Real Craftsmanship:
 

My buddy who's a great finish carpenter is between gigs, so he decided to make some custom windows for his apartment. (Plans on being there forever, I guess). Mahogany, made from scratch. Tempered glass, spar-type varnish on outside and beautiful matte-finish on insides.

How some people get so good at a craft has always amazed me, he started out working on boats years ago and went from there. I've seen him do work that is nothing short of miraculous, he repaired an irreplaceable door for me once on a historical house that had been kicked-in as though the police had used the ram on it. Hinges ripped from the casing, still on door with screws into chunks of wood. Long story what he did to restore it, but you cannot tell that it happened today.

Anywhoo, here are some pics:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227202307.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227202345.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227202376.jpg

I love Mahogany! That's what my whole plane is made out of.

Craig,
Kinda heavy wood no? Wouldn't you be better off with Balsa or Carbonfiber?

For guys like Milt, (and my friend), these are actually a pretty simple project but what may or may not come through in the pics is the perfection. A modern German car is not built more precisely than these windows. Here they are finished, first the outside finish:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227202738.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227202769.jpg

And the interior side:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227202937.jpg

Some expensive wood in his garage:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227203041.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227203070.jpg

[QUOTE=speeder;4314827]...How some people get so good at a craft has always amazed me, ...QUOTE]

The sad thing is, its a lost art - like clock repair. From what I gather, it takes 4 things to get that good:
1) Love
2) Experience
3) Desire
4) and of course talent

I would throw in the right tools but there are guys out there that pull a MacGyver and make masterpieces.

Like to see the final work installed.

Amazing

My best friend does fine woodworking, and has a great shop. Every time I go out there, I am just floored by the beautiful projects he works on.

In some ways, I find it demotivating. When he has a big project, he gets wonderful pieces of craftsmanship that people stand back and admire. I have a DIY car shop... when I have a big project I'm happy with, I have a working car, nuts & bolts.

One small consolation is that this friend, while very intelligent, cannot fix a car to save his life. (Unless it can be done with Liquid Nails or something). ;) That's how we initially became friends, he's a neighbor and I fixed his car for him. Can't stand to see someone struggling with a simple automotive problem. So there is that small amount of justice in the world. :)

Good stuff Speeder.

I can weld and work metal, but I can't drive a nail straight or saw a straight line to save my azz. Fine woodwork is an art form.

As an aside: Last year, at an estate sale, a guy bought a wall/stack of walnut boards. Some were 10 ft. length 12"-16" in width. Already planed/sized(?) and many other smaller cuts/sizes ...all walnut. He (deceased) had been a cabinet maker.

Had I had a place to store it, I would have bid. He bought it cheap. Pickup size load ...I think he paid $150.

Anyone know what that stuff is worth, should I have a future such encounter?

Denis, does he use a sprayer or does he brush the finish on?

That's beautiful work. I was watching a PBS documentary the other night that we got from NetFlix called "Craft in America" (I think). There was a segment on Sam Maloof and his furniture, really amazing stuff. Best known for his rockers.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227206994.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227207092.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227207125.jpg

As many of you know, I do labor relations in the construction industry. Why are apprenticeship programs at least four years long? Because that's how long it takes for a worker to learn THE BASICS. We call them "craft workers" because that's what they are. My hat is off to most of those guys. Some of the work they do is breathtaking. Seriously. Takes your breath away.

Some craft work is lost now. And some is being lost as we speak. The guys who know how to do the intricate plaster work.....they're dying. As they die, so does their craft.

If your buddy ever wants to move into my front house I kick the tenants out!

Just kidding, the lady I'm renting to now is very nice however she waits until the doors are falling off the hinges then calls me at work in the middle of the day in the middle of the week freaking out.

He brushed this varnish on. He mixes it very carefully and uses a badger brush, controlled conditions, etc...

Sam Maloof's stuff is incredible. I've wanted one of his rocking chairs since about highschool. They probably cost as much as my car, if not more, these days. He has a couple pieces in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.

Its not too heavy for an 1/8 inch skin and ribs as you can see, I think they use it mostly because its rot resistant.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...91/SE5a001.jpg

I have over 6000 board feet of dark walnut in the shed. I can't even make a box.:confused:

Only the thin plywood used on Craig's plane is mahogany as it and birch are basically the two common aircraft certified types of plywood. The structural solid wood components are typically aircraft grade Sitka Spruce or sometimes the slightly heavier douglas fir.

