But friday night is sharpening night in valpo. French iron, argentinean stone and kiwi hands.
The stone has 2 grits along the length, on part cuts fast and the other slow.
Ok, this morning we started sharpening, because sharpening is the beginning of everything in life. That's 3 sharpeners in a row.
A bit later, the fire was on.
And the dogs working hard as usual. They played with me in the morning and remain tired for the rest of the day. Me too.
Morticing in the smoke, the best way ever to mortice.
Our good friends vino, papas y tomate.
And western plane being used a la japanese but the other way around.
I put the luthier to make timber framing. At my PhD defense one of the professors said that the most important part of being a teacher is to push people out of their comfort zone. I dig that idea, that's the only way you learn, when you are rambling unknown roads.
And Sergio to make a tenon (Pablo was doing the mortice, it was hilarious to hear them fight for whom screw it up first)
That's Sergio, on the back Juan Manuel, and you already know the kiwi
And food for the doggies, burning the fat over there.
And wetting the planes and squares. Don't ya love the mix of planes, tools, glasses and people?
It was a good fun, that much is true.
Pablo took a picture. I don't like pictures of myself but what the heck, we are making history so let's take a few.
Es la empazar de una vida bien, no?
ReplyDeleteis the stone from La Diamantina? Progress is being made, the insurgency is alive and well. One thing though, is carpentry under the influence of vino a good idea?
After lunch (ca 2 hours talking and eating and drinking) I asked them, do you feel you can cut more? They said yes and finished the mortice and tenon. Surprisingly square I must say. They only cut themselves while sharpening in the morning actually.
DeleteI wouldn't use any electric machine, but hand tools, no problema amigo. It also helps to keep the body moving when muscles hurt. The story says that in the old times carpenters in japan used to have always the sake bottle near the kanna. It's like the camelia oil of the carpenter. Is it a good idea? I guess that's for each one to decide. What I know is that the old timers didn't follow iso90001, thanks god.
The stone is indeed la diamantina, I'm getting one in october. Your spanish needs practice, you still don't get the feminine/masculine thing.
More on the alcohol. I guess I make it explicit for a full disclosure kind of thing. We are learning, but we are also having fun, and that's something very latinamerican. We are not protestant, we like fiesta and siesta. There is also some philosophy to it... if you read Plato carefully, you find plenty of examples where the guys where starting a dialog with a hangover. Also in the Iliad, I think, food and wine first, then we can talk. By the way, it was under the influence of vino and major lazer, go figure.
Ha, I'm raised Catholic. It was a bit of a shock to me when I found out wine and alcohol is frowned upon by Protesants... our church's fair has a beer tent!
DeleteI really do need to take more care in that, is empezar a masculine word then? I'm struggling with Spanish after three years, and I promised my grandfather to learn Polish... it does not bode well. He did teach me a couple phrases before he died, and the whole family knows a birthday song.
If only Spanish started in first grade, when the mind is still open to new languages.
Worse case scenario you'll assemble all the parts and find your workshop is a brewery. Or a winery, do grapes grow well in Chile? And I knew it! Those crazy philosophers WERE drunk! I'm more of a Diogenes of Sinope guy myself. I did like Socrates discussion in a class years ago, though.
I would be the first to say, unequivocally, that alcohol has done nothing positive for my woodworking, aside from bringing an element of fun and life there. This is all play, serious play, but still.....this is joy and life. It's all good, do what you like, right? I know that Steven didn't mean that seriously, haha.
ReplyDeleteI did want to say that your outside arrangement for working (complete with grill!) is just so friendly and good! Compare this to the pictures that are the norm, a sterile image of a person working alone, surrounded by $10,000 worth of equipment, but no love. I know what I choose.
Your hair is getting long, my friend!
wife in europe + no job = no haircut!
DeleteThe grill is a must, we used it again today to finish the meat with some homemade bread and avocado. Too easy.
For the next course I want burgers with kimchi, we got a chilean/korean gal coming.
Everyone always jokes multiple woodworkers can't get along, but Iike working with other people... too bad the communal workshop is too far away for me to reach conveniently. I love jumble and noise (to a point!), makes everything feel alive and friendly. Really don't like sterile or formal anything, concerts or masses.
DeleteSebastian, may I suggest pineapple, lightly seared? And if you like burgers, google a garbage plate... it's what happens when drunk college guys get hungry.
Work and alcohol, we cannot make definitive statements, it is all very situational. Working in France I use my French brain, working in the Bible belt of Holland - you know it well Sebastian I'm sure of it - its my Dutch brain.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I hate working in an exposed place, the sun and the wind they do have a bad effect on handles and wooden tools.
I was also worried for the sun on the tools. I try to put them back as soon as I stopped using them. It's way damper here than in Santiago, so things seem to even out. What I'd love is to have a big eave and work over a wooden floor; no direct sun but feel that you are in the open.
DeleteLen Brackett had an article in Fine Woodworking ('80's?) about temporary structure used in Japan, made of poles and soft wire, about 2 mm Dia. which would be covered with light steel roof, under which a building would be made. Finish the whole thing, then remove steel and roof. Tarps didn't work for me here, though with enough poles and lines, I've seen them work in protected places. I built a pole barn covered in steel roof, which is still standing (built on pored concrete piers), but it's listing to the west a bit.
DeleteYou’re getting more done than I, so I may try the wine!
http://www.eastwindinc.com/index-2.html
DeleteYah know....I think about that old article nearly every day, haha! I'm trying to dig the memory out, but the wire used was like a #3 annealed iron wire, and I was never able to find anything suitable. Baling wire just didn't have enough "Oomph", and rebar binding wire was way to heavy gauge. He was building that construction shed up in northern Cali, so maybe it's a staple there, but....
DeleteEven trying to find an image of the "twist" used for the wrap has me at a wall. I can picture it in my mind and I wanted to use and write about exactly this topic! Thanks for the reminder Mark!
http://modules.taunton.com/apps/magazine_index/fww?keyword=len+brackett
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