As a hobbyist woodworker for decades, Bob Small of Morristown designed and built several pieces of furniture and built-ins for his renovated house. With scraps from some of these imaginative projects, the retired “IT guy” created a few cutting boards, which garnered rave reviews, so he started making them in earnest a year ago. He also takes on woodworking commissions.
The talented woodworker will reveal the secrets of how he fashions these stylish and utilitarian pieces in a talk and demonstration titled, “Board Certified: The Craft of End-grain Cutting Boards,” at our Paid-up Membership Brunch on Sunday morning, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m., at a private home in Morris County. [READ MORE]
The cost for an annual NCJW, West Morris membership is $40, and may be sent to NCJW, West Morris Section, P.O. Box 533, Mt. Freedom, NJ 07970.
Speaking about his approach to woodworking, Small says, “I am inspired by this quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: ‘In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.’ ” He notes, “What I enjoy most about this work is the constant opportunity to solve problems: Try the simplest thing that might work and is this good enough for now?” Small’s design aesthetic has two key elements: elegance through simplicity and form follows function.
In his Nov. 9 presentation, the inspiring woodworker will focus on a number of points, including:
- What is grain orientation?
- What woods are food-safe?
- Unlimited design possibilities
He will also demonstrate, in a step-by-step way, how end-grain cutting boards are made.
RSVP for this fascinating look at a woodworker’s journey by emailing gmw1227@aol.com.