"I didn't realize how much I did, what I accomplished, what I took for granted and how it all came together."
Content:
(1) What is your essential question? What is the best answer to your question and why?
My essential question is "What is most important for a woodworker to consider in creating an aesthetic piece of furniture?". My best answer is the material, in other words, the type of wood a woodworker uses. I chose this answer because the furniture design itself is expressed by the wood with colors, texture, grain patterns, and sometimes even the density/strength of the wood which plays a big role in making it aesthetically pleasing. After this nine month process, the material is always something I have considered, along with my mentors.
(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
I had to take a very frustrating process by having to analyze the all the different things woodworker would take into consideration. With the help of my mentors I narrowed down my answer to three; finishing, joinery, and material. I then came across a book by George Nakashima that revealed to me what my best answer may possibly be. Once I had an idea, I spend most of my time studying different woods to be able to support my best answer.
(3) What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?
One of the biggest problems I faced was choosing my top three answers because there are several crucial aspects of woodworking that must be considered. I solved this problem by researching those answers and by using my past experience with woodworking to understand which ones would be my answers. Another problem was working efficiently because I had to really learn how to properly work so I can be efficient and accurate when making the actual furniture. My mentor and experience helped me solve this problem because he reminded me of the important basic things I had learned when I was younger and taught me how to be an efficient woodworker. My last problem was finding mentorship, I had to use my father as a mentor at first for a month or two. But he helped me fins another mentor by talking to his friends and this woodworking blog that he joined. They where able to get the word out to different woodworkers in my area and asked if any where willing to mentor me for my senior project. Luckily I ended up finding two mentors.
(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
My first most important source was my mentor Paul Yanes because of his experience and knowledge that he shared with me. Although he is my father, he certainly in no way treated me like a son during this project, only as an apprentice. He taught me everything I know and helped me gain life long skills that I can use from woodworking. He also introduced me to his 'woodworking bible', which is my second best source. The book is called "The Soul Of A Tree, A Woodworkers Reflection" by George Nakashima. This book was indeed an amazing book that described in detail every aspect of woodworking. From the wood to the woodworker themselves, it helped me find my best answer, and showed me how my senior project was indeed a type of art and how a woodworker is not just a carpenter, or an architect, but an artist as well.
(5) What is your product and why?
My product was gaining skills that I can use the rest of my life. I learned patience, how to work efficiently, and most impotently, how to find different ways to solve one problem. I ran into so many walls during my senior project when practicing technique and making a furniture piece. I simply could not figure out how to overcome certain obstacles. My mentor was able to show me that at times, I need to be patient, efficient, think, and be intelligent about how to solve my problems. He showed me how to make jigs (fixtures or templates) in order to overcome these problems of perhaps; not being able to cut a certain angle, or making sure all the dimensions are accurate. What ever the problem may be, I learned how to face the problems the proper way, the intelligent way and most efficient will help me through out my life.
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