Issue 489

Wooden Shoes

As my friend Ian Kirby has told me, there was a time that we used wood for nearly everything we needed. Buckets, kitchen utensils, wheels, sidewalks — you name it. Now we have materials and manufacturing methods that make wood obsolete for many things.

However, that does not stop us woodworkers from using wood to fix things that maybe should not be fixed with our favorite material. For example, years ago I “fixed” the rusted-out floor of one of my cars with a plywood piece that worked well for a couple of years. (The car died before that floor did.) I also had an aluminum fishing boat that may have hit a rock at a 10hp outboard’s full speed … leaving a pretty impressive hole in the bow. I carved a really sweet plug, epoxied it in place, painted the boat with camo spray paint, and none were the wiser.

My point here is that I bet I am not the only one who looks at problems and solves them with woodworking, even where that may not be the best idea. I’d love to hear your similar story …

Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal

P.S. Some of you may have noticed that our website has been a bit wonky lately. It is due to some unplanned maintenance. Sadly, I could not fix the problems with a piece of wood.