Real Craftsmanship:

[speeder]

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:

[cgarr]

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

[M.D. Holloway]

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

[speeder]

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:



And the interior side:



Some expensive wood in his garage:

[M.D. Holloway]

[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.

[notfarnow]

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.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by notfarnow

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.

[Mo_Gearhead]

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?

[Heel n Toe]

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

[craigster59]

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.

[Superman]

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.

[scottmandue]

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.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

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

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

[Noah930]

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.

[cgarr]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

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

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.

[peppy]

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

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by cgarr

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.

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.

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

[GDSOB]

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

[ChkbookMechanic]

[QUOTE=LubeMaster77;4314871]

Originally Posted by speeder

...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

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.

[SlowToady]

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.



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.