About

Rick Erickson - Cabinetmaker and professed hand tool enthusiast



Building a sawbench with Christopher Schwarz at the

I have been building furniture as a hobbyist woodworker for over 15 years.  I am mainly self-taught with my knowledge and learning coming from books and DVDs as well as the Internet.  I have taken a few specialized classes from superb teachers such as Rob Cosman and Christopher Schwarz.  But in the end there is no substitute for hands-on, dive right in, honey-do projects (and I've done my share).  I can't complain though.  My family has been very supportive of my passion for woodworking.

In 1999 we moved from Florida to Atlanta, GA to bring us closer to the church we love.  After building a house with a nice two-car garage I began filling it with all the power tools I could get my hands on.  This allowed me to crank out some nice furniture to fill our house with.  However, in the last three years, with the help of teachers such as Schwarz and Cosman I've been bitten by the 'Hand Tool' bug.  I have found this to be a much more rewarding way to work. 

I've come to learn (at least for me) there is so much more to this craft than just the end result.  Sure, it is nice to put that final finish on a piece and present it to the owner.  Watching their face and the look of satisfaction (hopefully) can't be beat.  However, that is short lived.  There is so much to gain in the slow and methodical process between "hey can you build me this" and "how much do I owe you".  I found with a power tool work flow I was always focused on 'getting it done'.  I was the proverbial horse running back to the stable.  I also found myself rushing things and we all know that is a bad place to be in a power tool shop. 

So, as I have matured in this craft I have substituted many of the typical power tool tasks with equivalent hand tool methods.  I have found this to be a more enjoyable, safer and in many ways a better way to work.  Joinery with hand tools affords so much more freedom in design and accuracy.  The satisfaction of hand cutting some dovetails for a carcass or drawer simply can't be beat. 

Who knows where I will end up down the so-called 'slippery slope' of hand tool work but right now I sure am enjoying the ride.  And if I can end a day in the shop without blowing Walnut dust boogers that's got to be a good thing, Right?  Come to think of it, I've never coughed up a Walnut shaving.  Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this blog and maybe even learn something.