One of the big things I've noticed recently is that guys just love their hand tools. Maybe there's something Freudian to that; I don't know.
There's a common "discussion" going around the shop of hand tools vs. power tools, but I suppose it boils down to something more basic - time. Yes, time. If you have it, you tend to use hand tools, which admittedly gives you better surfaces. There's no doubt that a hand planed surface is much nicer than a surface achieved by a power planer, and then sanded smooth.
Still - we're talking about time. And time-is-money. Especially for a professional furniture maker. Most clients don't want to pay for the romantic feel of a hand planed table top.
My buddy John E. sent me a link to this video, which shows some of the most amazing wood planing ever. Great video! - but again, I feel like - only a guy would get that turned on by this.
Maybe someone ought to come up with a woodworking reality show - Extreme Woodworking!
Time is the most valuable intangible we are given in life. We can’t make it or manufacture it. It is mysterious, as we don’t even know how much of it we have between the moment we are born to the moment we die.
ReplyDeleteLast night I waited a long time for a group of people who kept texting me every 15 minutes that they were on their way, only to be 90 minutes late – which only showed their lack of respect. Time is a valuable commodity, as once it is gone, you cannot get it back.
So, the question is: What should we do with the time we have left? So many have their priorities: They prefer and enjoy the “process” of using hand tools for its own sake. Others enjoy quicker final results generated by using power tools or whatever is necessary to achieve the final goal.
For me, I enjoy the process when it adds to my wealth of knowledge. The more knowledge I acquire, the more mental tools I have in my arsenal to decide what will be the quickest and most expeditious way to complete a project next time I do it.
I suppose the best advice I have received is just to live in the present. As the seconds pass, things are quickly left in the past, and if we live life correctly, the future will take care of itself in the now. Trippy...