It's That Time of Year Again

Off from work today for the holiday, which felt more like a summer day than days should this time of year. (trees in my complex are already changing colors and dropping leaves) And yet the calendar tells me that it's already woodcut time for one of my 2D classes. A few days ago I had purchased a 2' x 4' lauan panel, and given it a quick cutting test back at the Studio. It cut cleanly with both gouges and the x-acto knife, so it should be fine for my students. This afternoon I cut the panel into twenty-four 6" x 8" blocks, more than enough for this week's class, but I'll need more for later in the semester.

Wood comes from the manufacturers (trees are natural, but plywood isn't) in batches, so I figured I should get back to my local home center quickly and snag a few more identical panels. I took a small piece of the wood and the label that had been attached to my panel, and found 2 more of the same brand, same code, and looking and feeling exactly the same as my first piece. Dropped those back at the Studio. I'll use part of one for my other 2D class, and if my Belmar woodcut workshop runs, I'll probably need part of the third. Since I had not done it yet, I sanded the edges of the small pieces of wood I had cut up today, cleaned up all the sawdust, and headed home.