Category Archives: carpentry

Learning Curves 2

Posted on June 6, 2014 by michaellangford2012

Progress, like peace, comes dripping slow.  Running in and out of spring showers to get tarps on everything, I conceded to the weather gage and moved upstairs.  Lighting is much better; windows for daylight, ample incandescents for night work, and my … Continue reading →

Posted in boatbuilding, carpentry, Uncategorized, woodworking | Tagged | 1 Comment

Learning Curves 1

Posted on May 30, 2014 by michaellangford2012

For the past couple of weeks, I have been busy building a small wooden canoe.  The prototype is J. Henry Rushton’s 10’6″ Wee Lassie.  Every part of this boat is salvaged wood, the actual planking is from a pallet discarded … Continue reading →

Posted in boatbuilding, carpentry, woodworking | 6 Comments

Rhenish Helm

Posted on August 5, 2013 by michaellangford2012

This old black & white is still one of the best images I’ve come across.  (pl. 15, Illustrated Glossary of Architecture 1966, Harris & Lever) There is precisely one Rhenish helm among all of England’s historic buildings, atop the tower of … Continue reading →

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Restoring a wooden plane

Posted on May 21, 2013 by michaellangford2012

The first planes I had were a Stanley 5 ½ and a #4, so I passed over the old-fashioned wooden planes because they didn’t have all the “advanced” adjustments.  I also made a few wooden planes early on, but it … Continue reading →

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kid’s workbench

Posted on April 29, 2013 by michaellangford2012

Anyone who wants to involve children in woodworking should consider building a good sturdy low bench to accommodate their work height.  I made this workbench for the kid’s workshops I taught at the library this spring.  After cutting and fitting … Continue reading →

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raising day

Posted on March 24, 2013 by michaellangford2012

Near the end of March, 1845, I borrowed an axe and went down to the woods by Walden Pond, nearest to where I intended to build my house, and began to cut down some tall, arrowy white pines, still in … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, carpentry, traditional building | 3 Comments

kid’s workshop

Posted on March 22, 2013 by michaellangford2012

This week is spring break, and I spent three days at the public library, allowing a dozen or more kids to make things using a few hand tools and scrap lumber.  This group of second-graders started out assembling a workbench that … Continue reading →

Posted in carpentry, education reform, furniture, unscholastic achievement | 2 Comments

broadax

Posted on March 8, 2013 by michaellangford2012

“He was a left-handed man.  Other workmen might be annoyed by apprentices or ignorant boys using their sharp axes; but you didn’t do that twice with George Cook’s axe–it was too dangerous a trick.”  George Sturt, The Wheelwright’s Shop Is … Continue reading →

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honing skills

Posted on February 26, 2013 by michaellangford2012

“[the blind man] said that most men were in their lives like the carpenter whose work went so slowly for the dullness of his tools that he had not time to sharpen them.” Cormac McCarthy There are many ways to … Continue reading →

Posted in carpentry, woodworking | 2 Comments

Sumitsubo

Posted on January 24, 2013 by michaellangford2012

After the axe and adze have shaped the surface of a timber, the spear plane (yari kana) is used to achieve a smooth, slightly rippled surface, like calm water.  Reading the grain closely is essential; always following the contours, feeling the … Continue reading →

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tools…beyond price

Posted on January 24, 2013 by michaellangford2012

The risers for our new stair: scantlings:  15– 3/4″ x 7,3/8″ x 37″ materials:  3–1x8x16′ + 1–1x4x16′ C-grade yellow pine, jointed, ripped, joined, glued, ripped (a nominal 1×8 is 7,1/4″ at best, by the time it’s jointed may be only 7″; … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, carpentry, traditional building | 2 Comments

American Empire

Posted on January 24, 2013 by michaellangford2012

Furniture of this type, American Empire, appears to have originated in early 19th century America, and flourished until around the time of the Civil War.  Empire furniture was built in more or less the same territory as that occupied by … Continue reading →

Posted in carpentry, furniture | 3 Comments

Vitruvius

Posted on October 28, 2012 by michaellangford2012

“When the proportions are adjusted, and the dimensions found by calculation, then it is the part of a skilful architect to consider the nature of the place, the purpose of the building, and the beauty of it.”        … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, carpentry, traditional building | 3 Comments

the wheelwright’s shop

Posted on September 28, 2012 by michaellangford2012

The wood-worker who made barrels was going, if the tin-worker was coming.  From that industry, at any rate, old skill was “getting the push.”  And the wood-worker was going, or at any rate his ancient provincial skill was falling obsolete, … Continue reading →

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New Hamburgers

Posted on September 12, 2012 by michaellangford2012

“on Saturday there was a policy of allowing people–anybody—to come in and use the shop…$1/hr…in the beginning people shared jobs, and we also shared wages.” JKM One Saturday morning, in the fall of 1988, I wandered into a basement workshop … Continue reading →

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The Anarchist’s Tool Chest

Posted on September 4, 2012 by michaellangford2012

My first woodworking book was Audel’s Carpenter’s and Builder’s Guide 1922, volume 4, and it took me another thirty years to acquire the other three.  In high school shop class, the standard was Cabinetmaking and Millwork, Feirer and Hutchings, among the dullest books … Continue reading →

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Apprenticeship

Posted on June 23, 2012 by michaellangford2012

I have just finished raising a timber frame on my own house, a second-story addition over an existing structure.  Part of the financing came through a grant from the Folklife Studies Program at ASU (Mike Luster), originating from the NEA. … Continue reading →

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traditional craftsmanship

Posted on February 25, 2012 by michaellangford2012

“Any efforts to safeguard traditional craftsmanship must focus not on preserving craft objects – no matter how beautiful, precious, rare or important they might be – but on creating conditions that will encourage artisans to continue to produce crafts of … Continue reading →

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