So You Think You're A Tough Guy?

Good friend and fellow woodworker, Scott Morrison, just showed up in a Gerber Knife commercial (not the baby food company.) 

It is pretty funny to see him portraying the tough guy image. I have had some good laughs with Scott and "badass" is not a term I would use to describe him, that's what is really funny about the whole thing. I would even swear he is trying not to crack a smile while mugging tough for the camera.

It is very cool to see Scott shaping one of his signature rocking chairs which is shown in full view.

A gold nugget lesson here; never underestimate the power of a fleeting image like that. Keep this in mind if you are trying to figure out ways to market yourself. 

Be sure to check out Scott's site and YouTube channel, you will love visiting both. 

Scott's Site:  FineWoodworker.com

Scott's YouTube: The Fine Woodworker's Channel

Now, I will fill you in on the real Scott Morrison. I do not have some special exclusive friendship with him, he is a good friend to all that he meets. Be sure to check him out if you have not yet. If you have woodworking questions, especially pertaining to sculpted furniture or want to learn how to build sculpted furniture - Scott's your guy! He's a real American Craftsman with the skills and the "Share the Love~Share the Knowledge" attitude.

Congrats to Scott for getting in on a Gerber Knife commercial!

Your friend in the shop-

Todd A.Clippinger

Share the Love~Share the Knowledge

 

A $50 Savings & A Peek At My Mobile Shop

It's Coming...

A chat with Scott Morrison.I didn't mean to release a teaser clip of the chat with Scott Morrison and leave you hanging, but I had something settle hard in my lungs and so I haven't been able to accomplish as much as I would like. I have been pretty run down and need a lot of sleep, sitting at the computer is hard to do when all I want to do is shut my eyes.

My work days have been pretty short and I have to focus on projects where people have paid me (dang the real world.)

Not to further taunt you guys, but Scott does share some really good information for people thinking about woodworking professionally. So I will be sure to get things going and get the video together. I am also trying to get some still images to add to the video. 

 The Return Of "Captain Clippinger" Savings

When I was visiting with Scott, we were talking about sharing our knowledge with woodworkers. One thing that I mentioned was how well he demystified the process of constructing the Sam Maloof inspired rocker. It is admired by most all woodworkers and intimidating to most of those same people.Scott Morrison in his shop.

He shared with me how gratifying it was to see other woodworkers make one of these chairs for themselves. He has quite a collection of emails and pictures from woodworkers gushing with pride at their accomplishment. As a craftsman, it was easy for me to recognize that look. 

As our conversation continued he commented that he might have to run another "Captain Clippinger" special. So, the other day he contacted me to find out how my video edit was going (yeh, I know...) and that he had another deal.

Elegant Rocking Chair DVD SetBecause of our conversation, Scott is running a new special and he is calling it his "After Tax Day Discount." If anyone places an order between April 15 and April 30th 2010 for the Elegant Rocking Chair Bundle, and asks for the "Captain Clippinger Discount" he will refund $50 to their account. 

The Elegant Rocking Chair bundle includes the DVD and Template for what is often known as the classic Maloof Rocker. Normally the DVD's and template are $185 so by asking for the "Captain Clippinger Discount" you can save $50.4 DVD's with 6 hours of instruction.

There is 6 hours of instruction over 4 DVD's so he is generous with the information whether it is spoken or demonstrated.

The real value in the DVD's is the amount of demonstrated information. He could have made the video shorter, but it would have been missing much of the information that is not so much spoken as it is shared through the demonstration. That is one of the reasons you feel like he is giving you a personal lesson.

With the experience of designing projects myself, I can say getting the templates is worth the money. You will spend a lot of time trying to figure out size and shape on any given piece in project. With something sculptoral like the Maloof style rockers, the templates are worth their weight in gold. 

I know that it is a dream for a lot of guys to build one of these chairs, so be sure to get the Captain Clippinger Discount at Finewoodworker.com to save $50 on the Elegant Rocking Chair bundle. This only lasts until April 30th.

Mobile Shop

Mobile shop setup.Not only do I have a nice indoor shop to work with, but I also have a mobile set of tools to use when I am working on site. Every jobsite setup may be different because of particular needs and space, but these photos give you an idea of what a general setup will look like.

My work revolves around using the table saw, miter saw, compressor with nailers, and often the jig saw and belt sander. These are the most commonly used tools when working on site. Other tools may include routers and surface planer when doing built-ins. 

Overall, my collection of tools seems pretty endless at times, especially when it comes to loading and unloading the truck or to maintenance. But I offer a large range of services so I need the tools to perform those services. An interesting observation, since I just visited Scott Morrison's shop, was how few tools he had in comparison to my collection. But we offer different products, and each has tools according to their needs. 

Miter saw station with outfeed support stand.One of the best things I ever did was build an outfeed support table for my miter saw. It has immediate support to the left an right of the saw and open cubbies to keep pencils, squares, and other miscellaneous tools in close reach and accounted for. The white laminate top allows me to scribble notes on with a pencil and the marks are easily erased with solvent or hand cleaner wipes. 

I will cover this in more detail in the future so perhaps you can make one for yourself too.

Hope you enjoy the information and can get in on the Captain Clippinger Discount at FineWoodworker.com

That is all for now. Your friend in the shop, Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love ~Share the Knowledge & the Discounts!

Don't Hold It All In ~ Leave A Comment!

More Shop Details

Shop Details & Safety

I have added a few more images and details to the Shop page. It seems like I think of something new to add every day to the Shop gallery. I know that is a big favorite for the viewers and there is a lot to share so I am sure that for a while content will be changing and added to on that page.

3 Fire Extinguishers for the ACWOne of the most important things that I added was the fire extinguishers and their layout. I can't stress enough how important this overlooked item is in the shop. I watched the neighbors garage get hosed down on the inside when he set it on fire while welding. 

The neighbor did have a small fire extinguisher that he used initially, but it emptied fast and the fire popped back to life leaving him empty handed. The shop was too far from the house for the garden hose to reach. ACW Fire Extinguisher Layout

After seeing what happened to him I went to the big box store right away and purchased 3 fire extinguishers. I placed them strategically in my shop to allow for an easy, quick access. 

Everybody's placement for extinguishers will be different, but I have provided a map of my shop to give you an idea of how my extinguishers are located. You will notice that I have placed 2 for easy access from the 2 entry points and one that is more in the center of the shop. 

I think that it is important for everyone to have fire extinguishers in the shop, but especially so if the shop is in the house or attached to the house. The cost of a $60 fire extinguisher greatly outweighs the cost of what can be lost if you do not have at least one.

Interview With Scott Morrison

I have a lot of work to do on the video interview with Scott Morrison. I have a good 70 minutes of chat time with Scott so I have some editing to do and I need to break it into segments that will fit the 10 minute/2 GB limits of YouTube.  

You will really enjoy hearing Scott share his story and business advice. There is a lot of gold nuggets that he shares in our conversation.

It sounds like Scott is coming up with another special deal on furniture plans so stay tuned. He also just announced more video plans that he is coming out with. You can see them at here at Finewoodworker.com.

I have a couple of his videos, they are well made and very comprehensive. The furniture that he makes can be intimidating, but when you watch the videos, you think "Oh heck, I can do that." It is like he is giving you a personal lesson as he gives instruction in the videos.

Moving On...

I really need to get work going this morning so I can get some edit time in tonight. Enough taunting you with promises, time for production.

Your friend in the shop, Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love ~ Share the Knowledge