Sharpening in Summer
· 3 min read
Looking back, the honest approach was the right call. The workbench is the first project and never the last. Most of the work happens before any cutting starts. Good furniture should last longer than the person who made it.
What I would do differently
There is a version of this that is much more complicated. This is not that version. The best advice I got was just to slow down. Looking back, the oiled approach was the right call.
Some of this will be plain; some of it took me years. The difference showed up bit by bit, then all at once. This is less a primer and more a record of what worked for me. The specifics matter less than the habit of paying attention.
You can get unexpectedly far with a chisel set and some patience. I design on paper first, then let the wood change my mind. A marking gauge helps, but it is not the point. It took me twelve attempts to see the pattern.
None of this is new, and that is partly why it works.
Looking ahead
I would rather do one thing with care than five things fast. It took me two attempts to see the pattern. The result is not perfect, but it is honest. I keep a short list of things to try next; planing boards is near the top. Hand tools are slower, quieter and strangely calming.
I tested the oiled version first. It did not last. A sharp chisel is safer than a dull one, and much more pleasant. Below are a few observations, roughly in the order I picked up them.
Thanks for reading, and for the gentle observations that keep arriving.
Odds and ends
The honest part is hardly ever the hard part; consistency is. It is effortless to overthink sharpening. It is harder to just start. Somewhere between the workshop and home, the thought finally made sense.
I keep a short list of things to try next; designing a chair is near the top. Looking back, the sturdy approach was the right call. Most of what I know about chairs came from getting it wrong first.
There is no single right way to approach planing boards, but some ways are kinder than others.
Closing thoughts
Good dovetails is mainly a series of small, unglamorous decisions. The first three weeks were mainly about unlearning. Between planing boards and sharpening, the second one taught me more. Between designing a chair and milling lumber, the second one taught me more. Somewhere between the sawmill and home, the thought finally made sense.
I tested the solid version first. It did not last. It took me ten attempts to see the pattern. The first eight weeks were mainly about unlearning. There is no single right way to approach milling lumber, but some ways are kinder than others. You can get unexpectedly far with a workbench and some patience.
Most of what I know about drawers came from getting it wrong first. It is effortless to overthink milling lumber. It is harder to just start.