I'll be the first to admit that I am a type-A personality, particularly when it comes to keeping things clean and organized in the workshop. But having just one project going on at a time for me, can lead to boredom and a general fatigue that sets in, particularly as the weather warms up. Distractions like the Honey-do list, yard work and maintaining a house are some of the additional items that can pull you away from one project. Then, you just feel like you are neglecting the single task at hand, and can find it difficult to get motivated.
Variety - The Spice of Life
Bigger projects like case-work, and in my case, preparing a large amount of lumber (milling rough stock) requires a lot of repetitive and labor-intensive activity. This bookcase project has been a reminder of how tedious repetitious tasks in woodworking can be. Repetition begets distraction, fatigue, and in some cases, mistakes or injury. One way I have always combated this is to have a number of different projects going on at a time. Looking for a variety of projects to run in parallel can keep you working on a variety of skills simultaneously, while at the same time, allow you to reach some of those cool project milestones (design, joinery, finishing) more frequently. Taking your mind off of one project, and moving to another, even for a while, can bring a new level of focus and ideas to the one you left.
Let me explain a little by giving you some examples from my own project list. I currently have three furniture projects at various degrees of completion, or lack thereof:
The first is what I mentioned earlier, a medium-sized bookshelf from solid cherry. This is what I would consider my large muscle project. Lots of big parts, hand/machine cut dovetails, and a tricky glue-up to put it all together. I am already enjoying this project because it has allowed me to reevaluate my wood sources, spend some time on applying some original design principles, and has a great and appreciative final recipient - my 6-year old daughter. My milling is now complete with this project, and I can start cutting and joining the pieces for glue up of the sides and shelves.
The second is a Shaker-style round stand, also from cherry. This is my clone piece from the exact project I created for Gorilla Glue earlier this year. You can download the plans if you want here. This served two purposes; a set of back-up parts in case I made a mistake on one, and a lucky strike extra table if I succeeded. The first went off without a hitch, so hopefully I can do the same for the second table. This was my first project of this type for turning a large pedestal-style base and joinery of legs to a base that wasn't square. If you are ever looking to break up the monotony, turn a large spindle, its a blast. At this stage, I am ready to turn the base and cut mortises for the floating tenons on the three legs, then shape the curves on the leg's edge.
The third and probably most complicated is a bathroom medicine cabinet. This is made from Bubinga and Walnut. It is also a perfect example of why adding doors and/or drawers to any project add a considerable amount of time. The dovetailed case is a smaller exercise in what I have ahead of me for the bookcase. The frame and panel door, using two species of woods took some planning, finesse and creative use of router bits to come together properly. Lots of hand tools, measuring, and thinking before I cut is what this project is all about. Now, I can begin to final sand all of the parts of the door, case, and oil it up. Then it's onto attaching the hardware and hanging.
As it stands today, I know I will have another three pieces completed before the end of the summer. Beyond that, I have a great variety of projects, big and small, that keep me interested in what I can go to in my shop. Even if it's 20 minutes before work, or five hours on the weekend, there is always something there that offers variety, and uses different skills.
Your Thoughts and My Plans
I know this is just my own personal preference, so tell me a little bit about how you work. Singular focus, or multi-task?
On May 16th I am heading to the Lie Nielsen Tool event hosted by Popular Woodworking. I plan on watching some demos, handing out some glue, and of course coming home with some new tools! I'll blog all about it the coming weeks.