a gateway to fine woodworking.

Rob Hetler 2011

Verical Grain Douglas Fir

2011-05-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

Every wood has its' pros and cons.
Vertical Grain Douglas Fir, also know as VG fir, is an endemic northwest wood. It is emblematic of our forests and widely used in homes for construction, trim work, mill-work and cabinetry. It is very regular in appearance, with some subtle variations in color and grain patter. The only figure I have ever encountered in the VG cut is a significant wavey patter. There can be some very interesting patterns when the wood is plan or flat sawn. Then one is able to find beautiful flame or cathedral patterns.

Many commercial companies shy away from VG fir for the simple reason that it is difficult to work where precision joinery is required. The VG cut exposes the hard winter wood particularly on edges. I can't tell you how many times I accidentally picked up a small sliver that ran significantly into the work or my finger. Immediate repair (or band aid) is the only solution. There are other flaws inherent in the wood such as stress fractures from the felling of the tree or sap lines that easily separate.

Douglas fir is a soft wood that has great strength in bending. This is why it is used in construction. But when use in furniture and cabinetry, one needs to be cautious. Hard woods such as eastern maple can withstand alot of abuse and do not dent or scatch easily. Fir does, though I often tell my clients that when do we beat up our cabinetry. Save for an unruly dog or child, most cabinetry made from douglas fir is well suited to home use.

Rough out tenon cheeks.

Refrigerator case.

Shop view with work in progress.

Door parts with stub tenons cut.

My current project, a small kitchen for a Whidbey Island beach cabin, has all the above issues. Joinery has been the greatest challenge. The craftsman needs to be meticulous in set-up and fit. Cutters have to be clean and sharp. Normally the dado for housing the panels is a one or two step process.With fir , there is an additional step. No matter how careful I am there is always tear out on the edges of the dadoes. I cut them a little deeper then return to the jointer for another pass. Another place that I have to be extremely meticulous is in cutting the stub tenons. Typically, I take a hardwood directly from the thicknesser to the shaper. With fir, I first cross cut the shoulder of the tenon on the table saw. Then I rough the tenon cheeks on the band saw. Only then am I able to run the stub tenons in the shaper. This is the only way to have clean precise joinery parts.

Whidbey Island Kitchen

2011-03-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

Every project has its' beginnings. This the space for a new kitchen I am developing in concert with Dave Pate, our local contractor, Anne McCulloch of Anne McCulloch Studio in Portland, Oregon and, of course the clients, Marjie and Doug Gutafson. The kitchen is in a modest beach front house/cabin with an extraordinary view on Whidbey Island, WA.

The kitchen will be a shaker style constructed from vertical grain fir. Below, you can see a stack of fir boards that will be used in the project. These are all rough cut shorts from a NW mill.

The case work will be made from pre-finished maple faced ply. This has been a standard of mine for many years. It gives the interiors a functional durability and light glowing interior. Here you can see some of the maple panels cut for case work. This is the first step in prepping parts for case construction.

The heart of most projects that I work on are the layout or story boards. They contain full scale drawings of the kitchen as related to me from the designers' plans. There are side to side plan views as well as a front to back plan views. I also draw a typical elevation noting any special circumstances.
I learned this technique from a now closed cabinet/furniture shop owner in Coupeville, WA some twenty-five years ago. The beauty of it is that one is able to take full scale drawings to the job site or use them in the shop to check that all is correct. Once a case is built I am able to lay a story board on the work and see my mistakes or successes. The story board is where I can plan for complicated joinery or difficult layouts
I would just like to give a special thanks to Brad Gallahar, a Whidbey Island furniture maker, for recommending me to the Gustafsons, offering me an opportunity to be involved in another wonderful Whidbey project.

May your chisels be sharp and your planes tuned,
Rob Hetler
Whidbey Island, WA

Maple Bathroom Vanity

2010-09-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

This is the beginnings of an elegant bathroom vanity being built for a local client. The doors are slab style, constructed with a three ply interior substrate and veneered with shop sawn eastern maple. The interior is pre-finished maple ply. There will be two slide out shelves and a pair of med-shelves hung on the right door.

