Kickstarter Pick: Beringer Guitar Museum Aims To Share Five Decades Of Instrument Making

"I'm happy to tell anybody anything that I know," guitar maker Ted Beringer once said. "Most of what I know I got by experience...and a lot of mistakes. I'm willing to help. There should be more of that in this world. Then we wouldn't be in the shape we're in."

That's the kind of positive, collaborative spirit that we gets our motors runnin' at 3rd Ward, so naturally we love virtually everything about the Beringer Guitar Museum. Though Beringer passed away in 2006, his grandson James Bolenbaugh wants to continue sharing his legacy through an online interactive museum showcasing his instruments and the stories behind them. Bolenbaugh has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for hosting and maintaining the online museum for the next ten years, and in exchange for a pledge you can score everything from early beta testing access to the museum to a solid gold guitar pick with your name engraved on it.

Here's Bolenbaugh on what sparked his grandfather's five decades of instrument making:

My grandfather, Ted Beringer, got the idea to build his first guitar in 1950 at the Hilltop Night Club in Billings MT, where he saw a man playing a new design of guitar from Fender called the Stratocaster. He asked to see it, and upon inspection said, "I could build one of these." I imagine his interest was peaked because the instrument was an electric guitar, and his business was Ted's Electric, an electric motor and power tool repair shop.

Beringer went on to build many more guitars and other stringed instruments, never using the same design twice. A few of his creations are below. Check out more on Facebook and help make the Beringer Guitar Museum a reality.

Meanwhile, any 3rd Ward members who want their campaigns featured on our official Kickstarter page, shoot us an email at: partners[at]3rdward.com

-- John Ruscher

Portland's Etchpop On Their Woodblock Printing Innovation and Startup Success

When your Kickstarter campaign raises more than double your original goal, you're probably onto something good. That's what happened with Portland-based startup Etchpop last year, and it's clear why they've been so successful: they have a completely simple, completely amazing idea.

With an official launch scheduled this month, Etchpop is a web-base service that allows you to design and order your own custom laser-etched woodblocks. Whip up whatever design you'd like, submit it to Etchpop and you'll receive a woodblock of that design to make handmade prints as you'd like.

How Etchpop works.Having taken out a small business loan to arm themselves with a Trotec laser (even before they launched their Kickstarter campaign), Etchpop's Marshall Tipton and Chester Lindgren have not been messing around. Already, they've put together a handy starter kit to get you printing, and Etchpop's new website--built by Subtext--promises to offer an easy and simple way to upload your designs and order woodblocks.

After encountering Etchpop's exciting and unique combation of cutting-edge technology and hands-on, DIY craftwork, we couldn't resist getting in touch to find out more. Check out our Q&A below.

3rd Ward's John Ruscher: How did you and Chester come up with the idea for Etchpop?

Etchpop's Marshall Tipton: For as long as we've known each other, we've always been dreaming up ideas for businesses or products that we could bring into world. Chester has always been a bit of the 'mad scientist' type, and myself a little more pragmatic so we compliment each other well. A little over a year ago Chester told me he had access to a laser cutting/engraving machine. The first thing that popped into my head was engraving an image into wood and printing it. I designed a birthday card for my dad and that was when we made our first laser engraved woodblock. The card was a hit. I actually used it for several of my friends and family members who had birthdays around that time. Everyone loved the card. A few weeks later Chester called me late at night, obviously in the midst of another mad scientist brainstorm, proposing the idea of a website where anyone can submit an image to be engraved into wood to make their own woodblock prints. After many months of deliberation and a few empty bottles of whiskey later, we decided to finally 'pull the trigger' on one of our crazy ideas. 

An Etchpop laser-etched woodblock.JR: Did either of you have a background in printmaking?

MT: We both had very little direct experience with printmaking, but we had experienced it vicariously—Chester through his ex-girlfriend who majored in printmaking at PNCA (Pacific Northwest College of Art) and I through my wife who is an artist and my brother who is a graphic designer. However, instead of sitting on the couch in a jealous delirium, we started to nerd out on all things letter-press related, and two years later we feel fantastic.

