A Visit With Geoffrey Noden

[Jim Becker]

Recently, Robert Tarr and I had the opportunity to visit with Geoffrey Noden, who is both the inventor of the "Adjust-A-Bench" and a wonderful maker. I've written previously about the "Adjust-A-Bench" and several other SMC-ers have also posted recently about theirs.

While the trip was ostensibly for Robert to pick up his bench legs, the highlight was inspecting all the wonderful work in his showroom and in-progress in the shop. Geoff is a "use what works" kind of maker...power tools and hand tools as appropriate. I took a bunch of pictures and will provide them in this thread.


Pics:



Robert and Geoff with Robert's new "Adjust-A-Bench" legs...and yes that is orange powder coat. At a show, Robert casually mentioned that he didn't prefer black and that orange would be more to his liking. Darn if Geoff didn't remember that and came up with a new option for the product line!
This is the original "Adjust-A-Bench"...stoutly made of oak and hand-made mechanisms. It also has a very kewel board support that can slide on a rail just under the bench edge
In the showroom, Geoff had a couple examples of special versions of the bench system that were designed for folks with disabilities. This one was designed for a wheel chair bound woodworker and raising or lowering the bench top is affected by the levers. Another version uses a counter-weight and customer locking system for a fellow who could not lift anything heavy
Geoff's showroom...oh, my...nice stuff. And the big window allows work to continue while being "open for business"
Geoff with an outstanding walnut natural-edge desk originally inspired for a gardening editor...yes, that is a planter that lives in the table form. You'll see another closeup of this feature from the other end in the next set of pictures. He explained that he milled this wood himself with a chainsaw mill so that he could insure that enough of the tree remained in the book matched flitch to do the "folded" legs. Most sawyers would have cut it just above the crotch, making this form impossible to pull off with continuous grain. More details to follow...

[Jim Becker]

More pics:



Dovetail detail on the folded corners. The angled cut was made with a circular saw and the rest of the work by hand
Beautiful drawers...and with this piece, the narrow segmented drawers were VERY long and very smooth! These have a half-round profile on the bottom, too...a curved drawer interior!
Detail of the planter insert...it flows down the "front" of the desk
Detail of the side of the corner...very nice. The finish on this piece, BTW, is Waterlox wiped on. Silk smooth

[Jim Becker]

A few more pieces...




Current work in progress...a whole set of rustic chairs of white oak. No saws used...everything is hand-rived (split) from the stock and then worked with draw knives on a shaving horse and with spokeshaves. He has a couple of drill presses (one radial) setup to drill for the round tenons. The seats will be made from the inner layers of hickory bark which was soaking during our visit. These are truly wonderful chairs! (This one happens to be designed for a child)
More chair examples in the showroom...
A nice chair and table
I should mention that the chairs at that natural edge desk might look familar to some folks...one is on the cover of a Taunton publication...which I forgot to make note of. The book is on the natural edge table in the first showroom picture above in case you recognize the title from the picture.

So...this was an inspiring experience and worth the time. Geoff is an awesome craftsman and a pleasure to talk with once again.

[Alan Turner]

I have met Geoff several times, spoken with him by phone several times, and seen has work at the Philadelphia Furniture and Furnishings Show. He is a gentleman and fine maker in all respects. I have the adjustable legs on my new "teacher's" bench at the new shop, but have not used it yet as the shop is still under construction/renovation. The orange? No thanks.

[Gail O'Rourke]

Oh I like the orange....I made my workbench top at American Sycamore Woodworkers Retreat last June. I am planning on using the adjust a bench. I haven't had a minute to order it and am waiting to be paid for my next order. I will be ordering the version with casters definitely.

It is nice to take a look and see the other things that Geoff does. What gorgeous tables. Really creative and quite elegant.

Great job. and looks like an awesome visit.

I didn't realize that he was in PA, I used to live in Limerick PA. Jim, I know a great sawmill out that way, but the name is totally escaping me right now.

[Jim Becker]

I didn't realize that he was in PA, I used to live in Limerick PA. Jim, I know a great sawmill out that way, but the name is totally escaping me right now.

Geoff is in Trenton, NJ...not far from here. BTW, I lived in Royersford for a couple years right after I graduated from Penn State...in 1979. Limerick and the surrounding area is beautiful. But it's changed a lot since Rt 422 was "completed" to King of Prussia...major development all along the corridor.

