SAPFM 2008 Mid-Year Conference
Furniture Making Education at its Best
As anticipated, this year's mid-year conference was furniture making education at its best. Rockingham Community College hosted the sold-out event, Presenters' Choice, August 8, 9, and 10 on its campus in Wentworth, NC. On Friday, participants were invited to tour Old Salem and the Museum of Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA). The staff at MESDA gave SAPFM a warm welcome and unprecedented access to many of the pieces in its extensive collection. Conference check-in on Friday evening was followed by opening remarks by SAPFM president, Mickey Callahan, and by the director of Rockingham's program in Fine andCreative Woodworking, Mike Quinn. More than 20 pieces, made by attendees and RCC students, were displayed in the conference facility.
Saturday was a busy day for all three of the presenters, Steve Latta, Allan Breed, and Alf Sharp. The 75 conference attendees were divided into three groups of 25 and rotated through the presentations. Each of the presenters' three sessions was 2-1/2 hours in length, providing ample time to delve into more than one subject in-depth.
As the name of the conference suggests, each presenter was given the freedom to show some of their preferred techniques and to discuss their favorite tricks-of-the-trade. Allan Breed discussed how he lays out and carves the various parts of a complex curved molding by using the fillets as steps from which to reference adjacent coves and ogees. He then demonstrated carving the raised lip on a sample of a Newport tea table, and showed how to deal with tricky areas such as the intersection of a curved and a straight molding.
Steve Latta showed myriad ways that drawers and secret compartments can be hidden in a piece as small as a spice box. He then moved to the Federal period, demonstrating how to make a simple yet impressive patera. Steve finished up with an explanation of how to cut curvilinear designs for stringing using a series of templates and a laminate trimmer.
Alf Sharp demonstrated how he makes a curved drawer front of laminated bending ply and then showed how he hammer veneers the resulting surface. He discussed a variety of techniques for clamping curved work including the use of sand bags and thin packing foam and a mating caul. After a long day of demos and presentations, the conference group gathered at a nearby country club for dinner, a slide show of members' work, and door prizes.
On Sunday morning, Steve Latta gave a very enlightening talk on some of the findings of his research into Federal banding and inlay makers. He was able to track the migration of John Dewhurst from Boston to Baltimore and then from Kentucky to New Orleans based on newpaper advertisements and specific types of banding associated with Dewhurst. His analysis of whether paterae and other inlays were stack cut or conical cut was fascinating. The conference concluded with a final Q & A session with the three presenters. Thanks to all who helped to make the event so successful!
Included here is a clip from each of this year's presentations featuring Steve Latta, Allan Breed, and Alf Sharp. If you have trouble viewing the clips, click here to download the most recent version of Macromedia Flash Player.
Steve Latta demonstrates how he makes a variation of a sand-shaded fan. In this clip, Steve talks about hide glue and a few marquetry techniques.
Allan Breed demonstrates how he lays out the curved molding for a block front chest.
Alf Sharp shows his technique for hammer veneering a curved drawer front.