woodworking

I did a lot of wood work with Mr Kim. I've blogged about the deck before and the rabbit house and a few other small things. Mr Kim asked me what I'd want to work on and I asked to help build something on the house. His house is still a WIP and I could think of nothing better than to help add to the progress and leave something there that I was a part of. So we started on a door for his bedroom bathroom.

We didn't finish as glass was needed for the above section as well as for panels on the doors.
You may not be able to see it fully here but these are sliding doors. we built the frame and then each door separately. then we put rollers on top of the one to the left and attached it to a metal rail inlaid in the back. I learned a lot on this project, mainly that my woodworking skillz are around a beginning beginner, but I had a blast and was glad to assist in the project.

We also built a kumdo sword for me. While on Jeju I got introduced to Kumdo (in Japan it's known as Kendo). Kumdo is a fencing like martial art. I don't really know much about it but was shown an exercise to start and end your day that is part a stretching and part a breathing routine and I really enjoyed it. So Mr Kim said we'd build a sword for me to travel with.

The process was amazing to watch. He picked a piece of wood he felt had good weight and length. too me it looked like a piece of wood. he quickly chopped it down to a base size and then with a pencil sketched out where to cut with the table saw. skillfully he slowly cut and weaved around the stencil. Then there were various sandings on different machines as he worked towards the goal. IT wasn't until the very end that I could see the shape, but Mr Kim had it all in his mind the whole time. It was really awe inspiring to watch.

this is me doing a little sanding.

Mr Kim doing more sanding.

The shape is done. now covering in a water resistant coat before final sand and last artistic touches. We painted parts, wrapped the handle in rope and i asked him to sign it and instead he engraved "2010 spring U.M.W." he told me that it means. You, Me, World. It was very sweet, but then he is a very sweet man.