Myles Richter
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Aigaki – Nightstand
Aigaki, 相欠 Posts from now on will frequently follow the progress and products of my Honors thesis project this upcoming semester, which involves Japanese woodworking joinery and it’s strengths. This simple nightstand was a fun little project, as a proof of concept for what is hopefully to come. It’s assembled entirely of friction-fit parts; free…
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Mason Record Stand
The Mason Record Stand was purpose built to display the artwork of vinyl records. This was achieved with its most notable design feature, the vertical slats which display the records and celebrate the artwork on them in a unique way. The slatted design continues to the face of the cabinet, further giving the piece a…
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The Jacob Desk
The Jacob desk was designed to accommodate a large volume of drawer space, and to look good doing it. To achieve this, the desk features two full length and width drawers, framed by striking angles and accents of bronze and oak. The characteristic angles across the desk’s profile contribute to a bold, yet lightweight appearance.
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London Entryway Table
The rugged top and contrastingly sleek legs of the London Entryway Table make this piece a great addition for a foyer. I enjoyed preserving the the mill-sawn sides of the recycled Oak plank top, giving the table’s front edge an eye-catching rustic detail, with pops of character and contrast. The half-lapped legs are supported by…
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Prospectus Draft
This is it, the big post. Here is the full draft of my prospectus, barring the schedule and citations. It is a long post, so I’ve omitted images for this one. Enjoy! Introduction This capstone will be analyzing Japanese joinery. By synthesizing an understanding of its social and developmental history, as well as a…
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Method Draft
Image: Philip C. Lowe, FineWoodworking.com Working title of project: A Modern Application of Traditional Japanese Joinery CAN SOMETHING SO REFINED AND SPECIALIZED AS JAPANESE JOINERY FIND A NEW NICHE IN A MODERN PREFABRICATION OR MULTIPURPOSE CONTEXT? Theoretical Justification: What is the purpose of this inquiry? At this point, we understand Japanese joinery to be…
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Prospectus Background
Below is my Prospectus Background section. Fair warning, it is long! I may have gone a bit overboard with the theoretical context but I was having too much fun writing the narrative of Japanese joinery. Featured image credit: Tanaka Juuyoh Context: What lenses am I looking through? Japanese joinery is an art form which…
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One Step Further
This week begins “Module Three”. At this stage, I will be producing the actual prospectus document, which will largely encompass the format of my blog posts for the next few weeks. Before drafting up this document, I must first implement the changes after reflecting on feedback and critique. In essence, my plan for executing this…
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Reflecting on Feedback
I made a lot of revisions in response to the individual feedback I received from the preliminary presentation three weeks ago. As a result of this, I ended up switching my planned course for the project in a significant way, and as such I had not fleshed out as many details as perhaps I should…
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Final Proposal
This week, I have finalized my initial proposal to be presented to the Honor’s Committee. Given the feedback I received on my initial idea for a proposal, I have a much more refined update: Firstly, I assert that something has been lost in a furniture, architecture and broad woodworking industry due to the proliferation of…
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Making Decisions
It is time to make decisions. I have floated around with ideas, concepts, and questions, but now it is time to get some things figured out. Of course, nothing here is permanent, but what I establish will set a hard precedent for my actions in the project. This week, I have prepared a presentation to…
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Method
It is time to start thinking about the method by which I will answer my research question. This method is highly informed by the fact that I want to know through what Japanese craftsmanship methods can I improve my own woodworking. In a dream project, this would involve me studying, executing, and implementing these methods…
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A New Direction
After reviewing the subject matter and method of past capstone projects, I have decided to take my project in a more personally interesting direction. Staying with a focus on Japanese woodworking craftsmanship, I would like to focus more on its potential reapplication in modern furniture making. Initially I was simply too focused on a wider…
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Advancing the Question
This week, I looked to extend my research. To do this, I delved specifically into the direction of earthquake resistance, and pagoda strength characteristics. All of this is to answer the question I need to know before proceeding, how have pagodas resisted earthquakes and storms for hundreds of years? What value can this hold for…
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The Ethan Chair
Forty five man hours went in to creating my finest furniture piece to date. I sought to design and build a rocking chair that looks nothing quite like anyone’s ever seen before, while being built entirely of recycled/ salvaged lumber. Meet: The Ethan Chair. Named for my woodworking partner who introduced me to the hobby,…
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Down To One
The time has come to narrow my selection down to one question. For my love of woodworking, and the greater breadth of resources available, I have chosen to advance with the question: “Should traditional woodworking joinery techniques make a return in the architecture and construction industry?” In this question, I plan to approach it from…
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Searching: Revisions & Context
It quickly becomes evident when a pair of eyes other than your own are set on your work, what is clear and what is not. It is easy to assume that something you know or are passionate about is universally understood by your peers. I also find that in sharing my own interests with my…
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The Kellie Cutting Boards
Toward the end of this past Christmas break, I had some time on my hands, and I chose to challenge myself with a woodworking project I have never attempted before. Made of beautiful Walnut boards and sharp bands of Mahogany, The Kellie Cutting Boards were carefully assembled in a series of glue-ups and cross-cuts to…
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Three Questions
Being that this is the first entry in to what will become a year-plus long series of writings documenting my process of developing a Capstone Project, I see it fit to do some introduction. The Capstone project is a design-research synthesis project which “caps” off the Fay Jones Honors College curriculum. Starting with this post,…
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