Gregory Paolini

I've been working on, and refining, the "Paolini Style" but I was always hoping for it to apply to some sort of Arts & Crafts furniture, not plywood boxes (Hope that came out as jokingly as it was meant)

You're absolutely right - Latex out of the can is too thick to spray - However, I generally thin it about 10% with distilled water, and move to a 2.3mm tip & air cap on my HVLP - It requires the fluid nozzle is wide open, but I get pretty good results this way. Hope this helps Gregory Paolini

I paint mine for the same reason: Light. I use the cheapest white primer I can find, and put about 2-3 coats. It's amazing how much brighter it will make the environment. For that matter, I paint the floor too - Really reflects a lot of light! Hope this helps, Gregory

I also "read" the trim router article, where the Grizzly router impressed the author. Shortly after, I noticed the same thing: Harbor Freight selling a router that looked remarkably similar to the Grizzly. So I had to buy one, at $20. Like the author of that article, I keep a few trim routers laying around with specific bits in them I've been using that $20 HF router for most of this year, in a pro shop, and it just keeps going and going. For what it's worth Gregory Paolini

The top looks like it just has a 45 degree transition between the difference in plane/height. I would do all of the milling with the piece upside down. I would begin by scoring the 45 degree marks on the table saw. Then with a large (1") straight cutting bit on the router table, I would remove the material in multiple passes until I reached the scoring mark. I'd use the router rather than a dado blade in a table saw, because the router will give a smoother face, which means less sanding. What you'll end up with is the desired shape, but faceted rather than smooth. Assuming you're working with Mahogany, which sands really nice, you can wrap up the whole piece with some hand sanding to round/soften the edges. For shaping the back mounting plate, I would simply make a pattern, band saw proud of the pattern line, and pattern route the final shape, then add the crisp shoulder detail with a sharp chisel. And finish off with some sanding. As far as books, there are some out there - You would want to find a book on Greene & Greene furniture details, as that's the style of this particular sconce. Hope this helps! Gregory

Marty, I don't think it would be a sin to create Arts & Crafts inspired furniture out of cherry - I Make my Arts & Crafts inspired furniture out of many species - I've done Greene & Greene out of Maple & Walnut; Limbert from Curly Cherry, and Quarter Sawn Sycamore; and Stickley from Walnut and even Movingue. Heck, half of the modern day L&JG Stickley's catalog is in Cherry. I think the only real sin would be if you made Arts & Crafts furniture, while neglecting the philosophy which makes it popular. Hope this helps!

Jess, I like the design - It's a sharp piece! It's tough to tell, because there are no dimensions, but one thing I might be concerned with, is the length of the tennons on the two outer headboard stiles. From the picture, they look pretty long, which means they would require a pretty deep mortise in the rails, positioned right behind the tennons which mate into the legs. The M&T joints at the legs would be the ones that are most stressed, and I would want to make sure there was a decent amount of material intact in the rail, behind those tennons. Hope this helps, Gregory

Hey Folks! Any one out there own or use a JDS Multi Router? We've been thinking about adding one to the shop for some time - But before we make the plunge, we really were wondering how often folks use it for more than mortise and tennon joinery? Just curious Gregory

We have a few of the HV5500 units here that we use as part of our classes on finishing and spray finishing - They're a pretty good value, and work well to lay down a nice finish. Plus, if you're just getting into spraying, a bleeder type turbine system (like the HV5500) will really help, because you won't have to consider air pressure or volume while making adjustments, as it's constant. It comes with a 2.0 mm tip, which is larger than I usually like, but even so, it does a good job of laying down Minwax Polycrylic, and Hood's resisthane pre-cat laquer. And additional tips are priced resonably, at around $40. Most of the tips for our other brands of HVLP guns are at the $100+ price point. Hope this helps, Gregory

I've done this a few times in the past, and have been considering giving it a go again with some of my pieces destined for rustic enviroments - The only offical term I've heard to describe the flame process is Jin di sugi, as someone else mentioned already. I've always done this with a small propane torch, with a fan tip - Helps if you don't do it near the laquer booth though

Mike, Thanks for the review! I hope you do decide to tackle a kitchen, it's very rewarding, and the whole reason the book was written - Give it a shot! Best, Gregory

Aaron, if the parts are propperly blued, then a simple wipe down with a silicon cloth (Rod & reel cloth at most sporting goods stores) should keep them from corroding. One thing I do on my plane bodies to keep them from rusting is to spray a little shellac on them - I don't see why that wouldn't work here. Yes, shellac has a minute ammount of water in it, but it creates a shelll around the metal, preventing oxygen from hitting the surface, and thus oxidizing, or rusting Hope this helps

Andy, A few of my students have also taken classes here - It's kind of in your neck of the woods http://www.homesteadheritage-woodworking.com/class.html?classname=Traditional Timber Framing Hope it helps!

My general rule for easing edges is, just don't let the wood bite - In other words, someone running their hand on the piece should never get cut by a sharp edge. But after that, really look at the style of the piece - Perhaps a Shaker, or Mission piece wouldn't want an 1/8" round over on a 1/2 inch slat, but a Maloof inspired piece may benefit from even a 1/4" round over on that same 1/2" piece. As mentioned already, chamfers are a nice way to break an edge, and can be accomplished quickly with a block plane or a trim router. Follow that chamfer with a light pass with 180 grit paper, and the edge will retain definition, while still being pleasing to the touch. Sorry - But I'm not sure this question will get a black and white answer Hope this helps Gregory