Todd Woodesign - since 1987 http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com Home of Furniture Designer / Maker Jim Todd, PAGE 1... (*you can access more page selections at the bottom*) posterous.com Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:49:00 -0700 Coffee Bench Project Started http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/coffee-bench-project-started http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/coffee-bench-project-started

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I'm about to cut up this incredible hunk of 1 1/2" thick bubinga. I need two pieces 15" x 50"... no problem, the slab is 26" x 132". I'll have some left over, shucks.

This is the biggest, heaviest and most expensive single piece of wood I've ever had in my shop. I got it at Exotic Woods in Burlington where it was handled with a forklift.

The black parts of the project (see model) are hard maple dyed black with printer ink.

The idea is that the four rectangular coffee tables can be carted around the client's loft and used as benches too, in various arrangements.

This will be gooooood.

 

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Sun, 24 Mar 2013 23:17:00 -0700 Mount Forest Showcase http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/mount-forest-showcase http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/mount-forest-showcase

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I'm going to be showing some new work at a local show this Tuesday March 26th / 2013.

I've got a few pieces that are not so much "on the safe side". Here's one, it's made of Blistered Bubinga and Cherry with a Shaded Orange Finish.
(I need a better than standard digital camera I'm realizing, because a mid level camera just can't seem to focus properly on anything like this rich finish. Red colours are even worse, and that's a problem...)

 

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Tue, 12 Mar 2013 06:14:00 -0700 Primary http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/primary http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/primary

Primary_threesome

 

The tables I dropped off at Renann Isaacs' Gallery in Guelph a week ago are going out the door it seems. Everyone's happy with that scenario! Therefore, with this bit of excitement, a request for another three different ones came in. With a delivery date for another project already looming, I had to take a bit of time to consider if I wanted to instantly double my daily work schedule... the decision took about a second and a half actually. I deliver them tomorrow.

They look even better in the flesh.

 

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Sun, 03 Mar 2013 07:57:00 -0800 Rouge http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/rouge http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/rouge

Rouge_011

 

I'm very happy to have these 3 tables at a great little art gallery in Guelph Ontario. Here's the link:

These pieces are part of the current show called "Rouge".

As usual, once I had my back drop and lighting set up, I took quite a few pictures. I picked this one because I accidently positioned the pedestal table on the right in such a way that two of its legs completely block the two end legs on the console table. Kind of curious, makes for less clutter in the picture I guess.

 

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Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:17:00 -0700 Side-To-Side TV Bookcase http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/side-to-side-tv-bookcase http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/side-to-side-tv-bookcase
It's reeeeeallly nice when another solid word-of-mouth job comes in:

Mary had seen me when I was a guest artist on a studio tour a couple years back, kept my card, and when she started talking to her interior designer (Susan Brown in Guelph Ontario), she basically said: "I met this guy and I'd like him to make this bookcase / TV unit...". So I got the call from Susan, received some quick sketches, and from that, I was able to quote for the project.

It's a great solution actually: "Now it's a bookcase, now we're watching TV!" The shaker style doors slide side-to-side to make the quick transformation possible. Also, the flat screen is mounted on a nice chunk of hardware that allows easy positioning.
And, since the piece acts as a room divider, it's finished on the back with the same style of shaker panels.

The top is 11 feet of solid maple, the cabinets are white lacquered MDF with maple shelves. The Oxford white lacquer has a final clear coat to give it a refined furniture finish.

Instead of getting "factory doors" made, I left them to the end so that I could get simple exact sizes and so everything would line up bang on. It paid off.

Nice project.

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Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:26:00 -0700 Long Quilted Maple Console Table http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/long-quilted-maple-console-table http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/long-quilted-maple-console-table
This was a nice project to do when I was in the middle of hammering out cabinet sizes for an upcoming wall unit project. It gave me the opportunity to crunch some numbers and ask my current client some questions via email, then go down to the ground floor studio to fire up some machinery and get active with the mock up with this next new project.

