Everyone has their favorite first sign of spring, but woodworkers – or, at least this one – have their own. Here’s my official Top-10 First Signs of Woodworking Spring list.

10. You probably think the first sign of spring is when my whack-job neighbor starts mowing. Nope, that starts in February. Her true connection to spring is when she adopts her 24-hour mowing schedule, which she’s now done, meaning that there won’t be any quiet time in my shop till next November.

9. Woodworking gets interrupted with, unfortunately, my own lawn mowing. But not every 24 hours.

8. No heat needed. It’s perfect shirtsleeve weather in the shop.

7. Glue flows as it should again.

6. Similarly, finishes dry as they’re intended to once more.

5. Traffic on all the woodworking forums slows to a crawl. In winter, woodworkers only have two things to do: woodworking and hanging out on forums. But when the weather changes, so does their use of free time.

4. Sales! Woodworking suppliers know woodworkers are finding other ways to spend their time, so they entice us to get back in the shop with bargains galore.

3. Birdhouses become a staple of shop output.

2. Trips to the local lumber supplier turn into an excuse for a drive in the country.

And the No. 1 sign of spring:

I can throw the garage door open and use the leaf blower to give my shop its once-a-year, dust-and-spider blowout. Generally in the direction of my neighbor.

Till next time,

A.J.