My New Desk

Beautiful Doug Fir

Hi there PORC fans.

It's been a fun week doing something new to me. I'm building a new desk for my office. I wanted something I could make from wood on hand, had simple clean lines and was solid. I think I got all of them. I got a good butt kicking at the same time. I've never cut 2.125" dovetails before.
I've also been working on the shop to get it ready for the big shop-warming party on MARCH 29th. New electric, benches, walls, dust collection, air compressor piping, painting and storage and ......... The list goes on and on. It should be a good party that all my readers are more than welcome to attend!

But for today, were going to focus the cool desk, keep on reading for the full report and plenty of pics.

WOW, Now THAT'S a big desk

Hi thee PORC fans.

For several weeks I've been showing some pics of a reception desk that's been in the works. Well, she's finally done and there are pictures to prove it. We installed it while the college was on Christmas break.

One of these days I will learn that everything I do takes 4-6 times longer than I planned. This desk showed me no exception to that rule. All in all, we had 23 sheets of rift-sawn red oak ply, 4 sheets of 5x12 duraflake, 500' of oak edge tape, 100 bf of 8/4 oak, 8 drawer stacks, 2 desks, 2 horizontal cabinets, and 9 tempered pieces of glass, and 4 large pieces of laminate. The foot print for the 2 units combined was 10' x 28'. Assembling them in my shop proved to be quite the challenge, and time consuming.

The rendering.

The first hurdle we had to overcome, we were not able to get 8/4 oak in lengths over 10'. Not the end of the world, but it did prove to add a bit more complication to things on the 12' runs. The long walls need to be strong and not flex. There is a lot of weight here. You can see there are plenty of cuts made to each "frame" piece in order to accommodate the various panels and glass.

The other challenge, all sides were visible. This meant that high-grading material took some time. Also, the specs had "continuous wood grain" throughout. We weren't able to make it perfect using 8' material, but we found a happy median with careful material selection.

The finished stack ready for finish

I clamped together 2 12' boards and cut the dados at the same time for good alignment.

I needed 2 passes to get the 1.5" finish width.

We were able to hide all the fasteners with plugs and applied panels.

 

Frame parts being sanded on a 5 x 12 work bench.

Once we got everything back the finishers, 3 of us started to assemble the walls on site. 

The "inside" panel fits into the grove in the frame parts. The black spray paint keeps the 1/4" reveals nice and clean.

With the applied panels in place. You can't even see our seams in the frame.

1/4" frosted and tempered glass.

Both the substrate and tops are aligned with dominos, and pulled together with draw-bolts.

The black top goes right onto of the shown substrate to provide a solid 1.5" thick work-surface.

This too needs the black top, but you can see the room a bit better in this photo.

There you have it! I didn't write much this week because the pictures tell a better story than I can. I cant seem to find a photo of the extra file cabinets and such, but if I do.....

If I missed something or you have a question, hit me up in the comments below. As always, thanks for reading.

OOOOOOPS!

MARCH 29th

The party is MARCH 29th.

Long days make it very easy to make it easy to make BIG mistakes. Sorry about that folks!

MARCH 29th

Save the Date!!

Hi there PORC fans.

2011 was an amazing year for the company. It was filled with great projects, amazing clients, and exponential growth. As a result, we moved into a new shop, and haven't looked back since. So... We're going to open the doors to you and have a celebration.

March 29th, 2012

Put it in your calanders now. Buy your plane tickets, cancel your dinner plans, get a sitter and prepare for wild crazy fun. We'll have good eats, fun drinks for all, and an open shop so you can see where and how your projects were made. Plus we have a few surprises as well for you.

Thank you to all for such a great year. 2012 is going to be even better.  Now, go and grab your calander and write it in. Details will be coming your way soon.

3/29/12-Party with PORC
3/29/12-Party with PORC
3/29/12-Party with PORC
3/29/12-Party with PORC 

Cheers!

New Dust Catcher: It's like a Dream Catcher except healthier.

A shop in need of dust collection..

