No, you don't want to do it. There just ain't much fun in moving a workshop. While I kept reminding myself that I have very few tools compared to a "power" woodworker, it was still difficult to see all of my tools go into travel mode. But as Helen Keller said "Life is either a daring adventure, or it's nothing at all".
This is what it looked like when they all landed in my new shop. The space is actually larger than my shop in NY, with a full second story for storage. I had to take a deep breath and shut the door to go help Sue to get the house in order first, but on day 2, I was able to sneak out and bring some order to the chaos.
This move has been a wonderful reminder of what is truly important to me. I have my family, my animals, my shop and all the experience (read mistakes) that I've had as a woodworker. As the dust from the move settles, I am chomping at the bit to get in there an make some shavings.
Here is the lathe room. I am very excited to have a separate space for this notorious mess maker. It's an old horse stall complete with the horses names on the door.
This shows the proximity to the benchroom. And right off the back of the shop is the chicken coop and goat loafing shed. I'm not one for omens, but finding a place in a single morning that we could rent that had all these amenities sure seemed like we were being called here. The place even came with 5 more chickens. Here is the rooster up high checking me out. I went in yesterday to pull out a dozen brown and green eggs!
Thanks to everyone who has written and called to show support and offer help. This transition has been challenging to say the least, but now that we've made it, I'm just plain excited for the potential here. Next week I'll be preparing to go to Kelly Mehler's in Kentucky. Kelly runs a top notch program and frankly, two weeks of chairmaking sounds pretty good to me.
6 comments:
Hi Peter,
Nice new digs! a bigger shop with a separate lathe room would be awesome. I was admiring your pics when I realized we have the same lathe. Mine cam with a 3450 rpm craftsman motor and I always wondered if the original had a slower motor. when I calculated out my turnings speeds I think lowest speed is about 770 rpm which is fine for splindle turning but limits me from making bowls etc. Does your motor turns at 1750 rpm?
I am amazed that you could find a place to live and work and then to get it all set up and ready to go. It looks so organized!
JL,
I'll check out my lathe speed and get back to you. Normally I just think fast, slow and too fast, it keeps life simple!
John,
when I was packing back in NY, I put all of my duplicate tools and unused tools in boxes and left out only the essentials. It was very pleasing to only see vital tools on display, and to realize how few you really need to make a chair!
Maybe on the next move you can leave ALL tools behind and start making chairs with your bare hands and then you will turn into pure energy or a chair.
Peter, when you announced that you were moving I thought , " Is he nuts?" . But your new digs look amazing.
Walt, Steve and I have been working on you rocker from FWW and wished you were here to get in on the fun.
Or instead you could come and carve spoons with Del Stubbs as he is giving a class at the U of M extension division in July. Del is cut from a mold like Curtis and just one of the classics of this generation.
Free board and room at the Andersons if you want to consider. If interested I will email you details.
John A
John,
Believe me when I say that you aren't the only one who thought we were nuts for moving!! But we promised ourselves that if we were going to do it, that it would have to be a move up in all ways, not just Sue's job. And if the oysters that I enjoyed in Boston yesterday and the visit with friends in North Hampton the day before are any indicator, we've done well! I'd love to come out, but this year is packed (sorry for the pun) with moving and teaching, including a recently added trip to Australia. I'm thrilled to hear that you all are forging ahead with the rocker, lemme know if you hit any snags,
cheers,
Pete
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