One of the biggest challenges when embarking on a new project, especially one that is a large piece of furniture, is how much money should you spend. As a hobbyist, I do not have access to corporate rates or discounts afforded to makers who build full-time, nor do I think I should. But this imposes another problem; how much is too much?
Read moreWoodworker as problem solver
I have a new best friend. His name is Cyanoacrylate. Sometimes he goes by CA for short. On weekends, he is called Crazy Glue but that is just his stage name. He is known as the shop problem solver. Of course, I am kidding but there have been many times that I have reached for some CA glue to fix something as I build.
Read moreThe hybrid woodworker... kinda
The hybrid woodworker is a term coined by the online woodworking Godfather himself, The Wood Whisperer. It simply refers to someone who uses both power tools and hand tools in woodworking. Many woodworkers start out using only power tools and may stick with that approach for their entire lives. Others start on the hand tool side and may never deviate. In my opinion, most are somewhere in between.
Read moreGetting a new tool
Most makers are tool people. I cannot say everyone finds just as much joy in the tools of their chosen trade as they do with the items they create. Tools are what we use to make our goods; they are foundational to our work. Sometimes we have to compromise with our wallets and buy what we can to get by, but sometimes we are able to purchase the high end tool that takes our work to the next level.
Read moreThe first cuts: Making dovetails
The material is ready to go. It has been machined to the correct thickness and cut to length. The first step is making a box. One of the biggest question that many woodworkers ask is what type of joinery to use; that is, how do I connect these two pieces?
Read moreWhere’s the theory?
If you are not familiar with the process of a master’s thesis, there is a committee that must approve your work for you to either pass or fail. That committee is made up of your supervisor, a second reader, and an external reader. Each has a role to play to get you through the process. You have two major components to provide—the thesis paper (normally) and the defence.
Read moreGetting to a thesis
One of the greatest parts of going back to school is relearning how to learn. I am 42 years old (almost 43) and I returned to school in September 2018, after not being in school since graduating from Public Relations in 2005. Focusing on family and career for 13 years made it really scary to dive back into anything academic—especially a master’s program.
Read moreSharpening and getting ready
Water stones for sharpening
Here is where I am at. I have purchased all the materials I need for this project. The wood for the main carcase of the cabinet has been prepped, planed, and is ready to be sized so I can begin construction. However, before I get started, I need to make sure my tools are ready to go.
Read moreThe impact of materials
As my research question states, the impact of materials on process is the second half of this inquiry. As makers, we need to create our objects with something. It could be wood, metal, wool, cotton, silver, copper, glass, clay, leather, or any other material. Normally, it speaks to you in some way and draws you in. For me, wood and all its properties get my creativity flowing; wood is beautiful and alive. Even as I worked with the material as a young child, I loved how it could be shaped and sanded to be a functional object and a piece of art.
Read moreMy approach to tools
Within the woodworking world, there are many specializations or offshoots that an artisan may explore. These could include furniture building, wood turning, box making, or even sculpture. What you make, how you make it and even how you acquire your wood can define your whole approach to the craft.
Read moreSo? What should I build?
When I started this thesis, I knew I wanted to build something myself. I knew I wanted to build something substantial and complex so I could explore a number of different techniques. I needed something that allowed me to really dive into materials, tools, and process.
Read moreWhat the heck is reflexive ethnography?
Have you ever heard of ethnography? How about reflexive ethnography? I first heard these terms while attending Royal Roads University where I started this adventure of acquiring my graduate degree in communications. At that time, both of these academic terms were unfamiliar but, like every adult learner I have met, I lied about knowing them and then looked them up later.
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