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March 2004
New Products Released |
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A new and cohesive body of work
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 I've
been planning for some time to bring a set of new products to the
market, but with a long list of great ideas the first challenge was
choosing which designs to pursue. I knew I had a couple of goals
to achieve. First, there were two box designs that were just too
good to pass up, I knew I had to develop them. Second, I
wanted a group of products that could stand together.
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Showcasing miniature joinery |
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Then it hit me—I wanted to showcase my
miniature finger joints, the ones that boggle other woodworkers when
they see my work, and these are an integral part of my top ideas.
The result is a set of products that use this joint in novel ways.
Click on the underlined links below or on the images for more
details on each new product. Details will appear in a
separate browser window, arrange the windows side by side for best
viewing.
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The mosaic inlay
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 Meanwhile
I was commissioned to make a cabinet with a mosaic inlay on the
doors. The client gave me a sheaf of drawings from his studies
of Italian tiles, in which I found a pattern that would look
stunning as a Framed Wood
Mosaic. I played a bit with it and liked it so much
I couldn't resist incorporating it into my production pieces.
I enjoyed extending what I've learned about producing perfectly
joined symmetrical marquetry to the size of work this commission
required, quite a step up from the ornaments I make which are only 2
or 3 inches.
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A pattern drawn out through triangular
nested boxes |
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 Here's
a twist on the finger joint: using it in a triangular box.
The joinery in this telescoping
Triangular Ring Box is dramatized by the inlay that sweeps
across the front edge when the box is opened.
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Perfect drawers viewed from front or
back |
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But the
Folding Chest-of-Drawers Jewelry Box truly focuses attention
on the miniature finger joint: it
opens to show a bank of little drawers, each carefully constructed
with perfect finger joints and, as usual, with contrasting woods that
highlight the precise joinery.
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drawers' joinery remains an integral design feature even when the
box is closed, as you see the drawer backs through portals in the
sides of the closed chest. I don't use any fancy jigs or
high-tech machinery to cut these joints, just careful adjustment of
a simple shop-built jig on a table saw.
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New large jewelry box |
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 To
round out the selection of jewelry boxes I offer I've created a box
large enough to do justice to the Italian mosaic I've so enjoyed
working with. The challenge here was to design a box in which
the inlaid lid would be visible from a distance, hence the
Large Jewelry Box that
surprises you when you open the lid; the mosaic is displayed like a
framed picture when the box is opened.
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Frames to match |
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 Lastly,
I've introduced a line of picture
frames. Here I've replaced the traditional mitered frame
corner with another finger joint. The joint and the
contrasting woods make these frames look great as a set, and they
nicely complement all my other products. In fact, one of my
galleries gave me a great idea, I'm going to include a framed
artist's statement in my next shipment for you to display with my
work.
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Let's get take-out! |
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 Of
course my fondness for the miniature made me design one special size
of frame. Do you ever get a fortune in a fortune cookie that
you have to save? The
Fortune Frame is what you've been looking for!
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To order: |
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Visit my
Product Line page for information about all my products, the new
as well as the tried-and-true. Then
place your order.
Prices for these new products are introductory prices,
they'll be offered for orders placed through the end of July,
2004. I'll look forward to hearing from you!
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Next newsletter |
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I'll give you a tour of my workshop and discuss some of my techniques
in future newsletters. |
