Weekly Editorial
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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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Nothing Like an Old Fool
With our April Fool’s eZine effort behind us, I would like to say thank you to all the folks who liked our effort, and to direct you to the Feedback page, where some of your own humor is on display. To those of you who did not find my editorial funny and/or had some questions about the piece, here are my responses.
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Woodworking Is for the Birds
Thank goodness that Spring has officially arrived — although it is always more of a concept than a reality for those of us who remain suffering from cabin fever here in the frozen North. Still, that concept has us thinking of days to come when the snow will have fled and the grass will be green, and the birds will return from the warmth of the South.
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Woodworking Wood Freaks!
Last issue I asked you to tell me what your favorite hardwood might be. Great shugga-bugga, you folks really like hardwood! Nearly 250 of you sent in your selections, and what a diverse lot you are. There were 39 species identified as faves, with selections ranging from obscure (jatoba) to bland (poplar). There were, of course, the class clowns who had to raise their hands to say things like “free!” or “veneer,” but I must confess I found those answers amusing. (It takes a wise guy to appreciate a wise guy…)
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My Favorite Hardwood
While the question “what is your favorite hardwood” might seem like one of those silly magazine cover lines (What is YOUR workshop I.Q.?), I am actually serious in my curiosity. Why, you ask? Well, because if you had asked me three or four years ago what my favorite was, I would have answered without hesitating – cherry lumber, specifically, curly cherry. But if you asked me today … the answer would be different.
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Brave New (Social) World
As eZine aficionados, you are probably hip to the world of social media (or at least you’ve heard the term…). Woodworker’s Journal is fully engaged in this new world and wants to make it easier for you to find the woodworking Facebook pages, Twitter™ feeds and YouTube videos that are becoming an important part of the online woodworking community. (And we’re not stopping there… there are also blogs, Flickr® photos, message boards – and the list continues to grow!)
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Woodworking Projects Galore
As I stated recently, there is no time like right now for getting into the shop and getting busy. Which brings you to the woodworker’s eternal question: “Which project should I start next?” Personally, I solve that question by starting a whole bunch of projects at once. Which leads me to the next question of: “Will I ever finish a project?” But of course, that’s just me…
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No Time Like Now
The holidays are past, in my neck of the woods it is not fit outside for man nor beast, and my social calendar is woefully empty: what a great time to do some woodworking! This is truly the best time of the year to get into the shop and make some sawdust. Distractions are few, and the winter stretches out in front of us without apparent end. For some, this can be depressing; for us woodworkers, it does not get much better than January and February in the shop.
