About The Craftsman
Daniel Schumm is Pastor of Outreach and Discipleship at Carmel Lutheran Church in Carmel, Indiana. Next to serving His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, he enjoys doing things with his hands, especially when it comes to working with wood.His interest in woodworking began as a boy building tree houses with his brother in the woods where he grew up in western Pennsylvania. His first real woodworking project was building a bird house with his Father on an old Sears Craftsman scroll saw. As a boy in school, he took Woodshop when it was offered and attended several summer shop classes. In time, he was able to utilize his emerging carpentry and woodworking skills to help supplement his tuition costs toward becoming a Pastor. It was during this time that his interest in woodworking as a hobby truly began to take shape.
Initially, his woodworking interest and efforts focused primarily on mastering joints and techniques necessary for making cabinets. Influenced by Roy Underhill ("The Woodwright's Shop" on PBS) and Norm Abram ("This Old House," "New Yankee Workshop" also on PBS), he began to master hand-cut dovetails and other forms of intricate joinery.
It was while refinishing an early-1900s Serving Buffet owned by his wife's Grandparents that he developed a love and passion for the lines and craftsmanship inherent in Mission-style furniture and woodworking. He now looks to individuals like Gustav Stickley, Charles & Henry Greene, and Frank Lloyd Wright for insight and inspiration. His desire as of late is to grow in the knowledge, design, and skill necessary to produce the kind of woodworking that characterized the Arts & Crafts movement of the early-1900s. He has even begun to try his hand at Stained Glass, a craft that also thrived and made its own unique mark during this period of time.
Of all the items that he has made thus far, he takes great pride in the opportunity that was extended to him to partner with two other skilled woodworkers (Dave Reed and Gayle Carlson) in the construction of the Pulpit, Altar, and Credence Tables for use in the new Worship Center at Carmel Lutheran Church. Beyond all the satisfaction that woodworking brings him, he considers it a great honor to be able to return to the Lord from the very gifts and talents with which the Lord Himself has bestowed upon him.
Family Altar
This is my own personal design. It represents a delightful blend of the design and construction of the Arts & Crafts movement made popular in the United States by Gustav Stickley in the early 1900s. It also reflects the simple geometric lines common in much of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie-style architecture.
Both the altar and the cross are constructed of Quarter-Sawn White Oak from Eastern Indiana, the world's foremost supplier of this particular wood for over a century. Given the long history that this wood has enjoyed in the construction of church interiors and furniture, it seemed the most appropriate for this project. The applied finish is the result of a lengthy process which visually replicates the Mission-style techniques employed during the early 20th century. This serves to highlight the natural splendor inherent in the wood's pores and grain.
The top of the Altar is "book-matched," resulting in a "mirrored" grain which beautifully displays the unique fingerprint that God had hidden in the core of the tree as it grew.
Each leg is constructed in true Stickley-style so that each side exhibits "face" grain (as opposed to "end" grain). This allows for the highest visibility of the wonderful "rays" for which quarter-sawn White Oak is so highly cherished and readily identified.
The construction of the Altar and Cross rely heavily on mortise and tenon joints, along with several lap joints. The pieces come together in a kind of interlocking puzzle. This highlights the thoughtfulness of design and the quality of joinery. This also reduces the dependency upon glue and totally eliminates the need for nails or screws. It is this level of joinery and craftsmanship that is at the heart of Mission-style furniture.
A shelf is provided underneath the Altar offering adequate space to store a Bible along with devotional material. It is suitable for placement on the dining table, coffee table, or shelf near where the family gathers for devotions.
The effort, time and craftsmanship that goes into the making of this Altar and Cross results in a piece of furniture that is worthy of being passed on from one generation to the next. Even more significantly, however, it is a piece of furniture around which the saving and life-changing truths of God's salvation through faith in Jesus Christ can be passed on from one generation to the next.
Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin Lamps
The Taliesin 2 Floor Lamp is my latest project. This beautiful Taliesin lamp is truly a work of art and a classic in the history of 20th century design. When Frank Lloyd Wright converted the original gymnasium of his Hillside Home School (1902) into a theater in 1933, he designed lighting pendants made up of square boxes and plywood shields to be suspended from the tall ceiling. These fixtures proved to be a lighting innovation, providing comfortable indirect lighting without the use of glass or shades. In 1952, when the theater was rebuilt following a fire, Wright modified the design of the original fixtures for use in the dining room, attaching them to the oak beams overhead. He found their soft indirect light so pleasing that he had a standing floor lamp version of the same design fabricated for use in his own home, Taliesin.
