Great read, putting into some beautiful prose undigested feelings that have been stewing in my stomach for a while. Maybe I should find a cabinet that's worth painting the back of to me
If you take it diligently and treat it as fun, you can make amazing pieces in only ten times the time it would take a factory - but you do it your way with your attention to detail.
And you can make the back out of good wood and paint it, too. Nobody will ever know; it’s your secret between you and God.
I prefer metalworking, but the equipment is larger & more expensive. And you still need a workbench for a bunch of the finishing steps (hand filing, polishing, engraving, etc.) so some basic woodworking is very handy for making said workbench.