5 days

I was just taking sun in the hammock, last rays of sunday sun. Slightly coldish and hang-overish sunday. Yesterday we danced, quite a lot, and drunk no less. Feels like I found the city I like.

Anyway, in the hammock being lazy, thinking on the same sounds that come from both sides of the quebrada. In front, poor and dirty, they hammer and build, drink beer, have loud music. On this side, slightly less poor and dirty, we (or rather Keiran as I'm catching sun) hammer and build, have loud music. Chisels cutting wood on both sides, men building shit on both sides. Just need to bring a sharpening stone to the next hill and show em a bit of what sharp tools do.

And bring my best friend after a day of classes:

Kross golden, the closest I've found to a real ale in this forsaken country.

Anyway, this was the course yesterday, the plane day. Keiran is reading about the splice joint he's finishing now.

About the class: 4 people are not twice two, they are four. Newcomers got sharpening almost the whole morning and oldies got planes. They talked a lot, made jokes, got to know each other. They compete too. It's a complete different dynamics than just 2 guys. I like it, and think that's a really good number, so good that I actually said no to the fifth person who wanted to take the september course. Do you realise there are no saws on this picture? First rule of the saw club applies here, when not in use, they are hanging indoors. Chisels and planes are tougher, but saws need care, love and a wall.


This's the reason of the title, after 5 days of "classes" ( 3 official, one to finish a dovetailed box that's still not finished, and one day of massive planing and squaring the beams) Keiran is cutting a splice rabbeted dadoed tenoned joint, or as we like to call it here, TTsplice for obvious reasons

A few shots from the class. Pablo helping with a beam, Victor squaring a dai blank. He has serious issues with position though

 Shavings!

Oh yeah, die Roubo, we don't really need ya.

That's the joint started.

 sawing

 Marking

The guy in front was also working, moving some soil around

 Azebiki rules.

 And the dogs play

 a lot

We used the saw because there was an ugly knot on top

and moar teas

Took him like 4 hours to cut half of the splice, and T's need still some paring. I didn't really do anything but just saying don't fuck it up, be careful, use a wider chisel, and played a bit with my slick, man, it's a sweet tool. Does that sound sexual? not intended.

You know, it really starts to make sense, to seem possible, to make things better on the other hill. And then the next one, and then yet another. And then you go to a bar, as we did yesterday, and the hand made bar would not be a relic from another time and another world, but something that a friend of you made last month and that you made the profile plane for it. Beer tastes better on such bars. Girls dance sexier too, and look more beautiful and poetry is written on those tables, and men have conversations, which is a dance with words where souls build each other and take each other out of the mud of poor existence. Then death comes and you are not there but the tables remain as do the books and the dancing. And a poem remains maybe, or a way of doing things. Eggplants with tomato sauce and cheese on top, as my mother used to cook.

A feeling has gotten me, and it's the feeling of no regrets. I don't miss in the slightest the money, the travels, the architecture of europe, the 8hours a day in front of a computer screen. I've got something else here, something that there was simply not possible. Like you are doing the right thing, you know? You see skills pass (or maybe been born) into another person and the confidence grow on them, and we are keeping those japanese carpenters who owned the tools before me alive, they resurrect in us and we live through them and with them, if that makes any fucking sense. And that happens here, with the beer, the music, the dirt and the dogs.

Rainy days

So, you remember about that rain I was talking bout a few days back?

Well, it rained, and rained and rained more. Then the earth broke next door, half of the outer wall of the property fell to the ground, and a few metal planks flew away from the roof. On the beach, several cars were taken by the sea, some restaurants were destroyed and my leather shoes got wet.

Worst storm in the last 30, maybe 50 years. Thank you car drivers of the last 100 years for making chile a bit more wet.

Good news is: I started the second course on japanese carpentry and same comment. "I never thought/think/knew something so sharp", "I thought the chisel was crap already"... So we talk a bit of the tools and sharpen the first half of the first day. Then lunch and a finger joint. We needed to work inside because of the rain/mud all over.

I was more relaxed this time, the two guys were older and I guess I got more experience and ended up lending them my dozuki the first day and they didn't break anything and were really good at following instructions. Somehow the age difference made them more respectful than last group... There was not much planing since we really didn't have space in the living room for 3 people working at the same time.

