Approach to Furniture Making - When to tell when a piece is done

> Rereading Krenov's "The Art of Cabinet Making" I came acrossed
> a point worth pondering - when to know you're done. His approach
> is "when the nothing more can be removed in order to improve the
> piece" as opposed to the other extreme "when nothing more can be
> added to improve the piece".

Some would say you're done when you run out of time and money.

mp wrote:

> Some would say you're done when you run out of time and money.

No, that's just running out of time and/or money.

I'm after the things the maker of a piece uses to get to the point
where he or she stands back and says - "NOW it's done!"

charlie b

On Thu, 29 Apr 2004 13:04:45 -0700, charlie b <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Rereading Krenov's "The Art of Cabinet Making" I came acrossed
>a point worth pondering - when to know you're done. His approach
>is "when the nothing more can be removed in order to improve the
>piece" as opposed to the other extreme "when nothing more can be
>added to improve the piece".
>
>Nakashima went the minimalist route. Tom Plamann tends towards
>the other end of the spectrum and the roccoco style is the far end
>of the other end of the spectrum.
>
>So you've got Krenov's approach - learn to do a few things
>exceptionally well and keep it simple - letting the wood
>speak for itself. Tom P on the other hand seems to be constantly
>stretching, looking for new challenges and ways to make them.
>
>Jack of All Trades or Master of a Few?
>
>I like the wood and, given my level of skills and knowledge,
>KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) is my approach (ok so I get
>carried away a little at times - but I strive for simplicity).
>
>What's your philosophy/approach to making things and how'd
>you get there?
>
>charlie b


I think my approach is closer to "simple, yet refined". The minimalist
route would dictate for example, that square, simple sides to a cabinet
would be most efficient. I, on the other hand, while keeping the lines
simple, made them curves. Some details may not be apparent, but they are
techniques that *I* know are there and are more esthetically pleasing to me
than if I had taken a more simple technique for use.

Interesting question.

"charlie b" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> What's your philosophy/approach to making things and how'd
> you get there?
>

Usually one of two things lets me know to stop

1) I realize that anything further I do I am likely to screw up and thus
move backward in my progress.

2) I get tired of swmbo asking "when will it be done?"

Frank

I consider being done when the customer is happy and I am paid for the job.

CHRIS

"charlie b" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Rereading Krenov's "The Art of Cabinet Making" I came acrossed
> a point worth pondering - when to know you're done. His approach
> is "when the nothing more can be removed in order to improve the
> piece" as opposed to the other extreme "when nothing more can be
> added to improve the piece".
>
> Nakashima went the minimalist route. Tom Plamann tends towards
> the other end of the spectrum and the roccoco style is the far end
> of the other end of the spectrum.
>
> So you've got Krenov's approach - learn to do a few things
> exceptionally well and keep it simple - letting the wood
> speak for itself. Tom P on the other hand seems to be constantly
> stretching, looking for new challenges and ways to make them.
>
> Jack of All Trades or Master of a Few?
>
> I like the wood and, given my level of skills and knowledge,
> KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) is my approach (ok so I get
> carried away a little at times - but I strive for simplicity).
>
> What's your philosophy/approach to making things and how'd
> you get there?
>
> charlie b