Rob Johnstone
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Guitars for Veterans
Last weekend, I visited the woodworking school of our contributing editor, George Vondriska. He was hosting an interesting event to help veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
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Keep on Making Sawdust
Recently, I went into my shop with the intention of turning a bowl. Now, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about how messy my shop is, but for some reason I could not find the 2-3/4″ diameter Forstner bit that I use to bore a mounting hole for my scroll chuck. Even after a significant amount of cleaning, with a good deal of muttering under my breath, I could not find the bit. Rats!
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The Voices in Our Heads!
Wow! Last eZine, I asked you to share the woodworking sayings that run through your head when you are in the shop. I knew you were into sharing, but really … I had no idea just how willing! There were nearly three hundred entries – so many, that to pick the winners (listed in our Feedback section) we just randomly pulled them out of our electronic hat. There simply were too many to pick the best. But I do want to share a few more that tickled my fancy. Enjoy!
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Do You Like Woodworking?
If you’re reading this, I’ll bet I’m on pretty safe ground thinking you’ve got a serious interest in the craft of woodworking.
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It’s Time For a Contest!
Random contests have long been a tradition here at the Woodworker’s Journal eZine. We’ve had the messiest shop contest – inspired at that time by my office. We’ve had a “Compliment Woodworker’s Journal” contest (I still go and look at those submissions from time to time). And two (count them, TWO) woodworking poetry contests, just to name a few. One of our more recent contests asked you to report on the worst woodworking advice that you had ever received. Which leads me to this current contest.
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Tip-Top Secret
By the time you are reading this, I will be at an undisclosed location in Northern Minnesota, stalking the wily large-mouth bass. Woodworkers are known for their generosity in sharing information about sources: “I just found some red oak selling for $0.75 a board foot! It’s over at blah, blah blah.” Fishermen, not so much. I am sure that you have heard the old saying, “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, teach a man to fish, and you’ve created a liar.”
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(Almost) Summertime, and the Woodworking Is Easy
In these next two weeks, the unofficial kickoff to the summer season occurs. While it’s no comparison to the actual kickoffs from my beloved Minnesota Vikings that will occur in a few months, summer does have its perks – one of them being that it’s possible to be in the outdoors, or at least semi-outdoors, here in the North Country without freezing your tuckus off.
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Hardware Heaven
As I type this, I am just hours away from flying to Las Vegas, Nevada to check out the National Hardware Show. I must confess that I get excited about this sort of event. There is so much activity, people moving about, vendors selling their wares and, of course, the latest and coolest hardware and tools.
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The “Yes, I’m a Professional Woodworker” CONTEST!
I think the notion of taking your woodworking efforts from a hobby to a vocation is a common daydream for many woodworkers, especially in these tough economic times. Even if you don’t think about it in terms of “quitting your day job,” many of us would like to use our time in the shop as a way to bring in extra money.
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Good Woodworking for a Good Work
Earlier this week, Marc Spagnolo – AKA. The Wood Whisperer – contacted me and told me of an effort that he helped lead for charity. He and 67 woodworkers, organized through the Woodworker’s Fighting Cancer charity, built and sold tables to benefit the American Cancer Society.