The client plans a vessel style sink with a granite counter top.Dimensions are 30w x 20d x 32h.The sink rim will top out at about 38" when all is installed.

Wood working show a success

2010-09-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

The gallery was jammed. The Atrium was too. They drank all the wine and ate all the food. The show opening was a success, if bottles of wine and trays of food consumed is any indication. Or folks were just hungry and thirsty. I believe it was the former. We all had fun, basking in our patrons compliments, enjoying the good conversation. And every day there after, for the ten days of the show, it seemed that there was never an opprtuinity to sit and read my book. Folks were always coming through, looking, touching oohing and aahing.

Above and right are photos of the Kitchen Catch-all the I presented for the wood show. Folks loved the elm., especially as it is a material not often see. Remember Dutch elm disease? They also liked the walnut figured panel on the upper shelving back. Another point of comment is the black board on the back. I was surprised that there weren't more comments about the basketry.

Next up is the Open Studio Tour. It will be fun to see how many folks come over the two days of the event, September 25th and 26th.

Woodpalooza 2010

2010-08-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

See you at the show!

August 2010 New Project Kitchen Catch-all

2010-08-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

Ah, new beginnings. So much promise,such a long road. This project was designed to replace a work table in my kitchen that has been a catch-all for all the stuff that comes in the door. You know how it goes: where to drop (and leave) the junk mail no one wants to read; the empty plastic bags that don't seem to make it to the recycle bin; or the key that you can't figure out to which lock it belongs, but can't seem to realize that you will never figure that out. All that junk, crap, stuff. Whatever. So to the right you can see a first assembly.

Last year I bought some elm, locally grown here on delicious Whidbey Island. Robert Bennett called asking if I would help pay for the sawing in exchange for some of the material. Pete Jordan, Whidbey"s definitive landscape painter and sometimes sawyer, cut the log for us. I dried it at John Shinneman's kiln and lugged back the material, where it has sat for a year or so. I even had a client interested in a desk made from this stock, but the economy collapsed and the so there it sat. This years Guild show loomed and I thought to use the material for a case I had been thinikng about. There was also a remnant of a bundle of Claro walnut thick veneers from Goby Walnut that had been in my shop for a decade or more. The colors worked well together, so they found a home.

Of course these projects are always a challenge. My drawing was a slip of scratch paper that had been in the shop for some years. Just a general outline really, with no dimensions. I started cutting, letting the material define the project. First the legs, then panels for the back and sides. At first I wanted doors with glass in the upper case but that became too cumbersome, so I left the upper open. I wanted a cork board on the end panels as well. The back panel ended being a really spectacular walnut veneer and the cork panels were replaced with an interesting shelf support system. Another problem cropped up with the working surfaces. There just wasn't enough calm material to make glued up tops, so I went to frame and panel system with the walnut as panels.

This was a no cost project. I thought to buy some 16/4 eastern walnut to resaw for the tops, but at the more than $10 per board foot cost, left that as not an option. I did have to buy some substrate material for the veneered panels. I have been using something called poplar light of late. This is a poplar ply wood, available in various metric thicknesses from Eden Saw. Russ Yerger, my fearless and helpful salesman brought it to me from Port Townsend. Eden Saw has been most helpful over the years and even in this bleak economic period they still are invested in the small craftsmen that inhabit our fair isle.
The drawers also posed something of a problem. At first I wanted something quick and easy. I tried a rabbeted face held with pins, like you find in a tansu. This proved to be a boring solution. Usually when I get to this point I have invested so much time and effort that I just go for the best, and often more complicated solutions (hence,challenging/ interesting). In this case through dovetails was the correct solution. I have some walnut backer that is just wonderful. These few boards have been with me for at least fifteen years. They are twenty or so inches wide. FYI, backer board is the remnant of veneer logs. You can see the marks left by the holding dogs on the edges. These are usually from the center of the log, often with pith running the center. They have the most wonderful color and grain. Unfortunately, due to the improvement in technology, backer stock is becoming near impossible to acquire.

Typically, I cut a stopped dado on my table saw for the drawer bottoms. Previously, I spent many hours cleaning these with chisel and mallet. Now I use this little router jig to clean the stopped dadoes. Every little bit helps to move these project along. They take so much time. There will probaly be 120 hours in this case by the time I am done.

