It's all about the playlists.

Anyone who owns an iPod knows what I mean. This is the most important shelf in my studio- the one that holds my iPod (and a few first aid items).



You set up playlists for various situations, for moods you want to create. Personally, I have about 8 different playlists, corresponding to various shop tasks. Lay-out, measuring and gluing boards all require mellow music, so that my concentration isn't interrupted.

But when it's time to sand, you can probably hear the music playing from a block away. It can't be loud enough, nor fast enough.

Here are a few tunes on some various playlists:

Mellow stuff

• Heartbeats - Jose González
• 9 Crimes - Damien Rice
• Send in the Clowns - Judy Collins
• Safe and Sound - Sheryl Crow
• In the Deep - Bird York
• Car on a Hill - Joni Mitchell
• Jung at Heart - Master Cylinder
• Rain - Patty Griffin
• Venetian Blue - Shawn Colvin
• Because I told you so - Jonatha Brooke
• Breathe Me - Sia

Sanding music

• Run to you - Bryan Adams
• Lose Yourself - Eminem
• She's a Bitch - Missy Elliot
• It's getting Hot in Here - Nelly
• The Long Way Around - Dixie Chicks
• Don't Fear the Reaper -Blue Oyster Cult
• The Middle - Jimmy Eat World
• Middle of the Road - the Pretenders
• Ain't Nobody - Chaka Khan
• Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

What are your top ten?

What do coffee mugs have to do with woodworking?

There are two things that I can't do without in my studio- good music, and a good cup of coffee. When my favorite mug was recently broken, I wrote to the potter who made it, asking if there were any more that I could purchase. No luck.

So I've been on a quest to make the perfect mug. Here are a few recent ones, the kiln is cooling as I type this and there should be another batch of mugs tomorrow. You can see the glaze samples hanging on the back wall, offering some ideas about color combinations.

To me, working with clay is MUCH harder than working in wood. Wood is forgiving, and any mistakes made along the way can be corrected as a piece is being built. Not so with clay.

If you're lucky enough to have a pot that survives making and trimming it, you still have a couple of firings, not to mention the glazing process itself. It's often frustrating, but completely addicting.

I like my mugs without handles, there's a pleasant interaction between holding the mug and enjoying what it holds. In cooler temps, it's a nice way to keep your hands warm. And I like my mugs to be big, much bigger than most coffee cups. Once my coffee slightly cools to that perfect temperature, I often find myself at the bottom of the cup. So a larger mug works out well.

Next... we'll talk about music in the woodshop...

Stella, the Official Woodshop Guard Dog

Been experimenting with some carving on pieces. This is a detail of a headboard, and (hopefully) the symbol means Peace and Harmony. Who knows?

Once carved, the recess is painted with milkpaint, and then oiled.

Here are a few graphics that I also considered using:

There's nothing more satisfying than when clients give you artistic license to design something for their home. Sometimes this is a hard place to reach in the build/client relationship. I've had people come to me with sketches of furniture that were both aesthetically challenged and mechanically unfeasible. In the beginning, I probably made a few of those pieces, but I've blocked them from my memory! I like to think my clients are more informed these days, and trust that I can build what they describe to me.

These wooden frames (there are two of them) fit into two openings that run in between the formal living room and a family room. The openings allow light and sound to pass through, and make both rooms feel much bigger than they really are. Yet they help define and contain each individual space. Both frames are roughly three tall and nearly six feet wide. We left the center area open with the possibility of adding a stained glass panel in the future.

I built the bookcase on the left almost a year ago, matching several other pieces in their home. It holds their collection of scrapbooks and photo albums.

A perfect bisque load in the new kiln.

Greetings from soggy Las Vegas!

Welcome to my new blog on woodworking. Having a website to show my work is great, but it's nearly a full time job to keep it updated and current. So I'm starting this blog as a better way to keep people informed of my current projects, and discuss what's on my mind, wood-wise. Feel free to check in from time to time, and add comments, if you want to. It's really just a forum to keep in touch.

It's pouring outside, water is streaming in under the door of my studio; I'm glad I put everything up on sawhorses last night.