Antique Tewa Blanket in Cedar Shadow Box

Take a look at this Antique Tewa Blanket that was my Great Grandmothers. It was purchased from the Tewa Tribe of Native Americans in Norther New Mexico in the 1800's (family places it in the family around 1885-1895). It was passed down to me and I made a special cedar shadow box. the box is about 38" X 18" X 4" deep. There is a wood dowel wrapped in Teflon to keep the natural wool fibers away from the acidic wood it hangs on. It has a UV protective coating on the Plexiglas to keep the blanket from fading.

Modern Black Walnut Table

Here is my latest project - A Modern Styled Black Walnut Table. This table is made of solid black walnut with walnut legs. This piece of wood was salvaged from a wind damaged tree. It is approximately 30" x 24 " x 4" thick. The green inlay is a resin material called inlace। It is the first time I've used this product and I'm quite happy with the results. At this stage, the table has been cleaned with mineral spirits to remove any dust and will be finished with two coats of tung oil followed by 6-8 coats of amber shellac. More to come:)


A One Minute Video on the Black Walnut Table! Check it out!

Dad, that's so Cool!

Now here is a newly designed and constructed modern styled headboard that incorporates niches and side table right into the headboard. This low slung bed sits about eight inches off the floor and has five niche’s for collectible, books or whatever pleases the bed’s user. The built in night stand (seen on the right side of the photo) is build directly onto the headboard. Constructed of ¾” plywood, the 48” tall x 60” wide headboard, has five off set niches and is painted with a bright yellow paint with Teflon that is easily cleaned. No the colors may not by of your liking, as they weren't mine at first, but eventually they did grow on me. My teen aged daughter just thought is was so cool and she had me make a matching one for her friend and partner in crime:)

There Are Planes, Then There Are Planes!

The use of planes in woodworking goes back thousands of years.  Amazingly, their fundamental design has not changed much, although the materials they are made of have.  Old planes were made of hardwoods like the one pictured above, now most modern planes are made of cast metal with hardwood handles or in some cases, just metal.  These tools are used to remove fine layers of wood to level or plane the wood to a desired shape.  There are a wide variety of plane sizes and uses beyond the scope of this blog so if you’re interested in learning more, visit Amazon.com that offers books, a variety of planes and related tools.

Old Mirror - New Light

Large Silver Leaf Wall MirrorTrademark CLC6000-ARM Army Wood and Mirror Wall Cue RackWall Mounted Etched Mirror Coat Rack - Wood Duck Art Etching - Solid Oak, Hand-Rubbed Finish, 26 x 22 inches

This old mirror project has had many moves. Originally built in 1994, if memory serves me right, it was a free standing unit. But after moving it from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Boise, Idaho then again to Eastern California then once more to Enterprise, Oregon it got tired, lost its legs and now shines new light on our entryway art.
Constructed of 4" x 6" Douglas Fir, it is joined by wood dowels and has hand carved details that have been hand carved and painted in turquoise. The frame is about 5' tall and 3' wide.  It weighs about 60 lbs.

Paints, Stains & More!

When it comes to finishing a piece of furniture, there are a wide variety of finishes available, depending on the intended use and desired outcome.  This introductory blog is designed to be number one in a series to discuss the benefits and drawback of different finishes.  This series will cover everything from painting plastics to finishing fine hardwoods.  We’ll be discussing the right finish for outdoor use of poly finishes to highly dirt and oil resistant paints that are an excellent choice for mud rooms, utility rooms that get heavy use or kids rooms were wax crayon’s are a typical culprit.

Today’s lesson will begin with a short discussion on the use of enamel spray paints used on hardware for exterior use.  I’ll begin with an example.  My brother built a simple wood lean-to for storage of shovels and garden supplies.  He wanted to give the structure a weathered look, but didn’t want the screws and hardware staining his wood.  If he would have used plain steel hardware and screws that would eventually rust and leave stains on his nice lean to.  Being the persnickety person he is, took the five pounds of screws, two hinges, and door hardware, sprayed them with a gray primer.  He then gave them a second and third coat of brown enamel spray paint.  It was amazing how well the screws held the paint and left a stain free lean-to when done.  Cost for the extra protection was only about $10.  A bargain considering the paint and the good looks will last for years!

