Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Lancaster, PA...Met Bill Tindall
Dave Anderson Chester, NH
>I was at the SAPFM mid-year meeting at Thaddeus Stevens College in Lancaster PA over the weekend and had the chance to meet both Bill Tindall and Phil Smith. Had the opportunity to share a dinner with them along with some great conversation. Now I know why Bill was asking questions about Lancaster here on the Hand Tools Forum last week.
Great to meet both of you guys.
the least significant in attendance
Bill Tindall, E.TN
>Us that is......
Attending the SAPFM meeting was like going to a meeting with the Nobel Laureates of woodworking and getting to take classes and eat dinner with them. I still can't believe I was able to learn from people that make furniture as fine as any that has ever been made. What amazed me was the commitment of these people to teaching others the tricks and skills to make period furniture. For example,I asked the Headley's if there were any tricks to installing bed bolts. After a grin, they spent 30 min diagramming the jigs they use and describing the difficulties to avoid. Then they invited me to visit their shop. It was amazing. I have dozens of pages of notes and about 100 photographs. What to build next! I'm pumped. I think it will be Headley's desk which they encouraged me to poke around and measure as I wished.
The trip to the Philadelphia museum was as amazing. I asked a question about framing in a piece and the guide yanked out the drawers and we peered into the 300 year old case to answer the question.
The theme of the meeting was Practical period furniture making. Everyone I talked to had the same philosophy- prepare surfaces that don't show in the most productive way possible and reproduce in a way faithful to the period surfaces that do show. Mortising machines are not avoided, for example; carving is done as it was 300 years ago. The signature piece at the Philadelphia museum , the high boy, had a sprayed shellac finish.
Re: the least significant in attendance
Wiley Horne--So. Calif.
>Bill,
That's a very fine report, and a report that is highly complimentary of the Headleys and others who shared their hard-won lessons so freely.
I know it's a lot to ask, but as you get a little time to sort through your photos, could you illustrate here a couple of these lessons you learned. I am especially interested in casework internals of the sort you mentioned (drawer framing).
Wiley
Re: the least significant in attendance
Wendell @ Murphy, TX
>Is the Headley desk your thinking of building the walnut slant top that
Jeff showed off on the Woodwright's Shop? That desk is on my "someday day I want build one of those" list.
Wendell