A cleaning machine

Isolation tends to make folks a bit antsy. I’d say that woodworkers are no different. At least, not this one.

Like many of you, I work from “home,” in that my shop and office are located the same place I live. To that end, self-isolation and social distancing come with the job. So, while it may have taken a bit longer, I admit I’m getting a little stir crazy.

• My shop is the cleanest, neatest and most organized it’s ever been. Not a speck of dust anywhere, and everything is in its place.

• Wood is stacked neatly and organized by size and species in my lumber rack.

• I’ve been on a sharpening binge. If it has an edge, it’ll cut you just by looking at it.

• I made a couple of tool racks for tools that, before now, never needed racks. They still don’t, but the racks are nice.

• After years of procrastinating, I’ve separated duplicate tools – especially those of lower quality – from my regular working tools. I think I may actually, finally get rid of some.

• My next project is a sofa table I’ve been wanting to make for some time, that’s finally risen to the top of my to-do list. However, I’ve researched potential designs and styles so much in the past week that I can’t possibly choose a direction to go.

• I’ve been getting rid of some unusable scrap and materials but doing it in tiny batches so I can go outside the house to the trashcans more often.

• If this goes on much longer, I’m going to start naming offcuts. Of course, that means I’ll need to redo my lumber rack by alphabetical order.