Dewalt 321 type 1

This Dewalt jig saw is a saw I bought in 1999 just before we built the Mattole Half Pipe in Petrolia, Ca. The part that holds the blade broke two weeks after I got the saw while we were building the ramp. I had to use my mother-in-laws saw that she owned in college (in the late 1960's) in it's place. That saw built the half pipe, it cut the transitions and all the notches for the ribs. I had the new saw repaired and have been using it for over 12 years.

Mattole Half Pipe summer 2012

Twelve years later the shoe got bent, so I put it in a vise to bend it back and the cast part snapped

Can you believe that there is not a replacement shoe available for this saw! I searched the internet and I also took it to our local tool repair shop. I ended up having to buy a new saber saw. This time I bought a Bosche, I should have done that in the first place. What a shame that this tool is no longer usable, even though the tool itself works fine. If anyone knows of a replacement shoe for this saw please let me know.

House Progress

Progress on the Yellow House. This is the final wall, the last corner of quoins have been installed and the last gable peak that was damaged from woodpeckers and barn swallows is about to be repaired. 

East Side

East Side, a set by sirdaveygravy on Flickr.

These are photos showing the progress of an 1888 gothic revival preservation project.

Video of window glue up

I am back in the shop working on windows for the Yellow House. This video is a glue up for a window I built (along with others) for a client here in Petrolia. Enjoy! I hope to post more of the Yellow House windows soon.

One of my mentors

My mentor - Master Craftsman - Joe Yonts

   A good way to start out this blog is to thank my friend and mentor from Petrolia, California Joe Yonts. I started working with Joe in 1996 after relocating to Petrolia from Pleasant Grove, Utah. We built Richard Sykes cabin up Conklin Creek, past Dan and Tally's.  We did everything but build the doors, which we should have. The owners bought some inexpensive doors instead. We dug trenches, formed the foundation, framed, roofed (with Redwood Shakes), sided with board and bat and shakes. Used redwood post and beams. Built the kitchen and windows. Laid a madrone floor, built decks, railings and more. I learned so much on that job. It was a bump start into the craftsman tradition.