JR: What has the Etchpop timeline been like?

MT: It's all been alarmingly fast. We came up with the idea in early 2011 and spent a few months ruminating how we might actually get this thing off the ground. By the end of spring, we had decided to turn to Kickstarter and began working on the video in the summer. We posted the video in October, and it's been a blur ever since.

The Etchpop starter kit.JR: What made you decide to use Kickstarter?

MT: We've always been a fan of Kickstarter and we love the platform it provides to help creative entrepreneurs get on their financial feet. It's a great way of finding out if there is a market for a new idea without having to spend a lot of money upfront. We are always emailing each other links to different Kickstarter videos to check out. It's a great source of inspiration to see all the amazing ideas people are funding and watching them come to fruition with the help of the community.

JR: Can you tell us a little about this Trotec laser that you bought?

MT: Trotec lasers are basically the Mercedes Benz in this class of laser machines. They are designed and built in Austria and have Synrad laser tubes that are manufactured in Washington State (just north of us). There are definitely many cheaper options but we wanted a high quality machine that is capable of production day-in and day-out, and Trotec is definitely it. 

The founders of Etchpop.JR: How will the process of ordering a custom woodblock work?

MT: We will have some simple and playful tutorials to help people get their images ready for a woodblock application, but there will definitely be a lot of back and forth to make sure people's blocks turn out the way they should. As Etchpop grows we will be slowly building an image editor that will specifically meet the needs of our customer base, piece by piece as their needs become evident.

JR: Any tips or words of advice for would-be creative entrepreneurs?

MT: Do what you love! We've come up with several business ideas that would have made money, but we just weren't into them all that much and couldn't get behind them. As you will be spending countless hours thinking about it, working on it, designing things for it, returning countless emails about it, redesigning things for it, dealing with unforeseen issues, and redesigning your redesigns, we repeat: you gotta love what you do. These are not complaints by any means; it feels great to overwork ourselves. And even though we've cut all communication with everyone in our lives aside from each other, turning an idea into an actual product is insanely rewarding.

Etchpop woodblocks.The second most important thing when starting a labor of love is to find a good accountant. Almost all businesses are the same when it comes to accounting and these head-shrinkingly boring meetings provide an essential foundation to build upon—which is much easier than trying to remodel the foundation after you've already started building. Forgive the cheesy metaphor but it’s true. It will save you time and money in the future.

Finally, use as many resources you can find, especially when they are free. Go to sba.gov and find a small business development center in your area. There is a lot of free/cheap help out there for people who want to start a new business. Try and find someone in your area that has the same type of machinery you are planning to buy or use, as they may be willing to talk to you, give you tips or suggestions or give you insights on how to get a better price on the machinery. 

JR: Were there any aspects of starting Etchpop that were particularly difficult?

MT: One the most difficult parts has been realizing how much time everything actually takes to get done, if you want to have it done right, that is. We understand that our customers expect professionalism and coherency, so taking the extra thousand hours to perfect a process or idea is definitely worth the time. And although things are moving along somewhat smoothly, we still feel super lucky everyone has been so patient thus far.

JR: Anything else people should know?

MT: Etchpop.com is going live mid-April!

Prints made with an Etchpop woodblock.

-- John Ruscher

New Staff Welcome: Talking Shop With Our New Tech, Matt Mullen

Matt Mullen--3rd Ward's new Shop Tech--has been busy from the start, as he's working on our (if we don't say ourselves) amazing new wood shop. We managed to catch up with him for a few minutes and learned a whole lot more about him.

Check out our Q&A below, in which we talk Mullen talks yachts, rugby, delicious Italian food and--oh right--the new wood shop. 

So what are your duties as the new "Shop Tech"?

This means that I maintain all machines, blades, sanding discs/belts and anything else that is located in our wood shop. I also handle any in-house build outs of cabinets for the shop or 3rd Ward as well. I help education with jig building and prepping materials for classes. This works well as I also teach here. Currently I am teaching the Woodworking 2 // Carcass Joinery class on Sunday nights. 

