Melamine Part 2: Edge Banding

I just finished up the video for applying edge banding to melamine. This video follows Part 1 on how to get clean cuts in melamine, which can be quite a challenge without the right blade and techniques. Once the melamine is cut, often it will need to have edge banding applied. So I cover this topic in Part 2.

I could have made a 2 minute video that shows me applying a piece with an iron and trimming the excess, but that can leave a person with a lot of questions.

In these videos, you not only get the information and a good demonstration, but plenty of peripherial information so you can dive into it with confidence for a variety of situations and knowing how to deal with imperfections.

The information in these videos is geared to the beginner and small shop or DIY individual. Because not everyone has heavy equipment like a pro cabinet shop to accomplish these tasks, but I know you can get great results with this information.

I have posted part 1 again for anyone who has missed it. The footage was all recorded at the same time so part 2 is a true continuation of the first video.

Melamine Part 2: Apply Edge Banding

Melamine Part 1: Getting Clean Cuts

I hope you find these videos helpful. 

Todd A. Clippinger

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A Visit From Andy Chidwick On The Sawdust Tour

Andy Chidwick is a good friend and fellow furniture maker. He & his family are currently travelling with The Woodworking Shows. As he travels the country, going from show to show, he is stopping to visit woodworkers along the way and recording interviews. He calls this The Sawdust Tour.

Since Andy lives in western Montana, and had to travel due east to Baltimore for the first show, he had to pass through Billings. I was honored to have him make the American Craftsman Workshop his first stop on the Sawdust Tour.

In this video we talk a little bit about my current projects and how I function in the shop. There are some gold nuggets of information on shop workflow and a peek into my life as a pro woodworker.

While Andy does the interviews, is son Tano is acting as videographer. The endeavor is truly a family event.

 Andy will be at The Woodworking Shows giving seminars and demonstrations on woodworking. To see if there is a show near you be sure to check out The Woodworking Show Schedule.

Not only will you be able to see and meet Andy Chidwick, but some other great names in woodworking will be there: Roland Johnson,Jim Heavey, and Bradley McCalister will also be giving seminars. Their names are hotlinks so you can see their profile on The Woodworking Shows site.

Follow Andy on:

FaceBook - Andy Chidwick

Twitter - @chidwicshool

Sawdusttour.com

Well, I gotta head back out to the shop to make some sawdust so I can clean it up...you gotta watch the video to get it;)

Your friend in the shop, 

Todd A. Clippinger

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Showing in Fine Woodworking Exhibition at Museum of the Rockies

Hittin' The Big Time!

If you follow me on Twitter or FaceBook, you probably already know the exciting news. I was invited to show at a fine woodworking exhibition at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana. The show is currently going on and running 3 months until Jan 27th.

There is a total of 25 woodworking artists showing and I am very honored to be counted among them. They are certainly a group of high-caliber artisans. 

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(You can click on the images for a larger version to capture all the details.)

The curator requested that I build a prairie chandelier for the exhibition. At first it was "chandeliers" - plural - because I had originally built a set of two. At a certain point I was told there would only be room for one over the dining table where it would be displayed, but by then, I already had the parts milled and joinery cut for two units. In the end, I only needed to assemble one and the 2nd chandelier lays mostly in parts with the assembly only begun.

It was better that I only had to build one because they are more technically challenging to assemble than it looks. That means it was taking longer than I thought and I was way behind, even for assembling just one chandelier. 

Magic Mike Bails Me Out-

Being that I was running behind, I enlisted the help of a good friend, Mike Pasini. He is a pretty talented guy that I can trust and get along with in the shop. If anyone is "the chosen one" to spend time in my shop - it is Mike. He also helped me out with the bookcase for charity earlier this year. 

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OK, I really am understating Mike's help - he really saved my bacon! For those that followed me on Twitter and FB, they were getting a first-hand account of the drama as I worked non-stop and ran into unexpected problems with my compressor and the finish. 

I ended up pulling a few 30 hour days in the shop and barely got done in time. But, as it stands now, I have a prairie chandelier hanging on display for a fine woodworking exhibition in a museum setting! 

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Opening weekend was great for me. I got to hang out with a couple dozen high-end woodworkers and share in some great conversation. It really nourished me as an artist.

One thing that became clear is this, we all seem to share a very similar experience as we make our living offering fine woodworking projects. My experiences are not unique, they are common to those that choose this life. And we cannot help but to express ourselves in our work and try to make a living at it. 

Be Sure To Check It Out!

I highly recommend checking out the exhibition, it runs until 27 Jan 2013 at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT.

For now, one thing you can enjoy are the artists' audio recordings. We each tell a little bit about our background and the works that we have on display. You can hear them at the Museum of the Rockies web page, just click on each artist name to hear that person's recording.

This parking garage stairwell tower in Cleveland, Ohio is the one I reference in my audio recording.

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What Is The Secret?

For those that wonder how do you get into something like that, all I can say it is a lot of hard work in the shop growing as an artist and craftsman, and never underestimate the importance of making connections. I have not lacked when for hours spent in the shop, being honest with myself in my work, and networking. 

What you are seeing, is the glamorous result of a lot of hard work. I certainly don't want to discourage anybody, that aspires to achieve the same, I am just letting you know what it takes. 

That's all for now. Until next time, be safe in your own shop. 

Your friend in the shop, 

Todd A. Clippinger

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