Both the floor lamp and the table lamp are made of cherry wood and finished using a process that draws the natural "aged" color out of the wood to create a deep cherry finish. The boxes were made from a single length of wood so that the grain wraps continuously around each box. Instead of using cherry plywood for the reflector panels as Wright designed, I chose to use solid cherry wood. Also, from photographs of the original, it appears that Wright had paint applied to the faces of the supports for the lamp boxes. I prefer the natural appearance of the cherry wood.
The lamps use 15 watt clear incandescent bulbs. The warm glow that they emit is very soothing. One of the wonderful design features of these lamps is that neither the lamp boxes nor the reflector panels are permenantly fixed to the pole. They slide on and off the pole. The genius of this design is that the reflector panels can be reoriented on the pole, either under the lamp box or over it so as to reflect the light either upward or downward.
My designs are based solely upon photographs that I have found of the original floor lamp. While my version of the floor lamp probably does not match the exact dimensions of the original, I am confident that it comes pretty close. I experienced a lot of satisfaction in making these lamps.
Mission-Style Coat Rack
I had lunch at a nearby German restaurant where the decor was a rich dark wood utilizing stile and rail paneling. I was so taken by it that I wanted to make something that incorporated this theme.
Made entirely of Quarter-Sawn White Oak, the large panels are book-matched. Each paired small panel above is also book-matched. The mortised thru-pins are raised and beveled. They are darkened to add contrast. Several mortises are cut into the sides of the shelf brackets and left open to add a touch of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie-style. The Mission-style hooks finish it off quite nicely. Below is a 10-hook version that I had the opportunity to make. This time, I made the thru-pins from walnut. This remains one of my favorite projects to date.
Frank Lloyd Wright Print Stand (Mission-Style)
Although it was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908, it was never built during his lifetime. Apparently Wright designed the stand to display Asian prints, of which he was an avid collector.
I have seen this design appear in several different forms. In one, the proportions of the stand have been altered and the space above the spindles houses an 8" x 10" photo. Others have built the stand in a much bigger form and turned it into a floor lamp. Another uses it to as a means to display a single rose in a vase. I am even contemplating the viability of this design as the basis for a clock.
I just love the look and the lines of this piece and had to make it! I wanted it to look as close to Wright's design as possible, and yet be functional as a print stand, as well as have a Mission-style appearance.
Instead of using Mahogany as Wright intended, I constructed it primarily of quarter-sawn White Oak. Instead of mitered corners, I used mortise and tenon joints with square thru-pins made of Walnut.
Wright's original design provided no way of preventing the print from sliding off the shelf. So I added additional mortised thru-pins (also made of Walnut) through the shelf into the front and back legs and left them raised a bit to act as stops. Given the Mission-style, they fit right in with the overall look. I added one more mortise and tennon joint in the front and back legs so as to accommodate a stretcher.
As with most of my Mission-style work, the applied finish is the result of a lengthy process which visually replicates the Mission-style techniques employed during the early 20th century.
Mission-Style Gong Stand
My wife and I had the opportunity to go on a Mission Trip to Vietnam. We spent time with students in Hanoi, visited communes west of Hanoi, and enjoyed a visit to beautiful Halong Bay. It was a great experience!
While in Hanoi, we picked up a hand-crafted gong. In order to display it, I designed this stand.
It is made primarily of Quarter-Sawn White Oak. The mortised thru-pins and the hanging bar are made of walnut and are beveled on the ends.
Mission-Style Envelope Holder
I had some leftover scraps and sure hated the thought of just throwing them away. As you can see, the grain in the wood was just too spectacular! I made a couple of corbels, turned them upside down, and used them for the posts. The sides are held to the corbels using mortised and beveled thru-pins. It is just right for holding regular size envelopes. Such a simple piece, but it sure projects a great deal of beauty.
