Warren and all others, thanks for your information on chip breakers and standing up when others were trying to knock you down.
Originally Posted by
Brian Holcombe
Design is the most torturous aspect of woodworking for me, I pour over the details for months before beginning a project. Quite frankly one should design, build, then redesign and build again, but I never do. I just design and redesign and redesign and redesign..then build.
I kind of do that. Many times a project is started with just a general idea of a goal. Then what ever wood is available is measured to figure out how to not end up with a lot of scrap. Then the joinery is thought about, chosen and sawdust starts a flyin'.
Corrections are made along the way. Parts are trimmed to fit and it eventually comes together.
Currently my #1 project is another potting bench. My notes and templets from previous builds come into play. Getting it refined to allow cutting parts without having to work as much at fitting saves time.
Am I a designer? NO WAY! I just bumble through, remind myself to do the math and end up with a finished product that works and sometimes even looks proportional and gets pleasing comments from people at the farmers market.
Not an expert either, just an aggregator of knowledge found here and elsewhere to help me through with what seems fun to do.
It drives my wife crazy that I often work without plans.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)