Anyway. The problem is the solution, ain't it? A bit of internet search, buyee, youtube videos, lots of talking. I'm learning lots man, I tell ya. About the human, about lives, people, work... about how special is this that we are doing. And I say we because I like Camus and because I see the course as an extension of what's happening with this talks online trying to reinvent the wheel, but a different wheel since we are not in 1800 anymore but in 2020 and nations are starting to crumble, following the collapse of oil and massive drop out off the conveyor belt. Well, maybe we are not there yet but I feel I'm off.

It's like it worked. It's been 4 months since I stopped working for RCPE and I managed to pull a course on japanese carpentry in the end of the world and teach already to 4 people to sharpen their own shit. Two other didn't make it because of the rain but come next week and there is already 5 other people booked for september and november. 800 views on my ad, 20 mails, and 10 people confirmed to take it. By next week I would have taught more clases per capita than dictum in germany. Just think of that for a minute. And note that this is the only place where you also learn to sharpen saws, japanese way. (Also think of this, you have never seen a sharp saw, either western or japanese and you see them and a 30somethings guy shows you how to sharpen them, and there is no big deal about it. Sharpening becomes natural, easy, second nature. They are not poisoned by blogs or forum sayin that it's difficult, impossible or black magic. For them it's just there, in your face, and if the guy next door can do it, there's no reason for me to not to.)

Victor asked me, while we were sharpening an azebiki outside, if I wanted to build japanese or chilean houses. I told him to look in front:

I like this, I said, imagine it well made, with proper joints, solid, durable, beautiful. The same poverty, but properly made. And that's enough.

I can see it almost, in the middle of those forest in the south of Chile, a well made fence, a beautifully planed tabled. A world made by the human and for the human. A sharp and well used saw waiting in a corner to be used. A work of art that's not art actually, cause there's no author and no gallery. A poem written by and for all, but written not in words but in things. The flavours of the evening, the smell of home wherever you are.

We've been sold into, and we have very wilfully bought, a model of development that only increased the inequalities already existing, destroys the world, and fucking kills and tortures people. I mean Pinochet was not a fucking joke and the reason of it was to impose a certain economic, existential, order in a country. I could pretty well fit there, get the job, TV and the big car. I've got the brains and titles for it, I would be even useful. But man that'd be horrible and boring, and I guess that wrong too.  
When I was living in Paris, one day I was listening to Mauricio Redoles, chilean poet and singer, and he says in a song called "ya no tengo" (I don't have anymore) something like "and finally I understood, that my own freedom was never going to be complete, without the freedom of the people." That day I decided to leave in Paris.

Permaculture teaches you that you need to find lever points. Points where the minimum effort yields the most results. I think I found one. Teaching 1000 people to sharpen properly will do so fucking much for them (pardon my french, too much red wine today), more than having internet in every corner or iphones for everyone. Because their world will get better, as simple as that. Once you know you can plane, you plane. And that's all.

Cheers.

PM2.1.2.1

It rained today. Like lots. Like the whole August rain in 24 hours. Thanks global warming.

So it was a bit of a computer day for me. I tried to make problem 2 of last project mayhem etude, and man it's not that easy. Took me like 4 hours plus a bit more here, and there... kind of the whole day thinking on how to mark these things so they all line up and don't have to cut the joinery twice, not that it already happened to me twice already. Maybe more.

But I cannot make mistakes this time, we just don't have enough wood so everything needs to be in the place it needs to be.

Ok, I just found another mistake in what I draw, but whatever, this is for learning so I'm learning by mistake. I mean, I'm mistaking, let's hope I learn from them.

First thing, we need to have (or learn?) an standard to mark the joints, I started marking where to cut, but some mortices are blind and others no, so you need different signs for those.

Anyway, here it goes:

First the plan so you remember the position and labels of the parts

 Let's start with the 1 line. Ok, I found another mistake, I put the mortices for the small fence pointing the wrong direction.  I wanted to have a wedged tenon but with a dovetail insert, as we did a few weeks back. Now I realise this doesn't work because I want to put the small fence after the structure is up so the tenon cannot go in :/ Also, the corner pillar should have mortices west and south, not east... man, what was I thinking. The upper part is through mortice while the dovetail is blind, that's where I need another sign.

