Logistics

It seems odd to me. The time I've spent writing in preparation for the "Becoming a Hand Tool Woodworker: Build a Shaker Side Table" class. I thought I'd spend a little bit of time writing and a bunch of time building side tables. I thought, at first, that I'd build three or four tables. I would only complete one prior to the class but I'd have all the steps -I call them tasks in the document- completed and set aside. Then the logistics of that hit me. If I have a leg, an apron, a leg with a mortise, an apron with a tenon, a leg with a mortise and chamfered, and an apron with a tenon and a bead, and a leg with a mortise and a chamfer and two tapered sides and a top and a top with a bevel and a top with a bevel and the edges rounded over and a...and a...and a...

I have a couple of tables nearing completion. One is clear Northern White Pine and the other is Cherry. The Cherry will go to Woodcraft to help advertise the class. Someone has already claimed right of first refusal on the Pine. During the class I will probably build at least one, maybe as many as three more. I'm keeping one, I suspect Woodcraft will want to keep the advertising piece.

But the writing has been the real surprise. The document starts out with:


Students for this class should:

1. be excited about building furniture
2. either own or be prepared to own the kit of tools (I suggest that you not purchase new tools prior to the first session)
3. not be afraid to sweat and get out a little of breath now and then
4. be ready to have fun and learn  

It's number two up there that got me into trouble. When you start to think about the tools that you have accumulated and add up the cost you may just surprise yourself. I started with a list of the tools that I thought I'd use to make the table. A little mental math and I changed it to a list of the fewest tools that would allow you to complete the table. Then I realized that if you did it with just those you may not enjoy building the table. So I added a list of tools that when added to the minimal list would make the table more fun to build. Then I changed the two lists into three lists; "Mandatory", "Near Mandatory" and "You'll Wish You Had These By The End". Then I changed the lists again and renamed them; "Always On My Bench", "Always Close By" and "Handy". I changed the lists a half dozen or more times.


I don't care what you say, It's not easy to spend money for other people.


I finally -I hope- settled on one list, "The Tools I Used To Build The Table." I will lay them all out on the bench the first night, explain what they are, how they are used, how to maintain them and how to do their job another way.


And the students can spend their money themselves.