I was pounding out a bunch of mortises last night using chisels and a mallet (and scary sharpening stuff). The power went out. In my power tool days that would have ended that evening’s woodworking. Instead, I felt my way to the cabinet with my head lamp, turned it on, went back to work and finished the mortises.
It seems trivial, but that was an amazing feeling of freedom to be able to continue working like normal in an otherwise pitch black room.
Interestingly, the mortises I created last night were overall the best quality (square and precisely to the marks) I’ve managed so far.
Mike
To the man with a hammer, all the world is a nail.
Replies
I bet it was pretty peaceful with everything quiet except the *rap*rap* of the mallet.
I was making fairly large mortises in red oak. I'd describe the sound less as *rap*rap* and more as *bang*bang* :-). But yes, it was peaceful, at least for me.To the man with a hammer, all the world is a nail.
That's not trivial at all.
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What a coincidence...the same thing occurred at my house...I was making some additions requested by my wife to the deck railing and decided to attach the ballisters with M-T joinery...dusted off my hollow chisel mortiser..made one mortise and thought, I bet I can do this faster by hand...did about ten mortises when a pop t-storm knocked out the power...continued working...not sure they were my best mortises but they were close (had the additional distraction of my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter who likes to work alongside her "Papash"...the LN #1 bench plane is her plane)
Neil
I've lost power while using the computer, walked around the house, and realized that woodworking is one of the ONLY productive things I can do w/o electricity.
That was the moment when I fully appreciated my decision to build up a full set of hand tools BEFORE buying my power tools. I got a headlamp and flashlight and worked for several hours... it was a very liberating experiece, and made me think a lot about the history of woodworking. It's exciting to know that I use the same basic toolset now that was used before electricity. Although I can't imagine having to square all my lumber w/o a jointer/planer/tablesaw.
This also made me want to trade in my keyboard for a real piano... sadly I need the keyboard in order to play shows.
"...made me think a lot about the history of woodworking. It's exciting to know that I use the same basic toolset now that was used before electricity."
I started thinking that same way during the power outage, then realized they didn't have headlamps back then either :-). Nocturnal woodworking is probably a lot more modern than the band saw (some of which were powered by water mills). I'd hate to think of the combination of an oil lamp and sawdust...To the man with a hammer, all the world is a nail.
WHOA! Hang on a minute!........you dudes have it all wrong!When the lights go out, you start up your generator & go back to the power tools! That allows you to use not only the power tools in your shop, but you get credit for having the lastest super-charged John Deere driven powerplant! Do you want your dentist using the same tools on your teeth that they used in the 1600's, or whenever. How about your doctor? or your auto mechanic?.......Please, quit living in the dark ages. Come out & play w/ the rest of us... :-D
It'd be entertaining to see my auto mechanic work with the same tools auto mechanics used in the 1600s...To the man with a hammer, all the world is a nail.
I'd like to see a, auto mechanic try to fix a car with a scorp or adze.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
It'd be entertaining to see my auto mechanic work with the same tools auto mechanics used in the 1600s...
It would be more fun to watch your auto mechanic fix a 1600s era Oxcart with a broken axle with an oscilloscope and an impact wrench...
David C.
Max,
I remember reading a reprint of an old document, maybe one of the early pricebooks, that spelled out the duties of the journeymen in the shop. It called for the journeyman to work twelve hour days, but the master had to supply the candles. Woodworking by candlelight, how romantic, with just a little edge of danger.
Ray
Muscle memory starting to kick in Mike. Congratulations. Fun, huh?
Paul
"Interestingly, the mortises I created last night were overall the best quality (square and precisely to the marks) I've managed so far."
These were blind mortises?
philip,
These were blind mortises?
Thay might as well have been. He was working in the dark!
Ray
Indeed-that was the (small) joke....Philip Marcou
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