A Learning Adventure in the Workshop: Gramercy Holdfasts

Photos of the transfer of the H.K. Porter Locomotive and Bobber Caboose to Riverfront Park, Sewickley, Pennsylvania. The Porter Locomotive was built in 1897 in Pittburgh Pa. Photos of the transfer of the locomotive and caboose from Station Square in Pittsburgh to Riverfront Park are courtesy of Peggy Standish. Click on the images below for full-size photos.

A few months ago I got a couple of Gramercy Holdfasts from Toolsforworkingwood.com. They can be found by clicking here.

Simply put, they are inexpensive ($29.95 a pair) and fantastic. They quickly and easily hold the wood in the workbench with surprising strength, but with enough delicacy to minimize the risk to the wood. Any workbench with 3/4" round dog holes and sufficient thickness should work fine.

They are one of those tools that I didn't know I needed until I had them.

Great Books

Silas Kopf: A Marquetry Odyssey: Historical Objects and Personal Work, Silas Kopf
Inspiring and intimidating! Well worth the read.
Christopher Schwarz: Workbenches: From Design And Theory To Construction And Use
Great book! Do not buy unless you want to make a workbench...this book will FORCE you to do it!
Jeremy Adamson: The Furniture of Sam Maloof
Great overview of Maloof history and style
Mira Nakashima: Nature Form & Spirit: The Life and Legacy of George Nakashima
Excellent photos for learning more about Nakashima's style
Robert W. Lang: Shop Drawings for Greene & Greene Furniture: 22 Projects for Every Room in the Home
Excellent book of Greene and Greene drawings by Robert Lang. Good tips on reproducing G&G details too.
Make: Technology on Your Time
Great new magazone for techo geeks and DIYs...I love it.
Mike Burton: Veneering: A Foundation Course
Mike's book is out of print, but you can get it used through Amazon. Excellent starter book on veneering.
Darrell Peart: Greene and Greene: Design Elements for the Workshop
I love Darrell's interpretation of Greene and Greene! Don't build in the style of Greene & Greene without this book!
Ashley Iles: Memories of a Sheffield Tool Maker
Only available from the Tools for Working Wood website (www.toolsforworkingwood.com) as it is now out of print. I love history, woodworking and tools and this book weaves all three together into a fascinating portrait of life in Sheffield England in the first half of the twentieth-century.
Leonard Lee: The Complete Guide to Sharpening
Practical and worth every penny...
Michael O'Donnell: Turning Green Wood
Great book on turning green wood...my favorite way to turn
Bruce Smith: Greene & Greene: Masterworks
Great photos on the Greene and Greene style