Finally its time for the seventh batch of basic woodworking at the makers asylum. I'm super excited and just a tad bit nervous. I'm always nervous before a session begins; 10 varied personalities in one room and I'm trying to teach them. The first meeting is about getting to know them. Once that is done in the first 10 minutes, then I'm fine again.
Any who, as is the norm, this class too has some super excited people. The first day surprised me, play time normally ends will the participants cutting up half lap joints and sort of, just about fitting them into each other, some go as far as making some basic carvings or curves, etc.
This time, nearly all of them, finished their joints early and then began making random shit. It was wonderful to watch.
One made a kontiki style raft. or maybe a viking raft (LOL). Another makes a sort of ballista.
An architect student even made a large part of a studio apartment.
At 5, few wanted to leave and I was forced to hustle them out of the space, so I could have my way with the newly mounted table saw. (Reverse mounted circular saw), but that's a story for another time.
Coby and I went on to remove the "push" handle from the woodworking lab, because it pissed us of.
What we cannot believe is what we did with it. We mounted it into a column in the center of the room. Then, because we mounted it too high, we made a 6 inch high step. And then put beading "pati" around the column to frame the "door". 30 minutes flat, it amazed me. I cant believe that a year ago I was afraid of the circular saw and today I was free handing with it.
Session 1
The group of ten who came out, late on a Saturday morning is varied indeed, architects, interior designers, hobbyists like me. And this time there is a doctor in the house; reliving the days when she had to saw open a persons rib cage (ouch).Any who, as is the norm, this class too has some super excited people. The first day surprised me, play time normally ends will the participants cutting up half lap joints and sort of, just about fitting them into each other, some go as far as making some basic carvings or curves, etc.
This time, nearly all of them, finished their joints early and then began making random shit. It was wonderful to watch.
One made a kontiki style raft. or maybe a viking raft (LOL). Another makes a sort of ballista.
An architect student even made a large part of a studio apartment.
At 5, few wanted to leave and I was forced to hustle them out of the space, so I could have my way with the newly mounted table saw. (Reverse mounted circular saw), but that's a story for another time.
Coby and I went on to remove the "push" handle from the woodworking lab, because it pissed us of.
What we cannot believe is what we did with it. We mounted it into a column in the center of the room. Then, because we mounted it too high, we made a 6 inch high step. And then put beading "pati" around the column to frame the "door". 30 minutes flat, it amazed me. I cant believe that a year ago I was afraid of the circular saw and today I was free handing with it.
Session 2
Tired, oh so tired. What a session, what a set of people. 5 of them have finished the top frame, 3 are waiting to glue up next session.
Today, I covered joints, simply because the first session proved that this latest set needed a challenge.
And a good thing I did too, cos they gobbled it up and immediately changed the basic laptop design. This design uses mainly half lap joints at the end of the pieces and has not supporting wood. So a mistake, generally proves fatal. Of course the joint is also one of the easiest to create with the level of knowledge.
Some of this group used half lap joints one inch from the ends, which means that the frame design looks really elegant.
The doctor used mortise and tenon joints. Imagine digging out a mortise in 1cm by 2cm wood. Crazy, But she did it.
They finally left at 6, except for one. She was hanging about looking torn. I know the feeling. I would do the same when I did the electronic workshop. I never wanted to leave too. So I roped her into building a sled for the "table saw" which we built yesterday.
End of Weekend
Weekends pass very quickly when I have a workshop, this one has been no different. I'm tired, fatigued and the thought of going to work tomorrow makes me even more tired.
But the show must go on.
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