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Carpentry, by the looks of it, is in my blood. My father, and my grandfather before him, all devoted chunks of spare time to wood. I remember chisels and hammers lying around the house from as far as I can remember. And let’s not forget all the sawdust. For someone with my respiratory system (smoke and dust are kryptonite to me), that’s not the easiest thing to forget.

So while I appreciated the free bookshelves, the wooden swords, and even the chance to hammer in a nail now and then, the process of making things never held any great fascination for me. I surprised myself therefore, when I managed to assemble the desk on which my computer sits comfortably now. No help! Just a manual and a screwdriver. I impressed myself (third time this week).

Even now, as I sit in front of it, it appears a dream. I have gone around it several times, poking and shaking to see if it wobbles. It doesn’t. Some credit would definitely go to the designer, but there is obviously no denying my genius (and humility).

Of course I had new age techniques at my disposal. The manual (may God bless all writers of manuals) is an amazing thing. It comes into being before the actual desk and the desk is made according to what the manual says it should be made like.

I have seen my father go at it with hammer and nails and a saw and slave away for precious afternoon hours (during which he could have napped and let others nap) only to end up with a stool with one leg a bit too small or an edge a bit too chipped.

I have even seen professional carpenters shaking their heads in sage unison at hard work gone waste for no greater reason than an inch measured wrong, this way or that. It is not easy, carpentry.

I must mention though, that the old way allowed them more freedom. No feat of carpentry was challenging enough for them. A four poster bed you say? No problem. A three-foot tripod with a groove on the side so it can be attached to the already finished desk? Bring it on!

There was total customisability. Those good men of carpentry could make anything you could think of and a couple of things you couldn’t even think of.

Think of web design. Think of the difference between a tiresomely hand coded webpage and a webpage that uses a pre-made design template. The former way requires skill, time and patience. The latter needs you to do nothing more than choose some basics by clicking on them and then executing the design. The former gives you complete control over the look of the page. With the latter, there is very little scope for improvisation.

The above analogy makes my hard work look like it was a lazy boy’s easy way out of hard work. I assure you that that is not the case. I had to get into all sorts of embarrassing positions and drive those screws where the manual said they should go. I never once stopped for a drink of water or a bite of the pizza I had brought home. And I finished the mammoth undertaking in less than two hours. The two hours being those between midnight and 2 am.

The gods of carpentry, standing next to the carpenter’s muse and the patron saint of carpentry are smiling at me. They see promise.

Posted on Monday, September 11th, 2006 at 10:18 am and filed under life, personal.

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