Weekly Editorial
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The Next Generation: Making it So
Each August I have the opportunity to judge woodworking projects from school-age kids that have been submitted to our Minnesota State Fair. (The second largest state fair in the country — drat those hyper-competitive Texans!) I must confess that there is a small degree of tedium to the task — hmm, 30 nearly identical clocks … which is best? But with that said, I always feel a huge lift when I first see the pile of projects made by woodworkers who range from 3rd grade all the way through senior high. As I am sure you can imagine, the skill levels range widely and the projects vary with the interests of the builder, but the expression of their enthusiasm is nearly universal.
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Hot Stuff
We have had a very cool and pleasant summer here in the North Country, until now. While I know that the corn farmers have been praying for hot weather, we woodworkers like it cool, thank you very much. That is why I was very disappointed when, just as I was loading a big pile of lumber and sheet stock into my shop, the temperature nudged over 90˚ F … and then just kept going up.
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Immersed in Tool Talk
I always think Woodworker’s Journal is pretty cool, and I was really reminded of that at this month’s big trade show, the AWFS in Las Vegas, Nevada. Woodworker’s Journal had two crews of reporters combing the floors of the convention center – where it was much cooler than the outdoor temps of 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and where they produced videos to introduce you to all the latest, greatest and, yes, coolest tools.
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JETTING Along to the Future
This special issue of the eZine is being sponsored by JET Tools. JET has long been a supporter of and a topic of interest for the eZine. In fact, when I typed the name JET into our archive’s search function, it came back with more than 100 results. That’s a lot of virtual ink that we have spilled over JET’s line of tools in the last few years.
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Lumber a Go-Go
There is an entire wall (plus another corner) of my shop that is just covered up with piles of lumber. I moved into this woodshop a year and a half ago, and one of my first thoughts was “I need to build a lumber rack right away…” Did I mention that lumber is still lying all over in my shop?
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Big Chuck
Holy cow, I finally did it. After a few years of making do with some pretty archaic workarounds, I finally closed my eyes, held my breath and made the big purchase. What I am talking about? I bought a Oneway Stronghold four-jaw chuck for my lathe. And not only that, but I got the extra #3 jaws as well.
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Sam Maloof, 1916-2009: Tribute to a Legend
On May 21, our craft lost a revered master and beloved friend of many: Sam Maloof passed away peacefully in his home at the age of 93.
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Lottery Dream Shop
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine bought a lottery ticket. Of course, by purchasing said ticket, the odds of him actually winning the lottery were only slightly better than if he had never been born. Ignoring that grim shadow of gambling reality, he began a mental exercise of what he would do with the money if he did win.
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Sharing Good Work in our Gallery
One of my favorite portions of this eZine is the Reader’s Project Gallery section. For me, as for other woodworkers, it’s fun,…
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Regrets, I’ve Had a Few
When I wrote about “the radial arm saw that got away” in my last editorial, I had no idea what a flurry of comments I would touch off about the hallowed RAS. (Stories about radial arm saws always bring out comments from admirers of that special power tool.)