[Mark Singer]

Jim,

Thanks....very interesting and well executed work! The bench is a great idea and very usefull in furniture making.

[Geoffrey Noden]

Thanks, Jim, for your beautiful coverage of your visit to my shop. You are truly a help to people like me.

Geoffrey

[Jim Becker]

Welcome to SMC, Geoffrey! I hope you'll participate from time to time as your experience and expertise as a truly gifted maker will benefit a great number of people.

[Robert Tarr]

Geoff,

First, thanks to you for listening to an off handed comment from a guy that likes cars and woodworking and coming up with the orange leg set. (Long story, but I asked for an unpowder coated version that I could paint with a flame job coming from the bottom. I plan to also paint the same flame job theme on my cabinet saw and still unsure about the MM16 and FS35 though...) Your creativity comes through, not only in the adjust a bench, but also the modifications you made for other folks with disabilities and mostly in your choice and use of materials in WW. I was blown away at the quality of the work you have turned out and am truly impressed.

I have a few interesting ideas for the bench and will post the progress...first things first, I have to get the shop insulated and wired. Once I get the bench built, I hope to do it justice.

Thanks again,

Robert

P.S. I need to quit hanging out with you guys with long hair...starting to make me look bald ;-)

[Alan Turner]

Hey Geoff,
Welcome to SMC. Another famous guy joins the ranks. Kewl.

[Kurt Aebi]

Welcome to the "Creek" Geoffrey!

Great product, you have there!

You sure do beautiful work - stop by often and show us more! Remember that Jim B is one of our most vocal officer of the "Picture Police", so showing us Pictures will be a MUST!!!!!!! :)

[rick fulton]

Welcome Geoffrey –

Your furniture is as innovative as your adjust-a-bench system. You definitely know how to think outside of the box. Plus your follow-through with excellent joinery and engineering puts you in another category of woodworking – Renaissance Craftsman.

I whole-heartedly recommend your bench system to anyone who has a workshop.
Hope you do well on the business end of your endeavors.

rick

[Mike Weaver]

Geoffrey,
Welcome to the creek! As Jim said - I hope you can find time to participate from time to time.

Jim,
Thanks for the pictures & stor about talking with Geoffrey. I hadn't seen that table before. Amazing work.

Cheers,
-Mike

[Vaughn McMillan]

Geoffrey, welcome to the Creek. I'll be looking forward to seeing more examples of your extraordinary work. I've had my eye on the Adjust-A-Bench ever since reading about it here on SMC. It's the perfect solution for my problematic back. First, I've gotta clear out enough space in the garage/shop to accomodate a real bench, then I'll likely be getting in touch with you about some bench legs.

And thanks, Jim, for posting the pics and the write-up.

- Vaughn

[Edited to add...]

BTW, what is this?

[Fred Voorhees]

Had a quick visit with Jim tonight and he asked if I had seen this thread and Geoffrey's great work. I hadn't, but I can now see why he was praising his work. Beautiful stuff! Unique approach to using the huge piece of walnut!

[Geoffrey Noden]

Thanks everyone for your warm welcome.

The item circled in the picture is a wood sculpture with extending serving table cababilities. It's the only one I've made, but I would love to make another as a bar because of it's fun nature. It's made out of English ash and English sycamore, which is really a kind of maple. I made that piece in England at the John Makepiece School which I was lucky to attend from 1983 - 1985. What a place!

If I get the chance, I'll take pictures of it in different positions.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Isn't that Chevy Orange Robert? :D

Thanks again Jim for posting another great visit! Geoff, your work is amazing and very unique!! I love that 'folded' table.

[Robert Tarr]

Kelly,

Without going into a long story, the color I wanted (and got) was Hugger Orange and yes, that is a chevy color...Good guess! I am thinking of doing a reverse flame on it, in black....this is what happens when I don't spend enough time actually making projects, just thinking about stuff to keep me busy.

I will post more pictures.

Robert

[Frank Pellow]

Thanks for sharing Geoff's work with us Jim and, I see, encouraging Geoff to join Saw Mill Creek.

Welcome to Saw Mill Creek Geoff! I hope that you will share more of your inventions and your inovative furniture making with us.