Its been a busy 2012...

I apologize for the lack of updates, it has been an exceptionally busy start to the year and I am finally caught up on all of my current projects, and can have a little time to update here, work on my own projects, and finish up the MechMate.
So, what have I been so busy with?  Well, here is a sampling of some of the projects I've completed this year:

Walnut Vanity for a local winery.

Walnut tasting bar & corbels.

ADA Compliant Counter extension that folds into the end of the bar.

Then I built some planter boxes for my parents.

More spindles, nearing completion.

Spindles for a Victorian restoration.

Thread Cone Holders for weavers.

Taking our new toy for a test drive

My father purchased this lovely little instrument from Lee Valley, while it isn't a historic reproduction, it does the job well enough and is close enough to the original function for our use, plus kids will love it.

What is it, you ask?

How to replace the bearings in a Porter Cable 7518 router

Our victim

If you're like me, you use your router a lot.  Unfortunately, most recently made routers are not of the quality that they once were, and sooner or later, there is a pretty good chance that your router is going to start making the creepy rattling noise as it runs that signals the death of one of the bearings guiding the spindle.  These bearings are not made as well as they once were, as evidenced by the failure in my PC 7518 Router.  Though I do have to admit that I've put it through some pretty heavy use.  So I knew that sooner or later, I would need to replace the bearings.  Unfortunately, it was somewhat sooner than later.
So this is how we do that.

Finishing up an old project

When business keeps you busy, its a good thing.  When it keeps you from finishing personal projects, it can be a little frustrating.  I -finally- just completed a project that was almost a year in the making: a pair of boxes for my Brother-In-Law that acted as wonderful dust collectors on my wood racks for months and months.

Boxes assembled, still debating how to hold on to them.

Overall, I am very happy with how they turned out, though I certainly learned a few things from doing these.

Welcome - A Little About Me

Hello, and welcome to Reproduction Woodworks, The Blog.  I suppose it is an appropriate time to enter the online world, as we will be launching ReproductionWoodworks.com this week, and beginning to develop an online presence for a business which has, to this point, been a largely word-of-mouth venture.  A blog seems the logical extension of all of this.

My name is Eric Hess, and I will be your guide through this adventure.  I started Reproduction Woodworks in the spring of 2010 when it became clear to me that my hobby was overwhelming the rest of my life.  So I made the rather scary choice to try to turn my hobby into a career.