Popular Woodworking 2006-04 № 154, страница 12

Out on a Limb

Consider the Source Of that 'Wisdom'

My favorite quote about woodworking came from the pen of John Brown, a maker of Welsh stick chairs and columnist for the British magazine Good Woodworking.

Here it is: "By all means read what the experts have to say. Just don't let it get in the way of your woodworking."

You'd think that something like that would anger the editor of a woodworking magazine, but I actually find it a great comfort.

As I've delved deeper into the craft each year, I've discovered a tension between the people who insist that we must stand on the shoulders of the old masters, and those who are happy to kick the old masters in the shins to find an easier, faster or more accurate way to build furniture.

The truth is, you can find a wide variety of published opinions on almost any woodworking topic ifyou dig deep enough in the historical record. And that's because the world of woodworking publishing has always been filled with two kinds of people: those who think a lot about woodworking and those who actually do a fair amount of it.

Let's look back. Way back.

In 1678, Joseph Moxon published the first known "how-to" manual in English called "Mechanick Exercises," and for some woodworkers it is the doctrine and the basis for how woodworking should be done.

I've read Moxon's chapters on joinery and house carpentry many times and enjoy them immensely. But whenever I pick up my dogeared copy, I keep in mind that there's no evidence that Moxon was a woodworker, either by vocation or avocation. He worked as a printer, cartographer and globe-maker. He was an observer and documentarian of the trades. But did he take up a try plane and attempt to

straighten an edge? We don't know.

Another early chronicler of 18th-century woodworking was Jacques-Andre Roubo, who wrote the four-volume "L'art du Menuisier," first published in 1769. There's no English translation (yet, we're working on that), but here's what's important to note: Roubo was a joiner who achieved the title of "master joiner" - no small thing at the time.

So when it comes down to differences between these two early works, you have to consider the source.

The same goes for woodworking advice today. I'm not saying that you should listen only to modern professional cabinetmakers - their advice could be colored by trying to do a j ob in the ab solute least amount of time for the least amount of monetary outlay. That's not always the goal of the hobbyist home woodworker.

What I'm saying is that you should listen to Virgil, a Roman author and poet (there's no evidence he was a woodworker either): "Believe one who has tried it."

So why is Brown's admonition a comfort? It's because I hope that every reader of this magazine will take it to heart. Read what's written here in these pages. Consider it carefully. But don't follow us blindly - editors have their own set ofbiases and opinions, too. Keep your mind open and try different techniques whenever you can. And then you'll know for sure what's going to get in the way of your woodworking and what is truly useful. PW

Christopher Schwarz Editor

CONTRIBUTORS

ROB COSMAN

If you've been to a woodworking show in North America, chances are you've encountered Rob Cosman in the Lie-Nielsen Toolworks booth - cutting dovetails, sharpening or planing. He's an extraordinary dovetailer, but he's also equally adept at teaching all aspects of hand woodworking. His "Training the Hand" classes have taught many woodworkers how to build furniture to a high degree of craftsmanship entirely with hand tools. In addition to his show and teaching schedule, Rob has hosted six DVDs, is the father of nine children and even made time to explain how he cuts the sexy houndstooth dovetail in the article that begins on page 66.

CRAIG BENTZLEY

In the early 1970s, Craig worked as a designer for a company that made contemporary furniture components and his early work reflected that contemporary aesthetic. But after being exposed to fine antique furniture, he immediately became fascinated with the methods and tools used by early craftsmen. His subsequent work reflected an old-fashioned approach (see his "Queen Anne Table" on page 53). Now his primary woodworking interest is in the reproduction and conservation of American period furniture, particularly pieces from his native southeastern Pennsylvania. When he's not busy woodworking, he's busy writing about it and teaching about it.

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Popular Woodworking April 2006