A walk in the park

A number of people have wondered at how I work wood.  I installed millwork commercially for 35 years.  Whether it was Bloomingdale’s store or Boston College the job was working with a chop saw, a skilsaw and a drill.  For the last 20 years, most of the time, there was a table saw there too (the little Makita portable- I learned how to cope complex curved crown molding on it).  

I cope cut laminated counter tops by climb cutting (backwards so it wouldn’t chip the laminate) with a skil saw, with an undercut because there was no backsplash.  

I installed all the 18” deep oak window sills scribed to within 1/32” in an entire building with a Bosch jigsaw holding it upside down, with the blade towards me.

I learned to cut tile with a diamond wheel, a grinder, and a wet sponge.  

I spent my working life removing wood from a piece held with one hand with an exposed moving blade in the other on a set of plastic sawhorses, and I was pretty good at it.  

I’m not unusual, most finish carpenters are good at it.

What this means is, a grinder with a carbide wheel or sandpaper is like a creative walk in the park to me