Reading Krenov's books again

[Phil Thien]

I guess it had been a long time since I looked at any of the Krenov books.

I borrowed some and was looking at some of the pictures, and noticed in the captions that a fair amount of his work was left natural. That is, he didn't apply a finish.

I was a bit stunned by this.

When he did finish, he used oil, then maybe wax. Sometimes only wax. Which I guess is fine for a display cabinet. But truly surprised he'd apply nothing at all to some work.

I had also forgotten that his books are kind of difficult for me to read. I know these books were deeply meaningful for many. For me, he seems to be searching for something to say to fill the space between the photographs of his work. In the Notebook book, he even has a page or two about his cat.

I also thought it was interesting to read (also in Notebook) that one should just follow his example. That, finding your own way isn't that important.

That struck me as a very old-school thing to say. But I've been working on this small cabinet, working on a little different way to make a door, and I gotta tell you, I've been banging my head against the wall for a couple of weeks! So there is some wisdom in his words (but I probably won't give up).

I also like the cross-bonded substrate he uses. I guess we don't have that any more. Now days, cross-bonded wood refers to plywood, I guess. The stuff in his pictures is a thicker lumber core, with thinner cross-bonding veneer (it looks like) on the top/bottom.

The Internet is truly an amazing thing. When I was in grade and high school, looking at pics of Krenov work in magazines, I considered his work the height of fine woodworking.

Magazine pages were at a premium. There could only be so many superstars. I'm not sure we will ever see anything like that again. It seems to me that I see examples of truly fine craftsmanship all over the Internet.

But I'm not sure who will emerge as the next Krenov, or Maloof, or Nakashima. I kind of doubt that anyone will. I think they were a product of the circumbstances of their time.

[Richard Wolf]

I understand what you are saying, I feel the beauty of being a real artist is that financial rewards are not usually in the equation. It is usually about materials and expression. So to emerge as the next "one" will take a person that is self sufficient and not motivated by money. Objects of art can almost never be created with making a living as a goal. His books are filled with a lot of artist type mentality, but that goes along with free thinking, non pressure creative thinking.

[Phil Thien]

I understand what you are saying, I feel the beauty of being a real artist is that financial rewards are not usually in the equation. It is usually about materials and expression. So to emerge as the next "one" will take a person that is self sufficient and not motivated by money. Objects of art can almost never be created with making a living as a goal. His books are filled with a lot of artist type mentality, but that goes along with free thinking, non pressure creative thinking.

I think you have done a good job summarizing Krenov. While I believe he insisted he wasn't an artist, he sure used terms (composing, music, etc.) that an artist would use.

Besides being an artist, though, he had to be a bit of an engineer.

I noticed he likes using bridle joints. I had never really made one.

So I decided to adapt a jig I have so I could try making some.

After a little bit of screwing around, I now see why he likes using them.

People talk about the strength, but I discovered something else about the bridle joint that I hadn't known: It is more forgiving than I would have thought. The fact that you can clamp the snot out of it on the sides allows for a wider range of friction fits than I'd be comfortable with on (for example) a mortise and tenon.

His sort of old-school comment, that one doesn't need to find one's own path, that it is okay to follow in the paths of others, kind of set the tone for me re-reading the books. I'm looking for ways he did things, and trying to duplicate them a bit.

Next up, some veneering.

[Peter Quinn]

I had also forgotten that his books are kind of difficult for me to read. I also thought it was interesting to read (also in Notebook) that one should just follow his example. That, finding your own way isn't that important.

Funny, I've read a number of his books, Including the cabinet makers notebook, and I understood them very differently. I took that " Of course you should just follow my example" to be painfully tongue in cheek, a real poke in the ribs to find your own way. My overall impression was get your technique together and go in what ever direction suits you.

