Un Trabajo Feliz—A heck of a video

[Barry Dima]

Just wanted to share an awesome video that popped up in a Facebook group I'm a part of.


https://vimeo.com/78118343

[Joe Bailey]

thanks for this -- it beats watching TV

[Patrick Chase]

thanks for this -- it beats watching TV

I think that the start can only be described as "sharpening porn". To wit:

- Closeups of the in-and-out action
- Multi-angle shots of the performer (it's a solo act)
- Over-mic'ed sounds of the act
- He takes his blade to one glistening...after another
- Gratification-by-repetition

All it's missing is shaving!

I'm actually halfway serious - whoever made this knew where they were getting their production values. You can't possibly be that good/experienced as a videographer and make something like that by accident. It's sort of like the Food Network (http://www.onthemedia.org/story/129053-pornucopia/transcript/) that way (the link is to a piece from NPR's "On the Media". Here's a better link to the original Harper's piece: http://harpers.org/archive/2005/10/debbie-does-salad/1/)

[Jerry Thompson]

That is one of the best videos I have ever seen. I don't know about the rest of you but it was relaxing for me to watch.
Thank you so much.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Argh! the video isn't working. After all the build-up, of reading the other comments in this thread....

[David Wong]

Argh! the video isn't working. After all the build-up, of reading the other comments in this thread....

Try this one (https://vimeo.com/78118343), which is directly to the Vimeo site.

[Brian Holcombe]

Great video, I really enjoyed. Beautiful results as well!

[Joe Tilson]

Very nice indeed. Just to have the space to work like that would be a real blessing.
Great craftsmanship. Very enjoyable.

[Jeff Ranck]

I found it very interesting. It would be great to know how long the build took.

[David Eisenhauer]

Wasn't there another similar video we saw last year? earlier this year? I believe it was in a Spanish workshop and was similar quality video and sound. Same slow motion very close up look at the sharpening swarf swirling around. Maybe the same video guy? At any rate, was a very enjoyable watch. ECE got a little plug, didn't they?

[Shawn Pixley]

It was furniture making porn all right.

[Steve Voigt]

Thanks for posting. I was very interested in his technique of using a straight edge to mark the high spots on the board before flattening. I will have to try that.

Does anyone know what brand marking gauge he was using around the 7-minute mark?

[Jim Koepke]

Finally had time to watch it in full. Thanks for sharing.

While looking at this a good reason for doing pins first came to me. In the video he did it this way with half blinds. I am normally a tails first dovetailer. Maybe the next few times will be done pins first just to see how it goes.

jtk

[David Wong]

Does anyone know what brand marking gauge he was using around the 7-minute mark?

I think the brand name is Yūbi-dō (優美堂). Here is a link (http://www2.odn.ne.jp/mandaraya/yuubi-kama-dai.html). You can buy a replacement knurled knob, instead of the wing nut.

I have one. The quality of the blade is not as nice as the Matsui gauge, but it was 1/3 the cost. The blade is bent to 90 degrees. On the Matsui gauge, the blade is machined at 90 degrees.

[Ron Patrick]

I thought that it is an excellent video, and several thing caught my eye. The first was that the only tool in his shop which had a cord was a Tormek, the next was how few tools he used to produce such good work, and that the only metal plane he used looked to be a LV bevel up smoother. There were many other subtle things things that I found interesting, which, to me, make it a very interesting video.

[Steve Voigt]

I think the brand name is Yūbi-dō (優美堂). Here is a link (http://www2.odn.ne.jp/mandaraya/yuubi-kama-dai.html). You can buy a replacement knurled knob, instead of the wing nut.

I have one. The quality of the blade is not as nice as the Matsui gauge, but it was 1/3 the cost. The blade is bent to 90 degrees. On the Matsui gauge, the blade is machined at 90 degrees.


Thanks for the link and the info, David.

[george wilson]

That is what we would call a Pembroke table.

It is curious that they have such a huge workshop and no power tools ! Makes me wonder how they manage to make a living. The workman really knows how to maintain very accurate angles when honing. Also when sawing,etc. That is good to see. No saw jamming or other inept looking moves. Every move showed that this guy really knows how to use his tools.

I was surprised that he only used wax as a finish.

If I may,do not make the edge of the rule joint so thin. It needs to be left thicker,or the 1/8" thick edge may crack eventually if the wood moves a bit,rubs,and the leaves are opened and closed. While a large radius looks good on a drop leaf table,in reality it is subject to cracking when the inevitable shrinking or swelling of the wood happens. Very often though,this rule joint is made in exactly the same sort of proportions. I always made mine about 1/4" thick. Less graceful,but much safer in the long run.

[Robert McNaull]

Wasn't there another similar video we saw last year? earlier this year? I believe it was in a Spanish workshop and was similar quality video and sound. Same slow motion very close up look at the sharpening swarf swirling around. Maybe the same video guy? At any rate, was a very enjoyable watch. ECE got a little plug, didn't they?