     The last bit is always the pulls, which I have been shop making for some time. I use tapped ebony posts that will take an machine screw. Tapping the post is straight forward. For this project Jon Magill brought me some beautiful box wood, but the color was all wrong. I hunted through my pile of odd bits of exotic woods to find a compatible material. I found a short stick of Australian Iron Bark given to me years ago by Richard Epstein that seems to fit the bill. I typically use an 1/8" brass pin to join the post and bar together.
    The finish for this project will be shellac. An oil varnish finish is out of the question as the elm is so coarse and become blotchy. Shellac is so easy, evne if not durable in wet conditions, but easily repaired.

Guild Show: WWOODPALOOZA 2010

2010-08-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

You are all invited to the fall showcase of Whidbey Islands' finest woodworkers.

Frank's Organ

2010-08-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

Frank's Organ

In 2009 Les Asplund and I work on this Decap merry-go-round mechanical orchestra facade. The original was built in the 1920's. You can see more about Decap at http://www.decap-herentals.be/. We spent about 150 hours creating the two outside panels as well as the full top section. Unfortunately Frank passed away before it was finished but his organ still stands.He was always ready with a pun about his organ's. He has a dozen or so stored at his winery. Ask at the wine tasting bar to see them.

His wife Betty and friends painted it this summer (2010). There was a public showing at their winery, Greenbank Cellars, in Greenbank, Washington on Whidbey Island.

The project had its' challenges. The schematic was only a basic template from which we had to interpret the three dimensional design. There was a fair amount of template making as well as turning to complete our portion of the 13' 6" x 7' facade. Most of the work was done in poplar solids or poplar ply. It had to come apart for transport.

This is Frank


Top detail

Drawing for the above carving

Veneering

2010-06-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

Veneering is a great way to maximize the use of available material and to get the continuity of pattern that is not available using solid stock. Shop cut veneers also allows me to use local materials or other solid stock not available in veneer form. Commercial veneers, although usually sold at 1/42", offers such materials as burls, crotch, and other figured material not available as solid stock. There are some veneers sold at 1/16", although not many species are available.

Often, I cut veneers on my 26" Laguna band saw. A vari-tooth carbide tipped blade from Lenox assures a consistent cut, in hardwoods, even at the saws maximum throat capacity of 16". An axillary fence helps to stabilize the material at the maximum height. Folks that come in to the shop are amazed at the thinness of the cuts. Even other woodworkers, used to standard blades are impressed with the end product. There are ceramic blade guides helping the blade to track through the cut. Traditionally, a ball bearing type is used, but one cannot tighten the guides enough to prevent any side to side movement. The ceramic guides do this most effectively. I primarily veneer for panels for doors and end panels. Typically I cut at 3/32". This allows plenty of stock for thicknessing and sanding.
Once the veneers are cut or selected, the leaves need to be edge jointed. There are several steps to this. First I will straight line a bundle of leaves after having taped them together. This is a job for either the table saw or the band saw. Then I will move to the jointer to clean up the edge. Lastly I will use a No. 6 or 7 Lie-Nielsen hand plane either on its' side or upside down in a vise. For thick leaves the work is done individually, joint by joint. Edges need to match as perfectly as the material will allow, otherwise glued up panels will have exposed glue lines.

After the joints are acceptable, I tape the backs together with blue masking tape. This tape does not adhere too strongly and having some stretch it acts as a sot of clamp, pulling the two leaves together. I then flip the taped leaves over, tipping them into an inverted vee and apply a thin line of white glue to the edges. Laying them flat, I scrap the excess glue from the surface. Brown paper veneering tape is then applied. I use an iron to quickly dry the tape and the glue.

With all the leaves of both sides of a panel taped and glued, I then hinge them to the substrate. This, in my mind, is really important. Once in the press, the glue can act as a lubricant and squeeze the veneers askew. Also in the controlled hurry of gluing up a stack of panels, hinging facilitates keeping everything in order. One less portion of the process to worry about. Don't forget to remove the blue tape prior to gluing to the substrate.

