[SGilchrist]

Tomorrow I will be running the first of three 19th century woodworking seminars with the goal of creating a small ongoing exhibit at a historical site.  I have a few topics I will discuss as I build a 19th century joiners chest which will be donated to the building, as well as a few tools, including the materials, tools and their uses, and contrasting these against modern materials, tools, and methods.  I’m pretty much good to go, but now that Josh has set up this forum, it seemed like a good resource to tap.  Does anyone have any ideas for topics to add, interesting facts, woodworking jokes?

Topic

[Mike in TN]

#2026885

I think it would be good to bring out the personal relationship that craftsmen had with the process: the apprenticeships, tools with the owners stamps signifying the personal nature with those tools, the involvement of the individual with most, it not all, of the design, construction and finishing of the final product and the high likelihood of having a relationship with the ultimate local (normally) user of that product.

Contrast that with a modern factory where few workmen perform more than one function, are seldom involved with design, determination of process, tool selection, etc. , and the work goes through several hands between the producer and the user who can be thousands of miles from each other.

Also, I think is significant that traditional woodworking technology was developed over thousands of years, passed from craftsman to craftsman, with changes being relatively slow, driven by the craftsmen themselves, and “tried-and true” with the focus on improvement of the product. Modern work seems to come in massive change, driven by people expert in manufacturing and material sciences and the economic bottom line. Product quality seems to be measured by the numbers of returns and complaints from the consumer but only if that results in reduced profits.

Good luck.

 

[SGilchrist]

#2026889

Some good suggestions in there, Mike.  Thanks.

[Author]

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