The Journey

[Rob Luter]

Like some forum members, I use woodworking as a creative outlet and a means to decompress. My career keeps me engaged quite a bit and the hobby makes for very effective blood pressure medicine. Also like some, I have only a finite amount of time to devote to the production of sawdust, er wood dust. I get a couple hours here and there and can never seem to get much done. That cool project I saw completed in 20 minutes on YouTube takes me six weeks of pecking away. It's always been frustrating.

Today was a pretty frosty day in Northern Indiana and a good opportunity to spend some quality time in the shop. I've been working on a step stool with lots of mortise and tenon joinery. As I started the project I reflected on a Mike Pekovich video I saw that spoke to what it really takes to accomplish hand tool projects. He reinforced that it ain't a quick thing. His quote and my takeaway was "enjoy the journey", and in with respect to this project it made all the difference.

Craftsmanship takes time, at least for a guy like me. I took a methodical approach from the get go. I wasn't building a stool. I was planning a stool. Then I was milling stock. Then I was marking joinery. Then I was cutting the joinery. Then I was fitting parts. Today was adding most of the chamfers, radii, and sanding. Tomorrow should be the glue up. Step by step. Lots of different journeys if you will. None started before the prior journey was complete and the shop cleaned up. It's been a much more relaxing than when I've tried the blitzkrieg process. Almost like therapy. Better results too. I have to be honest and say that impatience has been my downfall too often. The silver lining is that I've become good at fixing mistakes.

So, I just wanted to share a little. I did some good work today. I'll be able to devote a couple more hours tomorrow. Slow and steady wins the race.

[Jim Koepke]

Some of my project have had a steady single minded devotion to get them done.

Many of my bigger projects have been interrupted by other spur of the moment projects.

One recent project of making a simple box was about a week of in and out of the shop. Technically it isn't finished because it hasn't been glued. If it holds together it may never get glued.

Part of my journey is selecting joinery that holds without glue.

jtk

[Frederick Skelly]

Good thoughts Rob. You said it well and eloquently. I agree.

For me, this is a hobby not a vocation. So I'm able to work at whatever pace suits me in that "couple hrs here, couple hours there". Most of the time, I'm taking my time and enjoying the process. Or I can take a side trip and do something else briefly. Today, I set aside the project to make an accessory for my moxon vise. Tomorrow, maybe I'll use it to make a couple drawers. But any way I look at it, if I'm not enjoying it why do it? That's why I still use machines for the heavy lifting - thicknessing and dimensioning. It lets me concentrate on the parts I enjoy or the parts I want to learn.

[Jerry Olexa]

Well said, Rob... I too struggle with impatience but have realized the planning and building (the process) can be enjoyable in itself.
Patience is a virtue but not always easy to acquire

[Derek Cohen]

When considering a complex build, many will say that it is “too hard”. I believe that they really mean that it will take “too long”.

Professional woodworkers work to tight deadlines as they need to get paid. Amateurs, like myself, do not generally have this constraint. But time is time, and when it is limited, such as to weekends or the occasional day, impatience is the enemy. Some seem to expect to be in the zone immediately, and do not factor in transition time. When I walk into the workshop, I will take the time to tidy up a little (generally I do so at the end of time), sharpen the tools that will be used, and go over (visualise yet again) what I intend to do that session.

I want to see progress, but my sights are set on achieving a standard of work rather than quantity. I want to stand back and say, “I can live with that”. I know of fellow amateur woodworkers who eschew some techniques because they consider that they are extra work, and consider their results “good enough”. I am not a perfectionist, but I aim for the sky. I make mistakes, and they need to be corrected. This does not bother me as much as others - while the time taken to do this is an intrusion, there is some pride in a fix well done. I measure my work in how well it has been done, rather than how quickly it is completed.

Think of it this way: when woodworking is about pleasure (what ever type if woodworking gloats your boat), it does not matter whether you are completing or starting a project - because you are woodworking. When you end something, you will just start again. The enjoyment is the journey.

For those who want to complete projects and find what I write pushes their patience buttons, recognise that I work with a goodly speed. I do get projects done, and reasonably quickly. The speed comes from planning and experience with workflow. Less haste and more speed ... Take time to smell the roses.


Regards from Perth

Derek

[Curt Putnam]

I suspect my shop time is very much like a Walter Mitty dream. In that dream, I a, a master and capable of the precision and expertise with hand tools exhibited by Derek Cohen. The reality is that I walk into the shop and see that something needs to be put away. To do so properly requires that I find a home for some other stuff during which process I generally discover something else of immediate interest. While I'm trying to remember what I started out to do, my back will start screaming and I'll sit down to calm it at which point I will discover that mini-square that went AWOL and so, of course, I have to go find that chisel I suspected of being out of square. About this point I will get called for lunch. My wife doesn't understand why I draw a blank when she asks what I've been doing.

