Methods and Techniques
Every piece of furniture I sell is made here in my studio, from the milling of the rough timber to the final finishing. The joints are precision cut and hand fitted. The finish is hand-rubbed oil or shellac.
In furniture making, joinery is key, and the type of joinery used depends upon the piece. In chairs, for example, I use mortise and tenon joinery or a "Maloof" notched rabbet joint, often reinforced with a tenon.
To create curves in chair arms or crest rails I often join wood at angles with splines or tenons. Exposed joinery can add interesting detail to a piece.
When possible I like to mix in the lighter-shaded sapwood and the darker heartwood, because of the wonderful color patterns this can create. Each piece is signed and dated before it leaves the studio.
Chair seats are made by joining boards with small tenons then sculpting the wood to form the seat. I use chisels and rasps and a very large disk sander.
The wood for each piece is carefully selected to match figure, pattern and grain. I use the best kiln-dried local hardwoods I can find-- usually cherry and walnut and maple.