So... not too long ago, I was happy to get my work into the Marten Gallery in Bayfield Ontario. A couple months later I got an email from someone saying they saw one of my console tables there that they liked a lot, but they needed a custom version, "a bit longer", to go under a newly acquired triptych by painter and printmaker David Blackwood. This fired me up right away; the opportunity to have one of my pieces paired in a room with a very high caliber Canadian artist like that was an honor indeed. The 3-piece artwork is mostly black and white, with some gold dashes produced by the muzzle flares of the rifles in the scene, so right away I thought that a ~gold maple would work with it.  It was perfectly framed, hanging on their wall in their living room (all of which is newly renovated to make the whole house look like an art gallery), and they were quite right in thinking, that a long table should underline it and support it visually.      ....Enter Jim Todd. Ta-da! (sorry.)

I had everything I needed to know from the beginning. I knew the size of the artwork, the wall, the room, and I got a snap shot of the art to really inspire me.  Discussions followed, and it went the right way, right away.

The table I made is 90" long (!), 16" deep and 32" high. The design follows my signature table design, but I adjusted the leg dimensions and other proportions to really make it sing. I spent about 5 minutes at my desk thinking about the fine tuning of the dimensions, and abruptly threw down the pencil and went down to grab some planks to start making a mock up. The mock up had 3 versions before I was ultimately happy. (Note to other furniture guys: sketching is great, and 3D computer modeling is nifty, but you need to see it 3D in the flesh. I do, even after 20++ years at this; proportions with the overhangs and the weight of a leg matter right down the tiniest fraction... go for the mock up, it matters, doesn't it?!)
My mock up was being made of cedar and a large pine board top, so it was going to happily hang around outside in front of my studio as a calling card.

The real magical thing about this table is that the top is made from one piece of quilted maple veneer. Let me say that it is quite rare to find a piece of this species so big without at least one distracting "birth mark".  The guys at A&M Wood Specialties in Cambridge Ontario were compelled to make sure I knew that these were the biggest sheets of "text book perfect" quilted maple they'd seen. (Since 1973.) I believed them.

All the legs come from one huge hunk of cherry, which I dissected to select 4 pieces of flawless beautiful grain. The cherry beading and edging came from another board, so it all matched in colour too, which can be tricky with cherry you'll find.

I needed to buy 2 sheets of the quilted maple veneer at ~$10 a square foot so that I could match the aprons too.  (They have a few more of those sheets lying there in the racks at A&M, and it's not going bad...)

On the 2nd pic, that's not out of focus... that's quilted maple with a thick coat of clear lacquer people, it's a natural holograph!

http://www.martenarts.com/Core.aspx      >(have received a proper referral fee.)

http://www.amwoodinc.com/default.aspx   >(continue to make me spend way more than I should when I go there because of their incredible selection of scrumptious wood.)

Cheers!

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Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:53:00 -0700 Dual Coffee Table http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/dual-coffee-table http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/dual-coffee-table
Gotta love the clients that keep coming back. Sabina is one of those special people. We get along great, she trusts me and I totally admire her gumption to go for striking colours and designs.  When we get emailing ideas back and forth, it can get pretty goofy, but really, it's all fueling the piece.

The thing I really liked about this project was that the long enjoyable email discussions lead to a fabulous solution.  It was really fun to once again go through the design process with a client that knew my working method inside out and was happy to be an equal collaborator when it came to brain storming. We were happy to scrap some notions and constantly throw new ideas into the conversation. The discussions for this project started out as a need for two end tables and a regular sized coffee table I believe. It definitely evolved.

  Eventually, we came to the conclusion that one large island of a coffee table would be most appropriate, centered in the middle of the large sectional sofa she had recently had custom made. (Check out that awesome sofa!) To really hit it out of the park, a lift up mechanism was employed on half of the table top to make it extra versatile as a munching table while watching TV. When the top lifts up and over the peoples' laps, the innards of the table are exposed to show some tidy compartments for whatever cutlery, remote controls etc. The other side of the table obviously needed a huge drawer for placemats and magazines. As usual, the drawer comes out on my favorite silent full extension drawer slides.

The top is hard maple, from her family's farm, with a deep glowing burnt orange finish. The legs are also maple, with a slate black finish. The aprons are curly maple with a "Dijon" finish.

 Great solution for the space. In a smaller space, I could see just half of it with just the lift top being very usable. And as illustrated, any colour or wood is open for discussion.

 I'm currently building a nice big wall unit for her bedroom. It's blending some traditional aspects with my modern eye. Basically, the proportions will remind you of an old Euro piece, but jazzed up in a subtle way to make it more fresh.  You shall see.

