Notes on joinery
· 2 min read
For a long time I treated shavings as an afterthought. I would rather do one thing carefully than five things quickly.
Second thoughts
The first two weeks were chiefly about unlearning. What surprised me most was how little equipment it needed. If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about drawers.
The first ten weeks were chiefly about unlearning. The workbench is the first project and never the last. I design on paper first, then let the wood change my mind. This started as a quick note and gradually turned into something longer. Between designing a chair and cutting dovetails, the second one taught me more.
Where it started
The sturdy part is seldom the hard part; consistency is. There is a version of this that is much more complicated. This is not that version. A sharp chisel is safer than a dull one, and much more pleasant.
The best advice I got was simply to slow down. Oil finishes are forgiving, easy to repair and age beautifully. Some of this will be self-evident; some of it took me years. I like walnut that shows the marks of how it was made.
Most of what I know about shavings came from getting it wrong first.
What I kept
Good furniture should last longer than the person who made it. The joint fit on the third attempt, which is about average. The result is not perfect, but it is truthful.
Nothing here requires a marking gauge, though it does make things easier. I keep a short list of things to try next; designing a chair is near the top. I keep coming back to shavings, chiefly because it rewards patience. It took me seven attempts to see the pattern. Most of the work happens before any cutting starts.
Nothing here requires a chisel set, though it does make things easier. The oiled part is seldom the hard part; consistency is.
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