glenntherookie

Hey folks, Glenn the Rookie here. I finally finished the stain on 4 new tameshigiri stands, 3 of which are meant for cutting, and I gotta tell you, I am completely thrilled and proud of my efforts. First off, I want to explain why I decided to build stands in the first place. I have been using a Musashi stand for just about as long as I have been cutting, which is not very long..3 plus months, by-weekly. While the stand is not the best quality, it certainly has done its job and continues to champion thru the stresses and strains of normal and sometimes abnormal cutting usage. At just about 24 inches tall, its a tad short. I guess the makers decided to build a stand that forced its users to squat if they wanted that extra cut out of the last part of the mat. But not all people are short stature. Cutters come in all shapes and sizes. And heights. So I decided to build a few different heights and have a variety of stands to cater to different people, short and tall. I went to Lowes to buy my materials, 4x4 posts, 4x2 for the legs and a box of 2-1/2inch screws to put it all together. It turned out that this particular home improvement store only cut 4x2 or smaller. So I was not able to get my lumber from them. So the next day, I went to Home Depot and it turned out that they were able to cut up to 4x6. Perfect. So I got a post long enough to cut a 26 inch, a 28 inch and a 30 inch. I was ecstatic. After grabbing the newly cut pieces and acquiring some spraypaint-type stain, I proceeded to my house where I was going to assemble my new stands. Now came the hard part, the work. It took me all day into the next to finish assembly and stain. Boy was I pooped. I didn't realize that alot went into making that "Perfect" stand. And not just one, but four of them. As I mentioned earlier, I had made 3 cutting stands. But decided to make a mini stand w/ the extra post and 2x4 that were left over. But it doesn't stop there. I had so much left over 2x4, that I also made a 5 sword standing tier. Whooo. You'd be surprised by how much you can build from one post and four 2x4.

And thats the moral of this entry, Spend less and get more. For the cost of one store bought stand, I was able to get 4 stands and a sword tier for half the price. All it took was a little elbow grease, patience and the desire to create something that has much more worth to it because it was made by my own two hands, w/ Love.

This saturday, I will have the pleasure of testing out my new creations and I am sure that my efforts have been fully justified. These stands were made for me. And I will show them their full respect by using them happily and with much enthusiasm.

So, the next time you decide to just buy that certain this or that, think to yourself, Can I just produce it myself?
Will I get more out of the experience if I just built it instead of buying it? I can tell you w/ all honesty, if you choice is to produce it yourself, you will be happier and wiser for doing so.

Till next time, keep your cut safe and always bow to your sensei.

GlenntheRookie