Am I a woodworker?

[Mike Cary]

And now introducing, me...(Pause for applause)

Hello, long time listener, first time caller, big fan. I'm new, I of course became a contributor. I believe that things of value are not free, they require a commitment of money, hard work, or creativity, or any combination.

I am a hobbiest who has been at it for about 15 years, not including a small stint in high school shop. After finishing my last project, a murphy bed for our computer and sewing room, I came to the second most disturbing realization of my life, I don't like this. (The first being, the Beatles really weren't that good). Sure, my wife standing before my magnificent creation and demanding that I accept my reward is always nice. But slapping together some heavy sheet goods with dominos and pocket screws and spraying it down with waterlox has about the same appeal as putting together some Ikea furniture and about as hard on the back.

So I'm re-examining everything. In the past 15 years, this is what I learned. There are different levels of this thing. We have people who build stuff with wood. Their favorite material is construction lumber and just can't figure out why someone would cover such beautiful wood with paint when they stripped an old cabinet they found that was made of CDX. These guys stand back and show off their work to their wives and say "So babe, what ya think? Nice huh, what else should I build" She of course says "very nice" but later that night when getting their reward, it just doesn't seem like she's really into it. These guys are called "husbands" and if they keep it up they can progress to 4s hardwoods from the Borg and reach the level of "Handyman". Their motto, "square and level is over rated".

Then their are the woodworkers. These guys have the "tools" and can work with a combination if sheet goods and wood. They can do almost any method of joinery, as long as there is a power tool and jig that can make them. They get the best rewards. No fake rewards in this category. But there is a slight learning curve and as such, these guys fit into categories for newbie (or as I say, tool collector) to expert. These guys can follow a plan to the letter and punch out some sweet stuff. You know you've reached that top level when you can hide any mistake.

Then there are the craftsman. These guys can communicate with wood. It lives and breathes. They are a master of their tools. Not everything they own plugs in. Some go completely acoustic. There is not many rewards from the significant others in this group. Pieces sometimes takes hundreds of hours. Face it guys, she is just not going to stay excited that long.

I decided that now that I'm over 50 I was willing to sacrifice the reward to bring the fun back into my hobby. I want to progress from proficient woodworker to apprentice craftsman. I enjoy working with wood, but not so much building stuff. I am now a hybrid woodworker, depending much more on hand tools. And here's what I learned. I did it backwards. I should have started with hand tools and worked toward power. With hand tools you learn proper layout, you learn wood (reading grain, movement, hardness), you learn joinery strength, you bring the tool to the wood, you learn the importance of keeping things square. All these things translate into better machining. Machines can often do things for you keeping you quite ignorant of the process. If I could give advice to anyone wanting to get into woodworking, I would say, do some simple projects with handtools first. Take a class, read a good book, and build some bookends.

Anyway, woodworking is fun again. I hope I can contribute to this forum in a constructive manner in the future. I am currently working on a 6 legged hunt board using only a bandsaw, thickness planer and hand tools. So far so good, I'll post it in the project forum when I get it done. I'm pretty sure I will still get a reward when its done, even though it might take a while. Fingers crossed.

Mike

[Jim Becker]

There are many ways to do things and selecting the method and the material that best matches the need is always a good practice. Every project should also be a learning experience...even for someone who's been crafting things for decades!

[Pat Barry]

Could you go into a bit more detail regarding the 'reward' aspect of the project life-cycle please?

[Brian Holcombe]

Fun often depends on perspective. I’m a professional and have worked with a majority of hand tools for years now (years prior to becoming a professional). I’m used to devoting considerable time to stock prep since I work with rough sawn material. The biggest bit of fun I’ve had recently is making ‘perfect’ stock, slabs that stick together.
It literally brought a tear to my eye working with such a machine.
I do plenty of my work, still with a majority of handtools but recognize that craftsmanship is not limited to handmade. In fact the industry definition of hand made is much closer to ‘hand fed’.

[Mike Cary]

Could you go into a bit more detail regarding the 'reward' aspect of the project life-cycle please?

I’m sorry Pat, I just assumed we all did this to get girls? I chose woodworking over famous rock star for this very reason.

[Mike Cary]

Brian, I consider a craftsman to be someone who can make the wood bend to their will, no matter what they use to do it.

Also, A professional works with a different perspective. While it would be great if we all loved what we do, in real life, the over riding goal is to buy those groceries. But hobbies are what you do to escape work, if it’s not fun you seriously need a new one.

[lowell holmes]

I got a girl about 42 years ago. She was nagging me this morning. I didn't mind though.

[Brian Holcombe]

Brian, I consider a craftsman to be someone who can make the wood bend to their will, no matter what they use to do it.

