Random thoughts
When jotting down ideas, I end up with a lot of disconnected thoughts on woodworking I just didn’t develop into full blogs. The collection is long enough to make its…
When jotting down ideas, I end up with a lot of disconnected thoughts on woodworking I just didn't develop into full blogs. The collection is long enough to make its own blog, so here you go.
Why do so many tool manufacturers feel it's necessary to emblazon lots of words on tools? Sure, the brand name is fine, but do we really need the word "PLANER" in two-inch high letters on the side of a planer? Do they think we need help finding it in the shop? I want a car that says "CAR" on the side of it, in case I have trouble finding it in the driveway.
For some reason, the rear door of my car of which I've bemoaned frequently here is back to normal. Naturally, I've not needed to buy any lumber since. I'll give 10-to-1 odds that the next time I buy a mess of 2x4s that I can't get it open.
Is pine sap an idiot shopping for lumber?
I somehow got a splinter on the back of my right arm, about three inches above my elbow. Not being left-handed, and unable to really get at it, I'll have to wait till my wife gets home from a trip to her Mom's and ask her to get it out. I'll give 10-to-1 odds that she'll say, "Ah, poor baby."
Why is mainstream media so derisive of duct tape? I find hundreds of uses for it in my shop.
The board you want will always be at the bottom of the rack. Dig it out, and you'll discover that it wasn't the right size after all.
Why does mowing the lawn smell so good, but storing the lawnmower in your shop smells like old compost?
Are bench dog holes in a workbench magnetic? Every screw and nail I drop must think so.
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.