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MATTHIAS WANDEL'S
 woodworking wonders

Apple Grinder

matthias

 

THE INTERVIEW THAT FOLLOWS SPEAKS TO THE TIMELESS NATURE OF CREATIVITY. It first appeared as an exclusive advance in the August Issue of The Sage Monthly Spectator. (Be sure to subscribe to get early notice of upcoming articles and interviews)

Post 50  woodcarvers prove that when it comes to woodworking projects the NO AGE LIMIT rule applies. Whether the result becomes a gift to yourself or for someone else, or for an enterprise, everyone involved can benefit. The process of collecting, analyzing, measuring, problem-solving, and critical thinking engages a timeless spirit of creativity. True, it takes patience but state-of-the-art elders are known for that quality.

Delving a little deeper into woodworking , we took an online  field trip recently which sped us right on over to the popular site (and for good reason) of Matthias Wandel. Quickly understanding his authentic voice (and genius) we began following his You Tube offerings and receiving his newsletter.  Then we asked Matthias for and were granted the following interview.

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BUT FIRST!! MATTHIAS HAS A GAME !! EYEBALL THIS!!

click above

how close can YOU  eyeball -----

Parallelogram--------Midpoint------------Bisect angle------------Triangle center------------Circle center------------Right angle------------Convergence

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MATTHIAS WANDEL
INTERVIEW

 1.What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? And how would you answer that question?

Sometimes I long for questions that tell me the interviewer has some understanding of the subject matter - asking more specific questions instead of the generic "what is your favourite...., your most... etc.."

2.OK! So - you have a great site- Do you do a lot of marketing to get people to know aobut your work?

I don't try to push my work.  If it interests people, that's good.  There is so much, but I think I have written about it pretty extensively on my website.

3.The creative people at the Sage Companion Project are interested in sustainable innovation- from age-friendly living to recycling. In terms of reclaimed wood (a nod both to days-gone-by and thrifty solutions) do you have any recommendations for sourcing and/or materials?

My best source of reclaimed wood is from the curb on garbage days.  Keep your eyes open.  Some people like palettes, but the lumber is rough and dirty, and you sometimes end up damaging the tools with it.

I only salvage hardwood.  Soft wood is usually too beat up, and very inexpensive to buy new.

But the thing about wood is - it grows on trees.  No need to fret about using wood for small projects.

4. What do you expect to be the most adventurous thing you do after the age of 60, 70, 80?

That's still a ways away.  Hopefully, I'll be in good health and still be doing what I'm doing now.

5. How long do you expect to “tinker” with your woodworking projects?

As long as I can.  I don't see an age limit to it.

6. Happy that you don't see an age limit to doing woodworking projects- and speaking of woodworking- other than a lathe, a band saw and sandpaper-  what woodworking tools would you recommend for Post 50 People who are NOT seasoned woodworking hobbyists?

An assortment of hand tools - hammer, chisel, knives, scrapers and so on.  Also  a drill.  A jigsaw is a good beginner tool. 

A table saw drill press, and a jointer are very important once you get into it a bit more.  Some of these tools can be bought quite cheaply at yard sales.

More here: http://woodgears.ca/beginner

7. What safety precautions make sense- regardless of how old you are?

Use your head.  Think about what may go wrong.  A large component of any accident is usually not thinking about what you are doing, not being aware of the danger.

8. We understand there are lots of projects with varying degrees of difficulty. What might a grandparent choose to do with an elementary school-aged child?

Bird houses, boxes, simple projects like that.

10.  How would you describe yourself in five words?

"five words is not enough"-

I should add that for getting into woodworking, having more education may put you at a disadvantage.  Having an intuition for how physical things behave in your hand is very important - knowing how and where the wood will crack.  That sort of thing is a function of lots of experience working with one's hands. 

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