rdiaz

Rodney Diaz, Southbury, CT, US
member

My woodworking experience was limited to a few power tools and a tablesaw until I went to work for Fine Woodworking magazine in the fall of 2002. I was introduced to a world of hand tools, skills, and techniques equivalent to that of a four-year degree in furniture-making, learning at the feet of some of the most talented craftsmen in the field. Along the way I've developed a deep affection for the simplicity and utility of Shaker furniture. I've since moved over to Fine Homebuilding magazine as a deputy art director, but the FWW folks are too nice to tell me to stop poking around the woodworking shop.

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Contributions

Miniature Cupboard with Drawers

Apr 2, 2009
2 comments

This small cupboard is based on an original piece displayed at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont as part of their 2007 exhibit "Out of This World: Shaker Design Past, Present, and Future"...

Side Table

Oct 2, 2008

This table was built in 2003 during Lonnie Bird's Woodworking Essentials class at his school in Dandridge, Tennessee. The drawer in this table was my first attempt at hand-cut dovetails, and Lonnie...

Pine Bottom Chest

Oct 1, 2008
3 comments

This small blanket chest is based on an original design from the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. The box is made from single cherry boards with half-blind dovetails and a beveled pine...

Recent comments

Re: Miniature Cupboard with Drawers

Thanks for the comment.

This cupboard is a good example of the Shakers' mastery of proportion in their furniture design. Most people who see photos of this piece without knowing its actual dimensions mistake it for a full-size cupboard. The only clue to its actual size is the thickness of the hinges. The original cupboard is the same size as this one, with larger knobs and a pantry latch on the door. I reduced the knobs' diameter to keep them proportional to the case and substituted a wooden spinner for the latch. The original also has a metal L-bracket attached to the top so it can be hung on a wall.

posted: 8:05 pm on April 7th