6 Days to Aurora – Day 6

Article - March 14, 2009

Well, it looks like 6 Days to Aurora was actually more like 5 days. I stopped by the school for a little bit this morning to get some video footage and to pack everything up. And since we had an extra day, Brad and I decided to take a little trip to the Gamble House. What a way to cap off an incredible week! This Greene & Greene-designed house is really a site to see and I have yet to completely comprehend the influence this experience has had on me, but I can tell you it is significant. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take pictures inside the house but I did snap a few of the exterior. So enjoy the photos below. I’d like to thank Darrel Peart, William Ng, and Brad (TreeFrog) for an incredible week of woodworking education, inspiration, and comradery.

Discussion

Michael Morton March 15, 2009 6:50 am

Thanks for sharing the week with us. It’s coincidental that I just saw Darrell Peart’s dresser in Fine Woodworking and it caught my eye enough that I Googled him and found his site, and all his awesome work. Very jealous you got a week to spend learning and doing. “Two Moden Takes” (last page) here: http://www.taunton.com/finewoo.....203072.pdf

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kentuckybill March 15, 2009 7:14 am

Looks like you guys had a fun week. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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Sunshine Gerl March 15, 2009 8:59 am

I’m so glad that you shared your experience with us. I thoroughly enjoyed all the pictures. Wow the “Gamble House” is just amazing…the entry way and that huge timber tenons…I can’t take it!!! :) Thanks so much, really enjoyed the experience!!!

Sunshine Gerl

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Russ March 15, 2009 9:00 am

So Marc … it took five days to make the table in the school’s shop, with an expert looking over your shoulder and all the jigs and fixtures set up before you got there. If you were to start out to make one tomorrow in your own shop (and were not trying to film the process at the same time), how long do you think it would take?

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- thewoodwhisperer March 15, 2009 9:33 am
  
  Well, re-creating the templates and jigs would take a few days by itself. I would allow myself about 7 days.
  
  We did get done in 5 days but there were a lot of times we either had to wait to use a machine or we had to wait so that others could catch up.
  
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  - Joe mcKenna December 11, 2012 9:39 am
    
    Your ‘school’ looks like the best I’ve seen. I am a DYI, and love working with wood. In retirement I’d like it to be a primary hobby. So I need to build my skills and one of your upcoming school programs would be perfect. And if its nearly as good as your videos….
    
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Matthew Hills March 15, 2009 10:40 am

I’ve only seen photos of the Gamble house, so am curious about your reaction in-person. What makes the impact: is it the design itself, the consistency and completeness of style, or the execution of the craftsmanship? Am wondering if things like lighting and space have fared as well with time.

Matt

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Matt V March 15, 2009 11:18 am

Marc, thanks so much for sharing your experience this week. I have to admit that I was pretty excited for your daily updates.

When I lived in Michigan, I was able to learn from Ernie Conover, Jeff Jewitt and Jeff Miller, which we’re very enjoyable and helped improve my skills considerably. I think a week with Darrell would be a great way to spend a vacation. Now I have to convince my wife that a week in a workshop is more fun then a week in Jamaica.

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Shannon March 15, 2009 11:54 am

Marc,

Thanks for sharing the week. I found myself looking forward to the posts everyday. I’m amazed that this piece could be done in 5 days. It seems like a lot of detail work. Did everyone finish? Maybe I’m just slow.

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- thewoodwhisperer March 15, 2009 3:39 pm
  
  From the looks of it when we left on Saturday, a few folks were not going to be finished.
  
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Dan Pope March 15, 2009 1:39 pm

Marc
Having admired Darrell’s work for some time and explored his book, I have thoroughly enjoyed this week. It must have been a great experience.

I count at least five different jigs involved in milling the parts for the table. Is that correct? How would the Hall’s accomplished the milling of these pieces 100 years ago?

While you were doing this course, I was introducing two Kenyan students to American movie history by watching the Back to the Future trilogy. To my surprise Doc Brown’s house looks very similar to The Gamble House with many Greene & Greene details including “cloud-lifts” that I have never noticed before!

Thanks for documenting your experience.

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- Bryce March 15, 2009 2:52 pm
  
  Doc Brown’s house IS the Gamble House!
  
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  - Germain March 15, 2009 7:43 pm
    
    The outside scenes were The Gamble House. I’m pretty the inside shots were a soundstage.
    
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Marty March 15, 2009 2:00 pm

The Gamble house is amazing to behold, probably a close second to Wright’s Waterfall as America’s greatest houses IMHO.
Did you get a chance to go to the Huntington Library? They have a permanent display of furniture form several of the Greene’s and Hall’s houses.
Nice table BTW!

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- thewoodwhisperer March 15, 2009 3:40 pm
  
  Unfortunately no. I had a long drive ahead of me so I just left after the Gamble house. But I am sure I will hit some of the other G&G landmarks on my next visit to So.Cal.
  
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Clif Pollock March 16, 2009 6:11 pm

I really enjoyed following your progress on this workpiece. I don’t know if you are considering this, but I’d love to hear how you finish it. African mahogany is an interesting wood, with a pretty bold grain. I’ve been building the Aurora table desk based on Peart’s published plans, and its been fun to compare what you did to what I’ve been doing. Making the jigs, as you mentioned above, definitely takes a lot of time, but I’ve found it enjoyable. For example I now know the right way(and also a few wrong ways! to make a very large radius arc for the front piece. The joints and stuff I can handle – but applying the final finish has me terrified! Any experience that you wish to share would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!
Clif

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Spencer March 18, 2009 3:23 pm

I just wanted to stop buy and say that I too enjoyed following your adventure with your class! I have really learned a lot from your podcasts too. Looks like you love what you do and do what you love. Thats awesome! Thank you for offering so much to the woodworking community!

Spencer

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Joe December 5, 2012 3:25 pm

I know these articles are from 2009 but was curious how the top was attached to the “anchors” mentioned in the day 4 post?

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- thewoodwhisperer December 5, 2012 7:04 pm
  
  Just screws up through the screw strips. Counter sunk.
  
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6 Days to Aurora – Day 6

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