Paul asks about a woodworking equivalent to scales and exercises in
music...
> Of course, I could just continue to make projects, but this seems a lot
> like learning to play an instrument by just taking on successively harder
> pieces of music. In music, the best musicians know that by focusing
> intensely on a piece of technique with exercises, one can master it much
> faster and more thoroughly than just by playing through a whole piece of
> music over and over again.
>
> Do any of the masters out there reading this list have any opinions? How
> about suggestions of other "exercises"?
>
> Thanks!
>
> gph
>
I won't call myself a master but...
I picked up a suggestion a while back from I don't remember where on
dovetails that went something like "make a bunch of boxes to hold crap
until the boxes don't look like crap, then start on drawers".
I have expressed ww to myself as an analogy to sewing, try to arrange
your projects so that the desired result in workmanship matches your
skills. In sewing terms (assuming female student ;-), first make some
nightgowns, no fitting and if they aren't perfect, well you don't admire
your clothes when sleeping. Then curtains, simple geometry and you can
hopefully steer the machine straight. Then you can start the fitted
pants and skirts, and can work your way up to skintight evening gowns.
When I learned to sew, my pickiness on workmanship increased as my skill,
the problem woodworking is I am pickier on the workmanship than my skills
can do.
My woodworking solution has been useable bookcases, tables, Dunbar's
chairs, now in the middle of kitchen cabinets. The chairs are particularly
nice because while they do involve "workmanship of risk" since they are
painted you have a chance of hiding some problems (but not all).
It also helps my feelings to take a close look at some antiques periodically,
most of them are not the total finish of "modern" art furniture as seen
in FWW, and a lot of dovetailed drawers are downright rough by modern
standards.
My $.02
Esther eoh@k...
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