Growing Skills
Hey, do you have time for a quick weekend project? I want to make a small shelf for my succulents.” It’s the kind of text I love to get as a woodworker and parent, and it came from Katie one Thursday afternoon. “Sure,” I replied, “Come home and I’ll clear off the bench.” Saturday morning, we headed into the shop armed with a few images of shelves that she’d seen online, the dimensions of her pots, and her eye for balance and proportion. (She’s a graphic designer by profession.) We started by sketching out some full-size designs on rosin paper to give us a better feel for the scale. I explained options throughout the process, and she made all of the decisions, including how to handle a prominent streak of sapwood in…