I came across an ad on Instagram of a 2-day workshop by Ek Design at a time where I had been working from behind a screen for too long. So after much contemplation, this seemed like a good opportunity to spend a productive weekend and also go back to creating something hands-on.
Name: Make Your Chair x Ek Design
Type: Hands-on workshop
Host : Prajwal Degwekar (@pdegwekar), Founder and Maker @ekdesignfurniture
Location: Kharadi, Pune
Duration: 2 days (4th, 5th March 2023)
Overview of the Workshop
(divided into 2 days)
Day 1 (04/03)
I missed Session 1 of the workshop which was more theoretical and demonstrative. I ended up joining everyone else during Session 2 which was 'Templates & Cutting'. I was introduced to the type of wood from which we'd be making the chair (wood was such that the cutting direction wouldn't matter) and then started tracing templates of 6 pieces for the base of the chair on each of the blank wood pieces and cut them with a moving blade but eventually because the light went out, some of us had to hand saw the last bits instead of using the Jigsaw.
We took a small Sandwich and Gola break at this point and continued with Session 3 which was about 'Styling' our chairs - we were introduced to belt sanding and Palm Router - so we traced curves on corners on the seat and the 4 back pieces to make them filleted and then ran the Palm Router across each of their edges to also fillet them.
Day 2 (05/03)
On Day 2, I continued with coarse sanding. Once I was done with that, I applied a water-based liquid finish on all sides of each part and then fine sanded all of them for finishing. This part took me the longest time but there was a sense of satisfaction in attaining a level of finish on the wood.
We took a small Frankie Roll break at this point (😥 sadly no Gola but we had Cola!😃) after which I started with Session 4 which was all about 'Alignments'. Using Combination Square and pencil (which help in relative measurements!), we marked drilling holes on wood pieces & mirrored them on the opposite piece which would help in final assembly. At the markings, drilled through-and-through holes and later aligned the wood pieces and used Impact Driver to drill screws to keep them intact.
We started this process with the base legs of the chair and then went on to follow the same process for the seat and for the 4 back pieces. This concluded Session 5 which was the 'Final Assembly'.
And for the last Session, once the chairs were ready, we imprinted the Ek Design logo & signed on our individual chairs along with the date - wrapping it all up with some team pictures! 🎉
The Chair
Reflection on experience
The daunting amount paid for the workshop proved to be a worthwhile investment.
Returning to a workshop and working with wood and machinery was an incredibly enjoyable experience for me. Although I find every step of the process satisfying, there is a particular level of fulfillment I get from sanding. While I may dedicate more time and effort to this one phase, I believe it is worth it when I am able to achieve the desired level of finish. After all, I have come to understand that precision and attention to detail are crucial in product design.
And it does feel like an achievement to be able to bring back home a chair that I created!
Learning
Because the workshop was for 2 days, initially, the idea of traveling for the workshop was stressful. I was scrambling up until the last minute to find accommodations in Pune, but ultimately ended up commuting back and forth between Thane and Pune for both days. However, this experience taught me that if I am truly passionate about something and willing to put in the effort, I am capable of pushing through even the most challenging obstacles to make it happen.
During the workshop, there were so many things I was able to learn like a new type of wood (with the apparent benefit of using it for display or visually appealing purposes). I also gained familiarity with new tools and machinery such as the Palm Router (along with where to apply pressure and position the wood correctly). Additionally, I was introduced to new concepts related to furniture-making, such as 'relative measuring'. One interesting aspect of the workshop was learning to apply a water-based liquid finish to the wood. Initially, the finish made the surface rough to the touch, but after fine sanding for a few seconds, the wood had the smoothest finish ever!
And finally, most importantly, I learnt about such workshops being carried out where people from creative backgrounds come together to experience a hands-on project.
People to thank!
I feel grateful for having met a group of kind and supportive individuals. Among them, I'll always remember Pranav (who traveled all the way from Hyderabad to attend the workshop) and Aashritha (a talented junior from MIT). It was also a pleasant surprise to find out that Prajwal, the workshop host, is an MIT alumnus, just like me. I'm truly thankful to have met such wonderful people.
Thank you for going through this post 🙏
If you have any thoughts, help me understand how you would approach or work on this project differently or present it differently in the comments below 👇 or drop me a message directly 📩
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