Companion Development Update 1: Patterning – August, 2010

We do things a little differently here. There’s no team of consultants, no CAD-drafted design drawings, no R&D budget to speak of. No one punches in dimensions for some laser to spit out perfect shapes.

(Click on any image to enlarge)

Instead, there are two craftsmen. They plane wood, round corners, chisel edges. They work from stained and smudged drawings. Both are highly skilled wood-workers. There’s Dad – with his years of carpentry, furniture making, house and boat building under his belt – and his friend Mark, an extraordinarily skilled traditional boat builder of the old school, and one of the few true pattern-makers still around.

Dad and Mark will often stop and discuss – at length – the pros and cons of a seemingly small adjustment to a minor pattern. Dad stands, immobile, staring at some piece for minutes on end, thinking. He makes design changes as they go along, any time he comes up with a better way of doing something. They talk 1890’s boat design over tea breaks.

So, things take time.

Is it really the development ethic we should be expecting of a forward-moving, agile, and efficient company, in this day and age? No, not really. But that’s a good thing. It’s a Homewood thing.

Mark and Dad are developing an absolutely gorgeous lil’ stove, a real beauty, and it shines with unique personality. It started as a sketch in Dad’s notebook. There’s still plenty to it that only he carries around in his head. It is one person’s vision, and that person has a history of good taste.

When it’s finally ready, the Companion is going to be a stove you’ll want – because of it being made the old way, the slow way, under the loving attention of master craftsmen. It is never going to be something that looks as though it was designed for some corporate focus group, with all the personality of a metal shoebox.

We’ve missed a few deadlines, yes. But every day, we get a little bit closer.

They only have a handful of patterns left to make: the flue collar, the legs, an air control. Dad’ll go over every piece again – and he’ll be careful doing it – they’ll take measurements, relative distances, and make any adjustments as needed for a better fit. All patterns will get a protective coat of paint, then will be sent down to one of our foundries, and a single test model will get cast.

We’ll clean up the castings once they come back, and begin the very first assembly. Dad will be watching carefully, taking note of any potential improvements, or problems, as we manufacture. Once built, that first Companion stove will be sent off for safe clearance testing.

Dad and Mark will make any adjustments to the patterns, and we’ll order our first full production batch, and start taking orders. Mum and I will heave huge sighs of relief, and you’ll start seeing us at shows and field days again.

It might take a while yet, but it’s going to be worth the wait.

Zak, 12th of August, 2010

The Homewood Companion progress:
Companion Development Update 1: Patterning – August, 2010 (this page)
Companion Development Update 2: Casting – February, 2011
Companion Development Update 3: Assembly – April, 2011