[Paul Incognito]

I had a real tough time with his books. As a lifelong carpenter, I've always bought the lumber needed for a job. His philosophy seemed to me to be purchase the lumber and wait for it to tell you what it wants to be. I have a stack of nice hardwood in my shop right now that I'm waiting to speak to me. In the meantime I've bought and used hundreds of board feet of cherry, maple, birch, poplar and pine for specific projects.
I don't know if this makes any sense. I guess I just look at cabinet making as less an art and more a matter of function.
Please don't get me wrong, I have great respect for his work. I'd be happy to be half as good as him.
Paul

[Mike Henderson]

I suppose I'm another who never really "got" Krenov. I don't understand his small cabinets on a stand, for example. Just doesn't seem to be very useful or practical. I'm sure he was a very good craftsman, however.

I feel the same way about Nakashima. All that mumbo-jumbo about the "soul of the tree" never made any sense to me. And I really dislike natural edge tables.

I do like some of Maloof's work, especially the rockers. I can relate to the flow, function, and practical design of those.

Come to think about it, Maloof was the only one of the three who was just a woodworker and didn't try to be a philosopher.

Mike

[Phil Thien]

I suppose I'm another who never really "got" Krenov. I don't understand his small cabinets on a stand, for example. Just doesn't seem to be very useful or practical. I'm sure he was a very good craftsman, however.

I feel the same way about Nakashima. All that mumbo-jumbo about the "soul of the tree" never made any sense to me. And I really dislike natural edge tables.

I do like some of Maloof's work, especially the rockers. I can relate to the flow, function, and practical design of those.

Come to think about it, Maloof was the only one of the three who was just a woodworker and didn't try to be a philosopher.

Mike

Wow Mike, you nailed many of my sentiments.

The funny thing is, the act that started this process (of me trying to learn something from the books) was my stopping at the library (yes, I use the library) to find some Maloof books. Not finding any, I got the Krenov books I found instead. It had been > 10 years since I had looked at them.

I agree that the cabinets on stands wouldn't work in most any home I've visited. They seem like they belong in a spread in a decorating or architecture magazine. In one of those homes with no kids, LOL.

I do find the wall-mounted cabinets inspiring, though.

And the veneer work (like the ways he made doors) is something I'd like to try, too.

[Phil Thien]

Funny, I've read a number of his books, Including the cabinet makers notebook, and I understood them very differently. I took that " Of course you should just follow my example" to be painfully tongue in cheek, a real poke in the ribs to find your own way. My overall impression was get your technique together and go in what ever direction suits you.

Funny how two people can read the same thing and come away with a different interpretation.

[Ron Kellison]

I have all 3 of his books in the original hardcover 1st editions. I dig them out every two or three years just for inspiration. With respect to finishing, you need to remember that Krenov seldom used sandpaper. His smoothing planes gave him such a smooth, polished surface that all he needed was wax or a thinned coat of shellac to complete the piece. I regard his writings as an inspirational source but not the only one I use. I would recommend his method for installing knife hinges to anyone considering their use.

Regards,

Ron

[Phil Thien]

With respect to finishing, you need to remember that Krenov seldom used sandpaper. His smoothing planes gave him such a smooth, polished surface that all he needed was wax or a thinned coat of shellac to complete the piece.

I haven't made a study or anything, but there were a few pics where the piece was left natural, I believe, not even wax?

And I haven't seen any yet that said shellac. But I'll read some more captions.

[Van Huskey]

Krenov had a sculptors mentality. The cabinet is in the wood, he just let it out. He was an artist not a woodworker. He followed the tree to the natural end of its journey and tried to do as little as possible to impose his will on what he saw as almost a sacred progression of the trees being.

I am a woodworker, I strive to be an artist. I continue to have less interest in duplicating work that came before me. I appreciate the period reproduction craftsman but I have no desire to emulate them. Due to my shop situation I have been working wood more in my head than my hands the last couple of years and I think once I get my new shop built I will be in the proper headspace to finally bring art to my craft. My desire is to make pieces that reflect what I see and if I accomplish what I want 70%+ of people will react with "Not my taste, but...". I say this because people like Krenov are what has developed this desire and need in me, his philosophy does not dictate mine but it opened the door to be able to see mine, now hopefully to express it.