A.J. Hamler

Just how little wood can there be in a project, and still consider it woodworking?

Sometimes – too often, it seems – woodworking gives you two choices that force you to make a tough decision.

Two things happened this week that helped me regain a sense of balance in the way I look at things.

I talked last time about hidden things I know about. Earlier this week I came across something hidden that I’d forgotten even existed.

The coolest (and most fun) part of my miter saw station is something nobody ever sees. In fact, they don’t even know it’s there.

No matter how efficient your dust collection is, it can’t get everything.

There are some things I hate to do. But if I rationalize the task hard enough, I’m fine with it. Sometimes, the rationalization even makes sense.

We’ve all stripped old furniture finish. But sometimes “furniture stripper” means something else entirely.

It’s amazing how you can go decades without doing something, and then suddenly find yourself doing it all the time.

Always measure twice before cutting. But then, cut as many times as you need to till you get it right.

I love routers, but I’m no fan of the way most of them turn on and off.

There’s an old saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” That goes double when giving safety advice that you don’t follow yourself.

I’ve always thought of my woodshop as my personal play space, but it never occurred to me that it might be the same thing to someone else.

Discipline in the woodshop is important, whether you have employees sharing that shop or not.

I’m always annoyed by online posts that relate some event, but then never follow up to tell me what eventually happened. Here, then, a few follow-ups.

No matter how careful you are in the woodshop, cuts happen. However, there are some shop tasks where they happen more often than others.

Apparently, a lot of small business people are doing great. They must be, since they don’t seem to want to work.

I found an interesting relic in my shop yesterday. Nicely made, but I have no idea why I made it.

Do you have shop clothes and wear-outside-the-house clothes? Sure you do.

What’s the difference between repeat business and never being hired again? The answer’s easy: A single phone call.

Having enough time to work is one thing, but having uninterrupted time is far more important.

I’ve had a heavy workbench for at least 35 years, but I don’t use it much anymore. Time to let it enjoy a well-earned retirement?

Completing a tricky project, getting a check or landing a new commission all make you feel great. But there’s still a lot of joy from lesser things.

I’m always taken aback when someone online offers a safety suggestion that is anything but safe.

I’d like to blame the Big Box store, and part of me still does, but it’s really my own fault I went home bleeding after buying lumber.

To turn “quick-and-dirty” into “presentable” you should redo it to better standards. Or, you could just hide the dirty part.

I bumped into a woodworker last week. How did I know? Well, he was making something out of wood, and for me that’s the only proof I needed.

What do you constantly make in the shop that piles up over the years, but you won’t get rid of it? Did you say scrap? Nope.

No matter how old the dog, despite what conventional wisdom says, he can still learn a new trick.

What do you do after wrapping up a major project, commission or assignment? I have a ritual that serves me well.

It occurred to me this morning that I haven’t used my lathe in nearly two years. So, for no reason other than the sheer pleasure of it, I did.

Is the tide turning in the battle against the Emerald Ash Borer? Probably not yet, but there is a promising sign.

Handheld planers are very useful if you have the need. Apparently, I’ve never had the need. Till now, that is.

I have more than three times the amount of room in my new shop as my old one. Generally, that’s wonderful, but not for everything.

Sally found a Valentine decoration online – made of wood! – and there was no way I could let her buy it.

I needed a hammer, so I bought one. Yes, another one.

What do woodworkers make more of than any other thing – Cabinets? Furniture? Built-ins? Lots of dust?

I love when wood is combined with high-tech gadgetry. I love it even more when the wood makes the technology better.

It’s a new year, but no new resolutions. Instead, I’m just digging out last year’s and dusting it off, and when I do I’m gonna …

Those who understand the subject can always answer the question, “What’s wrong with this picture?”, if a photo is set up by someone who doesn’t. That’s especially true with woodworking.

I recently talked about making a cutting board for the first time after decades of woodworking. Turns out I was wrong.

Glue is a staple of what we do in the woodshop, but you might be surprised at how many kinds you have. I know I was.

Any longtime woodworker would have a hard time thinking of something they’ve never made, including me. Well, I just thought of something.

Since Sally and I recently observed our anniversary, I thought it might be fun to celebrate some shop anniversaries, too.

Some things are so simple that they’re impossible – in my shop, anyway – to remember.

Welcome to Pet Peeve Friday™! In the crosshairs today: “slotted screwdriver.”

Safety is paramount when woodworking. But some of the safety warnings in tool manuals leave me scratching my head.

I’ve ruined a lot of projects by not leaving well enough alone, but sometimes tweaking really does improve something.