Finishing Drawers
· 2 min read
The workbench is the first project and never the last. Hand tools are slower, quieter and strangely calming. A sharp chisel is safer than a dull one, and much more pleasant. The best advice I got was just to slow down.
Small things
There is no single right way to approach sharpening, but some ways are kinder than others. I tested the oiled version first. It did not last. Some of this will be plain; some of it took me years. I tested the solid version first. It did not last. The first ten weeks were mainly about unlearning.
A few details
None of this is new, and that is partly why it works. Good furniture should last longer than the person who made it. Most of the work happens before any cutting starts. There is no single right way to approach milling lumber, but some ways are kinder than others. Thanks for reading, and for the gentle observations that keep arriving.
It is effortless to overthink milling lumber. It is harder to just start. I tested the hand-cut version first. It did not last. This is less a primer and more a record of what worked for me. Looking back, the sturdy approach was the right call.
I tested the sturdy version first. It did not last. There is no single right way to approach planing boards, but some ways are kinder than others. The result is not perfect, but it is honest. Somewhere between the workshop and home, the thought finally made sense.
It took me twelve attempts to see the pattern.
Getting started
It is effortless to overthink planing boards. It is harder to just start. The joint fit on the third attempt, which is about average. The difference showed up bit by bit, then all at once. Between milling lumber and designing a chair, the second one taught me more. The simple part is hardly ever the hard part; consistency is.
Between sharpening and designing a chair, the second one taught me more. The sturdy part is hardly ever the hard part; consistency is.