Contributor
Cool video, slow way to produce something considering that it's only one product, could be a lot more efficient and precise without much efffort.
The jointer planer is an old one similar to the old German one that I had, the jointer tables don't pivot up on a hinge, but are unlocked, then pulled onto gates, then tipped to vertical, then the gates swings away. It's quite the workout on a 24" jointer/ planer.
Dan.jpg
Contributor
I saw that video a week or two ago. I like the way he used his machines tablesaw to split a small tree and his jointer to get after the high spots. Just like a big upside down hand plane.
I have climbed a cherry tree in Germany with mine opa in the late 80s. I don’t remember if the ladder was hand made but I believe it was wooden. I do remember the cherrys were delicious.
Good memories
Aj
Moderator
Goodness Gracious, I am such a wimp.
Contributor
[OP]
Member
Me too. My projects are smaller and take longer.Originally Posted by Bruce Page
Moderator
I was moved by his dedication to not only his craft - but to work. It defines him. I think the very fact that the technology has moved on to provide better, ergonomic, more efficient solutions, yet he persists, is the whole point.
It’s his purpose.
I thought it was beautiful.
Contributor
Couple of things. I’ve lived in Switzerland and Norway. The Swiss have a saying, “We live to work.” The Norwegians, “We work to live.” Someone made a comment that the process could be vastly improved. Maybe, but it would destroy him and his wife. As Prashun points out, appreciate the craft and the love that goes into it. Oftentimes progress is our most important problem. I’m fluent in Swiss German so it was nice to hear it again.
One of the things I noticed was that he and his wife left their bicycles unchained in plain view. Color me cynical but those unlocked bikes wouldn’t last more than a few minutes in most places in this country.
Last edited by Stephen Rosenthal; 04-28-2023 at 12:44 PM.
Contributor
Most people who do woodworking have tools and machinery.......why?.... because it is more efficient then scratching wood with a sharp stone. You can off use a sharp stone, but it will be harder and take you longer.. on the plus side, think of the love you get from scratching with a stone. Of course it would take you longer and the work may be a bit sloppier, ridiculously expensive, and of course you would starve to death and so would your family, but it's a small price to pay.
I understand that he is retired and doing it for fun, so he can do it whatever way he wants, and doesn't have to worry about money now, but his shop was at one time a commercial business, and had to sell a product at an acceptable price, he got paid by how many ladders he produced. Customers are not going to pay you five times the price because you are slow and inefficient, not if they can go to a guy down the road, that produces as good or better for a lot less. It takes nothing away from the product, if the man in the video set-up stops instead of measuring and marking each rung hole.... that's progress, that's more efficient, that's faster, that means he gets more done in less time, makes more money, makes a better product, gets to go home and spend more time with his wife. There are lots of ways to be more efficient, efficiency is not evil. His shop is not set-up to efficiently produce ladders, maybe it changed and he got rid of the production stuff, who knows. If you had one or two ladders to make, maybe you would work the way the guy did in the video, but if you had to produce them to make a living, that's not the way to do it. Try it sometime. People may have worked like that in the stone age, but only because they had no choice, and everyone worked the same way with the same equipment. But he is not from the stone age, and I don't understand the mentality.
I went to a workshop where they made Adirondack chairs, the owner worked in his office, he had a salesperson and advertised in big magazines, had big orders, and half a dozen guys working for him. The shop was pathetic, if he had given all of his equipment I would have thrown it in the dumpster. It was garbage, ancient hobby-shop stuff, cardboard templates that people used to mark pieces out with, then cut on a 10" bandsaw, then rough sanded with a belt sander, so everything was different. Totally insane to me, filthy dirty dusty workspace, sloppy, inefficient poor quality work, no sensibly quality equipment of process....why? this was a business, not a retired guys hobby. With An investment of $25,000 in equipment, they could have doubled their output and quality. I don't get it, I just don't understand the mindset.
Last edited by Mark Hennebury; 04-29-2023 at 10:03 AM. Reason: spelling
Contributor
Obviously.
Contributor
Feel free to explain it to me.
Contributor
Mark, I totally agree with your point. I have products I have made for over 30 years and every time I make a batch I change some aspects of the process. Continuous improvement is a way of life.
Contributor
Mark,
It doesn’t always have to be about increasing production or making money. I watched the video assuming it would be about some aspect of woodworking. But actually it was about a lot more than that. I saw a man who has achieved a great level of satisfaction through his work that brings great joy to his life. How many people can say that?
As I noted earlier, I lived in Switzerland and am fluent in Swiss German so I didn’t need the subtitles. Perhaps there was something lost in the translation, or maybe you watched the video from a completely different perspective, focusing on the business rather than the human being.
[OP]
Member
I agree with you. The man takes pleasure in his life. He may not need the money but he, like the rest of us, needs a reason for existence other than eating and griping. I applaud him and his wife.
Member
My grandfather was a master lead crystal glass cutter. He worked with a cutting wheel producing handmade products. A mold and a machine could turn out more products in a week than he did in a lifetime. It's called craftsmanship. A Japanese Katana maker could punch out a sword in a few minutes, but instead spends a lifetime mastering the old way.
Contributor
Finally, someone who can define what Craftsmanship is, for the rest of us. Thank you.
I, for one, thought the man in the video was a craftsman, I see now, according to your definition, that he is not.
Apparently he stopped being a craftsman, when he opted for efficiency and turned to power tools, table saw, jointer, planer, drill-press and chain mortiser.
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