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.