As a designer/maker of contemporary wooden furniture – my favourite material for my work is, not surprisingly, wood. More precisely where I use a windblown or dead tree that has some meaning to my customer. A recent example being a dead tree from a customer’s garden that they climbed as a child and hoped that their children would be able to do the same. I designed a pair of heirloom boxes, one for each of the two children to store items of meaning as they grow up.
What are your favourite materials to work with and why?
As a designer/maker of contemporary wooden furniture – my favourite material for my work is, not surprisingly, wood. More precisely where I use a windblown or dead tree that has some meaning to my customer. A recent example being a dead tree from a customer’s garden that they climbed as a child and hoped that their children would be able to do the same. I designed a pair of heirloom boxes, one for each of the two children to store items of meaning as they grow up.
What is the one item in your workshop that you couldn’t live without?
That’s a hard question to answer. For any handmade piece, there is a surprising amount of machinery involved so my favourite machine is my Lazzari panel saw. Designed primarily to precisely cut board material it is equally at home, and gets used more frequently, to saw solid timber – anything from initial rough cutting to machining of joints all to 0.1mm. My favourite hand tool would be a dead heat between my Moore and Wright dial calipers for precision measuring, and my number 6 Clifton jack plane fitted with a Veritas pmv iron for precision hand planing. As for my least favourite that would be my computer – as I’m far from keen on admin or social media – although both of these are a vital part of any business today.
Is there a particular technique you enjoy using in your work?
I particularly enjoy evolving new techniques for making joints and how they are designed – quite often the little design quirks that are hidden within my pieces of furniture giving the uniquely Daniel Lacey touch. It is especially satisfying if a joint involves precisely paring a surface to fit with a razor sharp and perfectly flat chisel.
Is there a piece you’ve always wanted to make but haven’t got around to yet?
There are far too many designs in my head, enough for several lifetimes worth of furniture making, to pick an all-time favourite. The design that has revolved around my head most often in the last year or so is a large round dining table with the top made from the crotch wood of the 5300 year old Solway bog oak that I was privileged to get my hands on a couple of years ago. It will have to wait for a customer with deep enough pockets though!
When you’re not making furniture, how do you like to spend your time?
You tend to find me in my workshop studio 7 days a week – and of course that is because working with wood is more than my job – it’s my hobby and my way of life. My voluntary work with local charity Langholm Initiative is an important part of my life, particularly helping with the educational and environmental projects that they run. Away from that, I am surrounded by glorious countryside to enjoy, I have a house (part of what was once Langholm Whisky distillery) and garden that is in definite need of restoration and refurbishment.
Quote (more for you to check things work than really to use)
SFMA – our own ‘Support Bubble’ for Scottish furniture makers !
Back to Members' Journal
