JOHN LLOYD FINE FURNITURE NEWSLETTER January 2016 Download & print pdf version
A very warm welcome to the first JOHN LLOYD FINE FURNITURE newsletter! We look forward to keeping all past and future clients and students up-to-date with our news, courses, projects and activities.
WOODWORKING HACKS
Make sure you check out John’s wood working tip for the month. Each month John will share a short woodworking hack to make your lives a little easier. See below.
BLOG BLOG GLORIOUS BLOG
Not simply satisfied with launching a regular newsletter we have also joined the world of blogging! Follow the aches and pains, triumphs and challenges of teaching and running a commercial workshop. Peppered with a very generous sprinkling of very practical, educational and above all readable advice. Follow John now…..
TWISTING CURVES AND COMPOUND ANGLES
Despite the cold snap and relentless rain, January has been a very busy month, with our current long course students deep into their second and third term projects.
Amongst the emerging designs we’re very excited by a modern take on a spoon back chair with twisting curves and compound angles, giving us all something to think about. A pair of contemporary bed side tables with bow fronted drawers, an illuminated bedside table with an integrated LED lighting system and an elegant rocking chair, requiring precise calculations to get the balance point exactly right. If we’re to avoid depositing the ‘client’ unceremoniously in a heap on the floor!
FROM BANDSAWS TO SPINDLE MOULDERS
The weekend of 6 & 7 February sees the first of John’s ever popular WOOD MACHINING Courses for 2016. This is now fully booked, but as this course is run several times a year on an ad hoc basis please let us know if you wish to be informed of the next date. Come and learn safely how to use bandsaw, table saw, planer/thicknesser, morticer, spindle moulder and sliding compound mitre saw.
POLISH UP YOUR FINISHING
15-19 February 5 day Traditional Hand Finishing course. This course is not to be missed, beautiful furniture needs fabulous finishing.
WHY WOULD ANYONE SHOP AT IKEA?
Clearly, during the winter months people look at their antique furniture in a different light realising some items require a little TLC. There’s a very steady stream of antique restoration work making it’s way through the workshops.
Brown furniture may have been out of fashion for a while but we feel a revival is imminent! The savvy will buy now while it’s still at it’s cheapest and invest for the future. We can’t imagine why anyone would shop at IKEA when they could buy a beautiful English antique at auction for an absolute bargain!
GLUE TRAUMAS
Look out for John’s latest article for Furniture & Cabinetmaking magazine entitled ‘Glue Traumas’ which will be published shortly, another informative and thought provoking read. This will be followed up by an in depth article on glueing strategies in F&C later in the year.
Any feedback is very welcome!
FOR SALE
Are you longing for a really good bench? These beautifully made and carefully thought out cabinet makers work benches, designed by John Lloyd, and made to order in his workshops. Standard dimensions 1800mm (6′) long x 600mm (2′) wide with a custom built height. Other sizes are available on request.
BENCH RENTAL ROUND UP
All our bench renters are also extremely hard at work on their own commissions and building their thriving businesses. They are all highly skilled and each have their own individual design styles and specialisms. Many of them trained with John, so if you are looking to commission a bespoke item of furniture please give us a call and we will be delighted to put you in touch with them.
Very occasionally a bench becomes available to rent. Please call 01444 480388.
JOHN’S TIP OF THE MONTH
We’re hugely impressed by Titebond Extend for laminating. Something we’ve been using recently in the workshops.
So much easier and nicer to use than those old laminating favourites, urea formaldehyde (UF) and epoxy.
Ready mixed, a nice long open-time and apparently a glue line that is stiffer than a ‘D3’ crosslinking PVA. Give it a whirl and let us know how you get on.
And finally …… we’re dreaming of Spring and an outside tea break!
FINE FURNITURE MAKING LONG COURSES
Term Start Dates
11th April – 1st July 2016
19th September – 9th December 2016
16th January – 7th April 2017
24th April – 14th July 2017
25th September – 15th December 2017
NEW 2016 Short Course Programme
March 19-21 Weekend, Care & Repair of Antique Furniture. Bring own small items to work on
March 28-Apr 1 Skills Week – Essential Cabinetmaking Hand Skills. Make Cheese Board & Biscuit Box
April 4-8 Demystifying Dovetails. Make a Drawer
April 9-10 Weekend Sharpening & Tuning Hand Tools. Students are invited to bring their own tools for appraisal if they wish
April 18-22 Antique Furniture Restoration Techniques. Students are invited to bring own small projects to work on if they wish
April 25 –29 Joints Explained. Make a Side/Bedside Table
May 9-13 Conquering Chairs. Simplifying the basic principles Make a Childs Chair
May 16-20 Understanding Veneering – veneering, inlays & banding. Make a veneered & inlaid tray
May 21-22 Weekend Fundamental Cabinetmaking Skills. Practical test pieces
May 25-27 Beautiful Boxes – Learning to Love Laminating. Make a Beautiful Box
June 6-10 French Polishing & Modern Hand Finishes. Students may bring own small projects to work on if they wish
July 11-15 Skills Week – Essential Cabinetmaking Hand Skills. Make Cheese Board & Biscuit Box
July 16-17 Weekend Sharpening & Tuning Hand Tools. Students are invited to bring their own tools for appraisal if they wish
July 18-22 Demystifying Dovetails. Make a Drawer
August 1-5 Joints Explained. Make a Side/Bedside Table
August 13-14 Weekend, Care & Repair of Antique Furniture. Bring own small items to work on
August 17-19 Beautiful Boxes – Learning to Love Laminating. Make a Beautiful Box
August 20-21 Weekend Fundamental Cabinetmaking Skills. Practical test pieces
August 22-26 Antique Furniture Restoration Techniques. Students are invited to bring own small projects to work on if they wish
Sept 5-9 Conquering Chairs – Simplifying the basic principles. Make a Childs Chair
Sept 10-11 Weekend Sharpening & Tuning Hand Tools. Students are invited to bring their own tools for appraisal if they wish
October 10-14 Understanding Veneering – veneering, inlays & banding. Make a veneered and inlaid tray
October 24-28 French Polishing & Modern Hand Finishes. Students may bring own small projects to work on if they wish
