In one of my last posts, I mentioned a dresser I'd started. I actually had a few days off, so I spent some time making the various components. I couldn't decide precisely where I wanted to add this bottom stretcher, so I cut a few blocks at different lengths, and experimented until I achieved the look I wanted.
If this were a house it, it would be considered "stick building" - which means something built on site, piece by piece.
That's the way dresser is turning out - I had a vague notion of dimensions and what I wanted the piece to hold, but no set plan for the details.
It's not the fastest way to build a piece, but it makes you think, every step of the way.
Once all the pieces for the main carcass were cut and domino-ed into place, I had a head scratching moment. Every time I worked out one design in my head, I'd discard it for another design. Too many choices!
Some woodworkers might be familiar with feeling like this - it's called Analysis Paralysis. And I had a bad case of it last week. I put the half-finished piece on a cart and rolled it into a corner - I needed a break!
Sometimes it's a good idea to just walk away. Grab a cup of coffee. Think about things.
I've painted myself into a corner, and the best solution is to sketch my way out. The thing about sketching - some people hate it, or they say they're not good at it. But it's good way to work out design problems. And the cheapest way, too. Why waste wood?
So I took some measurements and came up with a scaled drawing of what I'd built. I cut and pasted a few of these "blanks," so that I could play with some different designs.
Then I sharpened my pencil...
Stay tuned....
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