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Pravin charts the world on a rustic board

Pravin charts the world on a rustic board
Pravin spent about 7 half days making this wall art.The woodworking portion took him 2 days, 1 day with my assistance and after that he was on his ...
Posted in carpentry, home decor, learn, learn woodworking, power tools, timber, wall art, woodworking, Your Project

This Valentine's carve a wooden ring for your beloved

This Valentine's carve a wooden ring for your beloved
Finally when you know the frustration of breaking and splitting a nearly complete ring, when your fingers tremble with the effort of holding your strength in control, when you realise that your muscles ache from being bent over your work for so long, when you are done, when you have a complete ring in your hand. Finally you will be able to slip the ring over your partner's finger knowing completely and surely that your partner knows exactly how much effort was put into the making of that ring, that your partner appreciates! 
Posted in carpentry, power tools, valentine, woodworking, workshops

A 9 day Residency Woodworking Program at Art Village Karjat

AVK is in Karjat, and hour away from Mumbai, it takes you more time to reach Andheri than to reach Karjat. AVK boasts of some gorgeous surroundings, food and great activities. In fact I wrote a post about them a while back.

The Residency program called the Woodworking short course is 9 days long. split into 3 modules of 3 days each. 

Module 1: Basics of wood

Module 2: Carving

Module 3: Joinery

Posted in carpentry, collaborations, courses, learn, learn woodworking, placestovisit, timber, woodworking, workshops

Delhi, Pepperfry, V for Wood and Abid

Delhi, Pepperfry, V for Wood and Abid

I was taking a set of classes for Pepperfry and due to some interesting scheduling I suddenly had a day in Delhi all to myself.
A quick message to Abid and by 8:45 in the AM, I was on my way to his place in Gurgaon. 
I'd been dying to try out the Delhi metro; I'd heard so much about it. The various coloured lines and how it has really connected Delhi; this was my chance. 

I spent a lovely 2 hours at Abid's home workshop and then he dropped me off to the Railway Museum. I met him again later and after a dinner of rolls and kebabs at Alkauser, I got back to my hotel room. After all, I'd come to delhi to take 2 sessions for Pepperfry.

Posted in carpentry, home workshop, learn, timber, tiny workshop, woodworking

Vashi-wala Aariwala: Kuljeet and the mini circsaw

Vashi-wala Aariwala: Kuljeet and the mini circsaw
All in all, the mini circular saw build did exactly what the 1st prototype normally does. It educated us. The next version will take care of all these issues and expose a few others, I suppose. Personally I cant wait to get it right because I want one. My miniature furniture make can start up again.
Posted in carpentry, circular saw, home workshop, miniatures, placestovisit, portable, power tools, table saw, tiny workshop, woodworking, workshops

Kolkata: thanks to Kingshuk

Kolkata: thanks to Kingshuk
Kingshuk took me to this little, tiny shop, filled to the brim with all sorts of handtools. It was a dream. No a fantasy. Old, 100 year saws, of varying sizes, spoke shaves, draw knives, gauges, calipers, brace and bits. And thats just the initial 3 feet at the entry. The proprietor is a happy guy, invites you to sit and then presents you with delicacy after delicacy. A Stanley, no 5, then a No 4, and then a small 9" smoothening plane. Then he bagan on the saws. German made Scheilder, Swiss made Sandvik, Stanley's, saws of various size amd tpi. I was entralled, I asked for a brace and bit.
Posted in carpentry, conservation, intangible heritage, learn woodworking, placestovisit, woodworking

Discovering ICA Pidilite training for wood finish

Discovering ICA Pidilite training for wood finish
Yes, many of you have questions about finishes and I always tend to just give the basics and leave it at that but now having the chance, I decided to attend.
Color coats is a company in Marol, Ashok Nagar, which literally pops out of the muck of the mitthi river. The industrial area, it is in, is made of of the standard ramshackled structures of dharavi and chimatpada and the further in you walk, the dirtier it gets and then suddenly out of nowhere you walk into this showroom type place, with a glass meeting room and board rooms and a kitchen and a most clean loo. ULTIMATE.
Posted in courses, finishes, polyurethane, woodworking, workshops

Colony kids use power tools to make Christmas tree

Colony kids use power tools to make Christmas tree
Revelation, kids are very sensible, all the way down to 5, they will respect the tools, its power and each other's space. It was incredible. 8 kids and not a peep, all that I could hear was the motor of the jigsaw. 
Posted in home workshop, learn woodworking, power tools, woodworking, woodworkingkids, workshops

13th Basic Woodworking Class

13th Basic Woodworking Class
The extension to the 13th Basic woodworking class at the Maker's Asylum is over. This batch was a doozy, these guys made me figure out why shesha...
Posted in carpentry, courses, learn, learn woodworking, makers asylum, timber, woodworking, workshops