The Building Works!

We moved in and the building team followed

The construction is going well and we are a third of the way through. Steel girders and beams, steel studs, insulation and sound-block plasterboard are all in place and, well, to be honest, it's beginning to feel more like home again (whatever that is?). The mezzanine that cover my new workshop/studio /office took just a day and half to install. Once that was in the walls went up muy rapido and now we are ready to joint and plaster the walls, which should be done by Wednesday this week. With the messy work of first fix levels in each trade completed the next work entails ceiling work to bury the ducting for air circulation, heating and so on.

Upstairs we began our first filming pretty much on day one a month ago. Though quite cramped it all went surprisingly well. perhaps my nomadic travels have prepared me for such as this. We never missed a step. I do admit to occasional feelings of not belonging, but I put that down to living in the south of England which seems more foreign to me than i ever felt in the USA or Texas. But putting roots down at my age is probably more necessary than before. I've seen to much of the insides of airports to relish travel even though I have enjoyed taking trips for my work. What gives me my greatest security is my work and my tools. When they are in place I am settled somehow. In my travels and my setting up of workshops setting my bench in place and arranging my tools, my wood, my templates and patterns, shelves, glue bottles, clamps and so on anchor me. Is that silly? Well, no, it's not at all. I've spent and spend a third of my life with one foot of my bench vise. What an anchor it's been. I feel no shame or loss—I have loved it. Who can say such a thing on the journey since I was 15 all the way through to my age of 68?

I made my prototype trials beforehand and during the sycamore/maple version which is also well under way now. Over the next week or two we should be closing in on having the whole series filmed. It doesn't seem two minutes since I went into Surrey Hardwoods to pick out my wood. The guys there are so helpful and they also ship too so if you can't get there they will custom cut for you I believe. It did turn out nice wood.

The design itself came together in the prototype first with the critical consideration being how i developed the legs and the associated joinery within. So this is the first prototype built in the new building.

Pine works quickly with hand tools. Ploughing the grooves went well though in both the pine version and the hardwood. It's a good workout and of course it parallels anything ai could get endurance-wise on my bike, running or walking. Why? How can I say that? Well, all three work mostly my legs alone. Benchwork requires all my body and then additionally strategising through critical thinking too. Who can argue with that.

My FitBit tells me I have usually done around 17,000 steps and then i walk/run on top of that before I start work and at the end of my day. Nothing can compare to my working at the bench.

So in a couple of weeks we will begin setting up my garage workspace. I do hope you will keep up with me as we see this grow. You are the only reason I do what I do.