I know, I know...I never get anything done. Not even close. What could I be thinking? What have I been doing all this time if not building? These are all very good questions.

Admittedly, I seem to have strayed from the path along the way, certainly with regard to completing the Ruckers 1640 single following dear Ernie Miller's Harpsichord Project (now at v5.2) eBook. Frankly, I let too many friend projects, work stress, and other stuff get in the way. I'm embarrassed and I hope you can all forgive me. Now, on to the good stuff.

I've not been idle all this time. In fact, I've been quite busy designing and spending time in the shop learning, refining, and getting other things done. Along the way, I've come to think in different terms about my relationship to power tools, particularly those run by computer, and how to create workflows that are repeatable, sustainable, and work like you-know-what through a goose.

For instance, I recently completed a lovely portativ organ screen for a Facebook friend (front and back views below).

Yes, this is copying the work of another maker, yet I managed to make it more robust (thicker) while honoring the original design. It's my position that if the maker can't produce a good, solid product that won't end up looking like it's been kicked in the teeth, then why can't I take up the cause?

This one is made from two pieces of joined cherry milled down using only the CNC. In fact, the whole bloody thing was carved with a CNC machine. The key to getting the crisp corners lies in using a 5.2-degree engraving bit - just like the ones we use when doing inlay work, something I've been concentrating on for the last year (see - the time was not spent in vain).

When designing the screen, my friend was kind enough to send me an original. Given what I know about mirroring in software, I modeled just 1/4 of the screen, mirrored it vertically to get 1/2 and then mirrored that for the full meal deal. It is, in a word, perfect in every way - no fret saw trails/tangents and no laser burn marks, just carved perfection.

Sure, most of the experienced makers I know despise my CNC. At the end of the day, all the thing does is cut curved and straight lines from my designs - you know...the ones I bust my butt creating - using a high speed router. That's it. They say nasty things (yeah, even to my face) about it and I hold my tongue, but just once I'd like to recommend they dump all of their electrically powered tools in favor of using only the hand tools of the Old Guys. I'm sure that would go over about as much as the CNC work.

This does not deter me. In fact, it strengthens my resolve to use the CNC in ways that make quick, repeatable work of harpsichord parts and pieces. Lately, I've been digging back into making jack sets (including registers) with it.

These are photos of test tongues I designed with Paul Irvin. I'm going to hit the O'Brien book hard and probably make a couple of modifications, but I'm back on track - right where I need to be.

Until next time...