Been a long time comin’

[Michael Bulatowicz]

I seem to have finally reached a reasonable level of sawing skill, 7 years into using hand tools. It didn’t help that I don’t have much time for woodworking (near full time job plus full time grad student and father of two young children). If I can do it, so can you!

That said, I’m happy with my first-in-several-months dovetail joint, straight off the saw (and chiseling out the waste). It’s in pine, so take that for what it’s worth.

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I keep improving and it’s always gratifying to observe my progress.

This is going to be a simple shelf platform in my shop area to increase usable space; some stuff will sit on top and some underneath. Why did I use this many tails and pins? It gave me an opportunity to practice and improve my skills.

[Thomas Wilson]

Would also make a dandy shoe rack in the mud room. Does this mean the dissertation is finished?

[Michael Bulatowicz]

Almost there; most likely by this coming Spring. My advisor commented over a year ago now, “It’s abundantly clear you’re ready to graduate, and as much as I’d love to keep you around it’s time for you to move on.” I have another couple of papers to publish, which will become the bases of chapters in my dissertation, and then I’ll start writing in earnest.

[Michael Bulatowicz]

. . . And here’s the other side, again off the saw/chiseling out the waste.

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It’ll do just fine as a shelf platform.

[Jim Koepke]

Looks good Michael.

Pine can be a pain to work. The chisel has to be sharp to pare it well. Pine can swell, shrink or warp after tails or pins are cut or even just if it feels like it.

jtk

[Michael Bulatowicz]

Looks good Michael.

Pine can be a pain to work. The chisel has to be sharp to pare it well. Pine can swell, shrink or warp after tails or pins are cut or even just if it feels like it.

jtk

Thanks for the kind words, Jim. I agree that pine has its quirks, especially soft pine that’s quite dry like this stuff. Sharp tools are a must (though I would argue that’s a universal truth in hand tool woodworking, regardless of the wood).

[Mark Rainey]

Exquisite Michael...you can't get any better.

[Derek Cohen]

Michael, you are ready for graduation :)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Michael Bulatowicz]

Exquisite Michael...you can't get any better.

Thanks, Mark.

They’re certainly not perfect and would have been more challenging in a less-compressible wood (from a sawing perspective—chiseling, less so) but I’m still happy to see that I continue to improve my skills in spite of my limited shop time rather than backsliding too much between chances to get out into the shop. As I said, if I can reach this point with my time limitations, anyone else should be able to do so as well.

I can get better, and I’m determined to do so.

[Scott Winners]

Looks great Michael. I agree with Jim K that pine is tricky - because the spring would and the summer wood have different properties (density, strength, whatever); pine is tricky to saw with the grain and tricky to chisel as well. At this level of proficiency in pine I can hardly wait to see what you can do with dovetailing cherry.

[Michael Bulatowicz]

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words. I look forward to getting significantly more shop time in the not-too-distant future—maybe it’ll be worthwhile to post a build thread at some point thereafter.