The shop was quiet today. Penrhyn Castle closes on Tuesdays so Joseph and got some things done and straightened and cleaned a little. I find the castle the most different workshop I have ever had and I have had or worked many in my lifetime.
The sphere of creativity is crucial as the expression of who you are and how you work. It’s a place dedicated to work that surrounds you with the exact tools and workbench you need to complete a wide range of tasks. In every sense of the word, your workshop grows into becoming mature as you work there. Everything inside corresponds to you – bench height, bench style, vise type, tool box positioning, tool placement during work. Those sorts of things.
This evolving sphere takes on a personality defined by you. You set the boundaries and distances you are willing to travel from tool to task. Most of those I know who work with hand tools, keep tools very close to their work and their hands. After a few weeks it becomes impossible to make changes. When I am away from my shop, perhaps in someone else’s, I flounder. I find that in such cases it’s best to determine which tools I will use and put them all on the bench top. That works.
Just as the workshop is the hub of creative thought for we crafting artisans resulting in activity and creativity, the bench is the hub to the work in progress. The vise is the third hand to the craftsman that anchors the wood solidly as he works. This Woden vise is one of the largest made and I need every inch of its 12″ holding capacity. It’s also a quick-release vise which I would find it difficult to live without.
