On Designing a Chair
· 1 min read
The joint fit on the third attempt, which is about average. Hand tools are slower, quieter and strangely calming. The workbench is the first project and never the last.
Odds and ends
Thanks for reading, and for the gentle observations that keep arriving. A block plane helps, but it is not the point. I design on paper first, then let the wood change my mind. This is less a primer and more a record of what worked for me. Good furniture should last longer than the person who made it.
Between milling lumber and sharpening, the second one taught me more. It took me nine attempts to see the pattern. Looking back, the solid approach was the right call. Most of the work happens before any cutting starts. It is effortless to overthink sharpening. It is harder to just start.
In practice
For a long time I treated hand planes as an afterthought. Most of what I know about sharpening came from getting it wrong first. A sharp chisel is safer than a dull one, and much more pleasant.
- Do less sharpening, more milling lumber
- Compare against last summer
- Keep a marking gauge within reach