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Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:02:00 -0700 Bow Front Console Tables http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/bow-front-console-tables http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/bow-front-console-tables
I had made quite a few straight console tables (aka "Sofa Tables" or "Hall Tables"), and I was really pining for a chance to do a curved or bow front version. I finally quit waiting for a "need" and just started making a mock-up.
I knew that it was going to typically consume too much time as I would make prototypes and work out the curve. As it turned out, I nailed it on the first full size mock up.

The top has a nice subtle bow front, and maybe less noticeable, the front apron is bowed out too, by means of a bent lamination, (as well as having the usual gentle arch).
The combination of the three understated curves creates a beautiful blend that reaches out just enough, but not so much that it would be called protruding. Without the apron being bowed out too, it looks like a huge design error. (Trust me, I had to confirm my suspicion.)
Since the beading on the bottom of the front apron needs to curve two ways and stay put, it requires some steam bending, which is always an amusing process.

The first one is exactly like the second in size and type of wood, except there's the added "Molten" finish to hit it out of the park. (I had to take this picture in front of my studio really fast. There's yet another "Why did the table cross the road" joke in there somewhere.)


The third was a custom order, a shortened version, which required a new curve on the top and on the apron in order to keep it all proportional.

All three pieces are curly sycamore veneer with solid cherry. They're sanded to a near polish, so the grain of the curly sycamore has a holographic effect as you walk by. Really nice.

Oh, and on the second one... yes that's a fly on the top. Sigh.

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Thu, 23 Jun 2011 09:39:00 -0700 Cubic 3 Piece Entertainment Unit http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/cubic-3-piece-entertainment-unit http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/cubic-3-piece-entertainment-unit
I always had a vision to create a piece that was based on a 3D grid of carefully selected veneered panels.
There was an opportunity to see it realized during the initial chicken scratch period of this project. I jumped on it and starting snapping the design to a grid based on ~10" x 10" panels. In the end, it wasn't too hard to design a piece that was proportionally pleasing within this confine. Making the piece accurately was not as easy. It needed to be devoid of any distracting graphics in the grain, no hesitations, just a translation of the core idea using beautiful wood. Oh, and it had to be rock solid too of course. And, it had to get around a corner and down the stairs.

The square panels are curly maple. They wrap around 3 sides of each of the 3 cabinets. On the side of each cabinet are 4 panels that came from a piece of veneer ~40" long. They are arranged with every other panel being turned 90 degrees. This gives the piece a natural holographic checkerboard effect from just the rotation of the grain. Very simple in concept, and part of why it's so pleasing to walk by as the finely polished grain pulses under clear coats of lacquer. On the center section, there are 3 sets of the 4-panel grid, making a total of 11 grids coming from the same stack of veneer, all in sequence from left to right. There's a fine 1/8" shadow line separating the panels from each other and from the surrounding solid dark cherry framework and top surfaces. At the bottom of each 1/8" channel is a black surface to help define the depth of the grid.

The center unit is designed to support a flat screen TV, with a ventilated compartment underneath for surround components etc. The deep drawers are all on full extension silent sliders. The levelers imbedded into the legs turned out to be quite necessary on the wonky floor, but it all lined up perfectly.

A woodworking psychiatrist would have a good time with this one I bet; such a strict geometric design, such organic materials. I'm sure I could come up with some super artsy metaphor, some ying / yang thang maybe, but I'll leave that for the critics to conjure up. My client was also thrilled with the outcome, and we've got other fish to fry now.
End_view

Open_end_view
Close_up_front

Detail

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Sun, 01 May 2011 13:01:00 -0700 Cherry and Wenge End Tables http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/cherry-and-wenge-end-tables http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/cherry-and-wenge-end-tables

Cherry_and_wenge_end_tables_wi

Another really nice wood combo plugged into my end table design; has an Arts and Craft look just from the 2 woods. The wenge around the top edging has that chocolate brown that "the designers" are all crazy about. (Me too!)  To keep the prices for these tables consistent, I sometimes use a different wood for the legs and stain them to match the prime wood.  I did that here, and you'd have to know your woods really well to spot it.  If you do want wenge throughout, no problem, but it will affect the price.

