sisyphus

my weekends have been spent hunting down elusive slabs of wood
how many beauties I've passed
I'd have a garage full by now if I stopped to pick each rose

what I seek instead is one with straight, even grain
boring old pieces yellowed from the store's florescent daylight

as I plane the transformation is unspeakable
some have been hiding immaculate fiddleback
most of which will be concealed once again

with each new section, the original bench is dismembered
only a couple bits have given me any fight

I really didn't know that much back then

the only thing holding some of the sections together was a Masonite spline

amazing what you learn in a few years

I still need a bench

it's my feeble attempt to keep enough mass containing dog holes to continue work

right now the center section remains the original bench top
the tool trough will inhabit the right hand upper third
for me, the most rarely used parcel except for stashing my winding sticks and hold fasts

the mountain I alluded to earlier is that from my planes
an endless stream emanates from the various versions of my bench

so many surfaces!
and they must mate
at least as close as I am willing to take them
I remind myself that it is a bench
the only one who will look at it closely is myself
and that, I will
so any imperfection will nag at me forever

in creating three sections
or rather two new sections and wedging in an ever dwindling core of the original
I've been able to manage the wind that plagues a multiple lamination

the end vise has been properly installed as is currently in heavy use

and making high marks for both of its intended purposes

each face presents a new challenge
a new work out
some more aches
a couple blisters, though those are by now few and far between

and a hell of a lot more glue than I would have imagined

and no you are not imagining; the front apron is not pounded home
I can still get a flat bar in to pop it free and the whole top comes apart

oh
just a funny thought...

all those years ago I bored the dog holes 4 and a half inches apart
guess what the optimum distance based on the travel of the end vise is...

forward

I feel guilty that many if not most of my pieces are for the shop
fixtures and jigs
storage, tools, and work holding
but I'm pretty sure this tops the cake

when complete there will be six inches of perpendicular clamping
and hopefully six inches of horizontal travel

this screw is probably more suited to a Moxon style vise
but I think the point of force will be a tremendous advantage

these are your typical half blind dovetails
in 12/4 stock
with a twist

I spent hours excavating the first one

for the next three I definitely will use the drill press

all the pieces are dimensioned
the joinery begun

I'm sure there will be modifications, alterations, adjustments and additions
and will try to keep you posted

ad lib

as each piece is made, fitted, tweaked, and assembled
the process begins to dictate design

I could never see this interplay until the pieces were there

I've outlined the glue-up, and practiced it twice

maybe more
I can't remember how many times these parts have been mated

what begins as a tough squeeze
loosens up
every joint begins to simply slide together after a few runs

which is perfect
glue will swell the wood slightly, and no matter how fast you work that joint will never slide together like it did dry
any sloppy fit needs to be remedied

it's there, everything is made
all the joinery complete
minus the four round mortice and tenons in the top

i don't even have words more most of these parts

they're all just parts

let the shaping begin!

end

they may be small but I made 'em!

So this is how it feels

to carry something for nine months,

every waking moment in awe and wonder

and fear and whatever else you might assign to its despicable yet haunting existence

the light of day only a footstep outside your understanding

a glimmer in the distance

these dovetails will NEVER come apart

when it's over that's it

it's just over

why does it have to be?

funny thing is, when one project ends, another begins

the former piece of furniture was lovely 

beautifully made, exquisitely finished

but so completely wrong for the room I'm (oh so freaking) slowly creating

as it was relocated to a more appropriate part of the house, I decided to check what was under the carpet

mmmm oak

unfinshed oak

oh man

lucky for me dewaxed shellac and  water based poly's are quick, easy, and durable

hey look, a new floor!

thanks, Arielle, for being understanding of my obsession

so here it is, a new room

sans paint

and a stepback

and some new moulding

and the table I started two years ago

and the other three chairs

oh crap

join

It all seems a little silly, three weeks in the shop, in the freezing (mostly sub-freezing) cold, bundled up so you can't put your arms down (just think Randy from Christmas Story) sawing wood that at eight percent moisture is more likely eight percent ice. Planing wood so temperamental you have to hone your plane irons every ten to twenty minutes, boards that started out at 4/4 are a little closer to 3/4 now. Sweat does freeze to metal and skin freezes to ice even when it's made up of sweat. But if you use the tool long enough it warms to your hand, becomes comfortable, true again...
or is that just the frostbite talking?

All this work for a board that looks like you got it at the B.O.R.G. store. It's really kind of a downer...

But then it becomes yours again, mark those tails...

use them saws...

learn a few new tricks from some guy who started something called the Schwarz Effect...

chop...

don't forget where you started...

and don't be surprised how fast you can do joinery by hand!