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I have just redesigned the seat for my Kurva Chair. The original one was too thin and while it was very strong, it did not make the user very happy sitting on it!! Now at 15 layers of veneer in just under 1/4″ and a different shape it is perfect.

A few weeks ago I finished a wall hung shelf unit that I made for a client who wanted some CD storage. I chose ‘Natural’ Maple, which is Eastern Maple that has heavy mineral staining through it. I first used this wood for the trestle on the Spalted Maple Bench I made a few months ago and really liked the look.   Eastern Maple is also very nice to work with.

The corners are spline mitered and the shelves are   …read more

As some of you may have probably read, one of my first Blog posts was about a set of Small Japanese Boxes that I was making back in October last year. Well I became irritated with how they were progressing and had to move on to another larger project and, as is often the way, they were shelved behind piles of wood and dust! Well, after my last bench was finished I was cleaning up   …read more

For those of you in Victoria who would like to see some of my work (and that of other local artists) there is an exhibition on at the Cedar Hill Arts Centre during the last 2 weeks of July.

I will have both my Kurva Chair (with redesigned seat) and my ‘Elements’ series bench on display. I also have a couple of small pieces in the display cases on the wall (on display now).

For more information seehttp://www.viwg.com/images/visions.pdf…read more

After a few minor changes to the design and the addition of discreet adjustable feet, the second of the ‘Element’ series prototypes has been finished.

Please see the photos on my ‘Furniture’ gallery.

Element Bench

Well the prototype of the new patio bench is now complete. There will be an Element  table to follow once I have finalised the joinery design for it. To see the concept designs for this please see the ‘From the Drawing Board‘ gallery.

My inspiration for this design came from the influx of modern ‘cuboid’ buildings sprouting up here in Victoria. I love the clean lines and the simplicity of colour and texture.     …read more

I am, among other small projects, currently working on a new line of outdoor furniture using a mix of wood and aluminium.

The wood of choice for the prototypes is either White Oak or Garry Oak. White Oak is a very hard and durable North American species used extensively in wooden boat construction that has a ‘grey’ colour to it. Garry Oak is our native oak that I have a good supply of from the Wood Recovery Program here   …read more

I have just finished and delivered a second trestle style bench, the first being made in a class I took a few years ago. The original design for this was by Sandra Carr of Gelinas Carr Furniture, also my instructor for the course. It makes use of a Japanese architectural joint called the Sage-Kama which is essentially a wedged dovetail joint on the ends of the trestle. There is no glue involved and only a handful of   …read more

When confronted with a small space with no storage I immediately switch to what I call ‘boat mode’.  I look at the problem as if I were on a boat, and consider all the possible locations for  storage and how to best maximize the storage space. This was the case with a small bedroom belonging to my good friends’ teenage son, which is also slated to become a sewing studio in a few years time.  The need for storage   …read more

Recently I decided to do some experimentation with a few products that I had not tried out before. Para-Lam™ is a laminated wood product, made by Weyerhaeuser, primarily used for beams in the construction trade. The laminated wood fragments give this a very unique look while providing a perfectly flat piece.

The other product I tested was EcoPoxy™ made by EcoPoxy Systems in the US. This is a ‘green’ epoxy system that has no harmful organic compounds   …read more