Jul 2010 - The bar top

Scottish Sycamore

from East Lothian_

4 boards into 13 pieces_

hard floor varnish_

beautiful ripples_

pink, grey,

sand, earth shades_

 

En la distancia se escuche Rossinante galopante....

This bar top is now living happily among delicious traditional Spanish food served at Mesòn El Quijote, an Andalusian tapas bar recently opened on Brougham Street (Tolcross), in Edinburgh.

The Sycamore boards come from Phantassie Sawmill in East Linton.

Jun 2010 - The miniatures

I decided to make miniatures of the chairs in order to experience the setting of the machines; to manage the different steps on my own this time; to work with the tenth of mm, and to get the hang of  using a small scale. It was an incredibly enjoyable week of work, ending up with a fun session of mise en scène!

9 - 45

91 - 455

6,4 - 32

87,4 - 437

1,5 - 7,5

merci

Monsieur

Vernier

 

May 2010 - The garden gate

My desire to use a specific european harwood totally failed when I found out that Black Locurst is not commercialised in UK, and it was more expensive to have it imported from France than buy some commonly  commercialised tropical species.
I suggested we use Iroko which heartwood is reported to be naturally resistant to decay.

After several design proposals, we went for the initial one. Its rather classic beauty lay in the proportions and in precise detailing. 

The gates are hinged on two Iroko posts fixed to the brick walls.

Edinburgh, Duddingston

Mar.2010 - The chairs

Subcontracted by Alasdair Gall for the making of 76 chairs for the restaurant The Appartment, in Bruntsfield, there was coming the experience of mass-production amongst a small team of craftsmen.

 

I was in charge of machining the different components, I took part to the management of the machining operations, and probably, getting through the great number of components handled  (over 1000) during the varied  operations, built up my ability to deal with repetitiveness when care and precision are required.

With their tenon and mortice joints, specially milled  aluminium rings between the back and the backleg, curved and tilted oak-veneered seats and backs (+1,5mm), these European white oak chairs combine the qualities of a complex and modern design with the traditional processes of cabinet making.

The springtime. The April light, the piles of components constantly changing of shapes and lines, the lovely feeling of getting closer to the assembling stage, the astonishing precision achieved when assembling, the great debate about the finish : I was thinking that in another era, I would have become a chairmaker! 

Then it was HIGH springTIME for us to head off for the HighLANDS
and visit Lotte!

Feb.2010 - L'affaire du woolgate!

On a frôlé l'affaire d'Etat. Heureusement que les tricotteuses ont gardé la tête froide et n'ont pas perdu le fil. Tout s'est dénoué lorsque j'ai pu les aiguiller sur une solution cousue main..!

 Ginger is a handmade knitwear shop in Morningside. The stairway needed to be closed by a little gate. I made one to match the  style of the existing balustrade.
The balustrade also needed to be standardized: some of the uprights were slightly too wide apart, according to the Health and Safety requirements (100mm max.). I reduced the gaps simply by adding some pine strips to the uprights. Once planed, stained and varnished, the result and reasonable cost were pretty satisfying .

http://www.ginger-morar.com/ 

February 2010 - seats therapy

A broken leg ?
c'est du gâteau!
- de MannaHouse!

..a rocking chair
to tune up
(est-ce qu'un rocker peut déchanter?)



The Manna House http://www.theskinny.co.uk/venue/7179-the-manna-house

Jan.2010 - The wardrobe

As part of redecorating his flat, the customer gave me carte blanche for the conception of a wardrobe to fit into a tiny boxroom.

The best idea was to use the 3.2m height of the room. I designed 3 units that would provide appropriate storage space.

 

Fitted just above the  two drawers, the pull-out bench creates a step to reach the higher shelves easily.

This project isn't photogenic but the result is quite effective.

+ Being built with no visible screws, each unit can be re-used  for other purposes.

+ The simple character of their structure keeps them reasonably light.

+ The drawers slide on simple timber rails; removable shoes holder.

+ Birchply is strong, rigid and durable.

+ The choice of a white wax finish gives it a pleasant and discreet aspect for daily use.

- The hanging system for the top unit is convenient but implies a loss of space (+/-200mm of height)

Dec.2009 - The little door

(photo missing)

No, the hole in the middle of the door is not because they were arguing and she threw an x at his face!
Yes, this cut-in shapes off an Edelweiss flower; it gives a lovely Alpine touch to this swissly owned flat. Yes, there are more holes in the bottom of the door in order to ensure the ventilation of the heater lodging behind the door.

Nov.2009 - Three 4 panneled doors

This was my first commissioned work and a great memory  for many reasons. We chose Southern Yellow Pine. Once stained and varnished the doors matched the original woodframes in this Victorian house. Experts will notice that I didn't replicate the exact traditionnal bolection moulding. The choice was made to place the handle at today's standard height of 900mm (when the  handle used to be centered  on the middle rail).

 Ma première commande. Nous avons choisi du Pin de Caroline que j'ai teinté et vernis pour se marier aux cadres anciens de cette maison victorienne. Comparé au modèle d'origine, les poignées ont été rehaussées; et la moulure grand cadre n'est pas tout à fait l'authentique  (le carré n'est pas recouvrant).

 

Oct.2009 - In the Drich with the MacRae's

Exploring Sutherland and later working in Durness were my greatest adventures in Scotland. These are the only photos I could rescue, as my  dear Ricoh camera didn't survive being heavily sprayed by the iodized northern winds...

I worked for a full month with a team of highly qualified joiners, MacRae's & sons, taking part to teamwork mostly on sites. Many of the varied jobs  were new to me, such as replacing double glazed windows, building partition walls, cladding, building a timber framed shed, roofing a large stable located in a beautiful remote strath, torch felting a flat roof in the middle of a windy field, fitting new traditionally made sash windows.

It was a great experience on social, professional and cultural levels.