Where are you originally from?

I was born in NYC and grew up in New Jersey, predominantly in Basking Ridge.

What were you up to before coming to 3rd Ward?

I was living and working in Annapolis, Maryland, building the custom interiors of sports fishing yachts. When I first moved back to Jersey last summer I was working in a custom cabinet shop in Paterson. I also started my own furniture company, Seven36 Fine Woodworking, LLC.

Wow, awesome. So, anything you've seen at 3W so far been you've found particularly inspiring?

Really everything has. I think being a part of the build out of the new wood shop and seeing how much we are going to offer our members is inspiring. It's so easy to create terrific work when you have such an amazing and technologically advanced space to utilize. Having a dedicated educational shop is something that I don't think any other similar shop offers and its such a unique and gratifying experience to share the love and knowledge of woodworking with people who are getting into it for the first time.

Any 3W events that you're especially looking forward to?

The opening of the new pro wood shop!

Haha, of course! Switching gears, when you're not helping redefine 3W's shop, what's your power restaurant (that you want to actually share with us)?

Paul and Jimmy's on 18th and Gramercy. Authentic Italian food and the owner is a good family friend. 

Nice, we're on our way. Here's a tough one: Name your favorite gadget or tool?

This is a tough question. I think right now might be our new 16" jointer in the new pro shop or the Striebig panel saw also in the new pro shop.

Sorry, that's kind of like asking a parent to pick a favorite child, isn't it? Here's an easier one: psychological horror movies or romantic comedies?

Who can pass up a good rom-com. I'll watch Sweet Home Alabama if it's on. 

What's the best thing you've seen in NYC so far in '0-12?

I guess if we're going by the actual calendar year of 2012, then I'd say RJD2 at Webster Hall.

Quick: Name your favorite cocktail.

Bourbon and ginger.

Mmmmm....bourbon and gingerrrrr. So tell us what you do when you're not here working in the shop?

I've been playing rugby since college and continue to play at the men's Division 1 level with the Village Lions RFC. We practice in the Bronx and play home games on Randall's Island. I'm also in a big hot yoga phase right now. Heavily into music and Thursday night comedy on NBC.

Nice. Anything final words you'd like to share with the masses?

Just really glad to be a part of the community that is 3rd Ward and excited to see what new, talented members are going to come in and create with our new wood shop space.

Cheers, sir. Welcome aboard.

-- John Ruscher

Woodworking and Your Appetite Converge: Baker D. Chirico--A Bakery Built Like a Breadbox

Maybe you've heard, but 3rd Ward's got iteslf a Culinary Incubator in the works. Though in the realm of the "very much established," we've got ourselves a woodworking community that'll take on any other woodworking community on the planet (truth, that's an official dare.) So when we came across what you're seeing above, our culinary appetites and woodworking obsessions fused into one--and then we fainted.

Australian architecture firm March Studio has wowed bread lovers and the gluten-free alike with their interior for Baker D. Chirico in Victoria, Australia. To make the most of out the shop's limited street visibility, March Studio wrapped the interior in a sculptural wooden facade that acts as both a striking visual for passersby as well as practical storage for Chirico's freshly baked breads and treats. March drew inspiration from a bread basket, a highly modified bread basket, of course. The long wooden counter serves as a retail space, checkout and chopping board. There's special storage for the knives, pockets to catch crumbs and the scales are set flush into the wood.

The smooth undulations in the overall shape were achieved with a CNC router--all done by hand--a painstaking process that, judging from the intricate plans (see below), must have taken an eternity. According to March Studio, "The varying depths of the shelves and heights of the subtractions [were] meticulously arranged to accommodate long baguettes, large round pagnotta, ficelle loaves and other creations. The variety and expanse of the wall gives freedom to arrange and alter the display according to mood or season."

Yes, we're in heaven.