David- you are correct. I remember watching the same guy before. Still very refreshing to see, not sure but I think the last video I saw of this guy was a similar build but a round table.

[Warren Mickley]

That is what we would call a Pembroke table.

It is curious that they have such a huge workshop and no power tools ! Makes me wonder how they manage to make a living. The workman really knows how to maintain very accurate angles when honing. Also when sawing,etc. That is good to see. No saw jamming or other inept looking moves. Every move showed that this guy really knows how to use his tools.

I was surprised that he only used wax as a finish.

If I may,do not make the edge of the rule joint so thin. It needs to be left thicker,or the 1/8" thick edge may crack eventually if the wood moves a bit,rubs,and the leaves are opened and closed. While a large radius looks good on a drop leaf table,in reality it is subject to cracking when the inevitable shrinking or swelling of the wood happens. Very often though,this rule joint is made in exactly the same sort of proportions. I always made mine about 1/4" thick. Less graceful,but much safer in the long run.

I think the video was staged. My hunch is that he rolled his power tools into another room. As you say, George, the room is awfully big and bare for just hand work. The sharpening table, the clamp rack and another table are on rollers, common in machine shops , not in hand shops. The table he uses for sanding shakes like the dickens.

He uses a new looking drill to make holes while an electric drill press sits idly by. He has a mallet that is so new it still has a pristine paper label on the handle. He appears to have little concept of how to mortise by hand; check out the angle he holds the chisel. Like it is his third mortise, not his 3000th.

I think he is a good craftsman and the video is well done, but I don't think it a faithful representation of how he actually works.

[Mel Fulks]

Good points,Gentlemen. Much more sophisticated presentation than the MDF cabinet door ads with wood chips and chisels
carefully casually placed on them.

[Simon MacGowen]

I think the video was staged.
I think he is a good craftsman and the video is well done, but I don't think it a faithful representation of how he actually works.

I agree. You can see the Festool track on the column and many tools commonly found in a power tool shop on the wall; a dedicated handtool furniture maker would not rely on so much sanding either.

Simon

[Tom M King]

I thought the same thing that Warren is saying, but didn't say anything since it seems to have been so thoroughly enjoyed here.

[John Kananis]

I enjoyed the video and the gentleman surely knew what he was doing - that said, he had a bit of an iron grip on that bow-saw (not to mention a hard time starting the cut).

EDit: Not that I fancy myself a master woodworker by any means.

[george wilson]

I still thought the craftsman knew very well how to use his hand tools. There was none of the wiggle-waggle with the saw. He maintained exactly the same angle when honing his tools. He produced nice flat bevels on them,not rounded over ones.

My comment about the rule joint on the drop leaves was not meant to deprecate his skill with tools. Just a correct,but perhaps not well known fact about making rule joints less liable to crack. Look at correctly made 18th. C. furniture,and you will notice most of the time that the edge of the rule joint is made thicker,and the convex rounded part of the joint(The male part,if you will),will have a considerably smaller radius to it. Not as attractive as the joint he made,but a lot more likely to survive for many years without the thin leading edge cracking.

By the way,I did not recall any kind of joinery to make the 2 boards' of the table top's joint stronger. He just glued them together. Is my memory correct? The method of attaching the table top to the apron allowed for no movement in the width of the table top. i use traditional buttons set into grooves around the inside of the apron to allow for seasonal movement. But,now I forget,did the drawer fit right up against the top of the table,allowing no space for buttons?

[Bill Adamsen]

Refreshing and inspirational. I spend far more time standing around thinking. And putting on and off hearing protection.

[george wilson]

Nothing wrong with standing around and thinking if it keeps you from a massive foul up!!!:) And,possible waste of valuable materials.

I asked the owner of the local Woodcraft why the wood costs more than the machines! He agreed!

[Jeff Ranck]

... The first was that the only tool in his shop which had a cord was a Tormek, ....

Thought I saw a drill press in there. I thought it was an interesting choice for a corded tool and wondered if I only had one, what it would be.

[Mike Brady]

I thought it was curious that he was making what looked to be a Shaker drop-leaf table in Spain. Shaker certainly works well with many other style and eras, but I didn't know it had international influence.

He bought as lot of wood for that little table! Maybe he's doing a batch run of them.

[Pat Barry]

Fabulous video. Thanks for posting. Its always nice to see a master doing his work.

Edit - title translation is "A happy job"

[Andrey Kharitonkin]

I asked the owner of the local Woodcraft why the wood costs more than the machines! He agreed!
Sure! He wants to sell machines and tools for higher price, hehe. Not make wood cheaper. Neat joke, if it was one :D


Nice video, I agree, a lot to see.