lauritzlarsen

Like most demonstations, this one simplifies the process of the task at hand, however it downplays the tedium and extreme care that must be taken to repeat these steps again and again. It can be hard on the fingers and hands to maintain firm pressure on the workpiece throughout the entire run of stock to be tenoned, and one mistake in introducing the work too quickly could result in a projectile. Over the course of tenoning multiple pieces, I find it easier, and more enjoyable, to saw the shoulders as these have been done, albeit in a saw sled, then removing the waste with either a nicely tuned bandsaw or vertically on a tablesaw using a jig. Top and bottom waste pieces can be removed by clamping all of the pieces together and ganging them against the fence. There is something satisfying about producing the various blocks and pieces by sawing them and they make great cauls when gluing or play pieces for kids.

I recall the time I spent with JK in his basement shop in Bromma, outside of Stockholm in 1980. I called him up from Gothenberg, on the other side of the country, during a visit to my folks who were living there. I was then and still am building furniture in Burlington, Vermont and was captivated by his unique approach to furniture making. A pilgrimage of sorts, the overnight train ride to accommodate his schedule to meet me in the morning for a few hours, the trolley ride to his house and descending the stairs into his immaculate two room shop. There in front of me were six or seven pieces that he was preparing to bring to an exhibition in, I believe, Copenhagen. The diminutive scale of those pieces struck me in a way I was not prepared for, but quickly understood upon seeing him next to them. They were pieces represented in The Cabinetmakers Notebook and that was a magical experience for me. After a tour of the modest shop we spent a few hours at the kitchen table having coffee and baked goods and talking about our respective lives. He spoke about meeting Britta, sailing, his daughters and his unanticipated growing popularity. He was gracious and generous, with a wry sense of humor, and was interested in my path to furniture making. The lesson I learned from JK, in those hours, and try to adhere to, was to be true to your own sense of design and style and to be honest about your work and faithful to your craft. I will be forever grateful for that opportunity and offer my condolences to his family, colleagues and friends.