vist to 2006 Cartouche winner
bill tindall
>First, this is an admittedly drive by gloat as here on the frontier we don't get to associate with famous people except during presidential elections. (Fred lives just up the road a piece for us) Second, of the many things I could report on about this visit I am going to discuss shop and tools.
You can see some of Fred Stalney's work on the SAPFM web site. Indeed, the desk is as handsome in person as it appears in pictures.
Warning-philosophical discussion to follow.....
This magnificant furniture is created in a shop no bigger than a 1 stall garage which is 1/4 occupied by lumber. The bench is small, and well used and lighted. Main power tools consist of a good table saw with router mounted on a wing, 14" high rise band saw, bench drill press, and a small planer. Other than rough lumber preparation everything is done with a modest number of hand tools, plus what appeared to be a good collection of carving impliments. It struck me that the size of the shop and the modest machinery was what I observed in David Finck's (plane book author) shop.
One could not readily, or efficiently, turn out a set of kitchen cabinets in either shop. But if your objective is to make fine furniture, skill with hand tools and a small investment in space and tooling will enable it. It may be generally true that as one's skills increase the needs, desires, and focus on tools decrease. I am begining to see this in my own work.