$350 + $50 for the shelf = $400 each, or $750 for a pair. Price applies for pretty well any wood you want. I've been told repeatedly that my pricing on these tables is very reasonable and I agree.  (!)  I know all the dimensions for all the parts for these tables, so I've gotten pretty fast at them, and that's what helps the cost the most.

My typical end table size here is 15 1/2" X 23" X 24" high. I landed on these sizes because they are proportionally pleasing I find, and the parts are efficient as far as waste goes; there's virtually nothing going to landfill, and I like that. 

Intended to be paired at either end of a couch. The shelf is optional of course, but handy for magazines. Custom sizing is always possible.

I think I'm going to put this image on my next batch of business cards.

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Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:46:00 -0700 Blistered Imbuya and Ziricote ...Mmmm! http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/blistered-embuya-and-ziricote-mmmm http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/blistered-embuya-and-ziricote-mmmm
What a fantastic wood combination.

The blistered Imbuya veneer on the tops and aprons of these tables has a nice ripple, with a very rich natural colour. It's a great wood to work with too; great spicy smell. Also handy that the trees are usually big, so one piece of veneer can usually span the whole width of one of my cocktail tables.

The Ziricote has a grain pattern that has distinct areas with different shading, separated by black lines. It reminds me of paintings by Lawren Harris and other group of 7 artists. This wood is not cheap, therefore the legs and the beading on the bottom curve of the apron is cherry actually. I developed a convincing multilayer staining technique to simulate the ziricote. This made it  possible not to charge four times the regular price for such a table. This was also necessary because it would be very difficult to find a piece of ziricote thick enough to make the legs without having checks and splits in it. It's a small tree, almost a bush, so finding desirable pieces just for the edging was a task alone. The edging around the top of the table is the a more noticeable spot for it, so it all works out well.

I've used this combo for cocktail tables (15 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 24"H), pedestal tables (12 x 12 x 28"H) and I'm currently doing a custom sized end table.

I decided to bring these two woods together in my tables because the combination has a powerful presence with a low contrast. It's not screaming, but has a subtle strength. Also, I thought it would add a masculine tone to my table collection, but as it turns out,  the women were the ones who bought these at the OOAK show last month.

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Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:19:00 -0700 Spalted Maple Wall Unit http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/spalted-maple-wall-unit http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/spalted-maple-wall-unit
My good friends not far up the road are quite environmentally minded. (Applause.) So it was quite in-line for them to ask their local furniture designer / maker extraordinaire to make a custom wall unit using the wood from a large maple that had come down on their property. Yes, I had yet another chance to play with spalted maple and use it to make some beautiful hi-lites on this piece.

As always, once the log was sawn up and I went to pick up the boards, it was not easy to see full sections that were still intact and where the spalting (rotting essentially) had not progressed too much. Also, I was not surprised that the character of the spalting "graphics" had a character that was unique. And, I was also not surprised again to see that the spalting was intense in some areas and completely absent in others. Yes, I'm getting to know this strange animal.

The patterns in this one had much of a "Japanese Script", as if inscribed with a fine Indian Ink pen. It had quite a personality. Some spots (see pic 3) looked like someone had deliberately marked off areas and then very accurately coloured them in. Sorry, but this just continually blows me away.

The base of the finished piece was leveled on the not-so-level farmhouse floor with accurate hardware, and then the rest started to solidly tower above. In the bottom sections there is a bank for a better than average collection of vintage vinyl, then a drawer on full extension silent slides.
Then above, in the middle two bays, there are fold down fronts that work as serving areas for a much better than average collection of  single malt scotch. Therefore the "rotting wood" was in keeping with the peaty good stuff. (He's a great guy to visit.)
Books fill the rest of the space on solid maple shelves that will not sag. I managed to locate a long single piece of birdseye maple to top off the crown. Nice.

In the second last pic, you'll see a pile of edging I was making on the table saw; there's not too many pieces that have desirable pattern, but a few stand out suddenly in spots. I found them and used them.

(Last pic, looks like my pant leg was inspired by the random zigzagging pattern of the piece. ...??)

If you want a piece of anything made of spalted maple, buy it when you see it. Or, provide a tree full of it to be carefully extracted. Don't expect that you can order a certain look of spalted maple; I'd say it's more unique than people are.    Ya, I'm a woodie.

