| ClearLake Blog |
|
March 28, 2010
 Winter has returned to ClearLake Furniture—not the season but a craftsman. Justin Winter, a skilled woodworker, spent a few months here in the ClearLake workshop while on hiatus from his college education. He left in December after helping us to make progress on the 62 dining tables we were building for the Taft School in Connecticut. Justin is a student at the Boston School of Architecture but took some time off to earn the necessary money to finish his degree.
Justin recently designed and crafted a blanket chest here. The curly maple chest has a bubinga inlay on the top and drawer. He then lined the chest with aromatic cedar. His meticulous attention to detail is evident when you look closely at the craftsmanship.
A talented designer, Justin has proven to be a valuable craftsman. And, while we’re thrilled to see him back here, we hope it will be temporary because he is absolutely on his way to being a successful architect.
March 9, 2010
When we’re expecting company at home, I usually give the place a quick look and declare to my wife that all looks good. It’s clean enough. She, on the other hand, flies from room to room like a tornado, sucking up everything in her path in a quest to tidy up our surroundings. I always figure that anyone who comes to visit should see us in our natural habitat. We’re not really messy but we don’t hold our breath waiting to be featured on the cover of House Beautiful either.
Guys just don’t see clutter. We don’t see crumbs on the kitchen counter and we know better than to look under the furniture and sofa cushions—unless the remote control has vanished. We don’t “do” embroidered guest towels or panic that someone might find a dirty dish in the sink. We eat, therefore, we make dirty dishes. It’s a fact of life.
But not long ago, I decided to open up my workshop at ClearLake Furniture. This July, I’m going to teach whoever is interested how to make a rocking chair. Students of this weekend class will actually craft a classic, lodge-style rocking chair. I’ve never had anyone use this equipment other than my team of skilled craftsmen. Sure, we have customers tour the workshop every day, but this time, they’ll be working, not watching.
So, I’m starting to understand my wife’s pre-visit angst. I’ve got lots of time to get ready for the “guests” but I’m already looking at ways to fix up the place. There are things you overlook in the day-to-day world when you go through the paces. In the workshop, you always know where everything is. You know the subtleties of the tools, what makes a piece of wood the right choice, and where every bump in the floor is lurking. You take it all for granted. Now I’m thinking that maybe I need to assume some of the primping here in the workshop that I always mocked at home. Guests are coming and they’re going to stay awhile.
My mother used to say to my brother and me, “You weren’t raised in a barn!” Well, even though my guests will actually be working in the barn we converted into ClearLake Furniture, I guess Mom’s words—and my wife’s tidiness—will have to take precedence over my guy rules…for one weekend, at least.
March 4, 2010
Black River High School here in Ludlow, Vermont, has a winning tradition, as evidenced by the trophies in their lobby. Year after year, the championships piled up, and so were the trophies in the cases.
Then the Class of 2009 decided to donate a trophy case so the awards could be displayed without so much crowding. The problem was, they needed a size that would fit in the critical space between two doors AND match the existing cabinets. The response from manufacturers was not what they hoped. Basically, off the rack was out of the question.
When we heard about the dilemma here at ClearLake Furniture, we decided to support the home team and hand-craft a trophy case that would meet their needs. We built it to fit perfectly in the space allowed, matched the red oak, and even used safety glass in place of plexi, which scratches too easily.
I’m proud to say this cabinet was delivered and installed yesterday. Now, the latest BRHS trophy—Vermont State Champions, Boy Varsity Soccer, Division IV—can join their championship awards for this title for the previous two years, along with the three consecutive titles for the Girls Varsity Soccer, the three consecutive state titles for Varsity Softball, and the state titles for Snowboard and Varsity Baseball. Go, Pirates!
February 16, 2010
Back in 1881, Leighton G. Fullam, a Vermont farmer became interested in the lumber industry. He bought a large tract of land in Plymouth, now famous as the birthplace of Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States.
Fullam started up a sawmill on the property to make lumber from the trees he harvested there. In 1889, Fullam went from making lumber to making furniture from his lumber. He and his son, Herman, set up in a blacksmith shop near their home in Ludlow, not far from the sawmill. By 1892, the demand for Fullam & Sons rocking chairs pushed them to increase production and their facility. Seven years later, Fullam had a staff of 30 craftsmen who turned out 150-200 rocking chairs a day—an impressive number even by today’s standards, but even more so when you consider that these woodworkers did not have sophisticated machinery to help them meet their goals.
A craftsman, businessman, farmer, and visionary, Fullam was a unique combination of Yankee ingenuity and entrepreneurship. He identified opportunities and worked his way through challenges. He managed to start a business, make it grow, and find markets around the country when both advertising and shipping were quite a challenge.
I’m heading down to my workshop now to build a rocking chair for one of my customers. And I will channel the spirit of fellow Vermont furniture maker Leighton G. Fullam every step of the way.
February 14, 2010
From 1889 to 1909, L.G. Fullam & Sons crafted a line of wooden rocking chairs not far from our ClearLake Furniture workshop here in Ludlow, Vermont. These hardwood rockers featured a high back, with reed and rattan seats, and were known for their comfort. In its 20-year history, the company manufacturer tens of thousands of their popular rockers, in about 50 different styles. But, today, we are hard-pressed to find an original.
