why...

today, after an excruciating day at work I relaxed to a TED Talks
and a beer
Cynthia Lair, an organic food educator discussed her method of introducing people
to the process of cooking
as almost, a technique
to zen with the process
the idea of cooking to cook  at the moment
and I got to thinking that this was the whole reason I love to work wood
or sculpt in sand
or for that matter cook dinner

and there's a bigger thinking behind that
the whole reason I graduated to hand tools (and fell in love with sand sculpture)
was to get a closer relation
to the tools
the material
and the process

I would not have to don protective wear any more
I could plane a board at ten thirty at night if I wanted
though I still have to restrict mortise chopping to normal decent hours
and I could listen to Pandora without need for either external speakers or headphones

most of the time I forget to turn on the tunes
working has it's own rhythm
and it finds itself in the process
which is dictated by the tool
as described by the action
necessary to remove the material
to create the surface
the piece demands

by the way I hone my kitchen knives with each use too

as promised...

...although a little later than expected

I had the chance to exercise my left brain for a while, stroke the anal retentive, OCD and sort some hardware

Tiny oval drawer stops are screwed into the back of the front stretcher, accommodating both the upper and lower drawers, a quick swivel and the drawers can be pulled free.

Now this doesn't mean I stop, another ugly piece of plastic needed to be replaced, and this was pretty simple. A few scraps from the tabletop(s) and voila...

nice place to put stuff, a series of holes in the cherry top for screwdrivers and files, and a couple tombstone cleats, and that plastic is gone!

and then there's Xmas. Started early this year with a couple purchases from Ron Bresse, a few chunks of well dried wood and four weekends.

I would show you more but you'll have to guess for now

And my favorite holiday of all!!!

Actually had a whole day to work on these, each little guy found his own personality

If at least one kid refuses to walk up to these and get free candy, then well, I've done my job

Looking back

Last year about this time I was waist deep in my own smoother, some folks have seen the pics, some very lucky few have had the chance to hold it, caress it, heft it, and even fewer still have made a shaving with it, no not a shaving really, a whisp..

So here's how it's done..

Buy some stuff...

dense luscious wood (LET IT DRY FIRST!!!!) good thick carbon steel, even thicker brass, and oh yea, an iron (really that should have been your first step, shoulda been mine too, but, well, now you know)

Since pictures say a thousand words, I'm going to shut up...

It is hands-down my favorite plane in the shop, it undoubtedly has its place, only used to put that final show finish on the surface, but damn does it feel good!

oh yea, the chairs...

So getting back to the shop after a two week vacation has been a delight. Never thought I'd go away somewhere nice, say Napa Valley

and Chicago , and actually miss being home. But a week spent in my girlfriend's parents' house, hearing the whine of the dust collector, snarl of radial arm saw, weed-wacker staccato of random orbital sander, made me miss my shop.

Ideas which I've approached, torn apart, reassembled, thrown out, recovered, seem to get lost in the perpetual separation of vacation. An understanding that drawings aren't always necessary.

Absence from your norm is therapy for your soul.

I learned a lot more about things other than woodworking.

I really picked up the value of other people. What some one else means to me. When that one shines that glimmer of one-ness.

I've decided the chairs will reflect this, four pieces, as a whole each reflecting one. I can't say they will be about another specific person, but each will include a bit of place, that centers each object through a physical artifact of being with another person.

Mysterious, huh? Just you wait.

Of course, I missed my cats too!