Wood Idea

The finished book stand.

I begin with an apology. Im sorry for not having posted since October 22. I try to post at least weekly. A number of personal and work projects have conspired against me lately to prevent my posting. Chief among them was the Sawdust Chronicles 2010 Build Challenge.

As I was entered in the Build Challenge, Ive spent every free moment over the last few weeks working on the book stand which I submitted as my entry. When I lost my build time on the final Friday and Saturday of the challenge I feared it may have all been for naught if I failed to complete my project. Thankfully Rick was nice enough to extend the deadline for all and I successfully submitted my project almost 4 hours before the it was due!

Here for you, my dear readers, is part I of my submission description.


As my entry to the Sawdust Chronicles 2010 build challenge I have constructed a book stand. The book stand is constructed from walnut and glass tile, assembled using Domino joinery and finished with 6 coats of de-waxed shellac.

Design Process
When I decided to enter the Sawdust Chronicles 2010 build challenge in late August I had already been asked by my mother (a second grade teacher) to make a book stand for the dictionary in her classroom. She had given me a print out of some book stand designs, a physical copy of the dictionary to be held on the stand and a request of a 60 degree display angle. On review of the Sawdust Chronicles 2010 build challenge rules and entry form I quickly abandoned the designs she had suggested and got to work on my own.

The Bell Forrest project pack & the glass tile laid out on my table saw.

My starting point was walnut. I had always wanted to work it and when I saw Bell Forrest Products labor day sale I ordered a 10 board feet project pack and hoped that would be enough (it ended up being almost twice what I needed). Another point I wanted to incorporate from the beginning was a secondary material. My initial though was copper, as I have experience working with sheet metal at work, and copper is such a beautiful metal and so easy to work with. My idea was to use copper sheet metal to veneer a piece of MDF which would act as the arm portion of the stand. Unfortunately, the build challenge rules forbid the use of MDF, so I began to track down some plywood to veneer with the copper. During this early stage of the design I was walking through Home Depot and was inspired by the glass tile on display. I bought some there on the spot and decided that rather than use copper to veneer the arm portion of the stand, I would use the glass tile as an inlay for the center section of the top where the spine of the dictionary rests.

The tile laid in position during a dry fit.

Incorporating the tile into the design was the inspiration for the top. I recessed the center tile section for the practical purposes of housing the tile and holding the dictionary spine and for the aesthetic purpose of allowing the side sections of the top to rise up and away from the center like wings. After some trial and error with the actual dictionary, I decided on 10 degrees as the appropriate angle for the wings. Once I had the top designed, I set to work constructing it. I had finished assembling the top before giving the base design any serious thought. Since I knew the top had to be held at a 60 degree angle, I started with that and cut the now walnut support arm at 60 degrees. I ripped it to width so that it matched the top. The base was the final component I designed. I made it slightly longer than the support arm to give it small lips in the front and rear. I determined the width of the base though a combination of what looked good to my eye and what was wide enough to support the top. In order to give the piece visual balance, I gave the bottom wings angled down at 10 degrees to mirror the angle of the upper wings.

More on the build in the next post. Until then check out my 2010 Build Challenge Photo Album.

What did you build this fall?

Kari Hultman, The Village Carpenter.

Im wrapping up my three (3) parts series on The Village Carpenters Woodshop with the brief interview I conducted with Kari.

Even though I was once a college journalism major oh so many years ago, my interview skills, specifically my interview recording skills, were severely lacking when we spoke. The following is therefore my questions followed by my recalling of Karis answer, based on the cryptic notes I took. I think it still gets the points across, but Im very sorry, Kari, if I misrepresent any of your answers. I shall do better next time to accurately record the interview.

Q&A

Did you plan our your shop layout, or did it just evolve in an ad-hoc fashion?

The Village Carpenters Shop Overview

Karis shop has a planned layout. It was determined by the size of the shop, which was restricted by code and budget when it was purpose built. Rather than a drawing, Kari designed her layout using a plywood model.

As with any modest woodworker, Kari was quick to point our her mistakes (most of which no observer would qualify as a mistake). In shop layout, the two (2) mistakes which she regrets are not putting a 110v outlet in the floor next to the 220v outlet for her table saw, and not running water lines through here shop. The first mistake forces Kari to run an extension cord across the floor in order to power the dust collector which is connected to her table saw. The second means that there is no exterior water bib behind the shop, making the task of running a hose in the back yard much more difficult than it should be.

What is your favorite area in the shop? Least favorite?

The Dreaded Lathe.

Karis favorite area is at the workbench. She love detail work and working with hand tools, both of which happen at the bench. Her least favorite area is at the lathe. Though this may run counter to most lathe owners attitudes of that much loved tool, I for one share her opinion (though I do not own one (1) lathe, let alone the two (2) that Kari does). I think the common opinion and different ownership is explained by my indifference towards the tool and Karis desire to like it, regardless of her experience using it.

Shop Furniture, Build or Buy?

The Shop Made Sharpening Station.

Most of Karis furniture is built. In looking around the shop I think it actually surprised her to find that the only factory made shop furniture in site is her work bench. Besides the sheer enjoyment of making shop furniture, Kari explained that one of the main reasons its all custom built is that shes usually in no rush and can wait until a piece is ready.



Workbench, Build or Buy? What Style? Would you change anything about it?

Karis Factory Made Bench.

While discussing Karis bench, we both stated that we would like to build our own (barring the tool cabinet beneath her bench, Kari and I have almost the same factory made unit). While I plan to build a version of Bob Langs 21st Century Workbench as soon as I can, Kari was in no rush to build hers, and didnt know what type she wanted to build (though I have subsequently heard her say that she would like to build one soon and it may be the Roubo).

Favorite Activity in the Shop?

A selection of Karis Wooden Plan Selection. Some, Made by The Woman Herself.

Karis stated favorite shop activity is cutting wood with a honed (rather than sharpened or filed) blade. She loves to use her chisels, knives, axes and hand planes. She likes her axes so much in fact, Id dare not get between this woodworker and her bench for fear being introduced to the business end of one.





What Tool Do You own the Most of?

Karis Shop Made Hand Tool Rack & Plane Shelves.

Antique molding planes, by a long shot. And theyre all users. Not a display model among them.














The complete collection of photos from my visit with The Village Carpenter are available in my Village Carpenter Picasa folder.



Finally, after taking three posts to describe Karis shop, here is her own shop tour video. Clearly it does a better job and describing her shop than I do, and in much less time.


My Workshop from Kari Hultman on Vimeo.


Now, please stop reading and get out to your own shop. Its time for some sawdust.

The Village Carpenter, Part I
The Village Carpenter, Part II

Here are some pics from the end of last week. They are the finished pictures of the distressed bench and the under the stairs storage shelving.
For all of you that like things out of pottery barn, I can create these things, but can make them custom sized for your area of the home.
The under the stairs storage came out nice, considering all of the scribing I had to do. But done right, an open area under a stairway can become alot of different things!