Bonsai Table #2

Description

Part of any project is balancing your current skill set against attempting something more advanced. You don’t want to try something so far beyond where you are that it’s doomed to fail. On the other hand you don’t want to keep it so simple that you don’t progress and improve. I hadn’t used my bandsaw much before this and had been wanting to get more comfortable with it. These 1 x 6 decking boards were the perfect material for expanding my skill set.

I had decided on the basic construction of cutting a lip on each leg. The table top would sit on the lip; a peg and glue holding it all together. My plan meant I had enough material for five tables. Now it was just deciding what shapes to try and cut out. I had thumbnails of shapes on scraps of paper all over the place. Then the wood had a say in it. You can see in the pic above that I had to swerve to avoid some knotholes.

When you’re meditating it’s good to sit with a method, a way of meditating that suits you, and to stick with that. That’s how you improve; by practicing the same thing while also stretching your abilities. Then in the moment adapting to what comes up. Make plans but be prepared to dodge a few knotholes.