As mentioned in a previous post, I have been working on box that was part of a challenge in the chat room for The Wood Whisperer. While I missed the deadline to get it completed for the trade portion of the challenge, I still have every intent to finish it. There have been a lot of firsts on this project, with far more hand tool work done on this, including hand cut dovetails as the primary joinery for this project.
That brings me to my day of zen in the shop. Most days I spend in the shop are good days, but this day was one of the best days. During this day, I did not use a single power tool. The only electrons abused were the ones powering the lights in the shop.
So, what did I accomplish during this day of zen in the shop? I finished cleaning the tails, cut out and cleaned up the pins, and fitted all 4 corners of the box.
Just me, a dovetail saw, a few chisels, a mallet, and four pieces of wood, with some classical music playing. Does it just get any better then that? Well, yes, it does. When I brought the first corner together first time. The fact that it slipped together with some light taps of the mallet. Even better? Doing it 3 more times! After doing a little more cleanup, I had a box that was reasonably square.
Since the day of zen, and the previous post, the box parts were sanded, glued together, and the lid separated. Still some work to do on it before putting the first coat of finish on it, including a little more hand tool work. Perhaps another day of zen in the shop?