Popular Woodworking 2008-10 № 171, страница 67

Out of the Woodwork

BY JEFF SKIVER

Ettu, Brute?

But a small cut may lead to thoughts of treason.

already have more lumber than 1 can use. However. I cannot seem to resist acquiring new trophy picccs. Mydilcmmacomesfrom the fact I do not feel qualified to use any of my prize pieces in my work. Each time I pick up one of my "special" boards I am washed with a wave of self-doubt that echoes in my cars the message of unworthincss.

1 have wide Gaboon ebony. I won't tell you how I got it; don't even ask. Let's just agree that

I have three pieces of Gaboon ebony. Each is 10* to 13* wide and 48* long They have the beautiful half inch of contrasting sapwood and natural edges.

It issomc ofthe kgendary Missionary Wood. You know the story. A missionary went toAfricainthe 1950s. He built a church in a village, and the peopk wanted to pay him back. So they gave him abunch ofGabooncbonv that thc>- waxed and cut down to 48' per piece (just the right size to fit in a 55-gallon drum).

II sal in ihe missionary's wood-shop for 50 years. I was told ihe story by a man full of sincerity, but I couldn't bring myself to believe the legend. Iwanicdtobclkveit.bul I resisted. It didn't matteriflhc story wastruc. The boards were beautiful. I wanted them.and I jumped at the chance to buy ihcm. They have sat on the top level of my lumber rack for two years. I never felt worthy of them.

I made arguments for using them: Life is too short. Wood isa renewable resource Use them.and you will find somethingelse to replace them.

Imadeargumentsagmsttouchingthem:

1 am not experienced enough. My project is

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not deserving of wood this nke. As soon as I cut them. I'll find a project significantly better to use them on.

I waffled for two years. Occasionally. I would show them off and get stupid offers like. "Can you let me cut a Vj" off of one of them that I can use for inlay?" (Some people don't get it.) I resisted touching them.

Finally. I fdt the time had come tobrcakthc seal. If I just cut offa small piece of one board it

would al low mc to find clarity. I knew one cut would allow mc tosee them as just wood.

It would be a pen. It would be a teacher's pen. After wailing for years. 1 would finally cut one of the boards to get a small pkee of Gaboon ebony to use on a pen for a math teacher friend.

I set the board on my bcnch with one end overhanging I clamped it down. I hooked up my Festool vacuum to my jigsaw. I looked toward the bench. With the first step, my apron turned into a toga. With my second step, the jigsaw became a dagger. As I hit the switch, the vacuum roared and became the sound of the

Senatorial mob. The Gaboon ebony plank crkd out. "El tu. Brule?!." and I started t he cut.

It was over quickly, and as I held the twocubk inchcsof ebony in my hand. I looked around. There was no mob. I again wore my shop apron. and my hand held ajigsaw. There was no bloody dagger. but there wasa wounded friend in from of mc. What had I done? It was justatinylittle biopsy. Ihad made the cut between end checks. Deep down. I knew it was a very prudent use ofthe wood.

I put ihe planks back on the top shelf, and I made my friend a pen. It was just a liny piece of ebony and il was outside the board's usabk area for any future furniture project. But I was wrong when I thought the cut would make me think of those boards as being "just wxxxl" PW