(Note to Spell Check:  Spalting is a word!)

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Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:09:09 -0700 OOAK... mission accomplished! http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/ooak-mission-accomplished http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/ooak-mission-accomplished   Toronto Spring One of a Kind Show 2011...  Done!

It was great to catch up with past customers, meet so many new faces and talk with those who have the same appreciation for distinct furniture pieces.
A big thanks to those that have quickly contacted me after the show to follow up on snapping up pieces that are still available, and custom orders. 
 
The Latest Hot Colours:
Leading up to show, I was pumped when OOAK contacted me and said they wanted to give me a 5' x 5' pedestal out in the featured display area. That is very valuable real estate (see pic), quite an honor! It drew many people to my booth to see what the fuss was all about.  I have to admit that I may have sort of cheated though... I got some inside info when they called me; I got them to leak the colour scheme of the featured exhibit area. It was to be an "~apple green" and "a deep red / orange." I was able to find out from them the actual Pantone colours (179C and 390C) and pulled up the tiny swatches online to stare at for 5 minutes each. Once they were ingrained in my grey matter, I went downstairs to my spray booth and started mixing dyes like a mad scientist. It would be easy to just order these colours from a paint supplier, but on wood, it's up to the finisher (me) to make it look right on whatever wood colour is coming through from underneath.  Long story short, I nailed the colours, and better (Yes!). It was interesting to see the reaction from people as they ran their fingers over the smooth lacquered surfaces... "Is that wood?" they'd ask sometimes.  I'm not surprised really; I've been to the show quite a few times and I've never seen anyone doing colours like these on any wood. I jumped on these colours because they just seem so incredibly fresh and timeless. I think it might be because these colours are closer to what we actually eat...   "Apple Green" and, my "Blood Orange"...see?  I've also got a burnt yellow I call "Dijon".  
 
 
And now, I'd like to do a couple of shout-outs to some deserving contributors:
 
First, I'd like to send one out to my Immune System:
Hey Immune System, how's it going? I just wanted to thank you for putting up with me for the last 3 months as I made a mountain of work for the show, and covering me right when I needed you. I know you said that I was making too much to sell in a 5' x 10' space, and I didn't listen, but you stayed with me and prevented me from getting sick while pulling the long hours. So, thanks Immune System, you rock.  (I understand if tomorrow morning you want to take a break for 3 weeks,  that's cool.)
 
Second, I'd like to thank my 5' x 12' Utility Trailer:
Hey Utility Trailer, how's it going? I just wanted to thank you for hauling my stuff around once more without breaking down right when I needed you. I know you said that 12 years in trailer years is like 12 dog years, and I didn't listen, but you stayed with me and prevented me from missing the show or wiping out 3 lanes of traffic late at night. So, thanks utility trailer, you rock. (I understand if you just want to get left at the dump next time I take a load of garbage, that's cool.)
 
Third, I'd like to thank my Plaid Red Pants:
Hey Plaid Red Pants, how's it going? I just wanted to thank you for not looking too tired by the 5th day of the show and for making me look totally stylish when I needed you. I know you said that wool lumberjack pants might look too goofy, and I didn't listen, but you kept people smiling when they came up to the booth and somehow, you didn't become itchy. So, thanks Plaid Red Pants, you rock. (I understand if you want to disappear into the back of the closet, that's cool. HOWEVER, I might pull you out if I'm doing the xmas 2011 show!...)
 
But seriously, I need to thank my Mum and Judy's Mum for helping with our kids for the 5 day show. Also, G&V for further kid logistics, awesome. Thanks also to Nick Craine for helping me with the graphics on my new sign.
Back to the wood, might take a day off first, cheers!

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Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:02:00 -0700 Toronto Spring One Of A Kind Show http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/toronto-spring-one-of-a-kind-show http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/toronto-spring-one-of-a-kind-show
I'll be there!  Booth H-10
It's the biggest stage in the country for artisans like myself, and I'm steppin' up.
New table designs, new woods, new colours and combinations. I'm excited.

Hope to see you there!

http://www.oneofakindshow.com/toronto/

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Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:37:00 -0800 Pod Bookcase http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/pod-bookcase http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/pod-bookcase
This piece was a follow-up to the set of Pod Bedroom Pieces, see top of page 2.

