And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Now, imagine the skill and patience required to do that before modern power tools... We stand on the shoulders of giants, all of us, regardless of what form your artistry takes.
Exactly. We can all use a little humility of those who came before, especially now when certain types have decided our fore-bearers are to be summarily dismissed as “old hat”. Was restoring an 1800’s stamp mill at 11,400’…all built by hand. Went thru a sidewall, looked down to see the top of a 40’ long 2’x3’ main post, still in perfect condition. Noticed the craftsman had chamfered the top four edges, on a post no one would see…to avoid splintering and for aesthetic. It’s just what craftsmen did. Some of us still do. This dt joint has impressive tolerances regardless how it was made.
As I was leaving the military a million years ago, we bought a rosewood dining room set and bedroom set made in China. Our China cabinet is almost identical to this.... https://www.chinafurnitureonline.com/rosewood/dining-room-14059/red-cherry-rosewood-longevity-motif-oriental-china-cabinet-dcha60b
It is all hand carved and the only metal are the hinges. These are beautiful examples of what craftsmen can do with wood. We spent a fortune and if we were to do it again today, we'd spend at least 5 times that.
But here's the thing....Mrs. azlib would like to get something more contemporary and less-grandmother-ish. But our kids don't want this fine furniture and you almost can't give it away. These days people want IKEA ( or their equivalents). They can find furniture in a contemporary style and when tastes change or the furniture just doesn't hold up, you can trash it and move on to the next assemble-it-yourself stuff.
Same with silver and china. Just had to have it and a fine piece of furniture to put it in and today its worth pennies on the dollar. If we got the jukebox and pool table I wanted it would be valuable and we would have had years of fun. But noooo
azlibertarian - you just KNOW that there will come a point when someone will say "I really wish we had kept that". Trouble would be storage space to hold it. If I wasn't in TN I'd be tempted to do some buying.
I used to be able to get close to that. I spent 4 hours replacing two top rails on my deck this past week on what should have been a half hour job. It seems the 90 degree corners have settled and are no longer in square.
As a young man back in the 60's I had the opportunity of working for area farmers and seen some old barns that were all hand crafted and pegged together at beam joints with shake shingles and barn siding that was 1 inch thick oak slabs and at the time didn't know what I was looking at but I sure do now.
Dovetail of the gods.
ReplyDeleteNow, imagine the skill and patience required to do that before modern power tools... We stand on the shoulders of giants, all of us, regardless of what form your artistry takes.
ReplyDeleteExactly. We can all use a little humility of those who came before, especially now when certain types have decided our fore-bearers are to be summarily dismissed as “old hat”. Was restoring an 1800’s stamp mill at 11,400’…all built by hand. Went thru a sidewall, looked down to see the top of a 40’ long 2’x3’ main post, still in perfect condition. Noticed the craftsman had chamfered the top four edges, on a post no one would see…to avoid splintering and for aesthetic. It’s just what craftsmen did. Some of us still do. This dt joint has impressive tolerances regardless how it was made.
DeleteSame goes for hand lettering. Paint and brushes made all signs not that long ago. Computer generated lettering got a lot wanna-be's into the trade.
ReplyDeleteWonder why antique furniture is worth so much? It was all done without electricity!
ReplyDeleteAs I was leaving the military a million years ago, we bought a rosewood dining room set and bedroom set made in China. Our China cabinet is almost identical to this....
Deletehttps://www.chinafurnitureonline.com/rosewood/dining-room-14059/red-cherry-rosewood-longevity-motif-oriental-china-cabinet-dcha60b
It is all hand carved and the only metal are the hinges. These are beautiful examples of what craftsmen can do with wood. We spent a fortune and if we were to do it again today, we'd spend at least 5 times that.
But here's the thing....Mrs. azlib would like to get something more contemporary and less-grandmother-ish. But our kids don't want this fine furniture and you almost can't give it away. These days people want IKEA ( or their equivalents). They can find furniture in a contemporary style and when tastes change or the furniture just doesn't hold up, you can trash it and move on to the next assemble-it-yourself stuff.
azlibertarian
Same with silver and china. Just had to have it and a fine piece of furniture to put it in and today its worth pennies on the dollar. If we got the jukebox and pool table I wanted it would be valuable and we would have had years of fun. But noooo
Deleteazlibertarian - you just KNOW that there will come a point when someone will say "I really wish we had kept that". Trouble would be storage space to hold it. If I wasn't in TN I'd be tempted to do some buying.
Deleteaz: beat it with chains and hammers and scar the hell out of it.
DeleteDistressed furniture is all the rage lately.
I used to be able to get close to that. I spent 4 hours replacing two top rails on my deck this past week on what should have been a half hour job. It seems the 90 degree corners have settled and are no longer in square.
ReplyDeleteMy father was a pattern maker. He could work in hardwood to .001 inch.
ReplyDeletePattern workers are amazing.
DeleteI could never - ever accomplish that. I am a measure once and cut three times kind of carpenter...
ReplyDeleteyou gotta sneak up on it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, not in my skills box either.
ReplyDeleteAs a young man back in the 60's I had the opportunity of working for area farmers and seen some old barns that were all hand crafted and pegged together at beam joints with shake shingles and barn siding that was 1 inch thick oak slabs and at the time didn't know what I was looking at but I sure do now.
ReplyDelete