Maker/Laborer/Craftsmen

Thinking more about the craftsman. Read wonderful article today on the problems of our current system of capitalism by David Simon: 'There are now two Americas. My country is a horror show.'

It got me thinking about the contrast between life as maker and life as manager.

The diminishment of labor. This is where we are headed as a society. As a maker, I see my labor as the main contribution to my craft. As capitalism diminishes labor because it is expensive, the place of the maker/laborer/craftsmen is lowered and has less value. The contribution the maker/laborer/craftsmen can make in a capitalistic project is tremendous if brought in at the right time. Why should a designer/financier/manger be in the position to receive more of the recognition and reward for a project? It seems that there are two positions. The maker/laborer/craftsmen and the designer/financier/manger. Dirty and clean. In the field and in an office. Less didactically trained and more formal eduction. Connected with materials and abstract thinkers. One benefits from the other. Not one is superior to another.

These are in complete thoughts on this subject. More to come.

The Craftsman by Richard Sennett

I’m currently reading The Craftsman by Richard Sennett. So far a wonderful modern look at crafts and the people and tools involved. One idea that I took away was the notion that communism focused on the worker and post world war Japanese society focused on the work. This difference was the difference between a society that afraid to insult the worker at the expense of insulting the work and a society the focused on the outcome or the work. How might this be framed in the art and craft world. Art being about the artist, their interpretation of their experience. Craft being about the work.

This book so far has brought in CAD drawing, Open Source software development, cell phone switching to show were the individual craftsmen/worker succeeds or fails in making a contribution and how tools help and hinder said expression. Really enjoy this on the recommendation of a craftsmen, Jarrod M Stone Dahl.

Marketing vs Making

Maple Spoon
I've been waiting till I had pictures of the progress on the Dutch Toolbox to post here but I've had a health setback that has kept me from much progress.
Today Mark Terry came out for a visit and it was a welcome change to my routine. We are like minded woodworkers exploring the same books (By Hand and Eye) the same we sites and largely the same shop projects.
I have spent too much time organizing and outfitting my shop and too little time building and designing furniture. This is a situation the must be overcome.
Selling my work thereby making room to make more is hard and I don't like it and I'm no good at it. I am not a marketer, I'm a maker. Do we see the problem here. I can only have so many spoons. I probably have 60 spoons scattered around the house. Many will never be used. I have maybe 10 that are in various stages of completion. And this is just spoons. I have a pair of tables that could use a different home. I feel the need to move (sell) them before I can make more. Making more will improve my skill set and put me in the position to grow.
Marketing is a huge challenge. Not something I'm good at and I want to resist the notion that "I can do that". I can't and do a good job. Some of the people I consider successful at this are Mike McCoy who lets his daughter do the social networking marketing and http://www.herriottgrace.com another father\daughter team. The things I make have to go somewhere, Mary and I have too many. I'm looking for an outlet.
My friend Geoff Crimmins a photographer at the local Daily News newspaper won a gaggle of awards for his work in this year's Utah-Idaho-Spokane Associated Press Association's annual news contest. Congratulations Geoff. To bad the newspaper doesn't make it easy to reference this. There web site is for subscribers only and even though I'm a subscriber I've had nothing but troubles and still can't login. Fail.

Hand and Eye

Looking at design with the help of George Walker and Jim Tolpin and a group of woodworkers from Fine Woodworking. I'm excited to learn about design. Studying design. How it helps.

Worked some on the Dutch Toolbox, adding the front pieces. Tomorrow I'll add the locking part of the front shelf.

Front attached.

 

 

 

 

Dutch Toolbox Update

Progress on the Dutch Toolbox. Yesterday cut dados, glued sides and made locking pieces. I'm so far planning on painting the box with the shop color which is a light blue. I have some cut nails that I plan to added to the box once it is painted because I want to keep the heads of the nails black. I'm considering adding a drawer to the under part of the box.  

Demotions: 30 tall, 25 wide, 15 deep.

The dados fit great. Using the Bridge City Tool Kerf Maker and a ¼" saw blade I was able to dial in the dados for the nominal ¾ ply easy peasy. No futzing with shims and trial and error. First time, dial in, dadoing with table saw concurred. Thanks for the video explaining how to use this tool, Paul-Marcel St-Onge over at  http://www.halfinchshy.com/2011/06/bridge-city-km-1-kerfmaker-users-guide.html.

Sweet way to make dados in plywood.

Ideas for enhancements are swimming in my head. I think I should have applied finish on the insides before glue up, it would have been easier, but build and learn. I'm going to be adding a pull out drawer for layout tools. At least that is my thinking now. The outside color is planned to be a grey-blue color that will match the color scheme of the rest of my shop make tools. I have some cut nails I'll add for decoration and support after painting.

Doctors appointment today. Neurology checkup. Weird brain condition and even more difficult treatment.

Inspiration for Dutch Toolbox build

I've started to build a Dutch Toolbox. It is modeled after Bill Lattanzio's Dutch toolbox. I have seen a few of these designs most notably there was a couple at the The French Oak Roubo Project. http://benchcrafted.blogspot.com/p/the-french-oak-roubo-project.html Here are a couple of links to images and blog post about the Dutch Toolbox that got me initially excited about this project.

Pictures to come. Nothing fancy by hopefully functional.