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A Day in the Wood Shop
It’s been unseasonably warm in Western Kentucky, where highs have been soaring into the high 60s for the last few days. After visiting family yesterday, I was able to get some time alone in the wood shop today–in a t-shirt and jeans, no less! There’s an empty spot next to the dishwasher that would make a nice spot for some open cabinets, a place to put iron skillets and cake pans. Today, I thought, would be a fine day to tackle this project.
Before I go any further, I feel I must tell you something: I am a lousy carpenter. Don’t get me wrong; the stuff I make holds up. I’ve built barns, decks, bookshelves, and the kind of rough stuff that all hillbillies know how to make. The stuff I make, though, is the product of painful hours of trial and error. The work is often rough and uneven, with supports put in to cover up weakness, not prevent them. My barn is a hodgepodge of reused planking, old telephone poles, and metal I tore off another failed barn. I walk up my deck every afternoon and see the litany of mistakes I made pouring the footers and laying the decking. Sometimes, I wonder if I have ever nailed a true 90° angle in my entire life.
I have never quite got found that precarious balance between beauty and function that real carpenters have. I have a great deal of admiration for those folks, the ones that can transform raw lumber into beautiful cabinets and kitchen tables. Their level of skill and knowledge is something akin to alchemy, especially in contrast to my own meager skills.
Yet, today, I spent the best portion of today in the wood shop, measuring, cutting, and nailing. As the sun started to go down this afternoon, my arms and legs aching and tired, I started wondering why, exactly, do I do this? I’m clearly not going to make any money at it, nor will I ever create a truly beautiful piece of work. The work itself is often a frustrating slog, punctuated by mistakes and disarray, and I’ve gotten angry at myself more than once. It seems like I would pack it in by now, right?
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the warm blanket of sun-soaked air dissipated into the starry night. I finished the frame for my cabinets. I made some mistakes that had to be undone, and there might be some structural issues that come up when I put the skin on tomorrow. My hands hurt, and I still have to make supper for the horses. In my mind, though, is the finished product, sitting next to the dishwasher, my wife wrapping her arms around my shoulders: “Thank you, honey.”
I think I’m beginning to understand myself a little, but just a little.
Published in Culture
Well, Brandon, way I heard it, you keep doin’ it ’til it’s done right. Sounds like your on the path, brother.
No matter how many times I cut it , it’s always too short.
Brandon, I’ve heard that the mark of a good carpenter is how well he can cover up his mistakes.
If you have a good time in your shop, all else is really beside the point.
I cover myself by saying that I am a rough carpenter.
Fiddly work (i.e., anything beyond my ability) is beyond my patience.
There are carpenters and there are carpenters. I was a carpenter for 20 years or so, but not the kind you’re talking about; I built houses and restaurants and formed concrete. I didn’t build furniture.
I spent the day in the shop as well, and I failed to make a part with a single square corner….
Now to figure out how to tram the mill.
And yet,
Love this!
Beats my two pair.
I’ll happily do pretty much anything in plumbing and electrical — I’m even good at it. But if two boards have to be nailed together or something sawed in a straight line, it’s not likely to end well. And I don’t paint, ever.
I’m a little in awe of people who can work with wood, even imperfectly.
Let me suggest that you avoid the urge to build a boat.
Been there done that. If anyone is familiar with the Wooden Boat Magazine the back of the magazine has classified ads for DYI boat plans. I built the Arch Davis design for the 12 ft Sand Dollar row and sail boat. It was so much fun after it dawned on me if I messed something up I could get more wood. That was 24 years ago. I still have it in storage at my son’s house. What did you build Doug?
What is your ‘day job’? My career was in software and electronics and it was difficult to see any tangible progress after a day of work.
When we moved to the country, I starting making things like benches and tables. We have an old house, so a fairly basic style fits in pretty well. The hardest piece I worked on was a request by my wife based on a picture in a brochure. It is a square legged small table with a shelf about a third of the way up. What I hadn’t realized is that the legs of the table flared out slightly. There wasn’t a actual 90 degree angle anywhere. But I got it done.
The satisfaction of building something that fit the picture was really nice.
My day job is composition and rhetoric teacher / curriculum specialist. I love my job, but one of the most stressful things about it is that you’re always around other people-period. The solidarity of carpentry appeals to me, if only for the alone time.