For several years I have made Christmas ornaments as gifts. Several went to co-workers at ornament exchange parties and others were given to family and friends as gifts. After retirement, I resolved to furnish a tree with mostly handmade wooden ornaments. A friend of mine had decorated trees for a local charity (Kootenai Health Foundation […]
‘Tis the season to be jolly, merry, and ever so slightly stressed out—particularly when it comes to gifting. The process of gifting can be fun and satisfying, but also terribly puzzling, especially if a friend or family member has a specialized hobby with a unique lexicon and complicated gizmos, gadgets and who-knows-whats to choose from. […]
In my experience, fear of failure is the biggest obstacle to being creative or productive in my woodshop. It’s certainly not a lack of tools; I’ve got plenty of those. Nor is it a dearth of ideas; I’m literally bursting with them as well. What slows me down most, and sometimes stops me dead in […]
No Southern-fried Southern boy wants to be called a Yankee, but we share the characteristics of shrewdness and thrift. Thus, each month we include a money-saving tip. It’s OK if you call me “cheap.” We’ve previously discussed an inexpensive way to keep one’s dust extractor hose and power cord above the project, allowing maximum […]
“There you go again, Jim Randolph. You keep trying to make us believe you’re a cheapskate, then you admit you paid hundreds for Bose Noise-Cancelling headphones. Now you’re going to tell us you’ve bought that high-priced Festool stuff, too? We may have to come take away your membership card to the Cheapskates’ Club.” I’ve said before, […]
Let me introduce myself: “I am not a furniture maker…. yet.” What I am though is very determined (stubborn) and passionate about becoming one. I am a normal person with a full-time day job in IT, but who has had an interest in quality, handmade, solid wood furniture for the last 20 years. I have […]
I have a very simple wish, which is ‘better lighting’. I currently work in a small workshop which is cold, damp, and poorly lit. My workbench is functional but when I’m hand planing I find that the lighting is just poor, which is slowing me down considerably when trying to achieve a perfectly flat edge. […]