S#*t My Son Needs to Hear

S#*! My Dad Says is a popular Twitter feed started by Justin Halpern. It consists of quotes made by Halpern's father, Sam, regarding various subjects. Halpern started the account in August 2009, soon after moving from Los Angeles back to his parents' house in San Diego. He intended it only as a storage site for his 74-year-old father's expletive-laden comments, but a friend posted a link to it. Comedian Rob Corddry then tweeted the link, and it went viral.

Some examples of comments are as follows:

"No. Humans will die out. We're weak. Dinosaurs survived on rotten flesh. You got diarrhea last week from a Wendy's."

"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."

In less than a month the page was mentioned on The Daily Show and a popular San Francisco blog called Laughing Squid. As of October 2010 the feed had over 1,800,000 followers and has been since turned into a popular television show, with William Shatner starring as the father.

I find many of Sam's comments to be hilarious (the television show, less so). In many ways they remind me of my own father and some of the things he'd say - especially when I was younger. But now that I'm older I'm noticing something else too - namely that I'm starting to sound a lot like this myself.

I first learned of S#*! My Dad Says around the time my son Kevin started taking up custom furniture making full time. His decision inspired me to start this blog to help catalogue some advice, and since some of my views are rather caustic I briefly considered calling it "S#*t My Son Needs to Hear". Ultimately I settled on the more politically correct "Musings of a Furniture Maker" .

The purpose of this blog is to share my almost 30 years of experience being a full time studio furniture maker and small business owner. By no means do I consider myself an expert in either field, because along the way I have probably made just about every mistake imaginable. But somehow I've been fortunate enough to survive, and that alone has to be a testament to something - even if it is just pure luck.




This is my son Kevin and when I look at him I see an innocence and youthful optimism that I once had. Somewhere along the way I lost it, and it saddens me to think that this is something I'll probably never get back.

At the same time I also know that the real world isn't the fairy tale "la la land" most of us think is reality when we're younger. I've been screwed over enough to know that the furniture industry alone has more whores per capita than Las Vegas, but I didn't know that when I was 20.




There are times when I come across as a somber prick or a cynical hardass, but it's not without reason. After 30 years of constant battle and war in this line of work I believe I have caught enough proverbial shrapnel in my ass to have earned those stripes. For me this isn't just a hobby - it's what I do for a living.

At the end of the day this blog is ultimately for Kevin, and anyone else who cares to read it. This blog is also for me, because I'm having fun doing this.

"YOU, a published writer?. Internet don't count. Any *sshole can throw shit up on there."

(Thanks, Sam. So true)

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Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. Turns 44 Today

Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. turns 44-years-old today.



The company was founded on January 13, 1967 by my parents Ann and Johan Wiggers. That day also happened to be a Friday. Although some consider Friday the 13th to be unlucky, I guess it's not for everyone.





I spent a great deal of time playing on my Dad's bench while he was still working out of his basement.



The first actual workshop wasn't built until 1968. (Notice the Ford Econoline van parked around the side. Years later that was the first vehicle I learned to drive, complete with three-on-the-tree.)




This is the shop today. It is now approx. 12,000 sq. ft. in size, but still has a number of original tools and machines.



Although he's now retired my father keeps himself active which, in turn, keeps him young.



This coming year will also mark my 30th year as a full time studio furniture maker, and I am amazed how quickly the time has flown.



My son Kevin, who graduated college last year, is just getting started. Although he's only 20-years-old he's already far more skilled and experienced than I was at the same age.



It's great having my father around to teach Kevin things like wood turning and marquetry. Kevin is patient and shows great respect listening to his grandfather.



My blog "Musings of a Furniture Maker" also turns one-year-old this June. I came very close to calling it "S#*t My Son Needs to Hear" , but that will be explained further in tomorrow's post.

It was also 44 years ago today that Time Magazine published the following cover:



Times have certainly changed, but not the chaos.

In the meantime, "Happy Birthday, Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. !"

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Digging Through the Archives

Writing this blog has turned into a bigger exercise than I first imagined.

But, there have been some positive accomplishments along the way.

For one thing, I have finally found the motivation to mine through all my old junk piles and nearly forgotten storage boxes to dig out every daytimer I have every owned - going back to 1982. In the photo below you can see them lined up and organized, for the first time ever, all in the same place at the same time.

For most of the past week I have been busy going back through almost 3 decades of notes, appointments, and names of people and companies we have done business with over the years.

Memories have been jogged, and certain questions with historical reference have been surprisingly answered.

In a situation such as this I am thrilled to have been somewhat of a packrat, because these daytimers have become veritable diaries that have recorded my day-to-day movements and business activities for almost all of my years as a full time studio furniture maker.

In particular I have studied the years 1987 through 1992 to better understand why it took almost 5 years for the stock market crash to fully impact my business.

The unfolding events were rather fascinating, and those stories will be tackled next.

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500 Cabinets

I have just received word from Ray Hemachandra of Lark Books that 3 of my furniture pieces are now officially published in a new book entitled: "500 Cabinets: A Showcase of Design & Craftsmanship".

This is such an incredible honour to be showcased alongside so many exceptionally talented furniture designers and makers.

Juried by John Grew Sheridan, "500 cabinets" showcases the art and craft of fine furniture making with examples of contemporary works from 300 different makers.

