A.J. Hamler

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.

My new basement shop’s been fully operational for some time, but a lot of things remain undone. I moved one of those items over to the “done” list this week.

I’m a pretty handy guy, but I don’t know anything about electricity.

I’ve decided that the biggest factor in working off-site isn’t tools, materials or something you forgot. It’s inadequate lighting.

That table lamination project is now history. While I had my doubts, it came out pretty nice. Of course, there were some ups and downs.

Confession time: Wood imperfections don’t always bother me. In fact, I sometimes embrace them.

I have a lot of shop work coming up, but none of it will take place in my shop. So, I have to take my shop with me.

You can call this a rant, plain and simple, but sometimes the way they size tools makes no sense to me.

There are the plans you make, and then there’s reality. I hate reality.

Creating plans for a completed project is easy. Doing it the other way around – for me – is harder.

There are lots of expenses in woodworking (or any other business), but the most onerous are those that accomplish only to get you back where you already were.