An artist in my circle wanted to make a frame on which to stretch a canvas.
The joint in the corner of such frames is a complex thing that is not to be tackled by a beginning woodworker. I needed to simplify it.
In the hope that beginners will give it a go I have reduced the joint to four slats. The ends are cut square, at 45 degrees and at 15 degrees.
These slats are layered and their ends combine to make up the interlocking, wedge operated stretching mechanism.
This is how the kit looked when it was ready for canvas.
Layering gives neater and cleaner joints that any amount of machining.
Mitres create a neat square frame to staple a canvas to.
As the wedges are hammered against the 15 degree ends the frame expands.
Four slats are clear in this view. Two outer slats are cut at 45 degrees and the inner cut at 90 and 15 degrees. Mess from the glue is hidden by the canvas.
How can a woodworker be involved in cake decorating? My wife is a traditional cake decorator. She does the fancy thing with icing and makes sugary lace and that kind of stuff. An event called for an art deco cake. It could have been made from icing, but in that era much of the furniture…
Fairy Furniture Grand daughters leave grandpas with the privilege of doing cool stuff. Here is the furniture with which she can join Alice at afternoon tea in the backyard. Even though this is made from decking boards, a life outdoors will see the timber eventually split and fall apart. So, a decision has to be…
Candle Sticks These candle sticks are my response to a gig at a conference for intellectually disabled people, Having a Say.Our activity was to involve ten attendees and their helpers. There were no requests for my work to follow any themes. Attendees could be dexterous, or not. Helpers may be anything from ex-tradesmen to multi-thumbed…
This project was perfect for batch production; the pieces are simple and can be cut in multiples. BUT, the coolest part of all is that when it was done we put our carriages together and created a train of inspiring proportions. We used our usual techniques of dowel hammered into holes that are 0.5mm too small….
Each clock is a joint project. Each clock is a reinforcement of personal skill in dexterity, patience, and communication. We are delighted by ourselves and with ourselves! Our plan is to put these on sale at a local hardware shop. It is fair to say that all of us had fun: clients, carers and volunteers.
The greatest gift from a teacher is success, for success fertilises the desire for more success and nourishes self esteem. A student, typically, is the hardest assessor of their own work. So, the creation of work where students feel their own success is the art of teaching. This piece of work began with the donation of…
