Why Do You Woodwork? from Woodworking.com

With Rob's editorial last time out, and the resulting conversation going on over in our Feedback section about shops as a place of refuge, it seemed appropriate to highlight this discussion about just why an individual woodworker would choose to pursue the hobby. - Editor

"For me, a combination of things led to my passion for woodworking: I enjoy solitude, I like working with my hands, and I love the smell of wood. And once I got good enough to start producing items I could sell, it was also nice to make some extra money on the side, though money doesn't have much to do with it. How about you?" - Magilla

It seems that most of those participating in the discussion got their start when young, either through school or family ties. - Editor

"I got into woodworking when I was still in middle school. It was my favorite subject and I got a lot of A's for the projects made. Fast forward, now I have a wife, kids and an office job, this is my stress reliever, get to use my hands and be creative. It's like a hobby for now and hoping to build a business someday." - MagGeorge

"I started woodworking when my grandfather gave me a Kawasaki 14.4 volt drill. I went home and drilled holes into firewood. I found it fun, so I bought a small workbench and started making small projects, like cigar boxes. Two years later I bought a table saw, a DeWalt cordless drill, drill and spade bit sets, jigsaws, circular saws, and much more. Now I work on my bench all the time and love it. The thing I love the most is that you can have fun with making a pile of wood into something great. I am only 14 now and I can't wait to turn something like this into a career. I guess I feel it is fun because a lot of people think that playing on a computer or something like that is fun, but I can have fun working with my hands and I get something out of it when I am done. So in the end, I guess that I could say that I work with wood because I have fun doing it. To me, woodworking is priceless." - Nick M.

"I developed a interest for woodworking when I was very small. My father loves to do it and I was assisting him in this work." - Leenamark

To quote from the original poster in this discussion, how about you? Why do you woodwork? Send us your responses here for inclusion in next issue's Feedback section. - Editor

Pinch Dogs from WoodWeb.com

This woodworker recently used pinch dogs as a shop accessory for the first time, and now he's wondering about the "rules" of using them. - Editor

"After 20 years in business I've always wondered about [pinch dogs]. They seem kinda cool, but I never bought any. The other day, at another cabinetmaker's shop, I saw he used them for pinching cabinets together and for glue-ups of large panels. He said to get some if I haven't used them. I did. I love 'em, but now the question is what are the different widths used for? If they merely draw joints together, what difference does it make how wide they are?" - Chris

He heard back with some general guidelines, and then asked for some clarification. - Editor

"To your question, big ones for bigger stuff, small ones for smaller stuff. I liked to use them for dogging together sheets of plywood on the floor to make layouts, then along came CAD and CNC. Generally, though, the real little ones I never used much." - Snaglpuss

"Are you saying I could glue up a whole tabletop of 6/4 boards and have the show side reveal as nice a joint as using bar clamps?" - Chris

"No way; that's like using a crowbar to fix a Rolex watch. You still need the right tool for the right job. Pinch dogs, for the most part, are for stuff that doesn't show or as a quick and dirty helping hand." - Snaglpuss

Have you ever used pinch dogs? What did you use them for? - Editor