Welcome to the Workshop
Welcome to the Workshop
I love our workshop, despite it's obvious basement creepiness. Our house was built in the 40's which leaves it packed with character, and when Zach was gifted all the old workshop tools from my Aunt, they blended perfectly with the nostalgic charm thing we have going on. Take a look around!
Who needs a normal door to your basement when you have a nifty, totally dangerous and not at all up-to-code trap door?! Also, that's our bathroom door at the top, and I have recurring nightmares where I step out of the bathroom and Zach has forgotten to close the basement door.
Messy shot of some of the old, inherited tool benches. That's the drill press along with a nifty little contraption Zach put together for making flange slits. Also a super old-school coal oven on the right, but upstairs it has an amazingly beautiful iron grate in the hardwood floor!
Belt lathe! Quality tools that last, I love it! So we typically use pine for all our hand-painted holders because it's the lightest and it works the best with watercolor and other paints. It's a very soft wood, which can make it more difficult to turn, but Zach has got it on lockdown!
Some process shots
Grinder shot! I love to see all the sparks and you gotta make sure all your tools are as sharp as you can get them!
The fun part! Because of how soft the wood is Zach always keeps his left hand on the pen as he carves, it adds that much more control and gives you that sense of touch instead of relying only on your eyes. He then does some sanding after the shape is exactly how he wants it.
Oh man, this part takes so much skill. He uses a drill press to get the hole in the bottom where the flange is inserted.
Even more difficult is cutting the flange slit, don't mess up! Luckily Zach is an incredibly detail-oriented perfectionist (I mean, have you seen his illustrations?! Details are kind of his thing)
And then it moves upstairs to MY workshop for painting or staining, finishing and flanging! Flanging is a word right? I never use the correct terms. Whatevs.
