A couple of weeks ago, I was at the Canadian Home Workshop show. It was my first woodworking show, but to be truthful, it was more of a power tool show than anything else. Sure, there were a couple of workshops and Rob Cosman was there demonstrating his plane craft, but for the most part there were power tools as far as the eye could see.
Along with a block of redwood and a plane blade from Rob's stand (I want to try my hand at making a hand plane. Kari, I'll be coming to you with questions!), I had picked up a core-box bit for my router as I wanted to try my hand at making router bowls. I figured I could make a couple as Christmas gifts
For my first bowl, I decided to actually make a round segmented dish. About 13" in diameter and split down the middle.
Everything was going pretty well until after I had routed out the recesses and band-sawn the outside circumference. I needed to route the outside and inside edges to give a round-over effect but having dismantled my home made router table (it had finally warped beyond usability) I opted to do it free hand with the bowl clamped down to the bench between dogs.
Routing the bottom edge went fine. Routing the first recess also posed no problem. Routing the 2nd recess however, I slipped and the router bit ended up cutting deeply into the side. Twice. Realizing what I had done, I turned off the router, set it down and resisted the urge to pick up the piece and hurl it to the concrete floor. I'll admit that I muttered a bit and stared at the dish in sinking dismay.
It was ruined.
Fit for kindling.
.... Or was it? Something told me to pick up a chisel and just start carving. For the next little while, I chipped away at the dish. To be truthful, I totally lost track of time and just followed my instinct being mindful of the grain so that I wouldn't tear the wood. Pausing only to give the chisel a couple of swipes on the sharpening stone.
It was pure Zen.
When I was done, what I saw reminded me of sand and how it can erode away at man made structures if left unchecked with the desert claiming half of the city, but the other half still in good order. Hence, I give you the dish "Erosion".
I'm quite proud of what I've accomplished. It may not be the next Mona Lisa, but I've grown by refusing to bow to defeat just because of a minor setback. What was to be a straight forward dish has been turned into a work of art that I could never duplicate 100%
Do you have a story where you took the woodworking lemons that were handed to you and turned it into lemonade? Leave me a comment and let's chat about it!
