What turns you on as a woodworker?
Hi gang
This post was stimulated by the discussion on the Woodrat jig on the Routing forum.
I must emphasise at the outset that I am as much a tool junkie as any (all?) on this site. But I am baulking increasingly at the idea of using machines to do the work that was once the mark of a craftsman. OK, I'm just a hobbiest, and my methods would not be viable for someone needing to do a cost-effective production run. But are we woodworkers or machinists? And before I go any further I must again emphasise that I still continue to use many machines (table saw, bandsaw, drill press, routers - I own 3 electric and 2 non-electric - the list goes on). It is not so much the use of these machines in themselves, but in the use of templates to do the work that our eye and hand could otherwise do. I own and have used a dovetail jig to make dovetails. I am now trying to master the art of cutting them by hand. I am in the throws of completing a cradle for a friend who is having their first child. I built a finger jig for my table saw and used a dado blade in its construction. It looks pretty nice, but there's something mechanical about the joints - too uniform - for my liking. I used hand planes (including a compass plane to smooth curves) and a spoke shave in the construction of the remainder. This gave me enormous satisfaction as I felt that I had crafted something.
I believe that there is as much fun in the journey (how to cut a particular joint, or finding a solution to whatever) as in the finished product.
I may admire the ingenuity of the Woodrat's design but I sure will never purchase a tool like this. To each his/her own. I am sure that my comments will irk some - great! Let's get opinions from as many as possible. Under the skin we still share a love of wood, which is what brings us together in the first place, so be constructive and no personal attacks. My response is about what turns you on in woodworking, why you do what you do, and what you do it with.
Regards from Perth
Derek