A Big Thanks To Troy and My First Video Post

First A Big Thank You

Yesterday as I was learning to post photos on the blog, I got an email telling me that the image files were too big and it was leading to slow load times. I needed to optimize the photos for the internet.

A few emails led to a phone call from fellow woodworker Troy Bouffard of Fairbanks, AK. He took the time to walked me through PhotoShop for resizing photos. Thanks to Troy, the viewing experience will be better with faster loading images. 

Troy, also known as Arctic Troy, is an active member at LumberJocks and The WoodWhisperer community. You might want to keep an eye on him as he is getting shop set up to go pro. His site is currently under construction but you can find it here: www.birchhillwoodcrafts.com

First Video Post

Everyday I take a new step, today it is posting a video. Many of you may have seen this most recent video so I hope you are not too disappointed that I did not produce a brand new one to post.

This video shows the construction of the modern sofa table was built for donation to a charity fundraising auction. This slideshow was played to generate more interest in the table by highlighting the fact that it was custom made for the charity event.

Funds raised at the auction help support programs for people with developmental disabilities.

The song is Green Onions by Booker T & the MG's. (I think this song is so cool:)

Find more videos like this on WOODTube

Well, that's all for now - out to the shop.

Your friend in the shop,

Todd A. Clippinger

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Building A Rustic Office

The current project I am working on is to build an office desk, cabinets, and gun cabinets from 10"x10" doug fir beams left over from the construction of a timber frame home. The beams are about 10 years old.

SketchUp Drawing for a rustic office.

I cut the beams to length and took them in to have rough milled.

Cutting beams to rough length in the field.

The pith was nearly in the center on everyone of them so it rendered quartersawn material.

Quartersawn beams stacked for drying and acclimating in the shop.

The material has been drying and acclimating since the end of December. The wood has varying moisture content levels. The outer part of the beams are dryer and stock from the center to 2/3 out range from 21-24%. 

Stock rough milled and stickered to dry.

So far I have glued up the desk top and several panels for the shelving and doors, this creates stock panels to work with. This has been challenging material to work with and the percentage of material loss is higher than normal. It certainly does not behave like kiln dried stock.

Cutting biscuit slots for panel glue up.

I like using the Stacking Clamps because you can glue up several panels in a single footprint because they store vertically while drying.

Gluing up cabinet panels.

That's all for now. Be sure to stop back often.

Your friend in the shop - Todd A. Clippinger 

Share the Love~Share the Knowledge

Day 2 Of A New Beginning

The Spoken Wood

Matt Vanderlist, the original woodworking podcaster, has started a new series of readings on the topic of woodworking called the Spoken Wood.They are intended to be an audio-only format so followers may download them and listen on their way to work. This is a much safer alternative to watching his video podcast on your iPod while driving.

The Spoken Wood will be rich in nutrition for the woodworker. The readings will be covering various topics, tips, and ruminations of woodworking. 

I am fortunate to be included in the line-up of well known and talented woodworkers and my entry has just been posted at Matt's Basement workshop. You can hear it at the following link:

http://mattsbasementworkshop.com/spoken-wood-podcast-no11/

Be sure to subscribe to The Spoken Wood so you don't miss any of the episodes.

Leaving the Nest

I am a bit surprised at the emotional factor in starting this new blog. LumberJocks has been my home for blogging.The feeling is a bit like leaving home after graduation. The possibilities are endless and the weight of the responsibility is palpable. The readers are now depending on me to insure the website and blog are properly maintained, user friendly, and reliable. 

There is also the loyalty factor. Martin has done such a tremendous amount of work to create the premier site for a woodworking community to gather, share, and ask questions. I am ever thankful for the hard work that Martin has invested in LumberJocks.

My heart strings are strongly tied to the LumberJock community, but fear not, I will not abandon my woodworking family.

I have long resisted doing my own active site with a blog because I did my research and understood how much work would be involved. My current site, Todd A. Clippinger~American Craftsman, is not really intended for the community of woodworkers although everyone is welcome to visit. It's primary function is to act as an online gallery for my clients and many of them are for remodel projects, not the more glamorous fine woodworking.

I have some photos in the site that show the process of project construction, but clients only want an overview. In my zeal to share the projects I did not want overwhelm potential clients with the details that would be nothing more than uninteresting minutia to them.

However, I have taken notice that the woodworking community cannot get enough of this information. The typical woodworker will ravenously consume these details to feed their hunger for knowledge. "The American Craftsman Workshop" will allow me to cater this information to the knowledge-hungry woodworking masses.

Be Patient - It's In the Works

I am currently operating on the blog platform only, but soon I will be adding the website format that includes the blog.

I am just learning how to use the tools, so you will see the structure of the site changing and being built before your very eyes! This is a big piece of history in the making for me.

If you have any suggestions please feel free to comment at the bottom of the page or email me.

toddclippinger@mac.com

Your Friend in The Shop - Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love~Share the Knowledge