by Steven D. Johnson
Racine, Wisconsin
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Climate Change - Flush (What I learned About Woodworking From My Plumber)
As I was meticulously reducing a cardboard box to the city–mandated 24–inch square, or less, size pieces for the recycling bin (careful with that knife, Steve, you have a history…), I was thinking about the world, writ large, and our homespun, and probably futile, efforts to impact the climate. Of the seven–plus–billion people on earth, two and a half billion do not have access to a toilet according to a study done by the U.N. That same study concluded that six billion people, however, have access to a cell phone. What's wrong with that picture?
As a rule, people don't know, or miss, what they don't have until they see or experience something and begin to desire it. As a child my grandparents had an outhouse, my family had one indoor bathroom. Grandma didn't think much about the toilet facilities on their little farm until my Dad began exhorting them to "modernize." I never realized how convenient a second bathroom could be until I had one, then it seemed unconscionable to consider going back to just one. Perhaps if we really want to change the aggregate climate for the better, we should mandate that the standard screensaver on all cell phones be a picture of a flushing toilet. Once those billions of people see a toilet, perhaps they will build one and quit polluting their climate!
My own bathroom building project has lingered somewhat, in deference to work that can be done outside during the short northern Summer. But just one working bathroom has caused some strife… or at least inconvenience… no, strife is the better word. And even though the new bathroom is far from finished, I finally broke down and got my ace plumber out here to hook up the toilet, sink, and tub. You see, when the downstairs bath is occupied, hair spray is fogging the air, and makeup is scattered all over the counter, there is no place to, uhh, recycle all that coffee I drink. Going in the woods behind the house would not be an environmentally friendly action.
I love watching my plumber work. No matter the challenge, he somehow always comes up with exactly the right fitting, thingamajig, or doo–dad to finish the job. It is intuitive, almost automatic, and a thing of beauty. And I told him so. We were chatting about how poor I am as a plumber and how outstanding he is, when a pair of not–quite–square walls presented an obstacle to installing the tub. These were two existing walls, by the way… the walls I built were plumb, square and true… what did you expect?
The solution, of course, was a series of long shims to face the existing 2 X 4 studs, each cut to very specific graduating thicknesses. A quick trip to my shop, a couple of passes on the jointer to square one edge of a couple of 2 X 4s, a few minutes at the
SawStop table saw
, and I had perfect shims to solve the problem. My plumber said, "See, we're no different. You didn't even have to think about it… you just instinctively knew what was needed, cut the shims, and fixed the problem. I do the same thing, just with plumbing parts." And there's the lesson my friends. We each have something we do well. And we each have weaknesses. When we learn to appreciate our own strengths, find the experts to supplement our weaknesses, and celebrate everyone for their specialized contribution, we can change the world. And then, and only then, we might be able to change the climate.
–––––
The big, big bookcase project is coming along nicely… be sure to check out the
second installment of the video
. Next month in this column I will tell you exactly why I finally broke down and bought the
Festool Kapex Miter Saw
… and what I think of it. In the meantime, stay safe, and don't get in a rush… even if your climate is about to change!
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Steven Johnson is retired from an almost 30-year career selling medical equipment and
supplies, and now enjoys improving his shop, his skills, and his designs on a full time basis
(although he says home improvement projects and furniture building have been hobbies for most of his
adult life).
Steven can be reached directly via email at
sjohnson@downtoearthwoodworking.com
.
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