My Right Hand Tool

I've been asked, what tool do you reach for most? Well, the block plane is never far, but the tool I'm likely to reach for is a well honed chisel. This tool makes it possible for tight fitting joints and just to take off a sliver more when no other tool can do. It is equally important to keep chisel razor sharp to perform at it's best. Hone on!

Santa Fe Style Bench

This Santa Fe Style bench is constructed of 4" x 4" timber base and with 2" x 8" lateral backing and seat.  The bench is approximately 6' in length and is hand carved with a Zia symbol branded into the upper back support.  The enter bench is made of recycled timber with large dowels at each joint. Accent carving was hand painted in turquoise.  When constructed, it was stained with 50% black stain and thinned to give it evenly aged look and sealed with a satin poly.  The bench is very comfortable to sit on and my family uses it daily at our kitchen table.


Santa Fe Style (Skira Library of Architecture) 
Spanish Mission style Santa Fe Depot architectural detail in San Diego, California - 16"x20" - Fine-Art Gicle Photographic Print by Carol M. Highsmith 

Set-Up Measuring Tool

Woodworking is a tool intense trade or hobby with ruled strait edges for every possible situation.  Pictured above are just some commonly used squares used for measuring, laying out and scribing cut lines and assembly.  My favorite is the small pocket square, shown on the left side of the photo, fits nicely in to a pocket, and is graduated for fine layout marking.  Fully adjustable it is excellent for smaller work and is remarkably square.

Grizzly H7553 6" Adjustable Double Square 
Adjustable Combination Square 12" 

Office Book Shelves

Several years ago we moved into our home and it had this hideous office with plaid green carpet, dark avocado walls and cheap brass lighting fixtures.  It did however have some redeeming qualities, including French doors, large in size (14’ x 12’), and two large north facing windows.  We tore out the carpet and replaced it with engineered bamboo, painted the walls a light wheat colors with two accent walls, the color of Merlot wine.  We had a boat load of books that have been read, and some day to be read. We needed a home for them.  In came the office bookshelves pictured above.  There are two matching bookshelves on opposite walls in the office.  Made of simple pine, these book shelves are mounted to the walls and uprights were stained with a crimson stain/poly and the shelves were stained a cornflower color to match the bamboo flooring.  They both are about eight feet in length and six and a half feet tall.  Perfect for displaying our reference material, literature, and collections from our travels.  
Mission Shelf -36"- Solid Oak with Plate Shelf (Choose Your Custom Stain Option) 

Manzanar Poster- Oak Frame

There is a bit of history surrounding this project.  The project itself is a simple white oak frame, but the poster it contains has a bit of my history tied to it.  About six years ago I was living in Eastern California, about 1 hour south of Bishop California just outside of a small town called Lone Pine.  This town was about 200 miles from anywhere and about 3 feet from hell; Death Valley anyway.  Now back to the story.  When I lived there, I became actively involved with the Friends of Manzanar.  This framed Print, # 26/150 was purchased during the grand opening celebration.  You can read the date at the bottom of the poster (Saturday, April 24, 2004). So to honor the men and women that lived through this time, I built a frame, stained it black to mirror the sullen expression of the boys in the poster. If you’ll notice, there are three boys in the poster and there are also three ribs that make up the frame.  If you go out to Manzanar, there were barbwire fences that surrounded the facility, which had three strands.  I just hope our country will never again act in a manner that steal the freedoms and rights of American citizens.

Walnut Minimalist Table

This minimalist table is 17" tall and 57" long 7 11" wide.  Made of contrasting woods, in the sense that one is dense, a black walnut top and very light legs, redwood.  the combination was chosen because of its feel. At first glace, it looks heavy, but it's 1/2 thickness makes it very light, especially with the light weight redwood legs.  Although not clearly visible in this photo, the top has a 45 degree beveled edge.  We use it every day and has proven to be a very nice addition to our living room. It was built in 2006, but the wood has been aging in my garage since around 1998.


Syrah Coffee Table with Frosted Glass, ShelfWinsome Wood Craftsman Coffee Table, Antique WalnutWinsome Wood Coffee Table, Espresso