Finally, I have finished a couple of small woodcraft pieces made from reclaimed objects. I forgot how damn fulfilling it is to work with little more than a few pieces of wood, limited tools, and one's own hands and imagination. I'm beginning to think of the salvaged materials I've been gathering - wooden pallets, fenceposts, etc. - as small totems reflecting the rapidly vanishing American traditions of manufacturing and labor. These are objects that have been scarred and weathered by worker's hands, steel tools, and heavy machinery. They have been stained with the grease, debris, and dirt of warehouses, truck trailers, and factory floors. They have bits of nails, screws, and staples embedded in them, sometimes producing a rich patina of rust and the earliest evidence of decayed metals. They are simple, humble, utilitarian, and designed for work. They remain sturdy and eager to be used. There is an integrity to these materials that cannot be reproduced or mimicked. The more I've worked on these small little objects, the more I've learned to respect the materials and appreciate the history they represent.
