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I’m a software engineer
living in North East Florida. It’s a very transient
industry, in that what’s great software yesterday has to
be documented, improved, changed, and scrapped today.
Then, one day my daughter asks “Dad, what do you do?” As
I stopped channel surfing to answer her, the TV landed
on the Woodwright’s Shop. I don’t know that I ever gave
her an adequate answer, but I sure got one; Woodworking.
My grandfather was a master carpenter. Sadly, I didn’t get
the bug until after he passed away. That’s a shame because I
could have learned so much from him. I have one piece that
he built for my mother. It resides in my living room, and I
pass it several times a day as I come and go. I often stop
and just look at it.
Having said all that, stick with the hobby long enough and
two very distinct feelings will emerge about your first
piece. Your first is pride. You’ll look at it with a degree
of satisfaction and accomplishment. Then, a few years later…
Sheer horror! You know where all the skeletons are buried,
and every little mistake will gnaw at you. It’s not that
it’s a bad effort, but it’s just not what you were hoping
for. It isn’t where you wanted to “be” in the craft.
I guess that’s why I want to share as much as I can about my
own journey along the way. To me, that’s what this is all
about. I don’t really care about sharing the successes.
“Thanks, Dad” and time will do that.
I want to share the
frustrations, failures, and a few of the fixes. I want to
give a “heads up” to others starting out. I want to give
away the shop tricks that have helped me. If I can offer
another woodworker a little clarity or help along the way,
then I’ve accomplished a major goal. |
