Pencils: Who Needs 'Em?

To those who work wood on the third planet: Greeting and salutations! In recent days, I have begun to understand and value the necessity of high-tech toys, such as the computer, in furniture design. Ignorance, a thing of loathing, had blinded me to the possibilities of seeing furniture before it comes into existence. Allow me to clarify my relationship with the world of IT. This humble blog would have never come to fruition, except for the hard work and dedication of my wife and daughter. This is primarily due to the fact that I have few (if any) true skills concerning computers and their ilk. Therefore I am completely dependent upon their skills to navigate through the storms and high winds of computer programs, e.g. CAD (computer-aided drafting).

Along comes my friend, Mr. B. He spurred my initial interest in this wonderful and beautimous technology when he showed me a computer-aided sketch of his workbench. This magnificent gadget allows the user to view said drawing from an infinite number of angles in 3 dimensions. It also enables quick and easy corrections in measurements, which hopefully produces the attainment of good proportion. If I haven’t said it before, allow me to say it now: GOOD PROPORTION IS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESSFUL FURNITURE DESIGN. Therefore, those who possess a spirit of intrepidation, please avail yourself this magical mystery tour, which is computer-aided drafting. You will wonder how you ever got by without it.

Router Table Epilogue:
After severe labor pains, I have finally given birth to a healthy, 200 lb. infantabulous router table. It affords me the ability to change bits above the bed, gives another tool set up, provides tons of storage, and last but not least, offers gobs of countertop space.

Pontification: See the master of blues and rock guitar at the next available venue: Joe Bonamassa.


Story of yore: During my formative years in public education (1st and 2nd grade), I was schooled in a more liberal "laissez faire" philosophy. California, that is. Swimming pools. Movie stars. Being a less-than studious child, and one who engaged in occasional shenanigans, I felt the sting of California discipline. They employed the draconian method of "time-out", which amounted to 5 minutes of separation from classmates. I believed then that the "time-out" method was a discipline I could wholeheartedly embrace. Acclamation came quickly. However, as mentioned in previous posts, 1964 was a year of transition. From California to Arkansas, discipline in public education took a turn to the dark side. Pain and suffering would be my lot.
In one memorable encounter, I was waiting patiently in line for a drink at the water fountain. As I got closer to the front, the young man ahead of me turned with a mouthful of water and malevolent intent in his heart, and proceeded to shower me with its contents. I rose to the occasion, by securing my own mouthful and pursuing the perpetrator. I caught him from behind and avenged his act of malfeasance, by spraying him accordingly. It was "an eye for an eye". "A tooth for a tooth". But unfortunately, the powers-that-be saw it differently. The initial act was not witnessed by the cadre of teachers on the playground. Yet my act of retribution was. My teacher, Mrs. E., took prompt and decisive action by introducing me to the principal; who, in turn, introduced me to a large wooden assault weapon. With gusto in his soul, he administered paddle to buttocks in a rapid fire, robotic manner. The onset of pain was immediate, but striving to regain lucidity, I quickly realized that crying would not be an option, and seen only as a weakness. After mustering all my strength, I walked out of the principal's office that day, and was greeted by a stark reality: "Time-out" was no longer the law of the land. It had been replaced by a much more sinister disciplinary plan, which used affliction and misery on those who would dare to trespass its ordinances. Welcome to Arkansas.

YOUR HUMBLE WOODWORKING CORRESPONDENT