My client had taken the usual leap of faith with me 7 years earlier, and obviously was pleased with the process enough to ask me to make a companion piece in the same room. The requirements of this piece were to hold her extensive set of "top 1000" CD's, and some very particular books below. The shelves can take 2 Cd's deep for less-current storage. I spaced the shelving pins so that one day it could be all CD shelves or all books. A couple of spare shelves were supplied, tucked under her bed. The shelves are solid hard maple with a cherry front band, so they won't be sagging anytime. (Something I'm very conscious of; I've actually embedded steel inside longer shelves that need to stay standard thickness. It's a design thing, welcome to my world.)

Since I assume that this piece is going to be passed down to one of her arm wrestling kids one day, and that it will likely be in a spot where it is viewed from an angle that is totally different than where I set it in the corner, I typically treated all sides equally, including the top which is presently slightly above her eye level, but she is very aware of it's nicely bordered curly maple panel.

As with my previous Pod pieces I've done, the simple looking toed-up look of the elliptical feet are the most demanding. This is because they need to look like simple animated feet while being attached to a mating elliptical joint that is strong enough to take the weight of a fully loaded case. It looks good, and I have some satisfaction tucked away, knowing that you could park a truck on that piece.

Nick Craine helped me deliver this piece in Guelph Ontario.  If you need an amazing illustrator, OR, an amazing musical being, google away.  He's been accurately described as being "disgustingly multi-talented" (!!!).  (And seeing that I haven't gone on about anyone else in this entire blog other than myself, that's underlining it.)

And finally, this all leads me to say, that fully satisfied repeat customers are the best, and the pay-back is feeling really good these days.  I have massive satisfaction in getting calls from very familiar voices asking: "So,...how's your schedule looking Jim?...". These people who were once strangers, became friends (nooo, not facebook level "frenz"...), and they now call me up and are right into their particulars; there's no more scoping me out, wondering if I'm up to the task, and if they're investing in the right place. They already know the value of the end piece, they're already sold, it's that simple and blunt.  We chit-chat, and then the emails start flying, complete with pics, room dimensions, colour swatches, scanned sketches etc etc., and back into it we go. Not to sound cheesy, but I know that this process is what makes me feel at the top of my living existence, and I get a sense that my clients are experiencing a similar rush. They become part of a unique and personal evolution of design with the person who is going to be mentally and  physically creating a piece just for them. The end satisfaction for me is priceless, and I actually know that I can say that it is for them too; when I leave after a final delivery and we're all settled up, I can see it. Everyone's happy.  I've said it before, but DAMN, I love my job.    

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/39477/Trimming_Crown.jpg http://posterous.com/users/PTLkPOtXu9 Jim Todd Woodesign Jim
Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:54:25 -0800 Non-Functional Work Sometimes... http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/non-functional-work-sometimes http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/non-functional-work-sometimes I was asked to submit 1-3 pieces for a show at the art gallery where I sell my work. The place is Styll, in Elora, Ontario. Great place, great owners and staff, very good critical taste I must say.  
The challenge was to create pieces that reflected the artist's current ideas, in a 12" X 12" frame, to be show-cased on a wall.

I stepped up and made these 3 pieces which were reflective of my path from "Raised in the Suburbs", to "Compressed in the City", and then "Settling in the Country". 

The background on all is a copper sheet with a variegated patinaed texture, then added bits of wood, metal, guitar strings, hardware, ideas.

I was very happy that someone bought the whole set together.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/39477/Trimming_Crown.jpg http://posterous.com/users/PTLkPOtXu9 Jim Todd Woodesign Jim
Fri, 08 Oct 2010 05:46:00 -0700 Totally Sick Table! http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/totally-sick-table http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/totally-sick-table
So, if you're of an age where you remember when there was no interweb, you probably aren't hip to the term "sick", which as the kids know, means really cool. This table is appropriately named because of its insane, radical graphic qualities, and also, the whole piece is made with spalted maple, which is maple that has contracted a fungal disease. (See? Yes, woodworkers can be cool too.) In the whole log of spalted maple, I was only able to machine out 4 pieces that could be made into legs. Shorter thinner pieces for the top and aprons were slightly less difficult to extract, but these 4 legs had to have a matching quality in character.  All together, it's quite the package.

