day 12

I did not take any pictures at all today. 

I spent most of the day finishing the doweling exercise, trying to get the end-grain planed nicely and the joints to come together in the dry fit. I routed rabbets into the back of my doweled cabinet carcase. 

I'm behind on the frame of our frame and panel exercise, and only have the stock dimensioned at this point. I still have yet to cut the bridle joints. 

I wonder if I'm subconsciously avoiding photographing my work because it is made from the most hideous poplar. The material is drab, despite my beautiful surface planing. It's rather dispiriting. 

The best advice I was given when I first started knitting was to (1) pick a project for something I was coveting, (2) make it in a yarn I was absolutely in love with, sight and touch. Rebecca, who owned the late Busy Hands in Ann Arbor, told me that was the surest way to get through the frustrations of learning. She was right. I've probably been a bit spoiled since taking that advice to heart. I really have problems committing to the effort of fine work when I know (1) it's just an exercise, (2) the material is ugly. I usually would just rather go for broke once I've decided on the material and design. This may or may not be a bad habit. 

(And I normally don't dislike poplar, it's just this one in particular.)

We made a lunch detour at Glen-Drake Tools, where I got to see Kevin demonstrate his saws that have no teeth at the beginning and end of the blade. (To let the saw come up to speed without the cutting edge in contact.) The little egg-shaped handles for the tiny hammers were really neat. It's fascinating to me that number of fine woodworking companies in Fort Bragg (Hock Tools, Sanderson Hardware, Glen-Drake), all probably a result of C/R Fine Woodworking. He talked a lot about body placements, mechanics, letting gravity do the work, avoiding holding tension. It was a packed room, otherwise I would have asked if he'd ever studied Alexander Technique.