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Geoff McKonly Furniture

Quality and Design that Endures
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shop notes blog

My journey as a furniture maker and my attempt to craft a good life. 

 

Continuing Education

April 16, 2018

Japanese joinery class with Yann Giguère at Snow Farm Craft Center in Williamsburg, Massachusettes.

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In Professional Development Tags Travel, Schools, Classes, Professional Development, Snowfarm, Yann Giguère, Mokuchi Studio

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Oct 18, 2018
Are Old Tools the Best Tools?
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Aug 4, 2018
Is Design a Learnable Skill
Aug 4, 2018
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May 23, 2018
Psst! Please attach it to the wall.
May 23, 2018
May 23, 2018
Apr 16, 2018
Continuing Education
Apr 16, 2018
Apr 16, 2018
Mar 31, 2018
Visiting the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship
Mar 31, 2018
Mar 31, 2018

Follow the day to day of Geoff McKonly Furniture on Instagram

Some details of the repairs on the chair from the last post. The scarf joint is my friend with repair work. On some of these little spindles making a new one might have been as easy but it’s nice to keep as much of the original as you can. If this was a modern chair without as much wear replacing the piece might have made more sense. I didn’t complete strip any of the parts so the finished chair looks fresh but the well worn look it had is still evident. . . . . #furniturerepair #furniturerestoration #customfurniture #furnituredesign #furniture #woodworking #finewoodworking #interiordesign #design #handmade #architecture #custom #craft #handtoolwoodworking #gmfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurnituremaker
I had a couple of chairs in the shop to do some restoration work. The rocker had a ripped cane webbing seat. It was the first cane that I’ve replaced but I’ve been cane curious and replacing webbing seemed like a good start. I think it went pretty well. The other chair was loose in all of the joints. There were a few spindle ends that were soft and a previous repair that was not done very well and came apart. It was more work then I anticipated but overall a good example of why real furniture is worth it. Doing repairs right is worth it and possible. . . . . #furniturerepair #furniturerestoration #customfurniture #furnituredesign #furniture #woodworking #finewoodworking #interiordesign #design #handmade #architecture #custom #craft #handtoolwoodworking #gmfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurnituremaker
Someone made a comment asking about the shooting board so I thought I’d make. Few videos of the process to size the parts including the shooting board and using it. This shooting board is a design by @timothyrousseau that I got to use at @woodschoolmaine and made one when I got home. You can find a description of making one in @finewoodworkingmagazine issue number 267. . . . . #customfurniture #furnituredesign #furniture #woodworking #finewoodworking #interiordesign #design #handmade #architecture #custom #craft #handtoolwoodworking #gmfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurnituremaker
Tiny drawers are not to much easier then big ones. Two sets of drawer parts fit two to go. Trying to push through to get to dovetailing. These are 2 1/2” tall, 5 1/2” wide and 9” deep. The process is to tune up and fit with the shooting board after cutting the rough width on the bandsaw and cutting length with the old Stanley 150. I can’t imagine trying to do this with more machines. A sharp plane is quick and precise. . . . . #lienielsen #toolcabinetbuild #customfurniture #furnituredesign #furniture #woodworking #finewoodworking #interiordesign #design #handmade #architecture #custom #craft #handtoolwoodworking #gmfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurnituremaker
Working on several projects at once, the main one for my shop mate. But right now I’m just waiting for some glue to dry so I’m filling in with drawer fronts for my tool cabinet. Drawers are never really quick, even small ones like these. This is where in my opinion, a hand tool kit really shines. Cutting with my Stanley 150 and fitting with plane and shooting board. Easy to keep everything laid out on the bench as I’m working. . . . . #handtoolcabinet #toolcabinetbuild #customfurniture #furnituredesign #furniture #woodworking #finewoodworking #interiordesign #design #handmade #architecture #custom #craft #handtoolwoodworking #gmfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurnituremaker
A seeming relatively simple project. I’m always surprised all that goes into a straightforward veneered piece. I’ve done a relatively small amount of veneer work having come out of boatbuilding. In the class I took at @woodschoolmaine last summer we did shop sawn veneer and i veneered a set of cabinet doors over plywood. I got hooked on shop sawn veneer and have had the opportunity to do it several times since then for projects where veneer was really the best way to go. Having additional tools in your arsenal really can expand your woodworking. . . . #customfurniture #furnituredesign #furniture #woodworking #finewoodworking #interiordesign #design #handmade #architecture #custom #craft #handtoolwoodworking #gmfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurnituremaker
I am definitively not getting into instrument repair. Although it was a lot of fun. Put the last touch on this job, gluing the nut that holds the strings off the fret board into place. The hardest part was definitely attempting to retouch the color and make the crack disappear. And I didn’t do that well. You can see some of my efforts if you zoom into the first photo. I’m going to stick to things that can only be used as a drum for now. . . . . . #customfurniture #furnituredesign #furniture #woodworking #finewoodworking #interiordesign #design #handmade #architecture #custom #craft #handtoolwoodworking #gmfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurnituremaker
I was trying to do a simple veneer glue up today that I kept taking two steps back, had to fix things and then get back to zero. Nothing catastrophic but all either stupid mistakes or not going far enough. All in all very frustrating. So here’s a few more shots and details of the coffee table that as long as I don’t drop anything on it before it gets delivered is safe. Onward and upward and time for a beer. . . . . . #walnutcoffeetablebuild #walnutcoffeetable #walnuttable #walnut #customfurniture #furnituredesign #furniture #woodworking #finewoodworking #interiordesign #design #handmade #architecture #custom #craft #handtoolwoodworking #gmfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurnituremaker
Shots from the photo shoot earlier in the week of the completed coffee table in black walnut. . . . . #photoshoot #walnutcoffeetablebuild #walnutcoffeetable #walnuttable #walnut #customfurniture #furnituredesign #furniture #woodworking #finewoodworking #interiordesign #design #handmade #architecture #custom #craft #handtoolwoodworking #gmfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurniture #geoffmckonlyfurnituremaker