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Rooted in the Human Body
Nearly all measurement systems (old and new) are rooted in the measurements of the body, known as anthropometric measures. The cause is obvious – when a craftsperson needed to carry a measurement from one piece to another, or remember a length for later use, comparison to a body part was the most accessible means of doing so. There are a few exceptions I know of to this fact. For one, the origins of the meter lie in the decimal-obsessed attempt to arrive at a measure based on the Earth’s dimensions. Cartographers and mathematicians arrived at the meter, which was roughly one ten-millionth of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator, measured along the meridian that passed through Paris....
Podcast 69 – “Backwoods Chairmakers with Andy Glenn”
In this new episode, the guys talk with woodworker and author Andy Glenn, whose new book Backwoods Chairmakers: In Search of the Appalachian Chairmaker was published by Lost Art Press. If you’re interested in handmade and vernacular furniture, this new title should be on the top of your list. Glenn covers, not only the nuts-and-bolts discussions about building these chairs, but also an intimate glimpse into the lives of these makers still actively selling chairs today.
SHOW NOTES
M&T Apprenticeship Program
Backwoods Chairmakers: In Search of the Appalachian Chairmaker
Andy Glenn’s website
Podcast 68 – “In Defense of Maintenance”
Not everything in life needs to be “set it and forget it.” There are all sorts of things that we would do well to tend to – to care for – to pay attention to. In this episode, Joshua and Mike discuss the value of maintaining the stuff of our lives. Rather than consider it a burden that ought to be overcome, the guys argue that there is something inherently valuable in the practice of tending. Whether it’s seasonally adjusting shifting doors, maintaining old wooden windows, or repairing your own vehicles, the act of maintenance is an act of participation, rather than consumption. This podcast conversation is a call to challenge yourself to undertake things you’ve never done before, because...