So going to school, or rather applying yourself at school, takes a lot of one's time and energy. But, I'm trying to incorporate woodworking where I can. Here's the unadulterated text of an assignment for my Meditation 101 class ...
Proposal: Wood burned meditation icon
Create a standing or hanging wood burned plaque to focus on
during meditation. I will research symbols, icons and images related to
meditation, draw or create a draft image, prepare a wood surface, transfer the
image the to wood, then burn the image into the wood with a hand woodburning
tool.
Execution: cutting
(time estimate: 1.5 hours)
The first step in creation was to select a wood surface upon
which to work, as that would determine the surface area, size and position of
the drawn figures. Several ideas arose, including a standing alter-like
platform upon which incense could be burned, but didn't call for much
hand-woodburning. Ultimately, I elected to make something that could hang on a
wall and passively remind one of mindfulness and/or serve as an object to
reflect upon during meditation. This form allowed for the appropriate amount of
work input and would not take up floor or table space in a meditation area.
I had two seasoned wood slices remaining from several I'd
cut from a tree felled in Quantico, VA, by base workers. The wood type is
unknown, but is most likely poplar based on the color, wood grain and bark
(when it was still attached). It also features a "live edge" (uncut
outer wood edges), some beautiful spalting (black stain caused by fungus), as
well as some marks made by parasitic insects (likely termites), all of which
added to the spirit of universality and timelessness I wanted to express in the
work. I selected the piece best suited for the project and began to cut away
the uneven, chain-saw-marked face in order to make a workable surface. As I do
not own a planer, I used a table saw with fence and several passes to cut a
semi-level surface, followed by an electric hand saw to cut the center, which
the table saw blade could not reach.
Execution: sanding (time estimate: 3 hours)
Owning a planer would have greatly reduced the labor here,
but without one I was forced to use a hand sander to level and smooth the
surface. I used 60, 80, 120, 150, 220 and 320 grits of sandpaper successively
to do so, the majority of time spent at 60 grit to get the surface level. I
also used a disc sander at 80 grit both on the face and on the back so it would
rest flush to a wall.
Once the back edges
were sanded flush at 80 grit, I used a router table to cut the hanging slot into
the back surface, ultimately defining which side would be "up." I
then resumed sanding on the facing surface at 120 and successive grits,
beveling the facing outer edges for a smooth, rounded aesthetic. 
Finally, I hand-sanded the surface at 400 grit. Woodburning
requires a very smooth surface for clean lines.
Execution: creating
the image (time estimate: 4 hours)
With the size and surface area now defined, I photographed
the wood and imported the image into photograph editing software. I researched
mindfulness and meditation imagery, careful to select images from across the
broad spectrum of philosophies and religions that practice mindfulness
meditation.
I imported these
images into the editing software and arranged them on the image of the wood
surface. Ultimately, I wanted the natural beauty of the wood to merge with and
compliment the images. I decided to center Buddha's head in the wood rings to
give the impression of wisdom emanating from his mind, and then arranged the
supporting images around him so they would compliment the wood markings and
balance the overall look of the piece. I tilted the images at varying angles to
make them appear to circle Buddha.
I printed the image, taped it to the wood, and used carbon
paper to transfer the image outlines to the wood. Because the final image was
wider than 8.5 x 11" paper, I had to hand-draw some of the image edges. I
also had to hand-draw the center of Buddha's head, as I had to cut out this
portion of the printout in order to center it on the wood rings.
Execution: woodburning and finishing (time estimate:
4.5 hours)
I traced the images now on the wood with a hand woodburning
tool, adding shading to the outer edged of several images to give the
impression that Buddha was the light source. This is a very time-consumptive
process, due to the slow nature of hand burning. It had to be done in several
stages because the tool's shape and the slow process cause hand cramps.
After I was satisfied
with the burned image, the piece went back to the workshop for another light
sanding at 600 grit to remove any snags or burs created by the woodburning
process.
I then polished the piece with a series of polishing pads
ranging from 1200, 2400, 3600, 8000 and 12000 grit. Polishing the wood gave the
non-burned surfaces luster and shine without affecting the (lower because of
the burn) burned images. I cleaned the piece with compressed air.
I finished the piece
by giving it a generous coat of tung oil, which darkened the wood and made the
grain, spalting and burned images pop, wiping away excess after 20 minutes.
Conclusion
I'm very pleased with
the finished piece, which met my original intent despite the potential for
myriad mistakes at any point in the process. With the exception of the
computer-based portion of the work, the project required me to live entirely in
the moment, mindful of each step along the way. Distractions in the workshop
could have led to severe injury; distraction during the drawing and burning
process could have led to mistakes. Overall, I find woodworking and this
project in particular a very mindfulness-promoting activity.
Total time invested: approximately 15 hours
