"It's not what you make. It's how you make it" was a phrase I heard Paul Sellers say often in the initial video's of his that I watched over 5 years ago. For some reason, that phrase has stuck in my mind.
I am in the process of making a Shaker Chimney Cupboard the Mike Pekovich featured in 2013 in Fine Woodworking (Issue #232, Mar/Apr 2013). I have wanted to make it for some time. One of the areas of new skill development for me is to use the Veritas skew rebate plane. It is the perfect tool to make the long rebates in the back of the cabinet to accept the rear panel. I've had it for a few years but really haven't used it much. I got it set up well and was able to make the long grooves on two six foot side panels. A predictable issue I had was that the rebate was sloped on the bottom. I know why and what I did wrong but converting theoretical knowledge into hand skill will take a while (I have successfully conquered this problem on my small plough plane).
Given it is the back of the cabinet, I could have just left it as is. It's the back and the panel will cover some of the sin as it were. However, this would bother me. I wanted to get the rebate perpendicular and clean any fibers in the corner. It probably doubled my time but I did it. Why? Well, it gets to "it's now what you make but how you make it." When I see this finished piece, I will feel really good inside knowing I did this. That good feeling was enough for me to spend the time to fix it. It is still not perfect but it is as good as I can make it.
I think Paul's quote has been something I've been doing in other aspects of my life. I can think of something I had to write 25 years ago. I put quite a bit of work into some of the images that went along with the text. I wanted to get them just so. For what it was, I wanted to it to be as perfect as possible. Twenty five years later, I still smile fondly on this.
Don't get me wrong, I pick and choose my battles in both woodworking and life. For certain things the extra effort is worth it to me.
That PS phrase runs through my brain bucket all the time too.
ReplyDeleteHe does have some good phrases he uses. I also like the "don't give up, keep going." Early on, I'd be halfway through an operation such as making a housing dado and everything was rough look and I wanted to give up. I didn't and it looked fine by the end. At some point I realized that many woodworking operations look crummy half way through but fine at the end. That helped me mentally.
DeleteI can also think of when I made a nightstand for my daughter. Half way through, because of what you say Ralph, the "mestakes" had me feeling like giving up and burning it. I pressed on. By the end, to quote Thomas Johnson, it "looked pretty good."
Obviously, Paul Sellers knows this and hence his "don' give up; keep going." Paul has all kinds of good phrases that help me keep sane.