Every woodworker has at least one abandoned project sitting around the shop. This week I talk about some of my orphaned projects and how I’m playing the role of Daddy Warbucks by bringing new life to them in unexpected ways. And, in an unrelated note, I just couldn’t resist talking about the new Woodriver bench planes and Lie-Nielsen’s cross peen hammers.
Dave,
I have several orphaned projects lying around the shop. Mostly they are small spur of the moment ideas that keep getting pushed back. They do however serve a very usefull service. They are very efficient at dust collection. It is amazing how much dust they can hold.
Don
I had two unfinished projects for many, many years. Back when the woodworking bug first re-bit me, shortly after college. I bought a bunch of crappy Craftsman power tools from Sears. I started building 2 bookcases with no knowledge and a lot of enthusiasm. My tools were poor and my technique non-existent. I ended up with the carcasses for two bookcases based upon some Norm designs in a book I bought. And then I moved out of the house (where I’d been paying off my car) and into an apartment.
I moved those carcasses from my Dad’s place into my first house, and then from my first house to the one we now own. That whole time (a good 10+ years), nothing more was done to them. Finally, after about 12 years, my wife suggested I might finish one for my daughter. So I did. I picked a simple trim detail, cleaned up the joints with a belt sander, hand sander, and sandpaper (no knowledge of hand planes at that point). A couple of years later, I finished the other carcass with the same trim details for my younger daughter. We painted them white (which made me sad but covered up numerous defects).
So, after something like 14 years, I finally finished the very first woodworking project I ever tackled on my own. Thankfully, my completion time has gotten considerably shorter since then…
Okay, so I’m a little behind – I just listened to this one this morning.
The main comment I have for this is re: the Pendulum. I can see one of two things happening:
a. The market gets saturated, as they say, and the “hand tool bubble” bursts. This will be fantastic news for hand tools users who will find Lie-Nielsens just lying around in the clearance rack of Wal-Mart. Okay, maybe not. But I’m sure there will be lots of good hand tools losing their market value if what you say does happen.
b. The U.S. economy totally tanks, leaving everybody cash-poor. All but the biggest toolmakers will go bust. And most of the people entering the hobby/trade will choose to go the hand tools route because it’s cheaper than going with power tools.
All my thoughts for now….Now to get the rest of your podcasts (which I have downloaded) onto my MP3 player!