Tag Archives: woodworking

what does your indoor range look like?

13 August, 2014


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These photos show the archery hall (more specifically, kyūdo hall) built by FT Architects for Kogakuin University at their campus in west Tokyo last year. The brief was to build a inspiring venue with 100m² of uninterrupted, column-free floor space, using locally sourced timber.

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The roof is constructed of Japanese cyprus, a timber latticework with straight mortise and tenon joints using furniture-grade wood in a meticulous arrangement. According to the architects:

We have salvaged the purity of standard Japanese timber composition, just made up of horizontals and verticals, which has been somewhat disregarded ever considering that the advent of modernism in Japan.

(although *really* traditional Japanese woodworking doesn’t use any nuts and bolts at all, as I understand)

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The very light but strong design seems particularly appropriate to the intended use. Whether by accident or design. the ends of the vertical and diagonal beams are split in a manner reminiscent of arrow nocks. If that was the intention, this wouldn’t be the first purpose-built archery building to do this; the Sydney Olympic Archery Centre has nock motifs on the upper end of the roof beams:

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Photo by Peter Miller

The same firm also built a boxing hall on the same campus, using similar materials but in an appropriately more brutal, weighty style:

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It’s very rare that archers in the west  – or any sportspeople, frankly – get to train in such inspiring purpose-built spaces like these. Yeah, I’m jealous.

(Pics and information via http://www.archivitamins.com/)

arrows pt. 21

18 December, 2012

Poor Folk Bows is the journal of Sam Harper and his quest to build his own bows –  and to teach other people how in the process. There’s lots of goodness here, but I particularly enjoyed his arrow build-along.

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His writing is shot through with warmth and humour. I’d like to try some of his builds someday, although my woodworking skills are basically non-existent. I am always, always impressed by people who have the chops to do things like this. Looking forward to more from him at some point.

If you enjoy this kind of woodworking p*rn, there’s a website called TDPRI about Fender Telecaster guitars where they have a competition every year to build a guitar for $210. Some of the build-alongs are absolutely staggering: this one is a particular favourite.