This summer, the Black River Academy Museum (BRAM) and ClearLake Furniture will be celebrating both Fullam & Sons and their rocking chairs. The only trouble is, we can’t find enough chairs to exhibit!
If you have a wooden rocking chair, please take a look under the arms to see if there is a Fullam company stamp. If you have an original, can we borrow it for a short time for this summer’s exhibit? We’ll make arrangements for safe shipping to and from the museum.
Please contact Georgia Brehm, BRAM Director, or me, and send along a photo of your Fullam rocker.
February 13, 2010
February 10, 2010
I’ve had a lot of customers ask me about mortise and tenon joinery. What does it do? Why does it matter? Isn’t the biscuit method just as good?
 There are many ways to connect two pieces of wood. Nails, screws, glues, and bolts are the easiest and most common. But if you want lasting strength, you can’t beat the mortise and tenon. Wooden ships and post and beam homes have relied on this method for centuries. We use it in our furniture construction because we build every piece as a lasting heirloom.
The mortise is a square hole cut in one end; the tenon is an extension cut from the other piece that is to join. Fitted together at a 90-degree angle, the key is to get as snug a fit as possible. Because the mortise and tenon are parts of the wood, not add-ons, they are stronger. Biscuits are fine for some projects; I admit I’ve even used them myself on occasion. But when I’m working on a piece that should last a lifetime, I always opt for the mortise and tenon. Not only is it the best method for joining end-, cross-, or side-grain pieces, but it just “feels” right. There’s no wiggle or wobble.
Need more information about mortise and tenon joinery? Send me an email with your questions!
October 27, 2009
Sounds like a children’s book, doesn’t it? Well, the Golden Ratio, also known as the Golden Rectangle, is called an irrational mathematical constant that has baffled even the most brilliant mathematicians all the way back to the Ancient Greeks. It exists in architecture (the Parthenon, the Great Pyramids), in art (DaVinci’s studies of the human form and perhaps even the Mona Lisa), and nature (Fibonacci sequence in pine cones, flowers, and more). I won’t even attempt to explain the Golden Ratio, but I applied this formula to a furniture project that had been on my mind for a long time: a shoji screen.
What is an ancient Japanese design doing in a Vermont workshop? For a long time, I’ve been fascinated by the shoji screen, those beautiful dividers with opaque panels that let the light shine through. I like the way a shoji screen can create a “sub-space” in a room. A shoji can be a sliding door, a wall, or a folding screen. Whatever the size, the goal is to partition the space rather than close it off entirely.
With the popularity of the Serenity Collection, which has an Eastern influence, I decided it was time to put my shoji ideas on the drawing board.
It took some tweaking, resizing, and working with joinery ideas. Traditional shoji screens use rice paper because of its opacity. I wanted something more durable. I chose kojo paper, which is tissue thin, and then coated and laminated.
We displayed this new screen at a fine furniture show in Woodstock, Vermont, in September, with a great response! Whether or not you incorporate Eastern culture or Japanese accents in your decor, a shoji screen can add interest as a divider or backdrop. Or create an instant guest room! Like everything else we hand-craft here, your shoji screen will be a one-of-a-kind piece, made in your choice of wood and panel material. If you’re interested in being one of the first to have a Shoji Screen from ClearLake Furniture, send me an email!
October 25, 2009
There’s nothing as beautiful as a table top in finely honed hardwood. I’ve probably hand-crafted hundreds of them in my career, and I never get tired of the result.
Now that doesn’t mean I turn my back on other natural materials that make fantastic table tops. Granite, slate, glass, and marble each provide a cool contrast to the natural warmth of wood. Here in Vermont, there is no shortage of slate, granite, or marble, but we can get stone from all around the world, which means you have a broad array of colors and textures — all naturally beautiful and durable.
If you like the appearance of glass, to blend in with the surroundings and showcase the wood, you still have choices. Although we’re committed to using tempered glass for your safety, there are variations in the glass itself.
And these surfaces aren’t limited to table tops. Consider incorporating glass or stone for the tops of dressers, occasional tables, breakfronts, buffets, and desks.
Here is dining table we recently designed and crafted. The style is the ClearLake Dining Table and the top is made in cherry with a mahogany inlay and slate inset.
October 18, 2009
In the world of woodworking, “hardware” has nothing to do with computers. In fact, when the administrators of the Taft School in Connecticut asked us to create dining tables with removable table tops but without bolts and hooks, I had to go back to my roots in timeless techniques.
I analyzed the design, which had a Gothic Revival style pedestal base, and pulled out some textbooks from the North Bennet Street School, where I studied age-old methods for building furniture. After about 20 sketches, I came up with a springboard system that used only wood, no hardware or metal of any kind.
I loved the challenge of this project — which consisted of 62 eco-friendly tables for Taft School’s dining hall. One of the things I most enjoy about hand-crafting furniture is the ability to make each piece unique — just like our customers at ClearLake Furniture!
Older Posts »
|
| |
|
|
|
|