Although the actual release date is August 3, 2010 copies of this book can be pre-ordered at online retailers such as Amazon. In the United States the link is here: http://amzn.to/94rXIv

To my understanding the Andiroba Cabinet was one of the pieces selected. In the photos below you can see this design sculpted out of Mottled Tangare, and fitted as a standing humidor.

For those wishing to respect the Cuban embargo, please close your eyes to the Cohibas.

Also featured is the Gentleman's Valet, which was crafted out of a rare sampling of Curly Birds Eye Maple, and inlaid with Makore and Ebony. Using a technique similar to the Andiroba, the outer case is made as 2 seamless half shells that hinge/pivot open to reveal the interior.

The inside of the valet contains 7 drawers plus a pair of doors for storage at the bottom.

The upper drawer has individual compartments to receive wrist watches and even loose change. Slots for fountain pens are located in the center tray.

The third cabinet accepted for publication is our newest creation called Digitaria/Blue Star.

This multi-angular design was inspired by the Wally 118 superyacht, highlighted by the subtle contrast between the polished stainless steel base and the satin black lacquer cabinetry.

In the isometric view the 3-dimensionality of the design is more apparent.

The interior of Digitaria/Blue star is crafted from natural maple plywood. The 4 drawers are dovetailed solid maple, and pop open using Blumotion slides and Blum's pneumatic touch latch system.

This detail view of the upper corner shows how the angles of the multiple surfaces intersect.

The top is bevel back painted glass, set into a recess.

Hopefully you feel inspired enough to pick up a copy of this book, and see examples of furniture arts and crafts at their finest.

If you feel motivated to write a review at Amazon http://amzn.to/94rXIv , by all means please do so.

Positive reviews help with rankings which, in turn, influence sales.

On that note please keep in mind that 5-star reviews are very beneficial, but even 4-star rankings are detrimental.

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The Journey Begins (Pt. 3)

By 1978 my father was busier than ever. His reputation for doing quality work had grown considerably, and his order book was now filled with a variety of custom bars, wall units, and assorted built-in bookcases. He now employed 7 full time and 3 part time employees.

In spite of this he had two serious concerns regarding the business.

First, he was serving a market that was heavily dependent on a large General Motors auto factory located in nearby Oshawa. A strike there some years earlier had illustrated how easily the local market could shut down at a moment's notice.

In addition, he had recently experienced a health scare that made him seriously question whether the business would survive if anything ever happened to him.

These concerns prompted him to develop a line of standardized wall units that could be sold wholesale to Toronto area retailers. I was still attending university as I began to help him develop these products. The resulting collection was heavily Scandinavian in design, thanks largely to an aesthetic that was very much in vogue at the time.

In 1982 the best seller from this collection won a Trillium Award at the Toronto Furniture Show. The photo shown below shows my father (on the left) being presented with this award.

Later that same year a visitor from the U.S. happened to see some of our work, and was impressed enough to recommend us to a friend in Chicago.

This led to our first export sale: to a showroom in the Chicago Merchandise Mart called Charles L. Orr Inc. We soon found our wall units displayed alongside exquisite lines such as Karges, and Cado Royal Systems.

Although I was happy to see us transitioning ever further away from refinishing pianos, I have to admit I felt less than challenged by the inherent simplicity of modular wall unit design.

At this point it was 1983 and I was barely 2 years out of school. I was ambitious, and restless, but couldn't put my finger on what I was looking for.

Little did I know that within a year I would find the inspiration I sought - in Chicago, no less.

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The Journey Begins (Pt. 1)

To understand the history of furniture making in the Wiggers' family it is important to understand the broader historical context of our ancestry.




Our family's roots can be traced back to the small village of Groenlo, Holland which is located in the eastern part of the Netherlands - close to the German border.

Groen translates as green, and Lo means forest, so Groenlo actually means "green forest".

Centuries ago this village was a fortressed settlement known as Grolle, or Grol. The family name Wiggers is indigenous to the area, and it loosely translates as "one who battles".






Perhaps the most recognized product coming out of Groenlo is the world famous Grolsch beer - which is renouned for its traditional swing-top bottle. The Grolsch brewery was founded in 1615, and was located alongside my grandfather Jan's original workshop.

The photo to the right shows my grandfather's workshop, which has since been designated a protected historical site. He made both furniture and wooden shoes out of this location.

During the Second World War my grandfather was also involved with the Dutch Underground, and amongst other things his shop was used as a secret way station to help smuggle shot down allied pilots and navigators back to England.

Wooden shoe making was originally done by hand. However, in the 1920s with the introduction of electricity to the area, my grandfather played an innovative role in helping invent the first machine to automate the wooden shoe making process. The original machine is shown in the photo to the right.

After the war there was a tremendous period of growth and rebuilding, which fueled demand for furniture. My grandfather then went into partnership to form a furniture company known as Thesseling-Wiggers-Groenlo. By the 1950s he closed this facility to move his family overseas to better opportunities in North America.

The photo shown here is of my father Johan at the age of 19, bearing little more than a suitcase and $40. Being the eldest son, and already trained as a cabinet-maker, he was the first to emigrate to Canada.

His first job was in the crating department of a company making equipment for radar and other microwave communications. In his spare time he made furniture in his basement workshop.

The photo shown here was taken in 1961, and it shows me at the age of 2, as I begin my informal apprenticeship with my father.

This photo shows me with my mother Ann, and my soon-to-be-born brother Richard. (As I notice all the sharp tools around me in the photo I can understand why Fisher-Price came out with their line of toy tools some years later).

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