Playing favorites
We all have our favorite things in life, and the woodshop is no different. Herewith is a list of a few of my favorite shop things. Favorite wood: Oak, hands…
We all have our favorite things in life, and the woodshop is no different. Herewith is a list of a few of my favorite shop things.
Favorite wood: Oak, hands down. Its strong, stable, looks great, is easy to work, and is suitable for any type of project. Second place is walnut for some of the same reasons, plus I like how it smells when you cut it. My nomination for most underappreciated wood: poplar.
Favorite cutting tool: Band saw. The band saw was my first major power tool, and I learned to master it long before I got my first table saw. Its the only saw that, with very little prep, can crosscut, rip and do curves with equal quality on almost any workpiece.
Favorite so-called shop chore: Sanding. Everyone else seems to gripe and moan about the sanding stage of a project. Not me. Its at the sanding point in a project where you truly begin to see the finished piece. Plus, I find that using a random-orbit sander is relaxing, and the perfect final task before closing shop for the day.
Favorite no-brainer shop trick: Using a piece of scrap as a backer board on the router table.
Favorite minor shop accident thats become a great story to tell: Dropping a router on my head.
Overall favorite tool: Bosch 10.8-volt mini driver. I rarely use any of my regular drill-drivers anymore for driving tasks. For drilling, yeah, but for driving screws this little blue guy is always within reach. If I need a few tools for working away from the shop, this will always be part of the team.
Favorite shop decoration: Rubber chicken. They tend to dry out and crack after a few years, so you have to replace them periodically. Im on my fifth one.
Theres some of mine. What are yours?
Till next time,
A.J.

A.J. Hamler is the former editor of Woodshop News and Woodcraft Magazine. He's currently a freelance woodworking writer/editor, which is another way of stating self-employed. When he's not writing or in the shop, he enjoys science fiction, gourmet cooking and Civil War reenacting, but not at the same time.