For years I have suffered from Asthma. Being a woodworker is really not the best career decision, but none the less, here I am. Several years ago, I began doing research on lung health and the damage done to them by wood dust. Turns out. Wood Dust=Bad, Very bad! But I already knew that seeing as though I can barely breath after I leave the shop each day. I do the respirator thing. It helps. I have fans. They help, but what I don't have is a GOOD collector. Well, that changed early September. I bought a new central dust collector that should keep me breathing cleaning and clear for years to come. My doctor friends will like this one too, and I might just point them towards some helpful info.

Keep reading for a bit of my findings and a review of my new machine. 

Man vs. Machine-The Results are In.

Hi there PORC fans.

Thank you for the comments, emails, and Facebook replies on my last post. I love knowing that people want to contribute to this blog. It also helps point me in a direction to keep you interested. As I suspected, my readers are smart and articulate in their desires. Many people brought up things I'd not thought of.

I wanted to summarize what was said, and offer my own thoughts. The short of it is this: The use of power tools and hand tools in parallel is both acceptable and standard. What is most interesting to me, is why someone felt the way they do. 


Brian mentioned something I never thought of. Memories. "The smell of hickory right off the saw." We can't forget that our past shapes who we are today. I think it's possible that a craftsman may choose their technique based on nostalgia and past memories. If your dad chopped off his finger on a table saw when you were 7, one might lean towards using hand tools more than power. That decision has nothing to do with ability or artistic flare. It's simply a choice based on memories and experiences.


Regular contributor, Jeff touched on something that is important to think about as well. "Impart a certain look on a finished product." A hand plane imparts a certain feel to the wood in contrast to using a sander to smooth the surface. A hand saw imparts a look that is different then one made on a machine. The use of a paint brush to finish imparts a certain look as opposed to a sprayed finish.  A recent project was all hand painted. The homeowner wanted to see brush marks. I also have done projects where the client wanted a finish that resembled an automotive look. Brushing was not an option. Clearly, personal taste and artistic callings outweigh technique.

And lastly, the overall tone from the comments were, "Use the best tool for the job." I hesitate to summarize such a perfectly written comment made by long time supporter and woodworking stud Nicholas Nelson. However, I will as he hit it on the head. (Sorry Nick)


A craftsman should establish a goal, both technically and professionally. Once that goal has been determined, use the proper tooling to reach that goal. The end result will make a bigger impact, and will be you, and isn't that what we want? We want a piece of art made to represent the person who made it. Too often people lack the confidence and experience of doing it their own way, so they copy someone else. Sure, we need to learn from others, but eventually we need to build it to meet our own individual goals.



Custom art of any medium demands that we define our goals and work towards them.  Use whatever tool you need to in order to reach them. These goals and asperations will be different for everyone.  THIS is the reason "custom" is custom. No two people or items will be the same.


I've decided to remove myself from the hand/power tool battle that lingers in the woodworking air.  I think there is a place for both, and who am I to judge the goals and desires of others. All I can control is what comes out of my shop.


As always, thank you so much for reading and contributing. Have a wonderful holiday!  See ya on the other side.  Cheers!

Man vs. Machine

Hi there PORC fans.

I've got a blog post in the works, but decided I wanted some imput from my readers before I do my final writing.  This is one of those interactive posts that hopefully with inspire a comment or 20.

I am interested to hear the thoughts people have about using hand tools and power tools in the woodworking community.  I have found that many woodworkers pride themselves on either A. Owning every power tool known to man. OR B. Works exclusivly with handtools and drinks fine wines and stinky cheeses.  Both camps have strong opinions, and seldom do they agree on much.

Lets look at every aspect of woodworking, from beginning to end.  Are computers the place to sketch and present designs, or is a true "artist" only using a #2 pencil and sketchpad?  How about prepping stock?  Is it OK to feed a board through a table saw, joiner and planer, or should we be honing our bow saw skills and scrub planes to mill lumber.  How about cutting joinery?  Sanding vs Smoothing for a finished surface? Finishing... hand rubbed or sprayed?  Delivery... On the back of your own personal Sherpa, or in the back of a U-haul?  AND...... I'm interested in the opinions of the client as well.  Do you care if a woodworker uses hand or power tools?  Is the final cost more important than HOW it was made?

....I have smart readers, you get the idea.

All opinions are welcome and none will be censored.  I will keep my remarks in the comment section brief but will write my full review of thoughts next week.

NOW is the time to chime in. Hop to it. Tell us what you think!

As always... Thanks for reading.