      In the past I used a water based plastic resin glue from Dap, but the inclusion of water created some shrinkage and veneer curling problems. Recently, I began using Uni-bond 800, locally available from Eden Saw . This is a two part glue that works well for flat veneering and bent laminations It also comes with hardener in either white or brown. They are mixable allowing for glue that is closer in color than plastic resin, which tends to be brown to red. There is also a flexible set time depending on the amount of hardener and the ambient temperature. Measuring out the correct amounts of glue and hardener is simple using a small electronic gram scale. Mix it using a driver drill and paint mixer. I apply the glue with a foam roller.

Two items are necessary when placing the panel in the press. First there needs to be paper between each layer. I Use freezer pare from the local super market. This prevents the panels from being stuck together. Secondly, platens will be needed to distribute the pressure from each screw clamp. I use MDF or white melamine, both of which are flat.
      My education in veneering began with a kitchen project that was designed with all flat panels, both as doors and end and back panels. I hired another local woodworker, John Griffiths, to do the veneer work and at the same time teach me about the process. That was maybe fifteen years ago. I have since learned from other fellow wood workers from our local Woodworkers Guild.

Here is the happy ending, with panels in the screw press.

New Project

2010-06-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

The photos on the left are the beginnings of two bathroom vanities. They will be in Douglas Fir. What you see are the cabinet interiors made of pre-finished maple plywood from Columbia Products. In recent years they have used soy based glues, nearly eliminating the formaldehyde hit that I used to get from just fabricating with plywood. Some years ago I tried using a Chinese made ply with a similar look, but the veneers did not adhere well and the formaldehyde levels were off the charts. The cost was about half that of the domestic product per sheet, but the health and aesthetic considerations out weighed the monetary one.

The face of these Bath room vanities will be from vertical grain doug fir. Here shown is the bulk of the face frame and drawer stock. Next I will mill the rough cut stock to size.

Here we go again!

2009-07-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

I will be writing again, as things are definitely in flux. So there will be some thoughtful stuff, as I am moving in a slightly new direction. My emphasis will be on furniture, unless someone comes along with an offer I can't refuse. The residential casework that has been my bread and butter of the recent past has slowed to a miserable trickle. Not that the furniture market is any better. There is a small measure of despondency in my current outlook, but I have always been a fighter. I will figure out how to make this life continue to work.

Currently we are working on some case work for my wife's birthing center, as well as a bench for the tub room. There is also a lectern for a group of writers. They are donating it to their program and I am helping them out. There is also a desk and file drawers for a local business man. Perhaps I should make two? I'm excited about the design: a quarter arc of a doughnut with with curved privacy panels at the client side. We are planning on a leather writing surface. Local elm is the chosen material. I also have a small round end table in the works. Look for photos of these projects as they are built.

Thanks for reading.

Rob Hetler
Greenbank, WA

New Client

2008-01-11T09:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Dustheads,

The good news is that I am sitting here, well, before I began writing, designing a kitchen for Carol and Janice. They are building a sweet small structure just opposite Coupeville on Penn Cove. There is, of course a story that goes with this venture, well, several really.

As usual I have been procrastinating. Five days ago the clients appeared in my shop asking when the design would be complete. They had first contacted me several months ago. There was lots to do in the interim, vacations and holidays, and yes, a bit of work too. The design work had been on the back burner, plus I could just not get into the mood to stand at my drawing board and, well, draw. So, yesterday I was sure the I would get to "it", but alas, it was not to be. Our current addiction of Lost from Netflix was on the agenda for the evening andI watched several episodes. It got late, and then I was too tired to do any drawing,. At 4:30 AM I got up, made coffee, read the paper and then proceeded to the drawing board. Egads, that is a really early time to try to ponder someone elses cooking space. Five hours later I finally have a first draft of their kitchen.

One of the interesting things about this place is that some of the interior and exterior detailing was done by Len Brackett of East Wind, Inc. and author of Building the Japanese House Today. I arranged to meet him and his crew with Richard Epstein who is a fan of Len's. Len proved to be a fascinating guy, as did his partner Doug and helper Cedar. The day we visited the site, they were working on some of the sugar pine beams and port orford posts. They build using traditional japanese hand tools and joinery. Len even uses a tape measure calibrated in the sun system. I suggested he and his crew come for dinner and he replied that would be a fine idea.