The curved beading on the bottom of the aprons is dyed black to accent the natural black lines running throughout. The beading is actually made of  cherry, so okay, it can't be called totally sick....  maybe just kinda cool.

Ya dig? Are you down with that? Does that rock your world? ... All right, I give up.

(Sold at OOAK 2011, a present for someone who is up on forest management /  biology; can't remember the exact credentials, but sounded like the perfect home.)

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Sun, 26 Sep 2010 19:36:00 -0700 Custom Spalted Table with Drawer http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/custom-spalted-table-with-drawer http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/custom-spalted-table-with-drawer
This is a sweet little custom table I made for a customer, through Styll Gallery in Elora, Ontario.
I got a call from the gallery saying that the potential customer was thrilled with my other pieces at the gallery, and would like a custom table made that was a combination of sizes, woods and finishes represented in the tables she saw there. "So you want that table, but as high as that one, and the wood from that one, the shaded green finish like that one, and the look of wenge like on that one, and a shelf... and a drawer."  That one sentence told me everything I needed to know. I faxed back a sketch with a quote and it was a go.

I love this combination of colours; very fresh and alive without screaming bright shades, earthy but vibrant.

The drawer was a bit of work for the amount of storage space, but in this case, storage isn't really the issue... it's the satisfaction when you reach for that little inviting knob and slide out the sturdy drawer, revealing the pleasing construction details, and then rewarding you with a nice woody "clunk" when you close it. This is a nice place to put something small that you reach for everyday but want to store away, like your wallet, by the front door maybe.

Seeing that my studio was currently packed with other projects on the go, I hauled my paper backdrop up to the new tree platform in the backyard and took these snaps, thus the dramatic shadows.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/39477/Trimming_Crown.jpg http://posterous.com/users/PTLkPOtXu9 Jim Todd Woodesign Jim
Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:36:34 -0800 Martian Sofa Table http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/martian-sofa-table http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/martian-sofa-table This sofa table is made with cherry and tineo. I discovered tineo at my favorite wood supplier and had to get some. It's natural colour is very close to cherry, but it has the added distinct black lines between the sap wood and heart wood, very unique. I've got a red finish that really punches out on this type wood, and did just fine on this sofa table. I made two identical tables, one red, one left natural. $600.

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Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:00:00 -0700 Woodworker + Drummer = Drum Top Table http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/woodworker-drummer-drum-top-table http://toddwoodesign.posterous.com/woodworker-drummer-drum-top-table
Finally!
Just as my mantel clock and liquor cabinet designs eventually found some curves, my family of small tables has now been rounded out.  At 24" high, these drum top tables are the same height as my cocktail tables, and with a 15" diameter, they would just fit within those square tops (which are 15 1/2" x 15 1/2").

Proportions were even more critical on this one, and therefore the full scale prototype got ripped apart quite a few times. Eventually, I arrived at these dimensions, and parked the model by the door of my studio so that I'd glance at it every time I walked by. It passed the walk-by test.

This one has a solid hard curly maple top, curly maple veneered aprons and the legs and beading are solid cherry. All with a clear laquer finish, super smooth. I will be able to prefinish each component, so it will be possible to have separate finishes on each of the parts.  (I think I'll try putting an "ebony-black" finish on the cherry parts for a high contrast.)

You'll see that the two top view pics show quite different character. The wood for these two tops was purchased in a lot as curly maple, but not uncommonly, some of it ended up not having the text book rippled pattern of curly; some of it sort of has the dots of birdseye maple, some sort of has the slow wave of quilted maple...   therefore, before I get into trouble with any hardcore curly maple connoisseurs, I'm going to make a point of calling these tops "figured maple", and send out a pic of the intended glued up top for approval when someone orders a table. It's more work to do this, but I like people to understand the randomness of grain patterns and possibly change their impression of what beautiful wood is.     Sorry, am I losing you? Getting a little to woodie there. Guilty as charged.

The introductory price for these round tables as pictured is ...$360. Yes, a dollar / degree! (Yeah, kind of goofy, but I doubt anyone will try to talk me down even one dollar!) Drum sticks not included.

The last shot is me back in the day, at The El Mocambo, ~1989. 

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