nobody’s right if everbody’s wrong

I was looking for one thing & found another. Last week when I wrote about the wood carrier that I learned from Daniel O’Hagan, I knew I had a shot that I took very quickly one of the last times I was down there. Couldn’t find it so I gave up. Today I found it while looking for some other photograph that is now more pressing.

Glad I didn’t see Daniel’s when I made mine – that way we get 2 interpretations of one form. 3 if we count the published one. Daniel’s versions worked for many many years.

 

Here’s mine from last week. I have more of this sort of thing to make in late August/early September.

For review, here’s the one from China at Work

 

I knew I shoulda made 2

I haven’t made one of these in over 20 years – a phrase you’ll get sick of hearing here. I’m preparing to head north for the Lie-Nielsen Open House – and have lots to do. On my list was a brief woodworking project. The other day I had shown a shot of me at a shaving horse, making long thin hickory bits.

Then I bundled up their ends with packing tape, and jammed a piece of scrap wood between them. Let them sit a while.

bound & bending

Then made the tiniest frame; 8 1/2” x 10 1/2” or so. Red oak. Drawbored mortise & tenon.

first joinery I have done in a while

Then I kept on going & forgot to shoot the steps. Nothing terribly enlightening anyway. When Maureen came through the work area & asked “what are you making” – when I told her, she said, “No, really, what are you making?”

A Chinese wood carrier. Really. For carrying any kind of wood, though. Doesn’t have to be Chinese. I first learned these in 1986, I know because here is a letter from Daniel O’Hagan showing me how it’s built.

 

And he got the idea from the book China at Work, by Rudolf Hommel, (orig 1937, MIT Press 1969.) The text says they used 2 of these, hanging from a pole across their shoulders, to bring fuel to porcelain kilns.

 

I wanted it so I can drag a bunch of spoon blanks up to Maine…right now there’s 18 pieces in it. If I were to fill it higher, it’d be too heavy to be comfortable. This way you can hook your elbow under the top piece & away you go…

I knew I should have made 2.