We grilled some salmon, invited some friends and family. They brought the wine and we shared a lovely meal. Len regaled us with tales of living in his tradtional japanese style house in northern California, un heated, in the mountains. He talked about his shop with fixed knife surfacers, as all material has only a planed finish. Nothing between you and the wood. He also told us about his hawk, that he was flying daily after work. He had hooked up with the Lehmans, also local hawkers.

So, japanese style builders have really set the tone for this project. Their level of quality, especially on that scale is very impressive. Remember John Jacob's tea house?

I got to this job through a rather convoluted series of events. An Oak Harbor contractor started the project, taking scads of cash but not building much. He finished a roof to get a draw, but failed to include two sky lights. They must take a long time to install. They ended firing him (may this guy rot in contractor hell) and ended with Forrest Hughes as their contractor. He was lamenting yesterday that he was going to have to hang the sheet rock himself, because they were not allowed to use masking tape on the soft wood beams and post. Do you know any careful dry wallers? That qualifies as an oxymoron. The clients had first met Epstein and he recommended me and after Len had strongly suggested custom cabinets for the project, they had dropped by the shop and invited me in.

Time to meet the clients. More later.

May yous chisels be sharp and your shavings long,
Rob Hetler

Old Adage

2007-12-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

The client always has a choice. They are able to select one of the following three: 1) Cost; 2) Time; 3) Quality.

If cost is the issue, then one must build quickly, thereby sacrificing quality. If timeliness is the issue, then one may have to sacrifice quality to deliver on time, or compress the work load, thereby increasing the cost. When quality is the prime mover, then speed is reduced and cost increased.

I guess this fits into the balloon theory. If you put pressure on one side of a balloon, there will be a bulge produced somewheres else.

Musings of a Dusthead

2007-11-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Dustheads,

Another month has slipped by engaged in the most pleasurable of pursuits, woodworking. As I stand at my bench, planing, mortise chopping or other soothing endeavors, I often mentally wander and reflect on the value of what I am doing. What is it about this work that I find so engaging? Why do I/we value this work, it's tools and outcomes? Why do folks walk into my shop exclaiming, I love the smell of wood (dust?)? Is this really some past memory evoked by familiar sights from a distant time? The work is certainly securely rooted in tradition. Even the ancient Egyptians knew about the mortise and tenon. The fine woods are often eye catchers and bring up lots of questions and praise. Visitors love to caress and ogle beautifully crafted work. Opening doors and testing drawers seems to bring a lot of pleasure, that often translates into a ready check book. The fine hand tools that I work with daily, are rarely of interest to clients, but there are a few drawn to their presence in the shop. Often woodworking savvy they have questions about types of planes, or other esoterica.

What do I value? All of it. The fine tools certainly give me great joy. I notice the feel of a well shaped Stanley Bedrock or a Lie-Nielsen handle. I appreciate the flatness of their soles and the efficiency with which a well tuned plane can give a radiant surface requiring no further enhancement. I love a well fitted joint: mortise and tenon, dovetail, even a butt joint. All must be done correctly to fit. We all know when that is, whether we succeed or not. We know something is right/correct intuitively. I have always believed that when everything in a project is in harmony, even if a viewer is unknowledgeable about woodworking, they will be calmed in the presence of such work. They instinctively know that this is something of value. There is quality, even if they cannot define it. There are some projects that upon completion transcend the material and the craftsmanship and exude artistry, and excellence and surprise that was never planned for, perhaps could not be planned for.

Recently I built a series of stepstools. This was repetitive work. From my pottery days I recall reading in "A Potter's Handbook" by Bernard Leach, that after throwing the first 1000 cylinders, then one might begin to understand that seemingly simple form. I reflected on that, having made only dozens of stepstools. Maybe after a thousand I will really understand all the nuances of that simple form. My speed have definitely increased when cleaning mortises, for example. When all is properly prepared, then clean out and tenon fitting goes quickly and is a pleasure.

