Over The Workbench

Sadness, remembrance, appreciation, connection – just some of the things you feel when a gift project comes back into your life.

A recent experience with contractors taught me something about the importance of working as a team.

Ever have a one-off project unexpectedly become a series? It’s usually a surprise and, for me, a pleasant one.

What drives a woodworker or DIYer nuts? It’s listening to other people working, but not being able to join them.

It’s amazing how, after considering a woodshop problem for a long time, you find the solution was right in front of you all along.

I’ve stated categorically before that there’s no such thing as scrap. Here’s proof.

I love talking to kids about what I do, and even more so when some of them turn out to already be working with wood.

I’m technically capable of doing a lot of things, but sometimes I just don’t want to.

Taking care of pest infestations threatening forests is a state job, right? Yeah, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things the little guy can do.

I don’t always like it when tool companies “improve” their offerings, but I find a recent trend to be both welcome and useful.

Cordless tools? I absolutely love them! Batteries and chargers? Not so much.

Woodworkers know only too well how addictive it is to lust after new tools. I think my wife is finally beginning to understand.

I don’t often ask for a favor – in fact, I don’t think I ever have – but I have a favor to ask.

I talked last year about how little attention the checkouts at Big Box stores pay to what they’re actually ringing up. In the earlier case, the guy paid no attention to the fact that I had two cabinets on a dolly, not one long one, and only charged me for one. I noted at the time that even though this was a small thing, it’s still indicative of issues affecting the economy. How can you possibly succeed when you’re letting free stuff go out the door?

In spite of the fact that I think I know everything, clearly, there’s a lot out there I’m clueless about.

Just when it looks like we’re catching a break with tree-killing predators, another comes along that’s even worse.

I’ve never stated before that there’s not a species of wood I won’t work with. Well, I take it back.

Just how little wood can there be in a project, and still consider it woodworking?

Sometimes – too often, it seems – woodworking gives you two choices that force you to make a tough decision.

Two things happened this week that helped me regain a sense of balance in the way I look at things.

I talked last time about hidden things I know about. Earlier this week I came across something hidden that I’d forgotten even existed.

The coolest (and most fun) part of my miter saw station is something nobody ever sees. In fact, they don’t even know it’s there.

No matter how efficient your dust collection is, it can’t get everything.

There are some things I hate to do. But if I rationalize the task hard enough, I’m fine with it. Sometimes, the rationalization even makes sense.