II hope these are better:

 The fence goes E-W direction and only in A2 in both sides, that good. That was relatively easy.

Upper horizontal beam. Labeled 1 because I want to measure everything from the top, use story sticks and then cut down or play with the foundations to get everything level.

I added a splicing joint because the length is not enough. I like how they look open. To connect to the pillars I chose a shouldered open mortice and tenon. I think it gives more strength.

The lower horizontal is simpler, a mortice pegged, and maybe I don't even need the splice. In A1 there is a lap to receive the one going from B to A. I didn't know how to draw that, I want to have a double plug, that's why I chose it as homework last week, but I don't know how to diagram those pieces... are they the same? you draw female and male apart? It was just too much.  

What else? There are no measures here. I need to check that before continuing and remember to use the centre lines.

Man, I'm confused. I need to re-do this tomorrow morning. And maybe start using a proper software, keynote is definitively not the best for joints drawings.

I still need to cut that joint, finish the bench, prepare the blades for tomorrow and give another class saturday. I really have no idea how far I will get with this build in this 3 weeks.

Documenting

New label: patio baron.

What's going on here, that is.

Still no time to project mayhem, I was planing a board for my workbench here. You know, shokunin style-la. I still need to set up the planing beam. I do have a problem and is that my beams are longer than my planing beam, thinking of options at the moment.

Why the new label? Roberto wants to have an ethnological account of what's going on here. So easiest way to do that is label the patio baron related post as patio baron. Then export into doc.

Today was planing day, I found a piece of something, don't know what, looks rauli but grew too fast and harder than it. Maybe coigue? That will be the bench for my time here.

I cut it with my 360mm monster, after scoring it I used two hands and the saw  went a bit to the right. But it cut better than one handed.

 The other side

That's the edge where I changed the way of sawing. I decided to clamp the piece to the saw horses so it would not move while standing.

 And this is the horizontal beams for the structure I'm building here.

 6in square. I need to joint two for the top, and the pillars I will show tomorrow.

 And lovely valpo architecture.

 Those are not white flowers, it's mostly plastic.

I see a japanese joint there. Maybe.

 I think they call it poverty, or bad taste.

Ok, jokes aside, this is the kind of shit I would like to not see that much. I don't mind the poverty, but the problem is the lack of skill, love in what you do, where you live. But somehow, it's more correct to live like that, with the shit in your own garden and not in China, or well hidden, with the black immigrants in concentration camps. Somehow it's easier to improve this than to decrease the energy consumption of the "developed" world into something sustainable. The problem here is closer to the solution than the problem over there. Or at least that's what I say is the reason I'm moving here.


This was the wood I have for more "beches" (anyone knows the name of the bench in japanese?)

 Still not squared but good enough for a bench

 Man, moving this shit up and down really wore me down today, I'm really tired.

In the night go, bbq (not bbw) and beer. Nicht so schlecht.

Keiran's comments

I sent a mail today to Keiran with some reading material, a post of what tools to use/basic woodworking kind of question. This is what he answered me, and save for the sharpening gear (he uses western planes atm) I think the choices are quite wise.

Well, I like your way of thinking better, start with the hand tool skills because you can always apply those. The machines are great if you have the space. That being said, the community college woodwork is a great idea. Or these days there are shared workshop options [not yet in Chile though]. 

I'd cut it right back, and make it as minimal as you can get away with. For instance:

Sharpening stone 500 and ?800) and then a wet/oil sandpaper for sharpening (1200) and a flat thing like a tile or glass.

Chisels - probably 2 is the minimum.  A fatty (3/4 or 1inch) and a skinny (~1/4inch)

Saws - the one that I'm borrowing [old disposable 240mm ryoba] is ideal with the rip and the crosscut teeth. Im not gonna be cutting 4x4s or bigger so I can get away with it. Most people would be the same if they're just starting out.

Planes - even tho the Chinese [jack plane] I have is a piece of shit, it was easy to get working and like you said, it's fairly good for general use. Quick to sharpen but quick to get blunt. It's enough to get started anyway. It doesn't take long to realise that the sharper and flatter your plane, the finer you can make the surface. 

