Popular Woodworking 2008-12 № 173, страница 6
ITT POPULAR 1 • WooDworkine Learn How. Discover Why. Build Better. ■ Out on a Limb - BY CHRISTOPHEH SCHWARZ, EDITOR The Power OfCandlepower put the candle on the floor and stepped back. My wife, Lucy, eyed me warily. 1 moved i he cand le a few- feel and sh i fled myself a few feet away. Lucy crossed her arms, like she was about to scold one of the chi Id rcn for dressing the cat in doll clothes. "What," she asked, "are you doing?" "I'm working," I replied, and I turned my attention back to the candlelight. Today is the third day of intermittent electric power in Cincinnati after the last fingers of Hurricane Ike flicked out the lights for about 90 percent of us in the city. The first couple days without electricity were spent figuring out howtoeatd made chicken wit h Thai yellow curry on our gas grill), and how-to get around in the dark (wind-up flashlights and nasty scented candles we swore we'd never use). On the third day, we opened our eyes to the darkness. Furniture looks different when it's illuminated by small globes of weak light - instead of overpowering overhead illumination. In fact, my furniture now looks nothing like I expected when 1 designed it. The most interesting pieces by candlelight are the ones designed before l he electri-fication of the American household. In one alcove of our livingroom, I have a reproduction Shaker cupboard that I built in 2005. I took great pains to reproduce the proportions, the lines and the mouldings at the top of the cupboard. In daylight, the piece is pleasant to look at, but it's not the kind of project that grabs you by the gut and losses you down t he basement steps into the shop, all the while screaming "build me!" But by candlelight, this modest project takes on an ominous air. No matter where you put a candle, the project looks different. The mouldings are in sharp relief. Shadows, both on t he cupboard and made by the cupboard. become a part of the carcase. Sitting here in the near-dark, 1 have to wonder if our forbears considered the shadows as they designed things. Or did they conceive of a project like I do: In a brightly lit space that looks something like an e m pi y com pute r sc ree n. Senior Editor Glen D. Huey and 1 chatted about thisonc morningafter we had both stumbled on the same revelation about our furniture in the near-darkness (Glen made eggs over easy on hisgrill, by the by). Wouldn't it be cool, he said, to switch places with our ancestors for a couple days to see iheir furniture and liv ing spaces i hrough t heir eyes? And I hey could see how furniture looks with our electric light. It would be cool indeed, I agreed. Bui when ii came time tosend our ancestors back to their t ime, Cilen said, they'd probably pull a gun on us to slop it from happening. Cool-looking furniture is one thing. Cable television, ice makers and plunge routers are another PW Customer Service How can I contact customer servicc with questions regarding my subscription, including a lost or damaged issue? Visit popularwoodworking.com/magazines. Or write to Popular Woodworking, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Or, if you prefer the telephone, call toll-free 877-860-9140 and a customer service representative will be happy to help you. When does my subscription expire? The date of your subscription expiration appears on your magazine mailing label, above your name. The date indicates the last issue in your subscription. Can I get back issues ofPopular Woodworking? Back issues are available while supplies last. Visit popularwoodworkingshop.com. Or if you know the exact month and year of the issue you want, call our customer service department toll-free at 800-258-0929 to order. What if I want more information about the projects and tools I read about in Popular Woodworking? For all editorial questions, please write to Popularwoodworking Editorial, 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236. Or e-mail popwood@fwpubs.com. Does PopularWoodworking offer group discounts? Croup discounts are available by special arrangement with the publisher. For more details, send an e-mail to Debbie Paolello at debbie.paolello@fwpubs.com or call 513-531-2690x11296. Our Privacy Promise to You We make portions of our customer list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services we believe you may enjoy. If you do not want to receive offers and/or information, please let us know by contacting us at: List Manager, F+W Publications 4700 E. Galbraith Road Cincinnati, OH 45236 Safety Note Safety is your responsibility. Manufacturers place safety devices on their equipment for a reason. In many photos you see in Popular Woodworking, these have been removed to provide clarity. In some cases we'll use an awkward body position so you can better see what's being demonstrated. Don't copy us. Think about each procedure you're going to perform beforehand. 12 ■ Popular Woodworking Dcccmber 2008 PIIOIOBV 1111 AUIMOR |
