❀ Final Day Report ❀
Today was a whirlwind of activity from start to finish. Although I already had all of my pieces completed from the day before, there was still plenty to work on. First thing in the morning, I finished cleaning up the edges of my stool. This included sawing off the excess wood and thoroughly sanding down the area. Within a few hours of work, it had undergone an astonishing transformation from uninviting and spiky to a smooth, cohesive surface.
Sawing off the excess wood from my miter splints.
Before and after transformation: the first round of sanding.
This step felt very rewarding, but it was only the first stage of my work today. Next was the crucial and careful process of drilling the holes that would hold wooden dowels to ensure my stool stands with strength and stability. I do not have any pictures from this step because it took all of Mr. Grisbee and my joined mental fortitude and focus to properly space and drill all 6 holes on the first try. This part was a little stressful, but it taught me new tricks with power drills, the drill press, and precise measuring.
After overcoming the hardest challenge of my project so far, I was able to move on to the final stage: gluing, sanding, and finishing. It felt comforting to return to these familiar processes following 2 days of practicing with new techniques and machines. With the last few hours of the day, I worked on these steps as well as helped clean the Tinkería, and ended up completing a first coat of varnish just before 3:30pm.
Today went by so quickly, that I didn't get much time during the day to reflect on my progress and experience with this M-term as a whole. Luckily, we have space in the blog to do just that!
The magical effect of finishing oil on my wood.
My M-term Reflection & Advice
In the process of the last two weeks, I have gone from knowing how to make a simple cutting board from design tech to successfully constructing a box and stool. The lessons that I learned, in both woodworking and about myself, are numerous, (I can now safely use 8 machines: the table saw, circular saw, planer, router, drill press, power drill, random orbital sander, and jigsaw, and each in many different ways!), and the experiences I gained will remain with me as I embark on the many new journeys and challenges to come. I walked into the Tinkería last Monday with barely any understanding of woodworking, and I stepped out today feeling like I have just gotten started.
I hope I will have more opportunities in the future to utilize all of the new skills I gained, because I feel like so many more opportunities have been opened as to what I can create. (I am already brainstorming on a raised planter project that I could build at my home!)
If I were to give advice to myself prior to starting this term, I would recommend these three things:
- Be open-minded (to trying new skills, working with new people, remaining flexible in planning, and staying open to feedback)
- Have patience and forgiveness (Like any new skill involving precision, efficiency, and spinning saw blades, woodworking can be a challenging and sometimes stressful experience. Learning from and forgiving mistakes is a very important part of the journey)
- Don't be afraid to ask for help (Sometimes even individual projects require collaborative support; Mr. Grisbee and peers are great sources of assistance)
My day 2 sketch next to my day 10 finished project.
Good luck to any future woodworkers reading this blog, I can't wait to see your own growth and projects!
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