Cool Stuff

Despite some days running around in ever decreasing circles, not knowing which way to go or where to start, I have to say I wouldn't change things for love nor money. I enjoy what I do, I enjoy making chairs and pretty much playing around with wood in general, in one way or another. I most often work alone, so I also enjoy seeing ( and hearing ) what others are up to whether locally or on the other side of the world. It might be something as simple as seeing what timbers others are using or unearthing a new technique.  As Einstein said, " Once you stop learning, you start dying." 

The other day when I checked out Greg Pennington's blog - Around the Shop ( link in the Blog List column on the right )  I was quite surprised to see a few parallels, albeit way over yonder in the States. Greg's work is superb, Windsor chairs and furniture alike. Greg, like Pete Galbert, is also responsible for a few techniques and contraptions which make my work in making Windsors much more enjoyable and accurate to boot. One of those being the use of lazers in teaching the reaming of holes and also Greg's part in the making of a very clever new mechanism for a shave horse. Here's the link to Pete's blog where it all began.....

So when I saw that Greg had been milling some sassafras for chair seats that got my attention. Then I saw a finished Elm seat in what looked like a Sack Back ( a Double Bow if your across the pond from the U.S. ). The trifecta was seeing the last photo of one of Greg's students' new 'Smart Head' shave horse. 

I've just finished a perch in Black Heart Sassafras and I'm half way through the Crested Rocker with a nice one piece Elm seat. 

Unbelievably, just that day Tim McLeod and I had finished working on the mechanism for.......you guessed it, a couple of Smart Head shave horses! 

No it's not the para-normal, voodoo or black magic but it's a pretty cool coincidence. I guess what it also tells me is that good chair making wood, is good chair making wood, no matter where you are. Good wood working tools and fixtures are the same and most people know what's good when they see it. But most importantly for me it emphasises how lucky I am to have people like Greg Pennington, Pete Galbert and a host of others both near and far who are as passionate about what they do as I am and are sharing their wisdom with the rest of us. Now that is pretty cool.