First, a Compliment or Two
“This has been a tough year financially, and I’m letting some woodworking magazine subscriptions lapse, but not Woodworker’s Journal. The print publication is great, but with the eZine, I feel like I’m getting two subscriptions for the price of one. The eZine was a major factor in my decision to remain subscribed to your magazine, and I applaud your efforts to keep this freely available side-publication going. It does make a difference and helps Woodworker’s Journal stand out from the crowd.” – Matthew Deaner
Wow! Thanks. We are flattered, delighted, and honored, and will do our best to keep you pleased. – Editor
“I want to thank you for having Carol Reed as a Woodru (that’s a wood working guru!). I love her clear and pithy style, and her advice is truly sound.” – Rebecca Shephard, Ph.D.
We couldn’t agree more. – Editor
The Limits of T-squares
” I agree with the person who said that triangles are great for the wood shop, but I need to point out that a drafting T-square is designed to draw parallel lines, and not lines that are perpendicular to an edge. If you find a T-square that is square, you are lucky.” – Doug Schilbe
“A T-square should never be used to lay out dadoes or any other layout of 90 degrees. A T-square is very rarely a right angle and should only be considered a straightedge. This is the reason that a T-square is used on only one edge of a drawing board and the drawing paper is set parallel to the square.” – Joe Grinley
A Distressing Offer
“If I understand the terminology, distressing means banging, beating, and other destructive things on perfectly good furniture to make it look old. Anyone up to borrowing my seven grandchildren for a week or so? They have the art down pat, and could probably teach the instructors a thing or two.” – Bill Watson
The Artful Bodger
“I really liked your article “The Bodger of Paint Lick, Kentucky” for his comments on working wood and the bodger name. It gives more insight on why you want to use hand tools on wood, over or before using a powered machine. I think people are drawn to craftsmanship because we aren’t able to do that in our daily jobs. People really do want to do a good job, but now everything seems to be about getting the job done the quickest, cheapest, and fastest way.” – Al Morgan
“Now that is an article well worth reading. Enjoyed it immensely. Always like articles on how things are done.” – Thomas W. Horton
“The article about Don was great. Doubly so, because I am currently reading the book ‘American Yesterday’ by Eric Sloane. Thus, the content of your article and that of the book mesh and have made for some great reading this weekend. The photo of the Left Writing Arm Chair is a gem of workmanship. It would be a great one to make. Are there plans available?” – Michael J. Larkin
We doubt it. We know Don pretty well, and have never seen him even look at a plan, much less work from one. Come to think of it, we don’t recall ever seeing him with a tape measure either, though we have seen him take the measure of a bottle of good Irish whiskey. – Editor
On the Typo Corner Brouhaha
We got an overwhelming approval rating for keeping the typo corner, a personal typo recollection, a suggestion, a question, and of course, the usual smattering of comic responses. – Editor
“I enjoy the typos.” – Judy Wall
“Please keep the typo area.” – Jack Waters
“I love the typos and don’t see any malevolence in your gentle fun-poking.” – Norma Swanson
“I enjoy the typos section. Have you considered more than just spelling? My current usage to hate is ‘that’ when referring to a person. People are special; they deserve ‘who’ or ‘whom.'” – Kirk Mathews
Yes, we have, but we’d soon end up as a language magazine. We will stop while we are ahead, though we must admit to a personal pet peeve concerning folks who confuse advise with advice. Nevertheless, we will continue to advise our readers by providing good advice. Editor
“Many years back, I was the editor of the base newspaper at a U.S. airbase in Germany. We hosted the first annual football bowl game ever held in Germany. It was called the Grape Bowl. I wrote the banner headline for the special edition of the paper. It was GRAPE BOWEL TOMORROW. Fortunately the error was found before the paper left the German printing plant, and they were kind enough to run a new printing after a good belly laugh. I was not sent to the stockade, but no one let me live that one down.” – Robert Finley
One chap was obviously moved by our rather long response in the last issue. – Editor
“Did Garrison Keillor write that response?” – David Oconnor
No, we did, but we are certainly flattered by the comparison. Now, if we could only get his pay rate, we’d be happy campers indeed. As always, some wags responded with humor, including obviously intentional misspellings. – Editor
“Please don’t get rid of the ‘Typo Corner.’ I really lick it.” – Brian Mowers
“The one thing that really gets me laughing out loud are typos. Misplacing a letter or two can have hilarous results! We are all human and make misteaks: Laugh!! you’ll live longer!” – Jim Fahlsing
“I find the typo corner very ‘exilerating’ to read. We all make mistakes and I’m no ‘execption.’ Keep on marching with the typo corner.” – Ivan Hiller
“I dont alweze sbell so good erhtr. Great mag, thanks for sending it.” – Frank Ruthman
To cap it off, we got this hilarious diatribe on pronunciation from the point of view of one of our British brethren, who, apparently, lives near the mythical town of Lugaburuga. – Editor
“I hail from England, that little island to the east of you guys. We invented the English language; therefore, the way we spell and pronounce words must, by definition, be correct. Agreed? Probably not.
We find endless mirth in the way our colonial brothers handle the “-ough” syllable. Is it pronounced “uff” (enough) or “ort” (thought) or “ow” (plough) or “ru-a” as in London Borough (bura), and just to complicate it further “Edin-bura” is spelled Edinburgh. Should it be pronounced “Edinburg?” A similar problem is in place names containing “-cester” as in Bicester, pronounced “bister” ( a soft “i” as in idiot) or Leicester, pronounced “Lester” or Gloucester pronounced “Gloster.”
So imagine our reaction when an American tourist recently asked us, at a freeway rest-stop on the M1, how far to “Lugaburuga”. After much wrinkling of the aged brow and several searching questions we ascertained the chappie was enquiring the way to “Luffbura” spelled (not spelt) Loughborough.
We have many English languages within England itself, such as Geordie (Newcastle area) and Cockney (East London) which, if spoken correctly, is totally incoherent to the other 99% of the English population.” – Geoff Fowler, Newbury, England
We’re so grateful for his contribution that we won’t mention that poor Jeff even spelled his own name wrong. – Editor
Typo Corner
Once again, we made it into our own typo corner with a misspelled hyperlink; http://www.woodworkiersjournal.com/ezine/toolpreview.cfm.
It inspired the following comment. – Editor
“This link had me wondering if ‘woodworkiers’ is some new hybrid word made up of woodworker and luthier.” – Rekit
Of course, a misspelled hyperlink is not all that amusing, so here’s a bonus typo as well. We found this in a Scripps Howard News Service article by Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, printed in the Tacoma News Tribune on Saturday, August, 13, 2005. – Editor
“Higher quality furniture will be made of maple, birth, or aspen.”
We assume birth is the perfect wood for cradles and cribs. – Editor
