Mastro Woodworking & Design

To begin a project I need to have a drawing. This can be as simple as a sketch I make as I am going along. From these drawings I get the dimensions I need to do a cut list. It also helps me determine the type of joinery I will use to assemble the project.

Preliminary pencil sketch to work out the kinks

Next, I need to lay out the joinery. First, I need to lay out the joints I'm going to cut. A square, scale, pencil, marking knife, marking gauge, are just a few tools I use to actually lay out all joints and connections before make the first cut.

Most of my scales and squares are both metric and English scale. I work in both but prefer metric for obvious reasons. It's much easier to do all the adding and such on a calculator instead of dealing with fractions.

I first lay out using a .07 or .05 mm mechanical pencil so I that have thin accurate lines to work from. If I'm going to cut along that line I will use a marking knife and actually incise into the wood along that line. I'll then use my marking gauges to lay out identical lines for the other joints.

After the layout is done, the first tool I use is the saw.

Making the first cuts

I typically use either a Japanese hand saw or with my band saw. This allows me to get the initial form of the piece roughed in. At this point, I'm typically cutting each piece to the size and shape that will allow me to interlock the pieces like a jigsaw puzzle.

Here, it's important that I "leave the line", meaning that I cut close to the scribed line but not quite up to it. Since the saws don't afford me the control or dexterity that hand chisels offer, I want to leave just enough so that I can fine tune the fit with more precise tools.

Having sawed as close to the line as I dare, I get out my chisels and hand planes and begin to refine the individual pieces to an exacting fit and finish. This a precise, iterative process of shaving a few millimeters off, checking the fit, and shaving a bit more. Would it be easier to cut more off and shim and glue the imperfections? Perhaps, but the result would not have the integrity and craftsmanship that I prize.

Using wood chisels to create the perfect fit. Working in this close, patient manner allows me to connect with the material--to feel how it responds to the tools and perhaps let it tell me where it wants to go. In some cases, the latent form of the wood wants to go in a direction I did not anticipate. Working so close to the material lets me read these cues and respond to them.

Once I get to a point where I'm satisfied with how individual pieces interlock, I completely assemble the piece for a trial fit. This shows me the piece as a whole and prepares me for the final surface planning.

Shaving off thin ribbons of wood

The last step is to hand plane all the surfaces to remove any visual blemishes. It also brings the surfaces to their final finish. For areas that are joined through interlocking pieces - like dovetail or scarf joints - the result is a continuous surface. To the touch, the two pieces feel as though they are one.

With a sharp blade and a steady, delicate touch, I shave paper-thin feathers of wood from the surface. On some of the longer pieces, this results in ribbons of wood up to 14' long. Using the hand planes creates a crisp shine that is simply unattainable by through sanding. When complete, this step leaves the surface clean, smooth, and ready for finish.

 

The warmth of the Koa is allowed to come through

I try to keep the finish as simple as possible. Staining wood can alter the inherent color and beauty of the wood and detract from the craftsmanship. Varnishes and laquers create a film which hides the grain and texture of the wood from touch. I prefer, instead, to hand-rub a thin coat of Minwax Poly to protect the surface. This keeps build up to a minimum. The result is durable, lasting finish that allows the wood's natural finish come through. With time, the wood naturally acquires a rich patina.