My Woodworking Reality
I've been fortunate enough to earn my living as a woodworker for 25 years, first as an apprentice and now working with my family to run our joinery business that started life as a one man wheelwrights shop in the 1920’s. I’m aware of just how much my role has evolved. From fetching and carrying, then to hands on work, making complete works and now a fellow director of the business.
The trade of woodworking has changed radically over the last quarter century. Much of what we produce is now available from our larger competitors in a highly standardised format using CNC methods. We use older heavy duty production machines combined with handwork as required. This allows us to serve our clients needs which are customised to meet their specific requirements.
With my position, it has been a long time since I can claim to of made anything from start to finish. I've ended up a bit like a “conceptual joiner”. I bring together enough details so our skilled team can make the joinery. I'm okay with this, but I do miss working hands on throughout the day.
It's for this reason that I make things in my own time and in my own way. This satisfies my need to do this for the sheer good it does to me as a human being. There is a large scene of woodworkers today that have a similar view. Rather than viewing it as a way of making a living, they do it as more as a way to use the luxury of any spare time to create something special and unique from wood. There's strong competition these days for our spare time. A mix of passive and active experiences are all around. I have the utmost appreciation for anyone who opts for woodworking, whether that may be hand tool focused, right up to CNC, I'm just glad people are getting involved.
I approach my woodworking with this duality of mindset that some of you might identify with. Ultimately, woodworking doesn't matter to me. My family and their well-being is critical. However, when I'm at the bench I apply myself like it matters at all costs, when I step away it’s back to reality, the next step forward can come for another day. Laundry needs doing, cleaning, meal prep etc. If I'm lucky enough to get some time I want it to count. I suppose I develop a “game face”. I never expect to receive compensation enough to eclipse the value of making something on my own terms. Trust me, working for other people is great, but on your own terms, that’s an incredible thing to do. That’s not to say I would never sell something I made, it just means it would be a byproduct of what I was doing, how I wanted to do it. Making things speculatively I suppose.
Something that always stays with me is a willingness to always stay a student, to keep an open mind. This could mean visiting a museum or antique shop, quite often for me it’s reading. Not just the “how-to” guides, although they are still interesting to me, even after all these years, but it’s also the books that discuss philosophies, designs and influences. Woodworking is one of those spheres of interest that once you interact with it, you soon begin to understand it is hard to be “original”. I have no problem with this, much of my work I see as an evolution of something else, often an evolution of something I haven’t even discovered yet. I’ve recently been reading “The Shaker Legacy” by Christian Becksvoort. I’m so pleased I did. It’s removed some assumptions I had made about Shaker furniture. It features no measured plans, but plenty caught my eye.
I’m not in a situation where I can come home and spend eight hours after work, dedicating myself to woodworking. Beware those that claim they do. Perhaps they exist, but perhaps it's hyperbole. I would have no time to wash, eat or play my part in running a family home. Balance and moderation works well for me, I’m not in a competition, I just want to make good things.
I hope you have some time for your woodworking coming up soon, take your time to enjoy it and make what you’re making good.