Inspiration is Everywhere

Weekend Projects Using the New V Groove Kit for the HP-10 Plane…

May, 24th, 2017

"The Self-Educated are marked by stubborn peculiarities."— Issac D'Israeli

Dear Drivel Starved Nation;

If there is one thing that drives me crazy about being in the woodworking business are customers who are reluctant to acknowledge the potential of new ideas. I will never understand this, and frankly, it frustrates me when I have to spend time with people who never appreciate that the world is full of new ideas yet to be revealed.

We recently introduced a set of four “V” groove texturing kits for our HP-10 Convertible Plane and all they do is make perfect “V” Grooves. Yup, that is all they do. Continue reading →

When the Chopstick Master Inspires those who Inspire Us…

January, 25th, 2017

"All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity." — Gordie Howe

Drivel Starved Nation-

One of the cool aspects of teaching at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking are the fellow instructors you get to meet.

One year, years ago, my classroom was directly across the hall from the turning studio. The instructor? Michael Hosaluk. Continue reading →

Changing the World One Photograph at a Time…

August, 25th, 2016

"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." — John Milton

Drivel Starved Nation;

It was an exciting time to be a furniture designer/maker back in the 1970’s. I can still remember the excitement of my first commission —it’s such an honor when others want your work in their home. I was so lucky.

But this luck came with a caveat. All of the people who were ordering furniture from me had money. Lots of money. Continue reading →

The Furniture of Seth Rolland

August, 23rd, 2016

Drivel Starved Nation!

Several weeks ago I had the pleasure of viewing Seth Rolland’s exhibition at the Bellevue Arts Museum  which is 20 minutes east of Seattle. This field trip turned out to be incredibly interesting, first there was our train ride, then the fascinating work of Rolland, and a major surprise that will appear in my next post.

It’s always nice to follow the progression of a woodworker who sings with a unique voice in this world we call woodworking.  This is a small sample of his exhibition — I hope you enjoy the pics… Continue reading →

How to Turn Urine into Gold! It’s a Gun Story…

August, 14th, 2016

Drivel Starved Nation-

Why did you fall for that stupid headline?  You should be ashamed.

But now that you are here, I have a story for you!

Several weeks ago my wife and I hopped on the train to Seattle to see an art show which is the subject of a future post. When we arrived at our seats, the window for our 3.5 hour trip had been the victim of some idiot with a gun. (See, I am headed somewhere with this metaphoric title!)

Continue reading →

Woodshop Field Trip… John’s Excellent July 4th Weekend Revealed!

August, 8th, 2016

Drivel Starved Nation-

I should have known better than to try and seduce the DSN with misleading photos. What did I accomplish? A bunch of insulting comments about my advanced age and the cost of Depends…  At least nobody brought up my addiction to stool softeners… (Did I just write that?)

But I digress, I did indeed take a field trip to the George Nakashima property in Bucks County, PA. What a beautiful setting! The facility is open for visitors on Saturdays but the shops are closed. If you have never been there, it is an hour drive or so from either the Philadelphia or Newark airports.  I would love to go back in the fall, it just has to be incredibly beautiful.  Continue reading →

Woodshop Field Trip… John’s Excellent July 4th Weekend! Part 1

August, 4th, 2016

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”— Anonymous

Drivel Starved Nation-

Here are a bunch of photo clues for you. Guess where I went and you will win…. NOTHING!

-John

Continue reading →

Inspiration is Everywhere: This Video is Fascinating!

May, 11th, 2015

Mathematical reasoning may be regarded rather schematically as the exercise of a combination of two facilities, which we may call intuition and ingenuity. — Alan Turing

Dear Drive Starved Nation:

Inspiration is Everywhere..

I just discovered this video and thought it worth sharing. It’s about making. So don’t freak out when you don’t see any wood.

There is another version where he makes a similar project from wood, but it’s nowhere near as interesting as what he does here. It is particularly fascinating how he uses a three jawed chuck and the proper geometry to make a cube on a metal lathe. This is a perfect example of how math can be taught using a real, mind bending idea. I hope you like it-

-John

PS: His choice of music had me reaching for the mute key.

INSPIRATION IS EVERYWHERE

Inspiration is Everywhere – And how thankful we all are for it to be there!!