Trip to North Bennett Street School

The North Bennett Street School offered a free event this past Saturday, the Lie-Neilsen Toolworks Hand Tool Event. I was able to see the Lie-Nielsen’s new line of Inlay Tools in their first public appearance! I saw but didn’t get a chance to talk with Tom Lie-Nielsen. Lie-Nielsen worked with master craftsman Steve Latta to develop specialized tools to do string inlays. At the event, Steve demonstrated a variety of inlay techniques and was extremely happy to answer any question thrown his way.

I also learned a need to stop at Singing Beach to get some of the very fine sand there. Once you heat the sand, you can dip your inlay (leaf, etc.) into it for about ten seconds and it will slightly burn it. This will create some depth in the inlay and really make it take the three dimensional aspect one is looking for. This technique won’t work with normal sharp sand you’d find in a child’s sand pen because its not fine enough.

Master Chair Maker Brian Boggs demonstrated his skills making a chair (that also doubled as a door prize). It was interesting to see that one of his most useful tools while weaving the hickory bark was a spoon. He ground down the sides of the spoon to make narrower as well a bent the handle back. Pretty clever and very yankee of him.