My young-adult daughter was recently given a plant stand made for her by my father-in-law to support her developing house-plant hobby. The design is a moderately interesting copy of something he saw at an antique store. The construction is rudimentary–home center pine boards mostly joined with nails and glue. The finish is amber poly straight from the can (blotchy, of course, on the pine) with the planer ripples plain to see in the surface, which he probably hand sanded a little. All in all, what I would consider a fairly basic affair.
She was delighted.
She was given something that was made with great love, just for her, suited perfectly to her own unique need. He even snuck into her place to take measurements when she was not around, so it fits neatly into several different spots depending on what she wants to do with it.
My lesson is to let go of my cynicism and judgement about what “good” looks like. The reality is that I am on my best day an intermediate woodworker, so I am sure that those more skilled than I am could look at my work with the same critical eye. I can only hope that the next thing that I build for someone else will be received with so much joy.
Thanks, Grandpa. From both of us.
Replies
Thanks for that. I think it is every wood workers dream to have that happen.
I think craftsmanship does not mean perfection. It means doing the best you are capable of and putting your heart into it is a very big part of that.
Great story! My partner has a jewelry bench that her now-deceased father made for her when she came crawling home to Vermont from a failed relationship many decades ago. It's a very rudimentary piece, but she cherishes it and ignores all its flaws because of how she got it. I could build her a much more useful bench, but I wouldn't dare suggest it.
I'm clueless, sorry. What the heck is a jewelry bench?
Picture a woodworking bench, but for making jewelry.
Ahhhhh. Thanks. For some reason that was not what I imagined.
If something is made with love, I admire it. One Christmas I made bunch of boxes for folks and they took 4 hours each. Another year, I made little serving trays that took 2ish hours each. Takes a lot of time to make even a simple gift for folks so when someone hands me a homemade gift I keep that in mind. Last two years, I just bought gifts and that took way less time.
I love this little story. Thank you for sharing it. It helps me to know that others can look past the superficial defects and such and see the love that was built in. I'll take the thing made with love, with heart and soul, every time.
This is all part of why I have taken up woodworking/furniture making, and doing it mostly by hand, when I can. I rather greatly (sometimes perhaps even desperately) hope that those who receive my pieces can, and do, at some level, appreciate not just the work, but the loving effort.
"Craftsmanship" to me is doing your best and making the best of your abilities while seeking to improve them. Ain't woodworking fun. Even the crudest looking pieces had some love added to them by their craftsman. Amen
thanks
We can all give ourselves a break too. I made all my work for family in the beginning. Mom was the receiver of many of my earlier work. It was.... weird getting them back suddenly after she passed. I can't help but see the flaws as it's now sitting in my living room. Being critical of our work does a disservice to how we got here.
Thanks for sharing. Like you, I'm at best, an intermediate woodworker. Given that's "my" thought... well, I'm likely not even up to that level.
That said, when I see something that I have an inkling to "look down my nose," I've become accustomed to moving right on in my mind to, "it wasn't that long ago that could've been my own work." This avocation is a journey - one I know I'll never come close to perfecting. I simply try to make each piece a better than the last, and if I do so and the difficultly level' risen, that's all the better.
“[Deleted]”
Love this, thanks for sharing.
As another "intermediate" woodworker (lovely phrase!) who's made a number of gifts for relations over the years I feel most encouraged by the original story and by all the replies. In future I'll try not to doubt my 'achievement' (knowing all too well the errors built in along the way) and just say to myself: "They'll love it, warts 'n all" - and hope for the best!
Pete
As long as I don't have to look at it and nobody knew I built it - sure.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled