I don't think there is anything more enjoyable than paying a visit to another woodworker ... except maybe paying a visit to 2 woodworkers. Not long ago I had the pleasure of visiting with a woodworking couple, both of whom are amazing woodworkers and between them have a wealth of knowledge. Cam Russell and Karen Trickett of Coventy Woodworks.
To make it even more enjoyable I got to see their new woodworking shop, which has been, I believe about 3 years in the making, and worth every second. This is easily a "Dream Workshop" for most of us. The shop it'self is 24 feet wide and 32 feet long with a vaulted ceiling. At the apex of the ceiling there is another open area where you can open windows that helps to create a natural draft on hot summer days and keep the workshop cool to work in.
They have brought together some great tools that most of us would love to have. A large Powermatic Table Saw, a Makita Sliding Mitre with what looks like a 10 or 12 foot work bench for long pieces of wood. And then their is the Minmax combination 12" helical head, jointer/planer, and the list goes on ...
Yes, they purchased some nice equipment, but like many of, they have also built a lot of what they have by sourcing older, unused equipment and modifying it to fit their shop ... or, in some cases even building it themselves like the disc sander and belt sander that Karen built. By the way, I should also tell you, when I wanted to re-build the kitchen in my house, it was Karen who gave me the information that I needed to get it going ... thanks again Karen :)
It's always nice to see the tools people have and how they use them, but it's even more rewarding when you get to see the work they are producing and was I in for a treat here too.
Cam Russell is a woodworker with some of the most innovative ideas. His woodworking is outstanding but so is his design work. His attention to detail is one of the components that makes his work so outstanding. One of the examples of extraordinary work is the clock that we discuss in the video. The detail he went to in the woods he selected, and why he selected them, the clock face and what he had to go through to produce it, and then the clock works had to be authentic "grandfather clock works". It is just a fascinating to hear about what went into the clock as it is see it in person.
Karen Trickett is much sought after for her woodworking abilities in restoring antique and vintage car woodworks, from the dash to the frame such as in old "woodies", Karen has an amazing sense of what will work and how to go about doing it. As you have seen in the video, her attention to little details is what makes her work stand apart, such as the jewelery boxes she makes. All the different wood and how they all fit together and all the details of tiny box joints and through tenons, how they are lined. Those are the details the quality woodworking builds are made from.
I expect to highlight these fine woodworkers in future videos and articles so stay tuned for that ...
Copyright Colin Knecht
Woodworkweb.com