Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-5, страница 8
the Woodworker's Journal Building Along the Continuum I remember when I actually became a woodworker. I had been working in a woodshop for years — even been getting paid for it — but I had not made the transition to being a true woodworker. That is, until a green-eyed girl asked me if I could build her a bookcase. That woman, who would later become my wife, had some 2 x 10 Douglas fir lying around and just needed someone with the skill to convert it into a piece of furniture, and she asked me if I was that guy. Eager to please, I quickly said yes — which, thankfully, at the end of the day turned out not to be a lie. It was not a fancy bookcase, but it was nicely made: common wood with tight joints and an adequate finish. It was, in fact, stylish and useful, and it perfectly fufilled a need. 1 developed a love for woodworking through that project, and have never looked back. That experience and others have given me cause, from time to time, to consider how broadly descriptive the term woodworker really is — how skilled must a craftsperson be to be properly identified as a woodworker? And in a similar vein, must a piece of furniture be complicated to construct simply to be thought of as a "real" woodworking project? As a good example of two opposite ends of woodworking, consider the projects in this issue of the magazine. I must confess to feeling some concern when I decided to publish the project featured on our cover. But somehow the project and the green-eyed young woman in the photo reminded me of a bookcase and girl from long ago, and I decided that it was just a fine piece indeed. Compare it to Kerry Pierce's Queen Anne highboy (page 38), and I think you will agree that the projects in this issue span the entire woodworking continuum. His highboy's carved cabriole legs, dovetailed drawers, exquisite walnut lumber and cleverly crafted secret compartments stand in stark contrast to Lars Dalsgaard's painted plywood combination bed and table (page 32). Yet in my mind, both are excellent examples of woodworking: projects that are stylish and useful, properly fufilling a need. So, I have to ask, where do you fall along the continuum? Are you a great woodworker who likes to play around with simple plywood projects every now and then or an absolute beginner with highboy aspirations? Let me know! Woodworking covers a wide range of styles and various levels of skill. The projects in this issue follow suit. 8 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 Volume 33, Number 5 ROB JOHNSTONE Editor in Chief JOANNA WF.RCH TAKES Senior Editor CHRIS MARSHALL Field Editor JEFF JACOBSON Senior Art Director JOEFAHEY Associate Art Director MATTHEW BECKER Content Coordinator HALEY ODORIZZI Editorial Intern LARKY N. STOIAKEN Publisher DANA SEVERSON Advertising Director AI.YSSA TAUER Advertising Operations MARY TZIMOKAS Circulation Director KELLY ROSAAEN Gradation Manager LAURA WHITE Fulfillment Manager Founder and CEO ANN ROCKLER JACKSON Editorial Advisors NORTON ROCKLER JOHN KELLIHER Contributing Editors MICHAEL DRESDNER RICK WHITE GEORGE VONDRISKA ADVERTISING SALES J.F. Van Gilder Company 12740 Hillerest Plaza Dr., Suite 295 Dallas, Texas 75230 DAVID BECKLER daoid@iogco.com JACKIE SMITH jackie@jvgco.com JIM VAN GILDER jim@jvgco.com Phone: (972) 392-1892 Fax: (972) 392-1893 Member ft Audit Bureau of Circulations EDITORIAL INQUIRIES ROB JOHNSTONE rjohnstone@woodworkersjournal.com 763-478-8255 JOANNA WERCH TAKES jtakes@woodworkersjournal.com 763-478-8303 CHRIS MARSHALL cmarshall@woodworkersjoumal.com 614-746-2985 SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES (800) 765-4119 or Write Woodworker's Journal, PO. Box 8572 Red Oak, IA 51591 1572. email: WWJcustserv@cdsfiilfillment.com. Include mailing label for renewals and address changes. For gift subscriptions, include your name and address and your gift recipient's. BOOK SALES AND BACK ISSUES Call: (800)610-0883 www.woodworkersjournal.com VISIT OUR HOME PAGE: ©2009 Rockier Press Inc. Printed in USA |
