Welcome"Accuracy, sharpness, and technique: these are what we strive for in everything we do." —Paul Sellers.This site records my attempt to make various woodworking projects. I have been watching a lot of Paul Sellers. Recently I saw a video he made in which he shared his notebook. I was struck by what a beautiful illustrator he is. In his dimensional sketch of a rectilinear coffee table, he took the time to use colored pencils to draw in the wood grain (in perfect perspective!) and color and shade the boards. Everything was to scale freehand and highly annotated. Pages and pages of long-hand notes. And from someone who has made so many tables in his life he could probably do it hopping on one leg. What has he to say that is 4 pages worth of notes on a plain square coffee table that he is making for his students to practice on? But there it all was. In other videos he mentioned keeping a journal. Not a new concept to me. Every teacher I have ever had has said that reflective writing is important in the learning process. Now I teach and I tell my students to write reflectively. So here I am starting my journal on this project. I will have photos of everything as well. My hope is to produce a book, not unlike Georges Perec might, about this table and this experience. Something that says: here was a pile of boards and what Craig Medvecky did with them. A poorly executed project (actually a nightmare shelf) motivated me to keep this blog. The shelf began with a few poorly rendered sketches. Scribbles really. It was just a shop shelf, right? I wanted it to look great, but I wanted it done fast. I had all these design ideas but no patience to think them through, draw them execute them. I made a nice shape, but an unnecessary shape that impedes functionality and limits access to the space under the shelf. I cut out the laminate top upside down, so the shape came out backwards, so I ended up having to use the wrong side which didn't take the stain properly. Then I stained it way too soon? Why? I can't remember even, impatient. I could have waited on the stain until the assembly was complete. That was the first mistake of many. The train was off the tracks at that point and nothing could go right from there on out. The shitty shelf reminded me:
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