David Fleming, Cabinetmaker

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Hand-made wooden bodied planes have been integral to my furniture making practice since I learned how to make and use them while studying with James Krenov in the 1980’s. In the years since, I’ve taught planemaking to a lot of woodworkers in my Arizona workshop. I’m pleased and privileged to have the opportunity to travel to New Zealand in March, 2024, to co-teach a 5-day planemaking immersion class with my good friends and fellow plane-a-holics John Shaw and Lachie Park at the Centre for Fine Woodworking, in Nelson, NZ. Stay tuned for more information!

Hot off the press with a new course! Making and using Wooden Planes

We are delighted to have John Shaw who founded the school back in 2006 come along and teach this wonderful course with David Fleming from the US and Lachlan Park from NSW. John and David together were both students of James Krenov at the College of the Redwoods and Lachlan is a graduate of our full time programme in 2009. All three have made a career out of their passion for fine woodworking and furniture making,

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to come and make yourself a couple of beautiful planes and a setting hammer.

Full details are here:
https://www.cfw.co.nz/all-courses/dovetail-box-making-zm82b-lpj9d-dgxf6-p7mey-ssz3h-y4gjb

Weaving Danish Cord at the Southwest School of Woodworking, 6/17-18. I had a blast teaching this technique to five enthusiastic students, with the good help of John Rivard.

Making legs and stretchers for my Danish Cord class at the Southwest School, June 17-18. These are Ash (Fraxinus americana). Each student receives an assembled frame for the class, on which they'll learn to weave the seat (and take the completed piece home). Here are 90 parts (36 legs and 54 stretchers); 108 mortises (3 per leg), and 108 tenons (2 per stretcher). I'll round the tenons by hand to fit the mortises, use a router to round every edge, hand-plane all surfaces, apply my homemade oil & wax finish, and glue up the 9 frames. I believe the June class is full, but a waiting list has been established and we'll certainly do the class again in the future if there's enough interest.

https://sw-sw.org/event/cord101f23-create-a-danish-cord-stool/

I'm teaching a class on weaving Danish Cord in June at the Southwest School of Woodworking. Should be fun!

https://sw-sw.org/event/cord101f23-create-a-danish-cord-stool/

In August 2022 I'll be teaching a class making my ash and mahogany cabinet at the Southwest School of Woodworking here in Phoenix. Registration is open.

https://sw-sw.org/event/cos400h22-cabinet-on-a-stand-with-david-

I made this coffee table for Marcia’s aunt 35 years ago. Honduras rosewood and hard maple, with doussie (Afzelia) stringing. In use now for 36 years, the pocketed drawers run as smoothly today as when they were made. Sawn veneer top.

I made this curved-front cabinet for Marcia’s folks while I was in school, in 1985. Honduras mahogany and Alaska yellow cedar. The pull is a bit of Honduras rosewood. I get to see it once or twice a year, like visiting an old friend. It’s holding up well :-)

In a woodworking store today a fellow stopped me and told me that he had taken my plane making class at the old Woodcraft store in Tempe, 25 years ago, and that he still has the plane and uses it regularly. That felt pretty good.

I learned plane making from James Krenov in 1984, and started teaching the craft in 1996. Nothing I enjoy more, and it’s nice to know it meant something to at least a few of the many folks I’ve taught over the years.

Some slightly more recent plane making blog posts from my web site:

http://www.dfcabinetmaker.com/?p=1442

http://www.dfcabinetmaker.com/?p=265

Making Wooden Planes | David Fleming, Cabinetmaker Making and using wooden hand planes are among my favorite things to do, so I was pleased when Phil Groben and Ryan Edwards chose to make planes with me in the April 23-24 session. Understanding the critical points of plane making and use allows you the flexibility to make planes of all kinds, for .....

My contribution to The Furniture Society online auction happening next week (June 21-25). 6” plane, Koa body and Lignum sole. Iron is 3/16” thick O1 steel 1-1/4” wide, heat treated in my shop and tempered to RC61-62. 45° bed angle. Includes a 3oz adjusting hammer. Guaranteed to be sharp as the Dickens upon arrival!

No bandsaw, no life. I recommissioned my 1940’s 14” Davis & Wells to get me by while my big saw is in storage and I’m working in the garage. Not restored, obviously - that’s for another day - but working. New tires, trued and crowned, new Paddock guides, and a new tension spring from Louis Iturra. This little guy is built like the proverbial brick sh*thouse, putting modern 14” saws to shame. The heavy cast iron frame measures just 0.0027” deflection when tensioning a band to a full 15,000psi. Sweet.

Setting up a small space to work in the garage until I find new digs. One drawer of chisels, two of planes. Minimal, I know, but enough to get by, for now. And a little wood.