Marc Adams School of Woodworking is a special place and I’ve been invited to teach a few classes at MASW in 2017. It is the largest woodworking school in the country with an incredibly well-equipped shop and an experienced staff … Continue reading
Category Archives: Arts & Crafts Resources
I spent last week in the company of a dozen or so woodworkers at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in Franklin, Indiana. We were working on reproductions of the iconic Gustav Stickley/Harvey Ellis No. 700 glass door bookcase. This … Continue reading
There are still a few spots available in my upcoming class at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in fabulous Franklin, Indiana October 3-7, 2016. CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE MASW WEBSITE AND ENROLL We will spend the week making … Continue reading
There was a discussion last week over at WoodTalk Online about Darrell Peart’s books on Greene & Greene Furniture and my book “Shop Drawings for Greene & Greene Furniture” was mentioned. The question was about what projects are in the … Continue reading
In the early 1900s Gustav Stickley had one of the most modern, best equipped furniture factories in the world. If you are as nerdy as I am about this stuff, you should get your hands on a copy of The … Continue reading
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. You can, but sometimes it takes a while. After my first book, “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” was published in 2001 I began selling large format printed plans of many … Continue reading
Here is a link to the SketchUp model of the modified Harvey Ellis/Gustav Stickley bookcase that was the subject of a weekend build workshop held April 9-10, 2016. Click and drag with the left mouse button over the model image … Continue reading
I had heard nice things about the Alabama Woodworkers Guild before I left last week to teach a two-day seminar in building a Stickley cabinet and an evening SketchUp workshop. When I arrived on Friday I found a shop that … Continue reading
My cynical side believes that there isn’t much difference between history and marketing, and my rational side has to admit that a lot of recorded history exists to sell something. Maybe not a specific product but a set of ideas … Continue reading
One of the curious things about woodworking is that you don’t really know how thorough to be in one step until you are knee-deep in the next. With experience you develop a routine and can move along efficiently. Without experience … Continue reading
Like a guy who remembers the first girl he kissed, I know exactly when and where my fascination with Byrdcliffe carving began. In the late 1980s I came across one of the best books about the Arts & Crafts period, … Continue reading
UPDATE MAY 28, 2022: “The Craftsman” Magazine online archive has changed. Here is the link to access all issues: The Craftsman Magazine I’ve never been to Madison, Wisconsin but it is one of my favorite places because it is the … Continue reading
Space is still available for this class August 1 & 2, 2015-Click Here to sign up at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking website. On the weekend of August 1 & 2 I’ll be teaching a weekend workshop at the … Continue reading
I don’t teach classes very often; a few times a year at most. While I really enjoy teaching, I’m not crazy about travel, hotels or unknown sources of food. I don’t actively solicit teaching jobs, but when somebody calls or … Continue reading
A completed piece of furniture provides a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment that people who don’t make furniture miss out on. I suppose it’s like most things in life that take dedicated effort and practice; those who have been there … Continue reading
Please Note: The paperback edition of this book has been replaced with a hardcover. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS OF THE NEW HARDCOVER EDITION OF THE “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture”. Revised Edition of the “Great Book of … Continue reading
Cabinets, Moldings & Built-Ins For Every Room In The Home The first, and only book of it’s kind. Based on Gustav Stickley’s original architectural drawings and information from The Craftsman magazine, this book contains detailed drawings for recreating or renovating … Continue reading
23 American Arts & Crafts Masterpieces This book is the first publication of detailed drawings for the construction of authentic reproductions of the furniture designed by Charles & Henry Greene, and constructed in the workshops of Peter & John Hall. … Continue reading
Jigs and templates are common in professional woodworking shops, as well as common topics in woodworking books, magazines and blogs. A good jig will do two things; make the work better and get the work done faster. If you … Continue reading
When the “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” was published, I hoped to include all of the material from the three books that were originally published individually, “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture”, “More Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” … Continue reading
