Morris Dovey wrote:

What you've described is the approach required for CNC woodworking,
where nothing can be done until the design is fully specified in a CAD
drawing which is subsequently converted to a part program (think:
_software_ template) which is subsequently used to produce parts using
CNC tooling.

Once the part program has been produced, it can be used to make as
many copies as needed.

When parametric programming is used, the part can be automatically
modified according to the parameter values (to draw from your example,
perhaps to change the diameter of the mirror or to allow for
elliptical mirrors by specifying major and minor axis values) to
produce an entire family of similarly-styled pieces.

It works - and it's fun!


But it has no soul. There's no Hands On. And he does use wood files
and scrapers and sands to blend shapes and curves so they flow - one
into another. And his larger laminated pieces - chairs for example,
just don't lend themselves to CNC because CNC is subtractive - cut
away antyhint that doesn't look like an elephant.

I have two chinese "silver chests", one done probably in the early
20s and another done in the late 70s. Both have carved cedar panels
in the doors and sides. The older piece is very three dimensional
and obviously carved by hand - with very fine 3 dimensional
work - faces, hands, trees etc. that are clearly done by hand
and done by someone who was well versed in carving. The newer
one looks similar - initially. But a closer look shows the
limitations
of the power tools used to create them - though eased a bit, what
should be rounded isn't - corners where there shouldn't be corners,
acute intersections just don't lend themselves to machines.

You see the new one when you walk in the door. The older one
is around the corner - where it's less apt to be dinged. That one
I enjoy for its craftsmanship. The other one just keeps dust
and stuff of the silverware housed in it. One has soul, the other
doesn't.

Now I have no problem with using machines to do the grunt
work. I do have a problem with stopping there. And if the
wood itself isn't a major issue in the design of a piece then,
to me, something crucial is missing.

There's a place for "affordable to the masses" stuff - everyone
should have access to a copy of a painting by a master and
better a fairly nice veneer over mdf table than a plastic one.
But there should also be pieces that can be appreciated for
generations - something I doubt Ikea pieces will do.

charlie b