This page is a work in progress.
Check back for more pictures
Here are links to pages which hold current work I participated in while working for
Ed Overbay at Overbay Houseworks.
Kitchens
Countertops
Staircases
Mantles
Entry Doors
Furniture
Pool Tables
Entertainment Centers
Office and Commercial
Shop Pictures
Millwork
Other Work
Each of us can contribute to help make things better for our fellow human beings.
I have since 1974 made a living from working wood.
I feel a responsibility to not waste this resource and to
participate in my trade to the best of my abilities.
To this end I feel it is important to responsibly solve the needs of my clients
while also being responsible to the resources I use.
I feel it is best to only use materials that come from sustainable resources.
When I first started this journey I made a writing table for my Mother.
It was made of Koa and Walnut, Teak and Rosewood.
My Mother used this table for years and since she has now passed
I have the responsibility to keep it in good condition
so it can be passed after I am gone.
This is the best use of the wood I can think of.
Building now to solve a need using skills honed by years
of experience which gives items a life of their own.
This allows for the client to enjoy and pass down for others to enjoy.
This is the best use of the materials and my skills, it is a way to live responsibly.
To this end I have joined the Architectural Woodworkers Institute as an affiliate member.
I also contribute some of my expertise to the Woodworking Career Alliance of North America.
Below are links to sources you may find interesting and informative.
The Architectural Woodworking Institute"(AWI) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1953.
Today, AWI represents nearly 4000 members consisting of architectural woodworkers, suppliers,
design professionals and students from around the world."
I joined this organization to support its work in informing people of quality woodworking.
I realize that joining this Institute does not make me a better woodworker,
but it does place a standard to which quality work can be compaired internationally."
The Woodworking Career Alliance of North America. "is an organization that is providing
information to access skill levels to a verifyable standard."
Fine Woodworking Magazine was first published back in the early 1970"s.
I used to wait for every issue and read it cover to cover. I especially liked the back cover where
there was always something interesting to view and inspire. Subscribing gives you access to the archives,
much can be learned for less than $40.00 per year. Another magazine also published by Taunton Press is Fine HomeBuilding
another $40.00 gets you the archives of this monthly. I cannot recommend both of these more!
"The National Institute of Building Sciences is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that successfully brings together representatives
of government, the professions, industry, labor and consumer interests, and regulatory agencies to focus on the identification and resolution of problems
and potential problems that hamper the construction of safe, affordable structures for housing, commerce and industry throughout the United States.
Authorized by the U.S. Congress, the Institute provides an authoritative source and a unique opportunity for free and candid discussion among
private and public sectors within the built environment. The Institute's mission to serve the public interest is accomplished by supporting
advances in building sciences and technologies for the purpose of improving the performance of our nation's buildings while reducing waste
and conserving energy and resources."
There are two publications that the contractor may find interesting.
They include articles on how to best build and protect a building from moisture and the environment.
I copied the following from their site. "Journal of Building Enclosure Design (JBED)
An official publication of the Building Enclosure Technology and Environment
Council (BETEC) of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS)
The Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC) established a relationship with Matrix Group Publishing
in the production of the Journal of Building Enclosure Design—the premier publication for research and development on
building enclosure systems for North America. Download issues and subscribe.
Journal of Building Information Modeling (JBIM)
An official publication of the National BIM Standard (NBIMS) and the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS)
The National BIM Standard and the National Institute of Building Sciences established a relationship with Matrix Group Publishing
in the production of the Journal of Building Information Modeling, an essential information source on business, standards and
technical issues related to BIM. Download issues and subscribe.
"The Green Building Certification Institute GBCI, established in January 2008,
provides third-party project certification and professional credentials recognizing excellence in green building
performance and practice. Learn more about GBCI."
Some portions of the above material has been copied from the originating web site.
I have attempted to mark this area with quotes.
The links will lead one to the area where this material originated.
This was done to help inform anyone viewing these pages and lead them to the originating site.
I am not attempting to violate any copyright laws,
if one has a concern please e-mail me at dalefv@k-com.net
Thank you!
Below are some pictures of work I have completed over the years."