One of the things I don’t like about magazine articles is the lack of photos of the finished project. There simply isn’t room for more than one “beauty shot” within the six or eight allotted pages. I’ve had the cover … Continue reading
Over on Matt Vanderlist’s Basement Workshop, someone posed the question, ” . . . what happened to book #3?” This was in reference to the “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” being a compilation of my first, second … Continue reading
This clock was originally designed in 1895 by British architect and designer C.F.A. Voysey. The best known version is painted, but there are also examples in ebony and oak with inlaid faces. The clock in the video is featured as … Continue reading
Picking a favorite project is like deciding which of your children you love the most. Picking my favorite kid would be easy, I only have the one. Among all the things I’ve made from wood, the Byrdcliffe Linen Press is … Continue reading
DVD — “Build an Arts & Crafts Mantle Clock” is no longer available. Click Here for Photos of the Finished Clock The project I recently completed, a reproduction of a C.F.A. Voysey mantel clock in alternate materials was one of … Continue reading
When I was a self employed furniture maker and cabinetmaker I didn’t have much choice about what I would build, it was mostly a matter of what a client wanted and was willing to pay for. For the last 9 … Continue reading
A couple of weeks ago, I was the special guest in the WoodCentral chatroom, taking questions on Arts & Crafts furniture and trying to keep up. A transcript of the March 11, 2013 chat is now available online at WoodCentral. … Continue reading
One of the things I like most about building reproductions is that it takes me out of familiar territory and puts me in a place where the easy way out isn’t an option. If left to my own devices, I … Continue reading
Original Designs by Gustav Stickley & Harvey Ellis This unique book presents full-size patterns for the inlay designs and hardware originally used in Craftsman Furniture. Text includes history of these designs and the designers, materials and techniques. My last copy … Continue reading
A Free Excerpt from the “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” Step One: Cut all the pieces to the sizes listed in the cut list. Please don’t do that. Not if you’re building from the large format plans … Continue reading
Professionally drawn, custom printed, fully detailed plans for accurate reproductions of many of the pieces originally made by Gustav Stickley, L. & J.G. Stickley and Charles Limbert from “Shop Drawings For Craftsman Furniture” and “More Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture”, … Continue reading
Quartersawn white oak isn’t the easiest wood to work, but with experience and an understanding of its character, it is steady and predictable. In gaining that experience, you’ll better understand your own character. The work becomes a partnership between man … Continue reading
Gustav Stickley, while an innovator in design, did not work single-handedly, and his work does show influences from designs that were seen in England prior to the introduction of his Craftsman furniture. Although Stickley’s daughter Barbara, maintained that Harvey Ellis … Continue reading
One of the most common questions asked about building pieces from my Shop Drawings Books is “What do I do about the cushions? Your drawings don’t show any details.” There were several methods used in the original Stickley pieces, and … Continue reading
The Gustav Stickley No. 332 Morris chair is an iconic example of Arts & Crafts period furniture. It isn’t as flashy as the bow arm or bent arm chairs, but it’s a challenging project. In my never-ending hunt for details … Continue reading
Almost every task in woodworking comes down to cutting to a line. If you can cut to a line consistently and accurately, you can build anything. There are any number of ways to do it, and the more methods you … Continue reading
Furniture from the American Arts & Crafts period is extremely popular, but it is also misunderstood. We’re not even sure what to call it. Is the correct name Mission or Craftsman or something else? Much of the confusion comes from … Continue reading
Although hand-hammered copper is often thought of as the definitive handle on a Stickley drawer, wood pulls were common on original pieces, often in a pyramid shape. I’ve seen people jump through all kinds of hoops to make these with … Continue reading
Update the “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” is now available. Coming Summer 2012 Combined Edition of “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” “More Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Inlays & Hardware” Revised introductory text … Continue reading
I’ll be in beautiful Franklin, Indiana the week of September 17-21, 2012, teaching a hands-on woodworking class at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. The class is called “The Real Details of Arts & Crafts Furniture”, and registration is now open. … Continue reading