Rough carpentry
Added a shelf to the potting table today, a quick bit of rough carpentry. It also needs a couple of coats of varnish to waterproof it for the season, so I took the time to shave down the little edge where the sides join the tabletop. Normally, I wouldn’t bother with a minor detail like that, but I spotted the cool little surform plane (the blade is kinda like a grater) in one of the toolboxes and felt like using it! Rough carpentry may sound like nothing much, but it’s really a particular, essential skill of its own on the tiny farm. I’ve been learning as I go. The “rough” doesn’t mean sloppy or shoddy, just practical: functional, sturdy, simple construction, as much as possible using whatever materials are at hand, and not waiting around to get things done. Need a shelf over here? A workbench fit in right there? A couple of quick walls to turn a corner into a storeroom? A roof on the veggie stand? Grab the tools, hunt down the materials, and bang it up!
The simple shelf is a couple of 1×6 boards. It’s for keeping plug sheets handy when I’m seeding lots of trays of transplants at once. The potting table started out as a long, shallow bin, built from scraps of plywood, to hold harvested tomatoes. I later reassigned it: flipped it over, added legs, and voila! (There’s that trusty saw again.)
Somewhat related posts: • What a difference a day makes • New lumber • Sorting • Seed starting tools II • Wood pile
Katie said,
January 19, 2008 @ 2:56 pm
I’m all for the K.I.S.S. principle!
Kelly said,
January 19, 2008 @ 3:43 pm
Practical construction always lasts longer than aesthetic, not to mention that it’s easy on the finances. I dig your style.
Amanda said,
January 19, 2008 @ 4:00 pm
You’ve been busy. :-)