My most recent project was a saddle stand. This commission was acquired from my exposure at the Guild show. I pondered what the thing would look like for a long time. I did my Internet research only to find mostly shoddy or poorly designed work, but it did give me some parameters of scale.
The saddle stand has some interesting joinery: through wedged mortise and tenon at the feet. A tusk tenon or keyed tenon on the lateral brace. The bridle hangar is simply mortised into the stand leg. The top is lock mitered for strength. The material is Cherry and Cocobolo.

I will use a new found finish, Tried and True Varnish/Oil. They claim it is non toxic: no chemical driers. Suitable for food contact. Easy to apply. Looks great on cherry and other hardwoods. They also have a boiled linseed oil and beeswax finish as well as a pure linseed oil. Available from the manufacturer, or Woodcraft.

All in all this has been a fascinating year. There have been some challenging projects, interesting clients and a new employee. Business has been OK although not as consistent as I like. Perhaps that will change. After a quiet fall I have again been getting regular inquires about availability to work. There are some interesting project set for 08: a small kitchen with a Japanese flair; a cherry living room set and a small remodel at Island County's new juvenile detention center, among others. Plus we have had some fascinating gatherings at member shops here on Whidbey. Thank you all for making this a wonderful year for Whidbey Woodworkers Guild. You can all be proud to associate with such a talented group. And fun too!

Be well, and I will think of you from warmers climes. See you in 08.

May your chisels be sharp and your shavings long,
Rob Hetler

Planing Osage Orange

2007-10-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Dust Heads,

Since I wrote here last, I have completed several projects, one of which was six step stools in six different woods: claro walnut, southern yellow pine, osage orange, african paduk and purple heart. Most of those materials plane quite well, except the osage orange, and to a lesser extent the purple heart. Part of the mystic of my step stools and step chests has been that all the parts are hand planed. Material like osage is roey and virtually un-planeable. Roey wood basically has grain running in opposite directions in the same board. At first I thought I would have to sand everything, but was depressed at the thought of the scratched, light refracting surface that would result. I looked at my tool cabinet and there lay my L-N large scraper plane that had never been mastered. A still untamed tool in these fumbling hands. One of my first forays into the use of this scraper planed brought to my attention that the bottom was not flat. That is one of the boasts of Lie-Nielson, that the bottoms are dead flat. Well we all know that flat and square and plumb are all fictions of some mathematicians mind. Even when we are deluded by Madison Avenue advertising that such things exist. Remember, diamonds are for ever and there are WMD in Iraq and that buck you got under your pillow was from you know who. So the plane was not performing well so I checked for flatness with my handy dandy Starrett straight edge, flat to within three thousandth in thirty six inches. Yup, the plane was not flat. I sent it back. L-N did their thing and bingo it return flattened. That problem solved, I proceeded to do some proper scraper planing. Did not work. I was aghast. How could this be? I was missing something. I could not figure that planes mysteries. I put the thing aside with grim thoughts of its early demise as an anchor or projectile. I get these deep emotional reactions to to tools that don't cooperate.
That was several years ago . Now I have osage orange to give a satiny finish. Out comes the recalcitrant #112 L-N. It is truly a beautiful plane: cherry handle darkened with age, brass frog, a flat bottom and nearly mint. I sharpened the thick blade. It gets a forty-five degree grind. then I polish the edge and pull a burr. I place the plane on a sheet of glass to set the blade and snug it into place. There is an adjustment to tip the blade backwards and forwards. I use this to set the blade just so. I put plane to osage and oh dear, eureka, the thing actually works. There is a beautiful curl of a shaving nestled in the throat of the scraper plane where before it had been clogged with wood crumbs and frustration. Good thing I did not toss that devil. Now she is my friend and a new tool in my arsenal to combat resistant woods.
So for now, may your chisels be sharp and your shavings long,

Rob Hetler, Cabinetmaker

Another Day in Paradise

2007-09-26T09:14:00.001-07:00

The fogs of fall have descended on Whidbey Island. The dawns walk for the morning newspaper has become an impressionists dream: firs loom dark and protective, grassy fields are golden paint strokes, webs are bedewed. Traffic, slowly moving, shrouded, appears and fades silently as if waiting for everything to jump back to summers frenetic pace. There is always an expectancy at this time of year. Like comfort food, falls fogs are a relief, cradling me before winters gloom.

