These past several months, I’ve continued to study and collect the tools and materials that I’ll need. Mostly, I’ve spent the time gathering the motivation to step into the garage and start working. I’ve felt the pressure and uncertainty of this project, like a painter staring at a blank canvas.
My lack of wood working experience means that I don’t really know what I don’t know yet, so I only realize issues as I’m in the middle of them. My main reference book so far has been Historical Lute Construction by Robert Lundberg. I’ve poured through this so many times, and it really is very detailed. There’s a world of difference between Mr. Lundberg and I however, and many steps are omitted or not discussed further than a brief comment. A certain level of knowledge is assumed in this book, so I’m left trying to fill in the gaps and struggling. It’s like deciding that you want to hike a mountain before you know how to walk. I’ve ordered some additional instruction material from Mr Van Edwards that I hope will be a better resource for someone at my current level of skill. There is so much I need to learn still, and I’m going to make so many mistakes. It’s just a process I’ll need to go through and hopefully adjust as needed.
Of all the things that have occurred this year, I think the worst blocker has been summer. It is ridiculously hot where I live most of the year, but the summer is unbearable. With social distancing and isolation, time has become almost meaningless. It feels like the longest summer I’ve passed in awhile, and for some reason I had convinced myself this summer would never end, that the heat would just continue without respite. Lately it’s finally cooled down a bit, from temperatures of 105°F / 40°C to around 90°F / 32°C and a bit cooler in the evenings so it’s time to get started. I made it about 3 steps into the first practicum outlined in Historical Lute Construction before realizing I could not follow where Mr. Lundberg was trying to lead me so once the new instructions arrive I should be ready to pick back up.