Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Kenya Cabinetmaking
Greg Betit, Crown Point NY
>I've been visiting my daugher and her family in Kisumu, Kenya. This is a shot of a cabinetmaker in Kisumu doing a demonstration for one of his customers. All the work is done outside, in an area near the local market. Check out the bench. I'm not sure why the middle is open, but it is. Three cabinetmakers share two planes (a #78, and the one shown (#6?)) and a very basic tool kit. But they efficiently produce some very nice furniture.
Greg -
Re: Kenya Cabinetmaking
John Stegall
>One possible reason for the opening is that they sometimes use a rope wrapped around whatever they are working on, put a loop in it, and use a foot to "clamp" with (like a stirrup). Just my best guess.
Re: Kenya Cabinetmaking
Clay C in Miami
>Any pictures of the results/furniture?
Clay
Re: Kenya Cabinetmaking
Alan Hamilton
>Greg,
I would love to see more, more of everything: his tools, him at work, his finished products and anything else you have. What is in his tool kit? Do you have any pictures of his tools? Do you know what kinds of woods he works with?
I can't see what's below the bench very well. Is he sitting down? or is the bench real high?
I love this stuff. I like seeing that the maximum is attainable with the minimum. It reaffirms my belief that I didn't give up anything when I stopped using power tools.
Alan
Re: Kenya Cabinetmaking
Greg B�tit, Vergennes, VT
>Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of his finished stuff. From what I see he finishes it with pore filler and a mohogany color. Actually I thought it was mohogany until I saw his works and progress. Then I handled some of the pieces, and the wood is harder and heavier. If you look close the filler & finish masks a considerable amount of tear out and workmanship/tooling imperfections.
My daughter and active 2 year old grandson were waiting for me, preventing me from spending as much time as I would have liked with him. Plus he had just missed four days of work due to a malaria bout. I sensed that time was of the essence for him (another customer was hounding him as well).
AIRC, the tool box had a couple Stanley plastic handled chisels, a hammer, and not much else in it. It is a major Mea Culpa for me not obtaining pictures and a good inventory. The guy shown working at the bench was is standing. Aaron, the boss, is a tall guy, so I assume he built it for himself, and the help just have to act tall when they use it.
I was disappointed to see that the bookcase he was making for my son in law had the shelves butt nailed to the sides without rabbits. But the linen cabinet is to have raised panels with mortise and tenon frames. It will be 20" deep, with doors.
Yeah, what you can do with a couple tools is amazing. I was thinking that his collection of tools is probably on the par of an 18th century journeyman's. His time is cheap, but metal tools are not- so he gets by with the minimum necessary.
Greg
Re: Kenya Cabinetmaking
Greg B�tit, Vergennes, VT
>Sorry, I don't. I was a real dope with my picture taking on this trip. Like leaving my camera at my daugher's house when we went on a three day safari in the Maasai Mara National Preserve.
Here's an example of one of the shots I missed: We were driven up to within 15' of twelve lioness and their cubs feeding on a zebra, and stayed and watched for a half hour.
Greg -whose forehead is sore from being smacked...
They have rabbits in Kenya?
Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA
>I thought the lions ate them all.