I have been thinking a lot lately about how there is a
difference between making something with wood work and doing wood working.
At least in my way of thinking I am a wood worker, or I do
wood working. That is different than making something from wood. A lot of
people can make things with wood, but that is different than being a wood
worker.
How, well that’s a difficult difference to quantify. To me a
doing wood work implies the person has a love for the material he is using, he
(or She) may not have the highest quality tools, but he always strives to do
the best possible work with those tools. The layout is the best they can do,
the elements complement each other and they strive for the “wow” factor when
they are done.
Where as someone that makes something from wood generally
(there are Always exceptions to everything) is just using wood because it is
either the cheapest material, or the easiest to obtain, etc… it’s not because
they love the medium.
Someone who does woodworking does so because they love the
way the grain of the wood looks, they can’t wait to see what the wood reveals
as they carve away whatever is not part of the end project. They understand how
the wood will move and change with the changes in humidity, they know that
quarter sawn board will react different then flat sawn, and plan the project
accordingly.
A person making something out of wood goes to the local
lumber yard, takes whatever boards the yard man loads in their rig and goes
about making the project. Little thought is given to the species of wood, the
type of joints, or fasteners, and they often paint over the wood. Something a
wood worker would find appalling in most circumstances.
With a wood worker it’s all about showcasing the grain and
color of the wood as much as the item being made out of the wood.
I know, it’s all a point of view, but at least in my current
state of mind, there is a difference and it’s important. To others it may just
seem like a minor issue, and perhaps it is, but isn’t that what really makes
the difference in most cases, the little things?