Frank Lloyd Wright Bedside Table Lamp
I first came across this lamp while visiting Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" home in Southwestern Pennsylvania, arguably his most famous work. It was built for the Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh in the 1930s. It is in the vicinity of Ohiopyle where our family visited often and my brother and I spent many a Summer Sunday afternoon rafting the white-waters of the Youghogheny River back when we were in High School.
Several versions of the lamp are found at Falling Water. As far as I could find, there are two in the Master Bedroom, and one other in another bedroom. The only difference between each of them is in the height of the shades.
Although I could pay $420-$460 for a reproduction of this lamp through the Gift Shop, I wanted the joy of making it on my own.
Wright's design utilized Walnut for the shade and bronze for the base. I have made several of these lamps using book-matched Walnut, Cherry, Purple Heart, and of course, Quarter-Sawn White Oak. In my opinion, it really does not matter what wood is used. Wright's simple genius of blending design and function is truly what is captivating about this lamp. As you can see, it throws a soft, warm, indirect glow against the home’s walls while taking up very little space.
Because I do not have the means for casting bronze, I make the base of wood. I have modified the shade a little on the back portion so that the light bulb remains fully shaded when viewing the lamp from the side. This in no way restricts the light. While Wright's version coats the inside of the shade with silver paint, I have found this to be unnecessary. And although I could easily make the shade to swivel as Wright intended, I have thus far chosen to make it fixed. I prefer the reflected light approach as opposed to the harsher direct light. In fact, when used on a night stand next to the bed, my wife and I have found the indirect light to be quite sufficient for reading.
Personally, this lamp continues to be one of my favorite projects. Its architect, history, and geographical connection to some wonderful memories in my life all come together to make it a delightful pleasure to build.
Mission-Style Table Lamp
This project tried my skills and taught me a lot in the process. The plans came from a magazine which I found to to be most helpful and from which I learned a few new tricks.
Made of Quarter-Sawn White Oak, the delicate lattice work suggests a strong Prairie-style influence. At the same time, the stained glass panels, when backlit, emit a wonderful mica-like golden glow which provides a nice blend of Mission-style. I tried the suggested Rice Paper for the base sides, but found the stained glass to be preferable. The shade is a simple parchment shade purchased from a home store.
The lamp is wired using a 2-circuit lamp switch. When first turned on, only the base lights up acting like a night light. On the next turn, the main lamp turns on and the base light turns off. On the third turn, both lights turn on. On the fourth turn, they both go out.
Initially, I made two of these with the intention of giving one each to my sons. However, my wife and I liked them so much that we decided to "delay" delivery until what time I make another pair. It is a great lamp!
Mission-Style Toilet Paper Holder
While I was making the Coat Rack, my thoughts envisioned it how it might serve also as the basis for a very nice Bathroom Towel Bar. Wanting to carry the Mission theme throughout the Bathroom, I knew I would need to design a unique Toilet Paper Holder. Although I have yet to make the Towel Bar, I was pleased with what I came up with for the Toilet Paper Holder.
The Quarter-Sawn White Oak simply "frames" the box which is recessed into the bathroom wall. Like with the Coat Rack, I used square mortised thru-pins to secure the shelf to the corbals. I also cut several open mortises into the sides of the corbals to add a little Prairie-style flavor.
Although simple in appearance, mounting this securely required a little forethought on my part. I did not want to ruin the frame by having to screw or nail through it into the wall. So, I cut an opening in the wall to the size of the recessed box (not the frame), installed a couple of cleats behind the wall, and then screwed through the box into the cleats.
Wall Plates
After redoing the half-wall in our Family Room, I had some left-over Quarter-Sawn White Oak. We had been talking about changing out the plastic wall plates in our home with some wooden ones. Unfortunately, most wooden wall plates that I have seen are way too thick to suit my interest. So I decided to see if I could make some of my own without making them any thicker than their plastic counterparts.
My greatest concern was the inherent risk that was involved in cutting out the back side of each wall plate. But after figuring out a way to do this safely, I was well underway.
I first made book-matched panels in the widths that I needed in order to make the wall plates. I then cut them to their final dimensions. In all, I needed over 100 wall plates to switch out the plastic ones in our house. I used the plastic wall plates as templates and made the holes using a router, mortising chisel, and drill bit.
There was very little that was relaxing about this project. In the end, each wall plate required a little more than an hour's worth of labor. Nonetheless, the final result was fantastic!
