A skills sampler

[Joe Unni]

Was waiting around for the finish to dry the other day and just started messing around on an old yellow birch glue-up that landed in the scrap bin about a 1 1/2 years ago.

Here's what I came up with:

The sampler itself
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Padauk inlay via router and straight edge
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Purple heart dutchman via router and chisel cleanup (not real crazy about this) :o
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Kind of organic shapes like grass. Penciled in then chipped out with 1/4" and 1/2" chisels.
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Inset diamond beading - pencil layout and chisels
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Just thought you'd like to see.

-joe

[Jim Becker]

Good example of a useful exercise...I wish I had the time or could make the time to do something similar to learn!

[Mark Singer]

These are really good! I used to make every joint in different ways to practice....it gives you a lot of options when your building furniture and your not experimenting....you've done it before!

[John Schreiber]

Very nice. Isn't amazing what you can do with a chisel. I'm especially impressed with the diamond beading. I find it really hard to keep consistent.

[Joe Unni]

Thanks for your input.

One of the things I enjoyed while messing around with this is how more and more easily new techniques are coming to me. My guess its just by being comfortable with my tools and getting them to do things on a daily basis.

I've also discovered through time is that you can read books and magazines until you're purple, but nothing happens unless you actually work the techniques. Make mistakes and work it some more. Its only then when you can really start to apply what you read.

The age old question...How do you get to Carnagie Hall??


PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE



To me, this is one of the things that makes woodworking fun.

Thanks again,
-joe

[Mark Singer]

Joe,
I did a lot of practicing and it helps, but I have a lot of trouble doing my very best work on a practice piece.....to really get mentally prepared to do my best work it needs to be on a real project where it is giong to really show and be seen. I can make decent "warm up" dovetails....but I never really have my heart in them unless it is for a real drawer with the actual materials. At that point you know its all on the line....a joint that is just a little off will ruin the whole piece....so actually making a table, case or some piece will bring out your best. Once you know what your best is, then you know what to expect from yourself on each new aspect of that and other pieces. It sets your own bar and from that , you don't expect less...that bit of pressure hones your skills finer. One thing in my mind is always, "If I screw this joint up, I will have to throw the pieces out and start over" If it is a 5 pin dovetail joint you have at least 10 opportunities to mess it up:rolleyes: One for each pin and one for each tail....it brings out your best

[Joe Unni]

...it brings out your best

Agreed!

In the same vain as sky diving...

The excitement of completing a particular task perfectly knowing all the while that you're one goof away from firewood, is a gas!

[Greg Cole]

Mark makes a great point about challenges bring out the best in a persons ability. If you've got "it" in you, then the situation will bring "it" out. Granted this doesn't work for everyone, but those that it does work for will always be their best when it matters the most.... be it in a sport, a hobby, on the job..... (oddly enough I learned about being the best when it matters most from a hockey player).
My first few attempts at hand chopping mortises and cutting tenons were miserable. I was SO excited about the arrival of my mortise chisels I HAD to try them. After about an hour, I felt as though I was making myself try too hard for "nothing", other than a pile of chips and a couple joints that were ugly. It's hard for me to put heart n soul in something that started as scrap, never mind what it will end up as.
I decided to plow into a coffee table with through tenons and the final product was 100X's better than the practice.
Practice doesn't make perfection for me, but it does allow me to try and fail but most importantly LEARN.

[Roy Wall]

Joe,

A good topic to bring up! Excellent advice by all.......

Skills must be stored in the TOOL BOX also.......I have a long way to go. It is a journey for sure.......

I hope my best skills can keep covering my mistakes!:o :confused: :)