A bench of some sort. My one is just two 10x3/4 pine beams screwed together. I rest that on a ledge. Fine for cutting, planing, sharpening etc.

The fact is, I'll eventually replace the crap that I have bought. It was only intended for 5 years while I'm living in chile. They will probably break or wear out and if so, I can look at some upgrades. A wise salesperson one told me - "buy it once, buy it right" 

Hunting for tools in the persa biobio is fucking great however I was a bit clueless when I went on my own. I wouldn't recommend it to newbies. 

So far on tools I've spent:

Bauker drill set 35000 (includes hammer, drillbits, Allen keys, wrenches... ) 

Saw 7000 "professional"

Redline chisel set 8000 (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1) [cheap chinese chrome-moli chisels]

Half rounded Rasp 4500

Adjustable square 8200 (hate it but it's JUST acceptable)

Wood glue 1L 3000

Poly coat 1L 21000 (protect the pine from weather for the plant wall)

Sharpening stones 18000 (the one from MDZ and a cheapie)

Triangular file - 3000

Sandpaper - 2000.                        109.700 so far

Persa - 

Chisel 4000 (broken)

Chisel 3000

Plane 8000 little block [french blade, argentinean body. I need to post about this beauty, the body feels like ebony but looks like sexy rosewood...]

Plane 5000 cheap Chinese 

Plane 12000 large block [fore plane, Peugeot Freres if I'm not mistaken]

Beams clamp 4000.                       +36.000

~145.000 (ca. 250 USD) Not too bad I suppose. The polycoat could've been avoided but I was reading ages ago about what to use for outdoor weather protection and I leaned towards poly. 

I think if I was earning a regular income, it's fine. I just wanted to start 'doing' without any advice, I just went out and started getting what I thought I needed. 

In hindsight, after having done a workshop like yours, it's a lot easier to distinguish quality tools from disposable ones. And most people, given the option, would opt for quality that will last longer and be appreciated.

 Thanks Keiran!

Home is where the tools are

Tomorrow I may write a more detailed account of the place, but for today enough saying that I arrived safe and sound to Valpo, got some beers and played Go. Man, I even had a go lecture tonight.

The room I'm living now is larger than the previous one I was using and from the outside you can even see a bit of the sea. It feels like 10 degrees warmer than my dad's house. We are almost 1000m lower here and the air is like 3 times better. Like you can actually breath here and there is oxygen in the air, not just smog.

There is a long todo list on the wall. Things are moving. Times are changing. Need to sleep now.

Onzes excuses: Gaggia Internazionale

I´m very sorry and very lathe with project mayhem. This week was crazy, had to legalise marriage, it was my birthday, didn´t go to valpo friday (thanks god), and got myself a lathe. Friday, while talking with Julia, she says something like "yeah, now I have a plan, I just want to sell healthy food, coffee and have the workshop next to it." So I just looked in Yapo for coffee machines, that usually go for 800 eur or more and found this beauty for 400. I mailed the guy immediately and told him I could pay it that day but only pick it out next day afternoon.

 You may not know, but before carpentry I wanted to open a cafe, I even bought a machine in holland and learnt to make some latte art, also read the 800pages book the History of Coffee, a lovely book from 1930 or so with all the info you need.

Lever machines are the way to go. No electronics, perfect temperature always, no moving parts and you can even use gas to heat them.

If you google Gaggia Internazionale you will not find a boiler as clean as this one. I look at the screw heads and it was clear the thing was never open after being made in italy in the 1955

22 liters of coffee making capacity. It is so cool that you actually don´t turn it off, it just empty the steam at the top and heats the cups. And you need to put water inside every so often... I guess you can make 1000 espresso a day.

The guys who used it before only used 1 group, the leftmost, and the other two are absolutely new.

I´m re-chroming it, maybe some gold on the sides and replace the gaskets of the used group. And take out the asbestos from the machine.

That´s it, when you come to teach to Chile, you will have endless coffee during lectures.

The revolution just got tastier.

All that to say that I go to valpo today and start cutting the joint tomorrow.