The aircraft grade and some marine grade plywoods are manufactured in a hot press with waterproof glues. They have no voids inside and are very uniform in quality from sheet to sheet unlike building grade plywood which often have small voids inside.

I built my aerobatic wing using Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir (main front spar) and Okoume marine grade plywood. It is good for +/-10 G's. :eek:

Wood is very rewarding to work with..... I wish I had more time to play with it.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227223691.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227223966.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227224108.jpg

Yeah right. Next thing you're going to tell us you make violins...

[QUOTE=LubeMaster77;4314871] My parents (well, my father my mom just wants to know what is going on) do clock repair and it is a lost art. Especially in something like clock repair, you have to be an excellent wood worker in addition to being mechanically inclined and detail oriented.

It makes me working on my Porsche seem like putting a square peg in a round hole.

Speeder, I'm not trying to hijack your thread, so if you want, PM me and I'll delete this post. But, this topic, fine wood working, brought back a memory from the other year I thought some of you might enjoy. I met a nice older gentleman by the name of Bozo Podunavac. Just look at the works of art this man turns out --by hand. Truly the last of a dying breed.

http://guitars.net/Bozobell_files/image025.jpg

There are more at http://guitars.net/Bozobell.htm but they aren't very good, and certainly don't do justice to this man's work.

No problema at all, keep the woodworking posts coming!

You can still take his workshop through a local university. All who love and work wood should take it before he dies. Sam's getting up there in age, but he still make really dangerous cuts on his bandsaw. Nuts. A friend of mine, a cabinter maker, owns one of his famous rocking chair. What a beauty. I had seem George Nakashima's display at the Japenese Museum in LA once. What wonderful work of arts.

Is sad you mention that. My dad learn his jewerly skill from the old country. He can make you anything you want including design with just a few simple hammers, hand tools and a torche. No machine and casting BS. I have not met any like him. No one wants to do work like that anymore. It all about a buck and how fast one can make money. Thankfully I was able to work along side him during my high school and some college years. I was able to learn and develop the skill on how to become a true craftsman. Plasters are out there but not many. You get a dime and a dozen drywallers who thinks they are plaster men. We do fine woodworking and upper end remodels. many times people don't want to pay for that kind of time consuming work. Many young people would just want to do something simple and easy and make few bucks and go home and spend it. true passion and service is hard to come by these days.

I thnk it was 24K he paid.

Jeff

D@mn!!! I need to start making chairs! :D

I went to a Wendell Castle exhibit at the D.I.A. about 17 years ago, unforgettable.

About:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendell_Castle

Artist Homepage
http://www.wendellcastle.com/

Some lamps I built back in 1989, inspired by his work.
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...LC-LAMPS-2.jpg

Nice work George. Very cool!:)

Dennis you friend does great work. In this day and age of pre-fab crap, its nice to see we still have true craftsman out there.

Thanks, Vinny. I probably don't even have to tell you that he is also one hell of an interesting guy. 55 y.o. w/ a beautiful 30-something daughter and grandchildren, 1/2 Norwegian and 1/2 Sicilian from NYC whose Dad would be 120 years old if he were alive, (married hot 20 y.o. in his 60s), :D, etc., etc... That's where the *old world* part comes from I think. He's been around the world twice and seen a pig fk, as the old saying goes. ;)

Stay safe at work buddy. :cool:

Here he is asking me how much we could get on ebay for a particular chunk of some rare Maple, (can't remember the name), someone was asking about value of hard woods and I don't know except it's super spendy. :cool:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227290514.jpg

I'm a sucker for all great wooden construction.

check out this burmese teak boat
http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/g...chmentid=76375

http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/g...chmentid=76372

http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/g...chmentid=76371

http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/g...chmentid=76382

http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/g...chmentid=76386

one of my other favorites - a 21 foot center console powered by a diesel

http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/g...chmentid=83429

http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/g...chmentid=83426

http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/g...chmentid=83430

http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/g...chmentid=83766

http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/g...chmentid=90676

Now I know why they call it "wood"