Beginning with this post, we will announce one Issue Five article each weekday until pre-orders open on August 1st. If you don’t already have a subscription and just wanted to order a copy of Issue Five by itself, you may do so on August 1st. If you signed up for an auto-renewing yearly subscription last year, your card will be automatically charged exactly 365 days from your original purchase date. Any questions about your subscription status can be directed to info@mortiseandtenonmag.com. Spencer Nelson learned to build furniture in a space 4-1/2’ by 4-1/2’ in his New York City apartment building. Tired of the hassle of traveling to maker spaces, Spencer set up shop between his kitchen and living room to...
“Iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another.” Wise and profitable discourse sharpens men’s wits; and those that have ever so much knowledge may by conference have something added to them. It sharpens men’s looks, and, by cheering the spirits, puts a briskness and liveliness into the countenance, and gives a man such an air as shows he is pleased himself and makes him pleasing to those about him ... Men are filed, made smooth, and bright, and fit for business (who were rough, and dull, and inactive), by conversation.
- Matthew Henry (1706)
What a wonderful weekend. Thank you again, Tom, for your generosity to have us all over. Looking forward to next year!
-Joshua
The book I’ve been working on for the past five years, researching the work of Jonathan Fisher is now at the printer! Thanks to the support of my publisher, Lost Art Press, the wise advice of colleagues, and generous research grants from the Early American Industries Association and the Society of American Period Furniture Makers, this labor of love has, at long last, become a reality. The publisher, Lost Art Press, has now opened pre-publication ordering for this book which will arrive mid-August. You can order your copy here. I began writing a blurb about the book but decided I couldn’t improve on what Chris Schwarz (my editor) wrote: “Jonathan Fisher (1768-1847) was the first settled minister of the frontier...
Last week, our good friend, Robell Awake, came up from Atlanta to help finish the two 12’ Nicholson benches the three of us started last summer. Last year, we built four leg units in anticipation of our move to the new shop and since we’re finally settling in, it was time to get those things completed. Robell arrived at the shop first thing Tuesday morning and we picked right up where we left off last summer, both project-wise and conversation-wise. We dug out our notes and doodles about the build, re-read Nicholson’s description of the bench construction, and set to work. During these four days of work, we selected and planed the top, side, and shelf boards, notched the...
I used to carry a general-purpose slöjd knife on my hip every day. It was held in a leather sheath I made especially for that knife. It worked well at first but quickly stretched and the knife became dangerously loose in the sheath. This was my inexperience at work, not the fault of the leather. Nevertheless, when I was on the search for a more secure way to carry my knife a couple years ago I came across Reid Schwartz’s design. His clever self-locking design was so simple and so effective. I just had to try it. This weekend I finally made that new wooden sheath for my slöjd knife. Here are the steps I took: First, I started...
During Jim’s visit a few weeks ago, we recorded this new episode (listen above) in which we further explore the topic of Jim’s article from Issue Three: “On Perfection: Both Practical & Practiced”. Jim talks about how this topic developed in his own life and what happened when he enlisted others to contribute their own answers to a series on his blog. Jim was surprised to find different perspectives on perfection in woodworking which eventually inspired his M&T article. In this podcast, we dive a little deeper into this topic of perfection in woodworking.
Items Mentioned in the Podcast:
Issue Three featuring Jim’s article “On Perfection: Both Practical & Practiced”
Jim McConnell’s “Perfection” blog series
While Joshua and his family ventured across the country for his week-long class at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking a while back, I decided to stick to this coast and take my family south. Several future M&T projects converged to create an opportunity to visit Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. Plus, our kids are focusing on American History this school year, and there are few places that bring revolutionary history to life like CW. I was a bit over 4 feet tall when I last visited, and the memory resounds strongly. I was looking forward to seeing the place with new eyes, and through the eyes of our children. Driving through snow as we left home, springtime gradually crept in...
This week, we got the stairs to the second floor designed, built, and installed. Even though we’re not yet finished with the flooring, we decided to prioritize stair construction because during the week after next Jim McConnell will be using this place as a guest house. Jim will be with us for the better part of a week sharing ideas, discussing the vision for the magazine, and making shavings. The stairs were designed around three boards from our vintage sheathing supply. Because the maximum length we could get out of this material was 12’ 1”, we spent the better part of a day figuring and refiguring the best solution for this space. The factors we considered included minimal footprint, maximum...
During one of my visits with Jim Tolpin a couple weeks ago, a student delivered a small board of torrefied maple to Jim for experimentation. Torrefaction is a process in which wood is heated beyond the combustion point in an anoxic environment (so that it doesn’t actually burn). This process is like an accelerated aging process by removing the volatiles that usually take many years to oxidize and mineralize. The natural mineralization of the volatiles inside the wood makes it so that so that moisture does not pass through as readily. This is the reason antique lumber is more dimensionally stable then new wood – it’s pores are clogged. Today, torrefaction is being used to reproduce this natural aging process...
This new episode of our podcast (listen above) was recorded after two weeks of traveling to meet inspiring craftspeople of many different specialties. Mike and I share some of what we learned on our trips and discuss how learning hand skills is essential to surviving in a hyper-consumerist culture. Joshua also discusses his recent explorations into a pragmatic approach to wooden planemaking.
Items Mentioned in the Podcast:
Packing party blog post
My recent Port Townsend workshop
Steve Voigt's PW Planemaking Article
Photo of textured flooring
Colonial Williamsburg
Issue Three
Will Lisak
Our “Apprenticeship: Tables” video
Issue Four
Thomas Thwaites “How I Built a Toaster – From Scratch”
