Woodworkers or tool addicts?
I was recently in a chat room at The Wood Whisperer website and the conversation triggered me into thinking that there are two main groups of woodworkers: the ones that got into woodworking because they wanted to work with wood and make something beautiful with it, and the ones that are into tools and eventually use them to build something following a plan.
Don't get me wrong here, I enjoy using my tools, specially my planes, chisels and my new Japanese saw. I find it very relaxing to work with hand tools and getting thin cottony shavings with wooden planes. The sound of the sharp blades slicing through the wood and revealing a silky smooth surface with a beautiful grain pattern on a piece of wood usually takes me to woodworking nirvana.
But what drives me as a woodworker is the possibility of taking a project from the design concept to the finishing stages. The tools are just a means to work the raw wood and turn it into something that looks great and serves a certain purpose.
Lets think of a chair, it has a well defined purpose, you seat on it (at least I do!) either at a dining table, your desk at work or outside in the garden. And that is when design takes a major play in the game, depending on the function that chair will serve it will have different characteristics.
Furthermore, you can incorporate different design elements and materials in this chair, either to combine with the surrounding environment or to give it a certain mood. A chair with its arms open will invite the viewer to take a seat, if the lines are straight it will have a very formal look whereas if the legs are splayed it will transmit a relaxed feeling and will be right at home at a lounge or near an hi-fi system at home, welcoming the visitor to listen to a record or two.
Before you rush into your workshop for your next project and take those boards through the jointer and planer, take a little longer to think about the design: form, function, color, texture, materials, mood, the shape and thickness of each component and the environment it will live in.
All these factors will make the difference between a beautiful piece that feels right in its place and something that serves the purpose it was made for but looks awkward in its environment.
Don't get me wrong here, I enjoy using my tools, specially my planes, chisels and my new Japanese saw. I find it very relaxing to work with hand tools and getting thin cottony shavings with wooden planes. The sound of the sharp blades slicing through the wood and revealing a silky smooth surface with a beautiful grain pattern on a piece of wood usually takes me to woodworking nirvana.
But what drives me as a woodworker is the possibility of taking a project from the design concept to the finishing stages. The tools are just a means to work the raw wood and turn it into something that looks great and serves a certain purpose.
Lets think of a chair, it has a well defined purpose, you seat on it (at least I do!) either at a dining table, your desk at work or outside in the garden. And that is when design takes a major play in the game, depending on the function that chair will serve it will have different characteristics.
Furthermore, you can incorporate different design elements and materials in this chair, either to combine with the surrounding environment or to give it a certain mood. A chair with its arms open will invite the viewer to take a seat, if the lines are straight it will have a very formal look whereas if the legs are splayed it will transmit a relaxed feeling and will be right at home at a lounge or near an hi-fi system at home, welcoming the visitor to listen to a record or two.
Before you rush into your workshop for your next project and take those boards through the jointer and planer, take a little longer to think about the design: form, function, color, texture, materials, mood, the shape and thickness of each component and the environment it will live in.
All these factors will make the difference between a beautiful piece that feels right in its place and something that serves the purpose it was made for but looks awkward in its environment.
