A more clear outline of my project

Project one

Japanese tool box

Make a work of art using at least 5 conditions.

1.       Create severe constraints for yourself.

2.       Work in the world.

3.       Go for expeditions, surveys, investigations.

4.       Create unrealistic ambitions for yourself.

5.       Work with people from different disciplines.

For my project I really want to bring back the craftsmanship of working with your hands. I’m intrigued by the idea of being an expert craftsman in the field of choice. An expert craftsman is someone who knows his line of work inside and out, from front to back. A craftsman fallows the techniques that have been passed down generations only to the ones who want to truly learn that trade. A craftsman is not afraid to get dirty while building beautiful works of art with his hands. I would like to study with a true craftsman of wood working, building and working with wood with my hands.

My five conditions and how I plan to accomplish them:

1.        Create severe constraints for yourself. – My severe constraints would be working without the help of power tools. I want to do everything by hand as if power was not even an option. I think it is vital to know how to work without the help of power for many reasons. We as a society rely greatly on the help of technology and fancy gadgets that practically do the work for us. If there were ever a situation where the power went out for a long period of time we would have to re-invent the wheel because the machine that does it for us no longer works.

2.       Work in the world. – For working in the world I plan to go and work with different people who are experts at their jobs. I’m going to work with a friend who owns a welding shop and I’m going to interview him about his job and the way he works with his skills as a welder. I’m also going to do this with other friends who work in the fields of machinists, tree removal service, and furniture maker. I plan for this insight on their skills and what they do to help me on my journey of becoming a craftsman woodworker.

3.       Go for expeditions, surveys, investigations. – The expeditions I plan to go on would be in the woods. I would like to be able to work with the wood while it is still in the ground as a tree. I would like to survey the trees and learn how to decide which tree to cut down and all the different types of trees and the wood they produce. I also plan on investigating the proper tools I will need for the task at hand. I’m going to shop around at hardware stores for these tools and use catalogs to purchase the correct tools I need for the job. Also I certain applications for the tools and the history behind these tools.

4.       Create unrealistic ambitions for yourself. – the unrealistic ambition for this project would be the idea of milling my own wood by hand. Cutting the tree down and actually milling the wood all by hand wouldn't be too hard, very time consuming but very doable in the amount of time I have. The unrealistic part is curing the wood, letting it dry. The thickness of the lumber that is cut decides how long it needs to sit and dry. For every inch thick piece of wood it needs one whole year, if not more, to fully dry before working with it. This is done so all the warping can take place before your piece is made. I just do not have the time for this process to take place.

5.       Work with people from different disciplines. – Along with interviewing my friends in their respected fields, I also plan to work with Brad Smith on this project.  I would consider brad to be an expert craftsman in woodworking. He takes his time and truly enjoys his craft and skill. He has a good insight on how the best way to do things are and this comes from experience. While working with Brad I plan to learn the correct ways of working with wood and the tools needed for the job.

There is a sense of accomplishment when a job or project is completed and there is an even bigger accomplishment when you are the one finishing that job. I really want to work with my hands to get a better feeling and understanding of the wood. I want to be able to touch the wood and smell it as I’m working with it. I want to know the wood and all its little imperfections and how to deal with those imperfections. I want to be able to make my toolbox and know the story behind it; I want to know all the grain marks when it is done. It may just look like a tool box to everyone else but I will know all the time and effort and learning that went into it, and with this project I will be one step closer to becoming a craftsman woodworker.