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I don’t think I have a specialty. Recently, I have been making furniture as well as a few toys for the grandkids. How many years have you been woodworking? 22 years ago, my wife and I tried to buy some additional pieces of furniture to match some of our existing pieces. The line was no longer available, so I thought about making at least one of the items we wanted. My daughter said that it would not be the same. I took that as a challenge. She could not identify the copy when it was finished. Soon after I built kitchen cabinets for our new house, Then I went on a long quiet spell. With my retirement three years ago I have renewed my interest and activity in woodworking. What is your favorite hand tool and why? I had think about this one, but one tool I use on every project is sandpaper. With sandpaper we give or contribute to the wood’s the final feel and finish. We use it to take off rough edges and remove minor defects. I also use scrapers and Spoke shaves to do the same but to a limited degree. What is your favorite power tool and why? Perhaps the router, as I make more fixtures and jigs and acquire more bits; the versatility of the router continues to expand. What is your favorite wood to use and why? Cherry has been my favorite lately. I like the feel of hand rubbed cherry and the color gets better with age. What is your most favorite project you have built and why? I am working on a cherry bedroom set. It started with a queen size bed, which I built from a photograph. Two bedside tables, of my own design, are nearing completion. And I am working on the design for a chest of drawers. What is the best deal you have gotten on a woodworking tool? A friend and fellow woodworker of mine works predominately on a lathe. He had not used a new 6” jointer he had purchased a few years ago and wanted the space in his shop back. He ask $50, I gave him $75. What guild activates have you been involved in, how many time/or how long? My variety of recent activities include:
It may not be a Guild activity, but I really enjoyed working with Jim Bany and Habitat for Humanity. What has been your favorite guild activity? Not ever having had taken shop classes in school, I get the most out of watching a presentation that teaches new or different skills or demonstrates aspects to improve ones level of craftsmanship. What Shop Tip can you give us? From my father-in-law always said to “Measure twice, cut once!”. For me this is particularly important as I create some of my own designs, modify most others and often changing dimensions during one phase or another of the project.
Thanks Ken for allowing us
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