No, this is really a good time. Time for reflection and regeneration. Time and space to regroup to create the next best thing, whatever that may turn out to be.

The shop is full at the moment with some unfinished projects. Cynthi's amoire. Just a few more coats of finish, then reassembly. That will occur this week as the Whidbey's annual artist's "Studio Tour" will be this weekend, Sept 29/30 with over 100 artists participating. There is also a book case for the Enso House that is due for completion. Mortises have been cut, while the tenons await completion. White oak is the material and one of my least favorite woods, only that it is so hard and I seem to trash my hands when I have to clean tenons cut by my by my slot mortiser. There is an osage orange step stool rough cut as well as an elm coffee table to be completed. A small book case in red oak waits for my attention as well as a custom saddle rack, that was a result of our annual show. Cynthia has also asked for a kitchenette for the Birth Center, design is in progress. I am in discussions with three sets of clients for kitchen work. These discussions seem to take forever. One potential client spoke with me last year, and just is now getting back with me. People like to take their time making considered decisions. For me that is the best. There is time for everyone to become totally comfortable with the project that will be central in their lives and mine for some months, at least and comes at considerable cost. Mean while, my bank account is slowly deflating. Even with all the pending work, cash flow is slow, very slow.

Got work? How are you all doing? Is the economy in flux, or is it just me? Even though this mornings PI reports that Seattle housing market is better than any where else in the US, requests for new work seems slow. Are your phones ringing off the hook?

Last month was an electrical disaster. Why me? First I had a run capacitor melt and fume on my band saw ($45), then I destroyed my table saw motor($603), then the mother board in my dust collection automatic sensor system burned out($40), and then a dust collector switch stopped working(full of saw dust:free). I feel like I am forgetting something, but never mind, that is enough to slow any bodies cash flow. ( An electronic ballast on a florescent fixture died. $45) All are working again after lots of cursing and gnashing of teeth. Poor Max just slinks around when my volume increases. I always have to reassure him it is not his fault.

Work awaits. May you chisels be sharp and your shavings long,

Rob Hetler Cabinetmaker

Letter from Whidbey Woodworker

2007-09-22T10:44:00.001-07:00

Dear Dustheads,

The show has folded. We had more than $10,000 in sales! This is truly spectacular. Some twenty visitors appreciated your work enough to shell out the bucks and make our collective day. Plus there were commissions arranged. The show was a wonderful group effort, with special thanks to Tom Fisher, our fearless curatorial leader and his exemplary cat herding abilities. Thanks also has to be extended to all the fine artists who put the incredible work out there for all to see. The wine flowed, the eats were eaten, the party was jammed. I guess we have become Whidbey's own dust laden party animals. Just wait till next year. Woodpalooza V will the best yet!

The recent months have been interesting. I have spent time reassessing what my business is about. After the Furniture Society conference in Victoria, B.C., I was invited to participate in the Patterns Show at North West Finewoodworking in Seattle. I have never done the gallery thing, except for the Guild's annual show. All my work has been on commission. So I am pondering a change in my business format to include gallery work. I have also been questioning my business name. All to often folks think of a cabinetmaker as on par and in competition with Home Depot and Ikea. The creativity and artistry involved with what I build and the complete mechanization of the commercial products sets them far apart.

I built a revised version of the Victoria Step Chest for the Patterns Show. The posts now pierce the steps with a pyramidal shape capping the post. The steps are notched to accommodate this. This gives the structure a more significant emphasis. I have also built several step stools with exotics. When I look at my shop floor and see purple heart and orange paduk shavings I am reminded of Kim Kelzer's lament for anything but brown. I was loathe to sweep it up.

Both paduk and purple heart are what are called rowed woods. The grain goes both directions simultaneously. This is murder to try to hand plane. Does anyone have a suggestion? Sanding works, as does scrapping but neither produces the desired surface with the requsite control.. Perhaps I need to use a scraper plane or a high angle frog on my smoother. Or an infilled spiers type plane with a massive blade. I will keep trying. There has to be a way.

For now, may your chisels be sharp and your shavings long,
Rob Hetler

Woodworker

2005-04-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

I will try to photograph my current work as it prgresses on a regular basis so other woodworkers and clients can see what I am doing on a daily basis.