Recently my refrigerator failed to maintain the cold temperature required to keep the milk from spoiling.  After trouble shooting the problem I considered my options and found a new appliance was in order.  While researching the repair parts I realized the refrigerator was 19 years old!  At least it lived beyond the life expectancy of the manufacturer.  I learned many years ago that this is called “timed obsolescence” – a predetermined life of a product to ensure future customers.  What if woodworkers lived by this creed?  How many antique pieces would there be if they were made to exist only for a specified time frame?  Any craftsman will tell you that his work will last for generations if done properly.  A uniquely designed, heirloom quality piece of furniture for a specific customer will be pleasing to the eye but also must last.  To function under constant use and still last for centuries is the expectation but not necessarily the norm.  That is why the design is critical and not just “eye candy”.  Perhaps this is why many customers prefer to buy custom-made items instead of mass-produced pieces.  So, the next time you purchase an item ask yourself if it has a predetermined life expectancy or “timed obsolescence”.  Perhaps it will make you think about purchasing from an individual craftsman instead of a large manufacturer.

Enjoy your shop time!

Jerill

I use battery-powered tools in my shop frequently, so occasionally I have to recharge the batteries on these tools to continue on my projects.  From time to time I find my energy level and creative ideas waning.  When this happens I need to “recharge” my batteries.  By this I mean I need to get away from my shop and work and clear my thoughts.  My wife and I just returned from a trip to Country River Cabins in Pocahontas County, WV.  We were able slow down and “rethink” our goals.  A brisk hike in the national forest in February has a tendency to get your blood flowing and gets some new thoughts.  By evaluating my past work and accomplishments I am able to see the path I have traveled much clearer.  I prefer to reflect and set new goals periodically that determine the direction forward.  By doing so I “recharge” my batteries and manage to keep my woodworking moving forward!

Enjoy your shop time,

Jerill

Most woodworkers I know hoard wood for future projects.  They see the beauty in each board and won’t let them go as waste.  I, too, am guilty of this crime.  However, I take time to clean out my shop after ever finished project; sorting through the newly accumulated “waste”.  If it is something I think I can use later I store it but if not I declare it as waste.  But waste to me is not necessarily waste to another woodworker.  I am fortunate in that I have a couple of friends that live close to me that can use my offcuts to heat their shops.  I hope they sort through the material I give them and utilize what they can in their shop prior to fueling their stoves.  Also, the sawdust I collect in my cyclone is used as animal bedding, mulch around the flowers or to fill in some low spots in the pasture.   And I send some cutoffs to some friends that like to turn small objects on their lathes.  It gives me great pleasure to see their skills turn my “waste” into objects of art.  I am gathering some small materials from my shop now for a cutting board I am starting.  So I guess most woodworkers are “green” and don’t really create waste but utilize their leftovers in different ways.  How do you deal with your woodworking “waste”?

While obtaining my degree in Fine Woodworking my instructor would continually say that there are two kinds of woodworkers – those who woodwork for money and those who woodwork with money.  I now know what he meant!   If you have your own woodworking business then you understand that decisions made are based on ROI (return on investment) and money spent for tools is strictly a business investment.  On the other hand, if you enjoy woodworking solely as a hobby, you only have to justify a purchase to yourself – or your spouse.  That means if you want to spend a large amount of money to obtain a tool from a specific manufacturer then it is perfectly okay. There is nothing wrong with buying name brand tools and if cash is not a factor then the decision process is easy to make!  However, for a business, if a tool of the same quality and performance is available elsewhere for significantly less money, it is difficult to justify the added expense for the higher priced tool.  I continually see used tools for sale by hobbyists that meet the criteria of woodworking with money. The tool was purchased with the intent of use but then sits idle and eventually is sold at a loss.  A business simply cannot afford the luxury of this option. So, the next time you notice a woodworking business that has “inferior” tools remember that the proprietor has to pay attention to the “bottom line.”