Meanwhile, work your way up to CNC routed plywood with 3rd Ward's Woodshop Project: Cutting Board.

Westward Ho! Brooklyn's Mark Reigelman Stakes a Tiny Claim in California

Mark Reigelman is an artist who likes to call attention to space, though not "outer space," more like our immediate space. Known both for cloaking a room in a dizzying display of black and white stripes to call our attention to architectural lines, as well as transforming stately buildings with huge, white weather balloons. Now Reigelman has declared his own manifest destiny, a pledge to "intrepidly claim and occupy space, regardless of hazard, existing occupants, inconvenience, daunting odds or common sense. Manifest Destiny! is single-minded in its objective: move West, claim territory, build a home." 

The Brooklyn-based artist went as far West as San Francisco, where he teamed up with local architect Jenny Chapman and engineer Paul Endres to build and install a small house on the side of The Hotel des Arts. A solar panel mounted to the roof powers lights inside (see image below) so you know when someone is home and strangers won't--ya know--rob the place. 

Using a 19th-century architectural style and vintage building materials, the structure is both homage to the romantic spirit of the Western Myth and a commentary on the arrogance of Westward expansion.

Interested in making a man-sized birdhouse of your own? Check out our woodworking and welding classes.

Manifest Destiny! will be up until October 2012.

-- Perrin Drumm

Call For Entries // 12 x 12 Gives A Dozen Designers A Chance To Create Furniture Out Of Reclaimed NYC Wood

Want to build a desk out of Brazilian Ipe, Cumaru and Greenheart from the old Coney Island Boardwalk? Maybe a bookshelf made from Eastern Spruce and Vintage Yellow Pine salvaged from the recently demolished East Village dive Mars Bar? Or how about using the Oak and Cypress vats from Queen's Stock Distillery Co. to craft a nice coffee table? If so, you'll want to throw your hat (or portfolio, in this case) into the ring for 12 x 12, a contemporary furniture design competition organized by the Sawkill Lumber Co. 

12 x 12 will supply twelve furniture designers with reclaimed wood from twelve historical New York City sites. Since we are always professing our love for wood, design, reclaimed materials and NYC, we're excited to be co-sponsoring the competition along with Brooklyn Woods, which provides woodworking and cabinet making training for low-income New Yorkers, and Build-It-Green!, the only NYC nonprofit retail outlet for salvaged and surplus building materials.

The winning designers' furniture pieces will be featured in an exhibition during Design Week in the spring and auctioned off to benefit Brooklyn Woods' woodworking education and job training programs.

You have until January 31 to submit your portfolio. If you're one of the twelve lucky designers, part of NYC history could be arriving on your doorstep by mid-February.

--John Ruscher

BEHIND THE SCENES // Yoav Liberman Gives American Woodworker An Up Close Look At His 3rd Ward Class

Intro To Woodworking earned the top spot in your Top 15 Classes of 2011, and if you're not one of the lucky people who got to enroll last year, you're probably curious about what goes on in the year's most popular class.

Well clearly you're not the only one: American Woodworker (which is to woodworking as Rolling Stone is to pop culture or Sports Illustrated is to pro sports) recently asked 3rd Ward teacher and world-renowned woodworker Yoav Liberman to provide a behind-the-scenes account of the class for the magazine's blog.

Lieberman did just that in a series of six blog posts, describing in detail how his students crafted their own "Shaker-esque step stools," from the initial concept and individual designs to the cuts, grooves and dados and final assembly.

If you have experience in woodworking, you'll likely pick up some tips and insights from the posts. If you're a newbie thinking about giving it a try, the descriptions will give you an in-depth idea of what the class is like. So put on your figurative safety goggles and step into the virtual woodworking shop with Liberman:

Part 1: Shaker step stool: a project for the new comers into woodworking

Part 2: Measure, cut, glue

Part 3: Grooves and Dados

Part 4: Design

Part 5: Dry-assembly and glue up

Part 6: Completed pieces + screws and plugs

-- John Ruscher