Why I like to work with wood

Personally, I like wood as a material. Many people call it a warm material, not like cold steel. I also like to work with steel or aluminum, but what I favor about wood is the whole atmosphere it creates.

I started to work on the rudder for the wind vane, which is built out of marine plywood. Let me tell you a bit more about the process: 

So there is this piece of wood.

 You draw your design on it. Then you take your saw and follow the lines you’ve just drawn. Wood chips are flying around you and you first recognize the smell of wood. You keep focused and finish the cut. And in the background there is this nice smell. To achieve the profile of the rudder you then have to plane it. For this you move with the sander, brushing away the woodchips with your hands. One by one you reshape this piece of wood to get the profile you desire. By that time you are likely to start tasting the wood on your lips. What is this taste …?

Then you take the sandpaper to get an even nicer surface. You inhale more of this scent. With your hand you go over the surface, to see if it smooth enough. You feel the texture of the wood under your fingertips. You forget time. You go on with the scrubbing, until you are happy with the texture of this surface. You scratch your nose and you smell the wood in the dust on your hands. 

You get thirsty and then there is the idea of a good old whiskey, which is stored beneath the working bench. You take a glass and pour a good shot of whiskey. And then you admire your work, with this beautiful taste and smell of w.......

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