Tennessee!!!!!

We are now in Tennessee! It has been an adventure, I do strongly dislike moving, but it's what you have to do sometimes.

The Journey

I needed a place to post this, so this is as good a place as any.

In February, my wife had the first of four back surgeries that has still left her disabled. Trust me, without the surgeries, and the wonderful doctors, she would be much worse off. I am thankful for the care she has received. However, due to her disablement, she can no longer work a regular job. Sitting or standing for long periods of time are impossible. So she began working a network marketing job and has done so-so. I am proud of the effort and the drive she puts into it. She made me a believer in NM companies. But that is just one small part of the journey I am documenting here.

In April, after the four surgeries, she finally talked me into going to a church service with her. It was supposed to be a "how to get rich god's way" seminar but turned into a full blown healing and communion service for Easter. I have been anti-church for decades and I could see her flinch during the service. But a funny thing happened, it felt good. I felt better after the service than when it started. The mental certainty I had about the false need for church started to fade. She and I have not missed a service since that we were in town for. I could not be happier, and it has strengthened our marriage.

But we found out that without my wife's job, we could not keep our house. So we had to put it on the market and get ready (mentally) to move. It took three long months to get the offer and get ready to move. But we are there, and are 12 days from actually hitting the road. We had to "short-sell" our house, which means we market the property, get it ready and get the best offer the market will bear. The offer then goes to the bank and they accept partial payment for the home and clears the loan. This is normally a 60-120 day effort.... it happened for us in 14 days. Going along with this is some guilt that we feel over not meeting our obligations, but with the house selling for 90% of the original purchase price (7 years ago), and after 10's of thousands of dollars put in to it, I do not feel bad. The banks brought much of this pain upon themselves. I feel blessed, I just got almost a $1,000,000 debt forgiveness. How many people can say that?

Tonight, I hit a red-eye flight to the state we are going to be moving to. It's 1800 miles away and will mean a huge lifestyle change. This change is causing stress, and I understand that. I forgive that. I expect more. I will rent a house for us and on the 17th of this month, we hit the road. Oh what an adventure!!!!

I feel bad about leaving recently re-found friends, and the church we have grown into. But in order to grow as a person, you have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, and Tina and I are doing just that.

I am very thankful for my wife, and my son. They have been standing together with me all through this. It is not always easy, and there have been some loud agreements, but we are there. The journey so far has shown me how important my family is to me, and how important my church is to me. It has also shown me that I cannot make everyone happy, I don't intend to try. If people can't handle my choices, that's their problem. If other people aren't ready to grow, or accept my growth, too bad. I am not going to slow down to satisfy them. I owe it to myself, my family, and to the growing kingdom of god that I see to become the best man I can.

I have also signed up as a Independent Business Owner for a NM company myself. Talk about personal growth. You have to get used to some serious rejection, that isn't easy. However, for each no I get, I know I'm closer to that truly magical "yes". Some of those "no"s have been painful, especially those from my direct family. However, I'm sure that success will bring them around.

Through all of this, I find myself being much more of a philosopher. I look for the good in things and try to focus on them. I try to stay positive. I'm not successful all the time, heck, maybe not even most of the time, but I keep trying. So I'll part with one piece of philosophy, "He who stops being better, stops being good." I believe that was a quote of Henry David Thorough.

So, expect updates on the journey, even the journey inside the journey.

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Gilbert Farmers Market

Showing at the Gilbert Farmers Market this weekend and four more this summer. Looking forward to seeing the people and having some fun early Saturday Mornings!!!

Here is a look at some of the stuff I'll be bringing

Tempe Festival of the Arts Spring 2011

BEST SHOW EVER!!!!

Wow!!! What a show, Sold one of the award winners and King Henry, several pens, books, and several other items. I really like what Tempe does and the patrons that come out. Tina and Matthew came out on Sunday, it was a GREAT show

The Book... she is out!!!

The long wait is over. The book is released and is shipping from places like Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

The first review is in and it's a good one. Scroll down a bit on this page.

