Thanks, Jimmy

So it's been 13 years since my dad died, and I sure do miss him. 

He had the first woodshop that I ever worked in, but I don't ever remember him actually teaching me to build anything. It was more like him saying "stay away from that tool!" which I totally ignored.

He was always working (like I do) and usually too busy to do fun things (like me). But his shop was always filled with mysterious looking tools and good wood, and it was there that I built my first rubber band machine gun

or my first skateboard ramp.  

Even though he'd yell if I used too much of his lumber, I believe he was proud that I was able to cobble together small projects so nicely.

So here's a tribute to the man who taught me so many things - loyalty, work ethic, family values, and how to swing a golf club.

And here's a favorite quote that comes to mind when I think of him:

People living deeply have no fear of death. ~Anaïs Nin,  1967

An uninvited guest...

This is just crazy - can you imagine having this fellow poke his head into your kitchen window?

Hey do you have a apple?? lol
Posted by When I Laugh on Tuesday, January 19, 2016

#DStrong in the woodshop

It's so easy to take ourselves too seriously. We think what we're doing is just so life-or-death, when in reality, our stuff is pretty ordinary. We're not re-inventing the wheel, or solving life's mysteries; we're just all going about our day trying to pay the bills, feed the kids and critters, and hopefully sleep well at night. 

To me, it's the simple things that really make me happy. An ice cold beer in summer. Pretty tulips sprouting up in the yard in spring. Stella running up to greet me when I walk in the door. 

So I've been trying to beautify things in my surroundings. Simple stuff. Check out this log -  I have no idea what kind of wood it is (I may send it off to be identified)...

  but it's very pretty. Yellow pretty.

 The re-sawn plank is perfect for my latest project - and one of the cutoffs allowed me to make a couple of pegs. 

 And boom -  another tool holder for the shop - this time, holding the brand new Lie-Nielsen draw knife. 

 Speaking of important things - have you heard about the #DStrong campaign? Now THIS is important. 

A 15-Minute Hammer Hanger

When they say diamonds are a girls best friend, they obviously weren't talking about me. As far as I'm concerned, there isn't a better way into my heart than to buy me tools!

So when I got this new hammer for Christmas, I decided to give it some special love – and hang it on the wall in my office.

A while back, we had a huge log delivery at the shop, and I saved a few smaller logs for projects exactly like this. I sliced off a few small slabs, it almost looked like I was making potato chips. 

Some of the slices were actually translucent.

 Once I had one that seemed perfect, I took the scrap end of the log and made a few long pegs with my tenon cutter. 

I'm not sure how it happened, but the plugs were actually a little crooked. It added a lot of character to this hammer hanger! 

To soften the front edge of the pegs, I put them in my drillpress and touched the edge with a little bit of sandpaper while they were spinning.

Since the plugs were half-inch diameter, I drilled a few half-inch holes in the right spot and glued the pegs in place. 

 Since the hammer has a little bit of weight to it – I added a few screws from behind to hold the pegs in place. 

And here it is – the 15 minute hammer hammer!

 I love doing little projects like this, they're creative and fun, and keep my skills sharp.

 Now if I can only figure out how to hang this baby!

Our year end wrap up!

Whew! What a busy 2015!

Many thanks to all that made 2015 such a successful year - from the students to the amazing woodworkers who created amazing pieces - thanks for all of your support!

Merry Christmas! 

And thanks to my buddy John Frame for showing me this video!

Bandsaw cutting like a boss
Bandsaw magic!By Alex Snodgrass
Posted by I Love Woodworking on Saturday, December 19, 2015

Baby it's cold outside....

It's ridiculously cold right now, but as with every holiday season - there's no time to stay home and under a blanket.  We've been finishing up last minute gifts for customers, and working like crazy to get the shop in shape for the next round of classes that start in just a few weeks. (They're almost all sold out, BTW!) 

Here's a lovely little video to fuel your creative urges. 

And below, pictures of a few things we've been working on.

Stay warm!

Need a quickie (gift?)....

Have you noticed my blogging has been a little slow lately? Holiday seasons are always like this for people who create! That's the good news/bad news part of life for artists - everyone wants things made by Christmas. Seriously, I had a woman call me the other day  (on December 16th!) and ask if I could build a dining table by New Years Day.

 WTH?

Looking for a quick and easy gift, with some personalization added in? One of my students has an Etsy shop, where she sells these personalized travel coffee cups. I'm constantly running errand with a cup of coffee, so I'll use this cup all the time - the lid is great for not spilling java all over my truck!

In fact, she gave Denny and me a set, with the woodshop logo on them. (I "borrowed" his, since he's not much of a coffee drinker.)

I'm all about the hands -  we have them on the walls and in various places around the shop to remind us of several things - how important it is to keep them safe and out of harm's way. 

An old woodworking buddy of mine lost two fingers around Thanksgiving in a nasty tablesaw accident. Suffice it to say - hand accidents scare the hell out of me! So constant reminders keep us on our toes.

These coffee cups made my day! If you're looking for a quick and personalized gift for someone, check out Sarah's Etsy store here:  

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SweetPsCraftyCups

I suspect if you're local, you'll be able to work something out and have them in a day or two... tell Sarah I said Merry Christmas!