Woodworking 101 at Rebuilding Exchange, Part 2
Today, we went back for our second woodworking class at Rebuilding Exchange. With six of us in the class (and a total of 5 projects), we found ourselves staggered a litlte bit in terms of pacing… but also doubling up a bit, in terms of machines.
Most of us were at a point where we were needing to use a jointer (there are two in the workshop). So there was a bit of waiting around.
Above, my pieces of wood jointed and ready for the planer.
I have to confess: I had a hard time with the jointer. I could run my pieces through ok, but it was tough (seemed to be some sap) and I kept getting stuck. Additionally, I had a hard time knowing when I was “done.” Things seemed flat, but some of the pieces were warped/curved… and that added an extra layer of challenge.
In terms of the act, I feel like I know how to use the jointer. But in terms of technique? I think I have a lot more to learn. I feel like I know what to listen for, but knowing how much to press down (and where) to flatten out a curved piece of wood? A lot more practice needed, there.
With things backed up a bit, Liz helped me with planing my wood pieces.
While we were shown how to go about planing wood, Liz and I kept asking a lot of questions. I think that many students may come into these workshops focused solely on the product, on the end result.
Whereas Liz and I are a lot less concerned about what we make, and are more interested in the how. What is this lever for? How do we know when it’s adjusted properly? That kind of thing.
My wood pieces, jointed and planed.
It’s funny in that I never looked very closely at wood before. Since these are reclaimed pieces, I’ve had both Jay and Erin tell me how great the wood is.
In particular, Erin was remarking about the blue stain/mold in the wood. She was really excited about the coloring. And the more I hear about it from the instructors… the closer I look at the wood, each time we have our workshops.
The total time is about 3 hours per session. And in the mornings, I find myself thinking that it’s an extremely long period of time. But when we’re in there and working… those 3 hours just fly by.
Makes me want one of those fancy jointers… I’m still using a Stanley Number 7, but I’m going to build something that needs 3 6 ft. long butt joints, and I’m just not sure I can pull it off. Cool to see that you’re getting into this too.
Alex (December 7, 2015 at 8:27 pm)Is your basement your primary workshop? I know you’ve done and built many things, and wasn’t sure where most of that happened.
A lot of this is us just getting some familiarity and practice. We’ll be working with more wood once we tackle the floors in the house. And I’m looking to build some garden boxes for the backyard.
avoision (December 9, 2015 at 11:55 am)Yes, still in the basement. Mostly it serves. In warm months I often drag projects out to the driveway.
Alex (December 9, 2015 at 3:13 pm)