All pictures on this site are copyright all rights reserved.
These pictures cannot be copied or used without express
written permission of the Photographer.
I will note who this is under each photo.
Photo by Paul Victor
My Mother wanted me to make her a table to practice caligraphy.
This table design was based on one George Krenov pictured in one of his books.
I thought I improved the functioning a little in making it fit the tools
my Mother wanted to use.
The large lip allowed the sliding of another board upon which the caligraphy work was placed.
Thus my mother moved the work instead of herself.
I learned much on this project as it was my first large projects attempted.
The main panels are solid Koa,
the legs American Walnut, the drawer sides are Teak and the sliders Rosewood.
The drawer will slide out either end of the table and the top
has stops allowing different angles for the working surface.
This was a lower grade of Koa so the grain is wild
and there are knots in most of the planks.
I filled the knots with fiberglass resin
which has turned purple over it's thirty years.
I now have possession of the table as my Mother has passed.
The table is now used as a desk for viewing plans.
The main joiner is dowel construction, the drawer is hand dovetailed.
The top is allowed to raise by virtue of a piano hinge.
Photo by Richard Brown
This is a cherry dining room table I also made for my Mother.
This was tricky as I decided to do a triple miter joint
for the leg/skirt/top joint.
I worked in a shop where we had a Bridgeport style mill.
This machine allowed one to work with precision.
I learned that you have to plan for a place for the glue to go. It does take up space.
After 27 years the joints are still as tight as the day they were made.
After My Mother passed there was little discussion as to where it would reside.
I would have to get it out of the house while my brother held the other end firmly to the floor.
It now resides proudly with my Brother.
Photo by Richard Brown
This table was made for a friend. Mark wanted a table
that could easily hold place settings for 6.
He also wanted it to be portable, sturdy, stylish,
and able to function properly even though the house they lived in
was not heated when they were not there.
This table had to be made so the wood could move
a lot and still hold together.
I was a challenge, but I think we successfully accomplished the task.
I designed the cherry table and most of the work was done by my business partner at the time, Terry Anderson.
Last I heard the top joints are still tight between
the top inside panels and the outside frame.
The wood moves about a quarter of an inch per year.
It now resides in a heated house.
Photographer not known
This was one of the first Projects that involved working for a general contractor.
All we were told was that the walls and columns needed
to be trimed in Mahogany to certain specifications.
Terry and I learned much about bending
wood and installing it on curved surfaces.
The outside curves were easy as we could scribe the joints
together and keep the continuity going.
The inside curves were a nightmare as we
almost had to guess at the length and positions of the joints.
We finally decided that the inside pieces had to be made
so there was no tension in them, allowing for us to place them
exactly where they were going to go before making any cuts.
There was no putty used in this installation by us.
The general contractor was amazed by the work.
Also I have to note that Barbara Standard helped with this project.
Terry had the chance to go to Greece for a month.
He could not say no, and I could not have stopped him anyway.
Photo by Owen Carey
Terry and I decided to go on our separate ways, after 8 years
which actually ment I would move down two bench spaces
in the shop where we rented space.
I took over another woodworkers space and
continued with my new spouce, Kate.
Kate and I helped to design this room for a client.
This room was our fist venture in working with Interior Designers.
Photo by Owen Carey
Besides the office above we also designed and built this fireplace surround for the same client.
This was one of the first projects we worked on where paint would be used.
We learned that having a project painted is much more work
than doing the project in a wood where a clear finish is used.
Paint looks bad uness it is on a perfectly flat surface,
any imperfection shows big time.
With clear finishes there is a grain and a texture inherent in the wood used.
The nature of the detail work is different. The end result is different.
Photo by Owen Carey
One of our favorite clients had us design and build this bookcase-entertainment center.
We reused the crown molding at the ceiling.
While installing the top fascia and crown Iost one of my
favorite hammers in one of the columns.
The client saw me do this and I decided that it was a good resting place.
It had given many years of service and it disappeared in action.
It is still there today!
I still miss it as it felt like it was part of me when I used it.
