It's been awhile but I'm back.

Hi All,

Thanks so much for all of your thoughts and emails, it's been a rough road but I'm back in the saddle once again and I'm happy to be here.
Lots of catching up to do so let's get at it.

The highlight of the past month has no doubt been the Canadian Home Workshop Show in Toronto, it was a great time. I presented a number of seminars on the "Main Stage" at the show and couldn't have felt more at home in front of hundreds of woodworking enthusiasts.

I've pieced together a short video clip to give you an idea of the crowds that were there. I've always enjoyed the interaction at woodworking shows and this show was no exception. I was able to meet up with many old friends and even made a bunch of new ones.

More on the show later...........................right now I've got to put another coat of finish on a piece.

All the best
Gord

With a new year comes a new beginning.

Hi All,
Well, 2008 is finally gone and a new year has arrived.

To say that 2008 was the lowest point of my life is an understatement but with a new year comes a new beginning and hope for the future.

A few new things have happened since I last posted a few words here, I'm sporting a new look.
Yes, that's me and I'm 80lbs lighter. I went to Disney World last fall with my lovely wife Marianne and our son Matthew......................that was a real blast.

Woodworking for me has always been a lifesaver, crutch and a real source of strength and as following updates will show, you'll seen just what I mean.
Yes, there are new and exciting things happening just around the corner and I've finally hooked into something that I can really get my teeth into, so to speak..................more on that exciting news later.

For now, here are a few pictures.................

All the best
Gord

Hello All,

Yes it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to sit down at the computer and to say I’ve been very busy is an understatement.

However, that being said, I come to you with a gift of sorts. It’s a four part video series that features the construction of a simple tall clock similar to the one I gave my youngest daughter and my son in law last year as a moving away gift. That particular clock is now featured in the June/July 2008 issue of Canadian Woodworking Magazine where you’ll find it featured on page 8.

I’ve made several of these clocks out of different wood species and one with a stone face but the general construction is the same in all of them. It is a clock of my design and it was specifically designed with my daughter Jessica and my son in law Mike in mind.


All the best
Gord

Seminar Work.........Up close and personal.

Hi All,

One of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had is working as a woodworking seminar presenter and a woodworking night school instructor. I can't tell you how many seminars I've done over the years or how many night school classes I've taught but all of them have been exciting.

To be able to stand in front of a crowd, large or small and get up close and personal with people about woodworking is an experience that goes beyond words.....................

All the best

Gord

After the seminar there's always a crowd of woodworkers asking questions.













This is where it gets "up close and personal", just the way I like it.












Small groups or large groups, I enjoy all of them. So many questions, so much to explain..........

Explaining the fundamentals of cabinet door construction.

Born Again Oak.........

Hi All,

Not long ago my friend Peter came to me with a bunch of oak that had a wonderful history.

The story goes that decades ago Peter’s uncle was in the wine making business and had got his hands on a 10’ tall 20’ diameter cask that was made in Europe in the 1920’s.
After the cask was made it was then disassembled and shipped to Chateau Gai Wines in the Niagara area. The cask was dedicated to red wine and at some point white wine was introduced into the cask rendering it useless.

The unusable cask was then disassembled and the wood was shipped to Peter’s uncle’s place in Lake Rosseau. Peter’s uncle tried on three occasions over the years to have the oak milled but no one would take on the job, all said the oak was not mill-able.
The wood sat around for decades until it reached Peter’s hands. He in turn had made flooring out of it for several rooms of his home and offered me some of it. When I first saw it, the material didn’t look promising at all but Peter assured me that with a little effort on my part I would be richly rewarded………….Peter was right.

When I milled the wood, the aroma of wine filled my shop; I could even see sugar crystals in some of the grain of the wood. This material splintered easily and on more than one occasion, I had to scrap a piece or two. Despite all the hard work in bringing this material to a stage where it was usable, I was richly rewarded indeed.

I had enough material to make a Mission coffee table and a pair of end tables. And with a little bit of extra coaxing, I was able to mill up enough material for a pair of table lamps.

All the best

Gord

Al's Clock.

Hi All,

Every once in a while I get a chance to let my imagination run wild, this happens to be one of those times.

A friend of mine was retiring and I couldn’t think of a better thing to make for him than a clock, since now he doesn’t have to look at one except to get to the golf course on time.

This piece started out as an aluminium cut off from a plasma cutter with a few pieces of Wenge added in for good measure. The aluminium body is a full 1” thick X 15” long and 6” tall. The aluminium was in bad shape when I got it and it required a fair bit of sanding to get it where you see it now. I finished off the aluminium with 0000 steel wool and wax.

The 12”X12” Wenge clock body has 3/8” diameter aluminium rods installed at the 4 major hours (3, 6, 9, and 12) and they are held in place by epoxy. The Wenge clock body is being held up off of the main aluminium body by two 3/8” aluminium rods.

The piece measures a total of 15” wide X 19” tall, with the feet being 7” wide X 2” tall. All of the Wenge pieces received three coats of shellac followed by two coats of wax.


All the best
Gord

Changing Directions................

Hi All,

When I need to make a piece for myself or for someone else, the issue of design is first and foremost on my mind. Do I follow tradition as I've done in the past or do I do something that hasn't been done before? My direction is obvious to me; I'm compelled by something to do things differently. Case in point is my view of a simple clock.

Below are two examples of clocks of different sizes that I’ve built having a traditional design, designs that are easily identifiable and easy on the eye.




On the other side of the coin are these three clocks, not what you would expect to see every day but none the less they do what the other clocks do and thats, tell time.







So what does all this mean and where am I going with this, a clock is a clock.................right? The simple answer is yes, a clock is a clock and it's up to you what design tickles your fancy.

As a woodworker and as someone who can create whatever is rolling around in my head, I feel the need "not" to follow in the footsteps of others. I feel that because I can do things differently, I should..................... Thats not to say that everyone should feel the way I do, it's just my choice to do things this way.

All the best
Gord