Also, A professional works with a different perspective. While it would be great if we all loved what we do, in real life, the over riding goal is to buy those groceries. But hobbies are what you do to escape work, if it’s not fun you seriously need a new one.

Certainly, and not to say I don't enjoy every second of hand tool use, I do, but both are enjoyable and fit different types of enjoyment. Some dread tool setup, but I worked in a machine shop as a kid so I generally very much enjoy tool setup.

Truly, craftsmanship in my eyes is the continuous search for improvement. It's a bit like chasing the horizon as you progress in woodworking you find that even less satisfies that goal while making progress toward it.

[Edwin Santos]

I think you should give the Beatles another chance.

I generally agree with your categories, and applaud you for trying to get to higher ground. I'm right there behind you. Part of my journey has been to focus on becoming more technique focused and less tool focused. Best regards,
Edwin

[Simon MacGowen]

Part of my journey has been to focus on becoming more technique focused and less tool focused. Best regards,
Edwin

When it comes to hand tools, I could think of no better woodworker than Paul Sellers who is encouraging people to focus on techniques rather than tools. He really walks the talk and finishes many of his projects with his basic set of tools. Compare him to many others who would not miss a chance to convince you that you need the latest tools or gadgets to get good results.

It is easy to find out who is tools focused and who is techniques focused: just look at what one does when Christmas is around the corner. Does he tell you what to buy, or does he show you what to make for the festive season?

Simon

[Mark Hennebury]

Brian, I consider a craftsman to be someone who can make the wood bend to their will, no matter what they use to do it.

Also, A professional works with a different perspective. While it would be great if we all loved what we do, in real life, the over riding goal is to buy those groceries. But hobbies are what you do to escape work, if it’s not fun you seriously need a new one.

Grasshopper;

Before you can go forward, you must move back.
First you need to unlearn.

You need to understand the pillars upon which the craft is built;

Materials - Tools - People.

The first two are easy to understand and you can learn them in a few days.

Wood is simple, it has basic cell structure, and various mechanical properties and it is hygroscopic.
Tools are all variations of a chisel approaching the wood cells from various angles.
People: there is the problem.



If you wish to understand wood, take various pieces and spend a day observing, and getting to know the material, describe it in intimate detail, the way it looks, the weight, the smell the color, the feel, the way the light reflects off it, the cell structure. Weigh it, measure it soak it water, dry it out, observe, measure and analyze. Cut it, bend it, break it, split it, saw it, crush it, twist it, To understand the relationship with tools,Cut it in as many different directions as you can, observe and analyze. Once you understand wood structure you will understand joinery.


listen to it and it will educate you.


People are complicated, their brains create reality from a complex mixture of sensory input and historical reference, biases, emotions and expectations, and are not to be trusted.

One must go back to the beginning, to the root, and learn to see, to really see, like a baby that experiences something for the first time, without all of the accumulated baggage of adulthood.

First you need to remove that idea that a craftsman bends wood to his will.

Craftsmanship is about knowledge, understanding and harmony not domination.

If you really wish to progress, you will take a long hard look at you, who you are, what you want and why you want it.

[Frederick Skelly]

Grasshopper;

Before you can forward, you must move back.
First you need to unlearn.

You need to understand the pillars upon which the craft is built;

Materials - Tools - People.

The first two are easy to understand and you can learn them in a few days.

Wood is simple, it has basic cell structure, and various mechanical properties and it is hygroscopic.
Tools are all variations of a chisel approaching the wood cells from various angles.
People: there is the problem.



If you wish to understand wood, take various pieces and spend a day observing, and getting to know the material, describe it in intimate detail, the way it looks, the weight, the smell the color, the feel, the way the light reflects off it, the cell structure. Weigh it, measure it soak it water, dry it out, observe, measure and analyze. Cut it, bend it, break it, split it, saw it, crush it, twist it, To understand the relationship with tools,Cut it in as many different directions as you can, observe and analyze. Once you understand wood structure you will understand joinery.


listen to it and it will educate you.


People are complicated, there brains create reality from a complex mixture of sensory input and historical reference, biases, emotions and expectations, and are not to be trusted.

One must go back to the beginning, to the root, and learn to see, to really see, like a baby that experiences something for the first time, without all of the accumulated baggage of adulthood.

First you need to remove that idea that a craftsman bends wood to his will.

Craftsmanship is about knowledge, understanding and harmony not domination.

If you really wish to progress, you will take a long hard look at you, who you are, what you want and why you want it.

Huh? .........

[Nick Decker]

I'm trying to figure out if that was sarcasm. I hope so.

[Frederick Skelly]

I'm trying to figure out if that was sarcasm. I hope so.

Yup. Sarcasm. Couldn't resist.

[Nick Decker]

Not you, Fred. I was referring to the post previous to yours.