Working on an old relic...

Back in the day, this Atlas Deluxe Sewing Machine would have looked like this, sitting on a base, with a top case nearby. 

By the time one of these machines found its way into my shop, it looked more like this...  broken and dirty. 

But despite the dirt and wear, this machine has some amazing details - the attention to embellishments and craftsmanship really jump out at you, which is probably why this machine has a near cult-like following among people who sew. 

Check out these small details and embellishments. 

Unfortunately, the base of this was demolished, and without it - the machine unusable. Now here's the weird part - a little research taught me that this machine was probably close to 60 years old. Here's a very interesting read about this machine. 

But here's the (even) weirder part - I recently purchased some lumber from someone who'd found it stored in a building he'd bought, and the wood was 60 years old. (He's found a bill of sale attached to one of the boards. (Oh, how I wish he'd have taken a picture of that receipt for me!) 

So - I couldn't think of a more appropriate piece of wood to use when building this relic an new base... a 60 year old piece of Oak. 

Building the base was a little tricky, as the power and pedal cords needed to be routed into proper channels so the base would sit flat. There were some very cool hinges that the Atlas machine had mounted on the back edge... of course I forgot to take a picture of those.  :( 

You can read a fun blog post about this machine here.

Meanwhile, it feels like I've been working on a lot of older pieces lately, like this steamer truck that turned into a military memorabilia chest.

Or this dog house, that needed steps...

Or this table.

 One thing is for sure - it is never boring in the shop! Next up?... two carving classes starting in the next few days.  Will you be joining us for a chip carving

 or a spoon carving class?