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I have the utmost respect for those woodworking purists who shun power tools for hand work. But for reasons of expediency and cost to the client, I try to find a balance between machines and hand tools. I use stationary power tools for cutting, drilling, planing, and jointing the lumber, and a combination of hand held power and hand tools for joinery and finishing.
I am partial to mortise and tenon rather than dowel joinery, frame and panel rather than plywood, and dovetails rather than rabbets. Some applications may be interchangeable in some cases, but where the choice affects the structural integrity of the piece, I cannot sacrifice quality for cost. When designing a piece, I apprise the client of the options where there are options, and where there are not.
As you can see, my shop is small, but it is usually tidier than is shown in these pictures. I am able to work on a couple of projects at a time, depending on the piece, but I prefer to put all my energies into one at a time. I have to get pretty creative at times trying to find room to assemble a 14 foot wall unit, for instance. Large pieces are designed and built in sections for ease of transport, and a complete set of assembly instructions are included in each shipment.
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