[Derek Cohen]

I am guilty of that as well, Curt. There are times when it is enough just to fiddle, tune, sort, tidy ... well, move the mess around :)

It is possible to do this and call it a project :D .... http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Powered%20Tools%20and%20Machinery/RouterTableAdventure.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Curt Putnam]

I am guilty of that as well, Curt. There are times when it is enough just to fiddle, tune, sort, tidy ... well, move the mess around :)

It is possible to do this and call it a project :D .... http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Powered%20Tools%20and%20Machinery/RouterTableAdventure.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

Yes indeedy! Walter Mitty is an accurate description! Mere mortals can only hope. Just keep those builds coming so I can tell my wife that whatever you did is no beyond the realm of possibility. Not telling her the odds.

[Robert Engel]

Woodworking lowers your blood pressure?

[John Keeton]

My woodworking has now spanned over half a century. It has taken many forks in the road that some might call diversions - first was building long rifles, next came rehabbing antique furniture bought at country auctions, then building some Norm Abram type projects, which led to designing and building furniture. A major fork twelve years ago was woodturning and that consumed me until a little over a year ago when I finally undertook Windsor chairs - a lifelong dream.

For many years I was driven by the end result, but I think age brings with it certain changes that make woodworking more satisfying. Yes, it brings limitations in a physical sense. But, it brings a degree of wisdom and experience that changes one’s outlook. Fifty years ago I would and did look at a comb back Windsor as an impossible task. Given my skill set at the time, that was a realistic assessment. Now, I look at each spindle, leg, stretcher, etc. as “the project.” Instead of being pushed by the overall project with only one rush of satisfaction when it is completed, I now have many moments when I stop and feel a sense of “well done.” Granted, being retired does relieve some of the time constraints, but it is much more than that. It is a monumental change in mentality. I only regret that it took so many decades to happen as it sure would have added to the various journeys/forks I took over the years.

[Phil Mueller]

I came to the conclusion some years ago that the real key to good work is patience. Moving at a pace that will ensure reasonably good work. If things get frustrating, just walk away for awhile. We hobbyist have the luxury of time, although we do like to see things completed. There is nothing worse in my mind, than looking over a finished project and thinking I should have spent more time on this or that...or frankly should have started over on a certain piece.

I do find, that while I’m generally pretty patient, the glue ups and pre-finishing can get to me. Waiting several hours, or even days while things cure is taxing.

And I tend to dread the need to take time to make jigs or fixtures to accomplish a certain task on the project.

And, and, I just get stalled when the shop is a mess. I tend to remember my old high school shop class when everything was cleaned up after the day’s work. Still try to practice that these days.

[William Fretwell]

The thoughts on the creation process here are not so different. As you progress or ‘age’ the stages encourage a different approach. Design becomes paramount, difficult becomes interesting, precision becomes normal, wood welcomes you.

Creating something that will be appreciated and survive you by 100 years is the goal, it justifies the thought process, the slow careful work, the repeated toil, good wood in a timeless embrace. The process it’s own reward.

We all ‘potter’. It reminds me what wood I have, the forgotten hardware, jigs I don’t remember building, jigs I wish I had labelled, “stored garbage”, it’s like hitting the re-boot button.

The build process is not infinite, productivity gives satisfaction and sets the table for the next process. Without this there is no process.

[Bill Carey]

The thoughts on the creation process here are not so different. As you progress or ‘age’ the stages encourage a different approach. Design becomes paramount, difficult becomes interesting, precision becomes normal, wood welcomes you.

Creating something that will be appreciated and survive you by 100 years is the goal, it justifies the thought process, the slow careful work, the repeated toil, good wood in a timeless embrace. The process it’s own reward.

We all ‘potter’. It reminds me what wood I have, the forgotten hardware, jigs I don’t remember building, jigs I wish I had labelled, “stored garbage”, it’s like hitting the re-boot button.

The build process is not infinite, productivity gives satisfaction and sets the table for the next process. Without this there is no process.

Extraordinarily well said William!

I learned, 50 years ago, as a trim carpenter on high end homes what for me is the right balance between production - being efficient, using materials wisely, having the right tools, planning - and what I was satisficed producing. While I didn't have a voice in the design of what I was building, I did have a voice in the design of how the pieces went together. I had a voice in presenting what to me was the best feature, whether it was grain pattern, edge treatment, assembly, etc. When we did the millwork for a certain Chicago hockey team's dressing room I removed a small reveal that was of no consequence - simply a designers lack of knowledge of how to end something - that would have been a dirt and dust collector. To this day that small thing gives me pleasure. At the end of the day we all are dissatisfied to some degree or another with some (most?) of the things we build. We learn from this - is it the use of material, or the a certain design flaw that we notice in the final product. We grow and learn. Yesterday for instance, I decided to build a small stand for a picture, and last week I was looking thru some boxes of my daughters grade school papers, came across some of her sheet music and for some reason the clef symbol stayed with me. Thus...
451502 451503
The process of making this small stand afforded me 2 firsts - ways of solving a problem and getting a better result. While building the 2 Morris chairs, I had no such epiphanies about process or design. Go figure. But one of the things I did yielded poor results, as seen here in this thru tenon:
451504

So I can cross that technique off the list. The freedom woodworking gives me is wonderful - I ALWAYS change something during the build, perhaps an unconscious nod to Sun Tzu. There are 2 main rewards for me in woodworking: a well designed process and a well designed and executed thing.

