Journal
Shop papers and field notes.
Material physics, fabrication engineering, and what it actually takes to fit modern millwork into a historic Chicago room.
1 Engineering
Why We Knock Down: Engineering Large Tables for Walk-Ups
A deep dive into mechanical steel-to-timber fasteners that allow a 10-foot dining top to clear a 30-inch staircase without sacrificing structural stiffness.
2 Material Study
Quarter-Sawn vs. Rift-Sawn White Oak: Stability in Midwest Humidity
Analyzing annual expansion rates in Chicago lakefront apartments and why grain orientation dictates internal frame joinery.
3 Shop Notes
The Scribe Line: How to Fit Modern Millwork Against 19th-Century Plaster
Techniques for invisible edge scribing without bulky quarter-round molding or caulked seams.
4 Finishing notes
Danish soap finish, and why a reversible coat wins
Polyurethane seals the warmth out of oak. Traditional vegetable soap flakes leave a breathable barrier you can refresh in ten minutes on one panel, with no fumes and no sanding.
Dispatches
Two or three notes a year.
We write when a drawing package or a major commission is finished. Nothing else goes out.