My journeyman piece
In this report, I would like to tell you about the creation of my journeyman piece.
As a carpenter, I had to pass both practical and theoretical exams as part of my journeyman's examination, as well as plan and produce my journeyman's piece.
There were certain specifications from the examination committee: It had to be simple,
elegant and practical. I finally decided on the idea of a decorative column,
which can be placed in the entrance area of a company.
In the following chapters, I will report in detail about the planning, the implementation and the challenges I encountered during the process
Concept phase
In the conceptual phase of my journeyman piece, I thought through and explored various ideas before finally deciding on a particular solution.
First, I had the idea of an octagonal column, but it was discarded due to its impractical shape. Next, I considered a sideboard or cabinet on a wall, but decided to go with a freestanding solution.
In the end, I ended up with a plain column with a cube surface that looks the same from any angle, so the door isn't immediately visible.
The technical drawing
After the rough draft for my journeyman's piece was finished, it was time for the detailed planning. As a participant in the examination, I had to convince both the training company and the guild of my journeyman's piece. An important part of this was the creation of a standardized drawing that clearly showed all the components and their dimensions. One of the biggest challenges for me in this process was the cube look. At first, it was difficult to convince the inspectors that I wanted to create the surface by simply cutting a groove. But eventually I was able to convince them that this was the best solution.
Planning
As soon as my design was approved, I started the planning phase. This included creating a bill of materials and a schedule, as well as ordering and preparing the necessary materials. I also checked to make sure all the necessary tools were available and in good working order to ensure the build would be successful. I placed special emphasis on the maintenance and care of my tools to ensure the best possible results.
The construction
After all the preparations were complete, I began the actual construction of my journeyman piece. I started with rough cutting of the components, calibrating and veneering. To save myself transporting the heavy carcass, I decided to cut the grooves before gluing. After all the grooves and ferments were cut, I painted the inside to get the best finish possible. I then glued the carcass and had to rework the grooves. In retrospect, I would cut the grooves after gluing to ensure a perfect fit, and would accept transporting the heavy carcase to do so. After all, I had to do this anyway to cut out the door. Finally, I fitted the drawers in the classic way and mortised the hinges.
The exhibition
At the end it went with my verticken journeyman piece to the delivery. This took place in a kind of exhibition, where after a few days of examination of the pieces, certificates were also awarded for the best journeyman pieces.
Despite all the hurdles, I was finally honored for my design.