One final thought of no relevance to this thread: the best "little pleasure" I get is going into the shop and turning on all 10 lights - it's like foreplay.

KC by 10.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I think Rob and John K. have it correct.

In general, life is a journey, a marathon, not a sprint.

[Oskar Sedell]

Very true, only get short periods of shop time as well and I have the same mindset. "today morticing", "this evening finish planing", "this time roughing out parts" etc.

I also have the shop in the cellar, with the neighbours above. Meaning I have to put the morticing, chopping, hewing and heavy sawing time slots in daytime, preparing parts which can be silently worked on in the evenings. Step by step preparing the parts and at some point the project is done.

[michael langman]

This is such a good topic you have brought up Rob. And I can so relate to all that is said here.
I have been trying to do some type of wood working since finding this sight in 2009. But living in pain, and the duties of life have taken their toll, and my time is spent more in the mind then the hand.

When I do get a moment in the shop to try to accomplish a project, I find that I cherish that moment more, because it come less and less, as time moves on.

Like Bill, I spend alot of time imagining the different outcomes to a project, in their design and use. Never quite satisfied with my thoughts on the matter.

I have spent the past couple of days making a Norm Abram panel jig, for the tablesaw, just to cut a square piece of plywood for the base of a cushion, in an ottoman for the Mrs. I should have done this years ago but always put it off and grabbed the skilsaw and straightedge to do it. Now I have looked more at the journey and less at getting the job done, and attempted to shrug off the impatience in me.

As my wife says, You are learning all of the things now, to prepare you for your next lifes journey.

[Scott Linge]

Rob, there is no substitute for fine workmanship - and that costs time. Please post the stool stages or finished item, you have my curiosity now!!

[Rob Luter]

I came to the conclusion some years ago that the real key to good work is patience.

Truer words have not been spoken. If I want to screw something up all I have to do is rush the process.


Rob, there is no substitute for fine workmanship - and that costs time. Please post the stool stages or finished item, you have my curiosity now!!

I didn't document the steps, but I should have it finished this week. I'm doing the glue up in stages. There are eight blind M&T joints that I need to glue and pin, and then four through tenons with double wedges I need to set and trim. Next time maybe just use deck screws? :D

[Josh Robinson]

I love threads like this and appreciate all your posts! Most of my life has been spent rushing through work. As I “mature” few things bring me as much pleasure as spending the time in the workshop that it takes to produce, correct or redo work so that the end result is acceptable or even excellent to me and others!

[Scott Linge]

Double wedges? You have earned my total respect. Can't wait to see it!

[Rob Luter]

Double wedges? You have earned my total respect. Can't wait to see it!

They are pretty tough to see. They're cut from similarly grained wood, and they just disappeared. If you look close you can see them in this shot (mid finishing process). Each of the legs has a tenon through the top with two wedges. It's pretty sturdy!

452251

[Jon Barnett]

As I reflect on over 40 years of being involved in woodworking of one sort or another, I can clearly see the changes in my approach to working wood.

When younger, I would be much more "manic" in my approach, ie get an idea during the week, rush home Friday and start that evening, work all weekend in the shop, and have something finished by Monday.

At just over 60, I rarely work at this pace anymore. I also tend to go through "seasons", where I might not do much in the shop other than fix things for a period of months. Then the bug hits, and I am out in the shop every weekend for months. I've learned to live with the ebbs and flows of life, and thoroughly enjoy my shop time now that I am not making a living doing it. Like many of you, I also view my shop itself as an ongoing project, and when I don't have the inspiration to start a piece of furniture, I can be quite content making jigs, fixtures, tools, revising storage spaces, updating dust collection, tinkering with machinery, etc. Having several grandchildren is also opening up new areas of endeavour, as they love to come up to the shop and spend time with grandpa. "Boy, grandpa, you are really good at making things!"

My shop is barely heated above freezing in the winter months when I am not there, so it requires some commitment to get out there in a winter evening knowing it will take the shop 1-2 hours to heat up with the woodstove, so most of the cold weather work takes place on the weekend.

Sometimes I will go down to the shop, pick up a nice piece of hardwood, and take some shavings with multiple planes, just for the heck of it. I usually start with a bit of cleanup, or sharpening, to get in the mood. I don't feel the need to constantly "produce".

To sum up, I am much less short-term goal oriented and much more aware of how doing anything in the shop is very relaxing.

[Meryl Logue]

Excellent thread. As I did my first-ever real build over the course of a year, I just kept reminding myself that this is about growing and learning. Even cutting apart my entire bench top at the glue lines and starting over was done with a smile. I mean… that top was BAD, comically so. Now it’s almost GOOD. And close enough for what it is… a practice piece doubling as a miter saw bench.