Enjoy your shop time,

Jerill

I live on a small farm in WV and spring has finally sprung here!  The temperature is above normal and the lack of rain is making it easy to get out of the shop and do some “farm chores”.  As with any farm there are always things to repair, replace or build.  I have been plowing and tilling my garden – a simple task but complicated by the need to perform impromptu repairs on the tractor and tiller.  Time is a commodity and between woodworking and farming chores I just don’t have enough of it, but I would not have it any other way.  Just like any woodworker I have a long list of things I would like to build.  I prefer having more things to do than time to complete them and I consider myself lucky to be able to set my own agenda.  So, if the weather is great I can spend the day on outside tasks.  And, of course, if the weather is not favorable for outside activities, I enjoy staying in my shop and working solely on my woodworking list.  For me, a balance of farming and woodworking activities keeps life from getting stale.

Enjoy your shop time,

Jerill

With the exception of turning on a lathe most woodworking requires the use of angles with the right angle being dominate.  A square is the most common way of determining if something is at ninety degrees.  I have found that in my shop I continually use three different squares.  A set of engineering squares that I reserve for setting up machinery are extremely accurate.  These squares are designed with a body wide enough to set upright making it easy to square a fence or blade.  In my shop apron I keep a small six-inch combination square.  When needed it is readily available to quickly check a cut or use as a marking gauge.  For checking angles wider than my small combination square I use a large steel framing square.  In this category there are actually three squares – the framing square, the roofing square and the Essex square.  Each has a particular purpose other than just a square.  With any of these large squares you can draw a circle or oval easily and accurately.  What is your favorite square and how do you use it?  If you don’t have a good square be sure and get one.  You will find them invaluable for many applications other than just a square.

Enjoy your shop time!

Jerill

When working in my shop I wear a custom-made shop apron.  This allows me to have tools readily available when needed.  I always keep a Woodcraft 6″ steel ruler, a 6″ combination square, tape measure, multiple point screwdriver, Stanley retractable box knife, white lead and black lead mechanical pencils, dust collector remote and other assorted items in my apron.  Recently one of the straps on my shop apron broke and since the pockets were worn out I ordered a new one.  This is the second apron I have worn out in about 15 years.  During this waiting period I had to work without an apron.  I felt “naked”!!!  Not having these necessary tools in my apron interrupted my work flow.  You don’t really realize how much you use a tool when it is handy.  Without my apron most of these tools would get misplaced and I spent more time searching for them than working.  I now have my new shop apron and find my time in the shop more enjoyable because I can concentrate on work at hand.  Many thanks to my wife that made and embroidered this apron (my third from her).  So, I was just wondering what do you wear in the shop – a cloth apron, a leather apron, a tool belt, a tool vest or nothing?  I can’t stand to work “naked”!!!

Many of you know that I work predominately with native woods to West Virginia.  Having harvested trees and converting them to usable lumber for my shop is very gratifying and economical.  Sometimes this results in top quality boards that are straight-grained and easy to machine or hand plane.  I know some woodworkers refer to this as “natural grain”.  However, the unusual grains, such as curly, birds-eye, burl or crotch really make a project stand out.  So, when I see one of these growing in the forest it is an exciting find!  If straight-grained is called “natural” then is figured grain called “unnatural”?  If it grows in this form, how can it be “unnatural” when it is naturally occurring?  I recently spent a few days in the Cranberry backcountry camping, fishing, biking and hiking in the Monongahela Forest.  While there I saw several large burls and some potential curly grained trees.  Of course, there were the large, straight trees that would result in several hundred bd ft of top-quality lumber.  I did find one large, straight cherry tree that when I “hugged” it my arms would not reach half way around the tree (Diameter Breast Height).  Am I the only one that gets excited finding these in the forest?  What is your favorite “unnatural” or figured wood to use in your shop?

Enjoy your shop time,

Jerill

I often have people ask me what kind of finishing I prefer and how I apply the finish. However, I never have anyone ask me if I pre-finish or post-finish a piece. By that, I mean applying the finish before or after assembling the parts. As many of you know, I like working with contrasting woods on pieces to make them stand out. This requires the stain or finish to be compatible with both species if applied after the construction phase. However, if I need to darken one species without affecting the other, I need to apply the finish prior to assembling. Likewise, a piece might need to be pre-finished to simplify the construction process. Leaving a back off a carcass is a good example. This allows ample room to cleanly finish the inside, then install the pre-finished back. Finishing sequence of events requires forethought and planning. So, the next time you ask a woodworker what kind of finish or how they apply the finish also inquire about pre-finishing and post-finishing.
Enjoy your shop time,
Jerill