What’s been on my work bench or how I spent the first 12 weeks of retirement

Brad Bortner

Brad Bortner

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View attachment DDA9B017-796C-4928-B9E1-070F2B392A40.jpegI thought I’d post about my last three months of workbench activities at the encouragement of Eric and Brad F. I decided I needed something intensive and rewarding to ease into retirement so I enrolled in a 12 week course on the foundations of handtool woodworking at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking. Today we took graduation photos. All of these projects were done almost entirely with hand tools in an effort to learn Woodworking from the basics of wood to all the skills of laying out, cutting, planing, chiseling, mortising, etc with precision. We started the first day with a buck saw, maul and wedge and made the stools from a whole log. We finished with chests that we designed and built as fine furniture. I now have a now appreciation for craftsmanship of all types from preindustrial furniture to work in modern machinery. The tolerances I was able to achieve with handtools after only 3 months of training and practice amazed me and seeing what was 150 or 250 or even 500 years ago with hand made tools is amazing to me. Anyway after pushing a plane through miles of rough lumber here are the fruits of my labors. To give you an idea, the cabinet with black walnut doors started as one walnut board and one cherry board and with 2 weeks of time in the shop I made this cabinet and a whole lot of sawdust/shavings.

I finished early enough to put together this present for my granddaughter this week with only the assistance of a bandsaw. View attachment B466C52C-AEB4-42AF-A7C9-045496C34D09.jpeg
 
Brad,

Looks to me like you are still working, except you changed careers and are getting paid in something other than money. Good choice [;)]
 
Dave, I thought of you a lot during this class. When was getting to the point when I was using my smoothing plane to remove shavings approaching several thousands of an inch in thickness or sharpening a blade on a 8000 grit water stone I reminded myself that you worked at tolerances much tighter than I was working. Really made me appreciate your trade and the skills you developed over a lifetime.
 
Very nice stuff Brad.

Now start looking for the material to make a hope chest for that g-daughter.

You might try a decoy now and then also. :)
 
Thanks Jode, I know you were raised as a cabinetmaker so that means a lot.

Brad F, you know I’m almost as much of a wood collector as you. I’ve got a supply stashed. I’ll just need to remember where it is.

Now that that spring is here, where is my fishing invitation?
 
Hello Brad. Have you done anything with the wood from Wis Boz (my dad)? Just curious. I know he had quite a stash laying in different places.
 
Good morning, Brad~

Spectacular work! Great idea to take the training. And, if you do "retirement" like a lot of us, you'll be doing lots of work every day - but work you thoroughly enjoy.

All the best,

SJS

 
Your granddaughter will love the rocking horse.

I have made one for each of my nieces, nephews and my own kids (7 total). Heck, my 9 year old daughter still "rides" her, standing on to see how fast she can rock it.

When I started woodworking, 25+ years ago, I always bought the newest greatest power tools, the last few years, I seem to be moving more and more to hands, I go into the shop to relax, not make loud noises and dust everywhere, pace is slower, but I enjoy my time spent.

Good luck with retirement, hope to be there one day.
 
Brad

Beautiful pieces there. Someone doesn't get to that level in 12 weeks unless they have a strong aptitude for it. Knowing you already have a shop along with obvious talent and desire I bet you make many more exquisite works in your retirement. Looking forward to see more.

During your 12 week class did you learn to sharpen hand tools? I find that is a skill I need to spend some time on. I have a bunch of dull tools in my shop that would get used more if I'd take the time to sharpen them. A future project.

Eric
 
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Eric

I sharpened my chisels and planes almost daily. It’s really not difficult until you get to curved blades.

I had some prior experience with hand tool work but not a lot. We had 9 students and at least 2 of them had zero experience and their skills were nonexistent but their final projects are as nice as those of us who knew a little something. Interesting to me is that 7 of the 9 were utilizing veterans benefits to pay for vocational training post military service. They were reaping the benefits of their service in a very positive way.
 

As football coach Bud Grant said -

"You retire to something, not from something."

It appears that you got the hang of that quickly.
 
Brad, great work , glad to see a real craftsman workmen ship. continue to keep the chips flying in future projects & enjoy your retirement.
 
Beautiful work. Over the past few years I have migrated from making dust to shavings myself and it has made woodworking a much more enjoyable experience. I have focused on learning how to sharpen my chisels, planes and saws for a couple years now and getting a good edge makes it enjoyable. I contend that most people have never actually used a sharp plane or hand saw and favor power tools due to this. I used to not want to stop working to sharpen but now that I have it figured out it drives me nuts when I don't. I will say I this though. I had a stack of reclaimed cedar siding that i ran through my planer this weekend and ripped off the busted up tongue a groove with the table saw and as much as I disliked wearing the respirator and ear muffs and eye protection it would have taken for ever to do by hand I just didn't have the time! There is a time and place for everything. It will all be turned into patio furniture that will be done with as little power machines as possible.
 
Heading back to it tomorrow Pat. How's that retirement plan coming? Oh yeah I owe you a phone call.
 
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