Photo by Owen Carey
Over the years I have probably repaired two thousand chairs
But I had never build one from scratch.
A lot of thought went into these chairs.
Kate and I built 8 of them to go with the table two frames down.
Photo by Owen Carey
All joints are mortise and tenon, even the little blocks in the back
have 1/8 inch thick tenons.
They were so confortable that the owners took over a year
to find the right cushion material and the right fabric for the seats.
They were used every day while sitting on the plywood planks the cushion would be placed upon.
Photo by Owen Carey
This table is 7 feet long and opens to accept a 24" leaf.
This is probably one of the only tables that opens and
has the wood going the length of the table.
This posed a problem.
Does the grain in the leaf match the rest of the wood
in the table when it is at full length?
This happens about twice a year.
Or does the grain match when it is closed?
The decision was made to match the wood without the leaf
and make the leaf grain go 90 degrees to the rest of the table.
The leaf was made a little larger then the width of the table and the edges were beveled.
We played with the idea of carving a relief in the center
of the leaf and placing it in a frame on the wall.
Thus making it a functional art piece of its own.
Photo by Owen Carey
All the jointery in this table are mortise and tenon.
You can see the upright members protrude through the skirt of the table.
The skirt remains as you see it when the top extends
over the skirt to accept the leaf.
Photo by Owen Carey
Kate and I designed and made two of these cabinets.
They were to house a television and a stereo system separately
The drawers were to store tapes and CD's.
The cherry was a joy to use and these photographs showed what Owen could do.
He is probably the best furniture photographer of the many I have seen.
Photo by Owen Carey
I really like the lines of these cabinets.
I used the design as a starting place for other projects.
Photo by Owen Carey
This client was a joy and a challenge.
At the first meeting I developed a list of the items the room had to contain.
After 4 days I realized that there was no way it could be done.
Then as many ideas come in the shower,
a solution revealed itself.
This room contains the entrance to a hidden room.
This idea sold the project.
Photo by Owen Carey
We were called back to add more to the room.
And to do more work in the rest of the house.
Photo by Owen Carey
Kate and I designed and build this armoire and bed.
The bed frame was the first project I worked on where a
3 dimensional bend was to be made.
It was a challenge.
The Armoire is made in the traditional French manner.
It comes apart into pieces for easy moving.
We were able to purchase 4 boards of Hondauras Mahogany for this project.
All the grain is matched horizontally and vertically.
For several years Kate and I rented space from a French Furniture Importer.
We gained experience repairing many of the three containers filled with
furniture brought over from France every year.
Coping the definitely hand made mouldings was a challenge.
All of the furniture was hand made and of a high quality.
I learned much about hand work and traditional French furniture construction.
Photo by Owen Carey
Everything in the armoire was specially designed for it.
The molding around each of the panels has two parts
and the front piece took 3 shaper setting to produce.
I wanted a 3 dimensional profile that was made from the
front and two sides each having a profile cut into them.
Though regular router and shaper cutter profiles were used to produce the profiles
they do not look at first glance to be made this way.
Luckily I had a shaper which had a tilting spindle.
These profiles could not have been made without one.
I wanted the complex look as this was to be a piece of
furniture which would be passed through generations.
Photo by Owen Carey
I enjoyed turning these posts for this project.
each is removable when the armoire comes apart.
Yet they remain tightly positioned.
Photo by Dale F. Victor
This is part of my work area at Overbay Houseworks.
Definitely having had a shop of ones own and being a tool hound helps.
If you have any questions about any of the equipment, e-mail me.
One item I would like to mention is the router
that is mounted to the table saw.
It is a Triton and it is a joy to use.
Any bit can be changed in less than 20 seconds.
It is actually made to be under a table.
It is adjustable to 1/128 of an inch.
It is designed to be safe as the switch is covered by a sliding plate.
As soon as the router is turned off the switch is covered
so effort is needed to turn it on again.
This may sound like a hastle but I assure you it is not.
I highly recommend these tools.
It would be worth twice its price.
I will be getting another in the near future.
Links to other sites.
Woodworking Suppliers and Machinery Vendors
Computer Software and Woodworking