Facebook page for Pistol Grips and Gun Furniture

If you are interested in following the facebook page for my pistol grips, hide-a-gun clocks and cases, here is a link GunpowderDreams

Grip Update

Well, you might say I've gotten a grip, but at the Costa Mesa Gun Show, I sold only items that I had made, no more Chinese goods. I think it went better than otherwise. I got a lot more interaction, and because of that interaction, I can publish the following:

Woods available for grips by special order:
- Ebony
- Amboyna Burl
- Nara
- Buckeye Burl
- Ironwood
- Tulipwood
- Walnut Burl
- Maple Burl
- Koa
- Snakewood
- Others possible, but I need to research the availability

News

It's been a while since I posted. Lots going on. I've been working gun shows to help finance the show fees for two LARGE craft shows I'm trying to get into. I just found out that I have been accepted to the Tempe Festival of the Arts show the three days starting 12/4/2010. This is the largest and most distinguished show in the country, and it will be great exposure and possibility to sell sets that were in the book and were award winners.

If you are interested at all in the pistol grips, see them here.

It's official...

On a whim I did a google search on my name and up pops and these....

Amazon.com
Worldchesslinks.com
ebooknetworking.net
bn.com

So I guess it's official, the book will be out soon.

Awards

I've been quiet long enough. Two of my chess set patterns recently won awards from the Scroll Saw and Wood Crafts Magazine. This competition, held every other year is for designs for the scroll saw.

I won...

The Editor's choice award in Compound Cutting with my San Francisco Chess Set, soon to be published in a Fox Chapel Book.

The People's choice award in Compound Cutting with my Venice Chess Set, also soon to be published in a Fox Chapel Book.

I want to thank the magazine and everyone that voted for my designs. I honestly don't now where this talent came from, but it's fun to be able to design these things.

Also, watch for the Notre Dame chess set to be published in the same magazine sometime later this year.

Get out and VOTE!!!

Vote here: 2009 Design Contest

Sawdust Status

Well folks, the book has been submitted to the publisher. I'm sure there will be some edits going on, but that is to be expected. I'm travelling almost every week for work now so there isn't much I'm doing in the shop.

Maybe I can get some grips done next weekend.

Travel Chess Set

Here is the travel chess set, it took me 5 tries to get this right, but now that it's done, I'm very happy with the results.

The Vertical Chess Set

This was an idea that was recommended to me by my cousin. It's a fantastic idea that I took a little further and added magnets to the shelves and the pieces. I also added storage for the pieces on the sides of the board.

New Pics

Here are some new on-site pics...

Book Excerpt - Building the Classic Chess Set

I like to start a chess set with lumber that is sized at 8/4 (eight quarters or two inches thick). That gives me a chance to dimension it at exactly 1 1/2 inches square by about 16 to 22 inches long.



The next step is to cover the piece with blue painter's tape. It helps when you remove the pattern later, and it also provides a lubricant to the saw blade as you cut the piece.



The pattern goes on next. I cut the pattern out long, and use the guide line down the center of the pattern to place it right on the edge of the piece of wood. I use spray adhesive and glue the pattern to the blank.



Now it's time to cut the piece. I use a jig to hold the piece every time I cut a chesspiece. It provides more grip, more weight and the jig makes it much easier to do the cutting.



Now, it's time to cut the piece. Take your time, be precise and use the tricks I discussed in the first chapter.






Now the it's my favorite time of all, open up the block and see what we made.

Book Excerpt - King Henry XIII

King Henry XIII is an icon in the history of England, not only for his wives, his religion, his excesses, but also for his progressive policies. It's fitting that we memorialize him in a chess set. The theme of the set is the general excess throughout the his court. The King and Queen have narrow collars, but large convex bodies. The Rook is modeled after a drinking goblet. All in all, it's an impressive, heavy, impressive set.

Book Excerpt - Building a Chess Board

Sixty-four squares. That's it. Two colors, same size, alternating. Those are the requirements for a chessboard. It's simple. Yet it's not easy to make. The first decision is to find the two contrasting colors of wood, forget staining, and obtaining them.

Once you have the lumber, you have to cut them into 2 inch wide strips, 17 inches wide. This gives you space for the kerf you will cut in a little bit.



Once you have the 8 strips cut, glue them together edge to edge, using a gluing jig and waxed paper.






Then you cut the strips crosswise, this gives you 8 more strips that we glue with the alternating squares.

Prototypes Ahoy

Here are some chesspiece prototypes that I've been working on.