I Do Like Mondays

Kale Vogt,
Oct. 23, 2024

Pt. 1

I’m eating a cookie with a hot cup of coffee at my desk as I write. About 15 minutes ago I created a hot bath for an armbow I’m bending for my second apprenticeship char. It’s a waiting game now as the water slowly rises to the temperature needed to safely bend the 50-1/2"-long piece of red oak Cold-Bend hardwood (compressed hardwood).1¹

I’ve had worse Mondays.

This won’t be the first arm I’ve bent. Last week Chris and I wrestled a piece of red oak, from the same larger piece of stock, around the arm form. The experience was… character building.

To tell the whole truth, it wasn’t all the wood’s fault (though we enjoy blaming wood for most of our problems around here). Chris ordered the piece of compressed hardwood for me weeks ago. When the order arrived, we were knee-deep in Exeter hammer assembly. We decided to put the arm bend off for a couple days until we found the time.

“A couple days” turned into a week, then several days more. Although the product comes sealed in airtight plastic, shipping took a toll on this package.

When we pulled it out more than a week later to bend it, we noticed small holes on either end of the plastic enveloping the wood. Uh-oh.

The first bend, although tough, turned out well – the bow is mildly misshapen but symmetrical. Chris said that once the arm is shaped and in place on the chair sticks, the wonkiness won’t be noticeable. I’m content with it.

Pt. 2

When I began writing this piece, I thought it would be a clean, open-and-shut case. That was naive.