Stained Glass Doors
This is my first attempt at Stained Glass using the copper foil method. Following the construction and installation of the Half-Wall Bookcase and Post, we wanted to enclose the bookcase with stained-glass panel doors.
My interest in this project was initially generated by a good friend who was already a stained glass hobbiest. However, after catching an episode of Glass with Vicki Payne on PBS, my determination to try my hand at this was greatly accelerated. My family gave me the tools I needed as a Christmas present and, in the month or so that followed, the panels were complete.
I was quite pleased both with the results and the experience. As I have opportunity, I intend to delve further into this craft and medium.
Mission-Style Door Bell
I had some leftover pieces of Red Oak from the Wall Mirror. Not wanting to let it go to waste, I decided to make a new cover for the door bell.
Mission-Style Wall Mirror
We had been wanting a wall mirror and a place to hang some jackets. So with some of the leftover pieces of Red Oak from the Night Stand, I came up with this.
The tenons are pegged with oak dowels and cut flush. I found some Mission-style coat hooks and had a bevel-edged mirror made to size.
No sooner had we hung this mirror that we had a visit from a friend who is quite familiar with antiques. When she saw it, she asked where we had gotten it. When we told her that I had just finished making it, she said: "It just looks too old to be brand new!" That helped to further confirm within me that I was on the right track with the finishing technique that I had been applying.
In case you were wondering, the apparent bowing of the image is an optical illusion due to the way the light from the camera's flash refracted through the bevels in the mirror.
Mission-Style Night Stand
This is my very first attempt in making a Mission-style piece of furniture, complete with thru-mortise and tenon joints.
For the most part, I simply relied on a pencil drawing made by Gustav Stickley which I found in a book on Stickley-designed furniture. I proportioned my rendition based upon the wood that I had available at the time. It is made entirely of Red Oak. The drawer is held together using dovetail joints. The drawer pull is a true Stickley replica (I just had to splurge!) and is the only hardware found in the entire stand.
I so enjoyed making this piece, that my interest in Mission-style furniture seemed to just explode from that time on.
This is also my second attempt in fine-tuning a finishing technique that visually replicates the finish applied to furniture in the early 1900s. My first attempt was with my wife's Grandmother's Serving Buffet. I was so pleased with the results following this effort, that since that time, I have pretty much followed the very same process with most of my Mission-style pieces.
CD Stand
I had seen a very high-priced, all-aluminum version of this CD Stand and determined that it could be easily replicated out of wood.
Made of Red Oak, it simply consists of two side rails connected only by the shelves that form a series of steps. The genius of this design is that it simply rests on the floor and leans up against the wall. That is all the more that is needed for this to serve as adequate CD storage. It is surprisingly stable. The downforce of the overall weight with CDs is quite sufficient to keep the unit safely in place.
Each shelf holds 10 CDs in their jewel cases. The total number of shelves is limited only by the overall height combined with how far it projects out at the bottom. This particular version holds a total of 110 CDs.
This is my first try using a Dark Mission finish. Although it turned out well, I found it to be too dark for my taste. I personally prefer a finish that allows the grain to be readily seen. Since this project, I have focused primarily on a lighter Mission finish.
Cradle
As soon as my wife informed me that we were expecting our first child, I began construction on this cradle. The design is my own. I wanted it to reflect a Colonial style and, above all else, I wanted to make it without relying upon any power tools.
Influencing me at the time in this endeavor was Roy Underhill, host of "The Woodwright's Shop" on PBS. He had done a show in which he demonstrated how to make hand-cut dovetails. I was immediately drawn to it. So I acquired the necessary hand tools, located some Cherry from a local cabinet-maker, and got to work.
Given my schedule at the time, I anticipated that it would take almost the entire pregnancy to bring it to completion. The pressure intensified when my son was born a month early. While my wife and newborn son were yet in the hospital following the delivery, I worked through three straight nights in order to have it ready for when they came home.
As daunting as it seemed at first, the hand-cut dovetails on all the corners where a sheer delight to make.
In finishing the cradle, I relied on a multi-step process which helped to bring out the natural redness of the Cherry without having to rely on any dyes or stains.
The cradle turned out beautifully and became an instant heirloom.
