...is quite explainable - and justified.  I refuse to enter my woodshop until I've completed more important things.  Things which will benefit me far greater in life than this wonderful hobby I've discovered and jumped into with both feet.  I will complete a section of classes I've been taking for far too long.  So, until I am finished, I will continue walking into my shop just staring at all my equipment...neglected...unattended...sitting in the shadows...waiting for someone to bring them back to their glory days.  "Don't give up on me!" I silently state.  "You do have a purpose.  And it shall be fulfilled!"

Sure, I miss my tablesaw.  I miss my router.  I long to blow the sawdust away and sit back, relax and enjoy my creation.  I can't wait until I return to handling the various wood species just collecting dust.  Okay, I can't resist.  I gotta name drop: cherry, walnut, white oak and birch plywood.  Yeah, I know them.  Good friends of mine.

It will be thrilling to get back to doing what I enjoy doing in my spare time.  One thing I've learned and am constantly trying to master is this: Major in majors, minor in minors.  Right now, woodworking is my minor.  Education is my major.

First things first and the rest falls into place.

Tonight was a new adventure for me.  I've never tried to create the majestic dovetail.  I decided tonight would be the night to do a rough test.  Mind you, I don't know diddly squat about dovetails - save what I've learned from various TV and web personalities.  That being said, I am putting myself out here --- horrid creation and all.  This is my attempt to learn.  I knew it was gonna be rough...let's do this.  I present to you, "Dovetail Disaster."/

Here, I have the layout:I chose pine so as to be easier to handle.  I wanted my dovetail saw to cut with less effort.  So, I start to cut.  I realize that I should probably cut as close to the perpendicular line as possible without crossing it.  However, fear set in that I might cut too far, so I stayed to the waste side.  In hindsight, I probably should've gone right to the line and not messed around.  Here is what the cuts looked like prior to clean up.

I had no idea how the joint would fit, but I was excited to give 'er a try.  Now in my mind, for some unknown psychotic reason, I thought it was going to fit 'em together and they would be precise.  Roy Underhill, sir, you make it look easy :-)

If you have ever cut dovetails before you will most likely readily recognize how "off" my work appears.  I am okay with that.  I'm learning.  Also, I would appreciate feedback for this newb :-)

Here is the joint put "together." (And I use that term loosely ----------> [my 1st dovetail pun!])

I thought Halloween was over!  Man, this scares me deeper than Freddy Krueger ever did!  This thing is uglier than the Arizona Cardinals' record!  This is more crooked than the police force in Mexico!  I rest my case.

Yet another atrocity:

One might say, "It ain't that bad for your first time!"  For a perfectionist like me, it is bad, indeed.  I will get better at this, I assure you.  I have plans to use dovetail joinery on future wooden creations.  I won't sleep well tonight...and neither will you if you continue to stare at these photos!

Do yourself a favor --- go hug your chisels this day and tell them that you never want to have a fight that leads to this type of result.  Tell your lumber that you will treat it better than I.  And if you went out and actually hugged your chisels, then maybe my blunder wasn't the worst one made today :-)

Advice is greatly welcomed & appreciated!

Man!  I miss being out in the garage pushing spinning metal through wood to create a work of art that pleases the eye (how come no one ever mentions their OTHER eye?).

Life's been fairly busy as of late.  Between working a number of 50+ hr weeks, taking care of our daughter on my day off, trying to spend time with my lil woman, I haven't been able to schedule much time out in the shop.  It's all good though.  When you place your priorities first and your hobbies afterwards, life is healthier and, thus, happier.  (Plus, the summer heat has thrust the temperature in our garage to 100+ degrees for the past 3 months!  A sawdust drought is bittersweet - but more delectable during these Arizona summers :-) )

Bring on the Fall time!  I have lumber of a dozen different species in the garage calling my name and begging to be transformed into a work of art that will benefit the recipient (which is usually my wife and various family members).

All in all, it's been good to accomplish the things I've accomplished in the past 3 months.  But BOY am I itching to get back in the garage and say hello to my table saw...and Mr. Walnut, Sir Maple and Principal Pine...my clamps - I miss them all.

Maybe I'll venture out into the shop tonight just to say hi.  I miss the crew.  They are one patient bunch they are.

What about you?  Are you in a Sawdust Drought or are you crafting Wood Art?  And if you're active, what are you building?

I'd love to hear comments!

So, this is the project I'm working on right now.  I saw this in "Woodsmith Magazine" and since I have plans to learn mortise and tenon joinery, I thought I should have a marking gauge.

Sure, I could've bought one and called it a day.  But, in order to grow in woodworking and save a little money, I decided to make my own.  Plus, I'll be more proud of "that which I create" as opposed to "that which I easily obtain."  I've had quite a few hiccups, but I suppose that type of learning comes along with beginning.

I've completed the beam and I'm very pleased with the results.  Here is how it looks:

I completely jacked up the fence and made it too wide.  This will result in sloppy marking.  

No siree, Bob!  Start over on this part.  I'll be doing that in the next couple of days.  Until then, I'm going to hide the beam so I don't accidentally drop it, slice it, spill Sun Drop on it or catch it on fire.  No need to start ALL the way over, eh?

So, my chisel sharpening didn't go so well.  I thought I knew what I was doing.  But, in my haste and excitement I messed up my recently-purchased chisel.  One side of the tip is worn more than the other.  If you were to put a level on the tip of this chisel, it would lean to the left harder than a Kennedy.  Political humor...you won't read much of that from me :-)

Okay, so it's not beyond the point of repair, but it still bothers me and definitely not up to my standards.  Yes, I'm oftentimes labeled a perfectionist and slightly OCD!  Anywho, it worked for the task I needed it to, but I'm still going to try and fix it.  I look forward to learning more about properly sharpening a chisel.  And hopefully the chisel will end up being sharper than the woodworker.

Yes, I know that I have an athletic body that would envy many should they see it, but let's not get into that right now.  Besides, I'm modest and extremely humble...

Ummm, yeah.

I am currently making a marking gauge out of Central American Rosewood and I'm excited.  Shaping the beam went great, rounding over the edges, too (still learning to use a router).  However, the task of drilling a 1/4" hole dead on the mark (for the wedge/scribing blade) became an issue when I was approximately 1/16" off.  I tried to recover from my mishap, that is, until I tried to correct the problem by enlarging the hole and using a 3/8" chisel when the plans called for a 1/4" chisel...for the 1/4" hole.  Tisk, tisk...newb.

Needless to say, when trying to chisel a square for the wedge, I cracked the edge.  I eventually got frustrated and decided to start over.  NOW...I was focused and more prepared.  With precision, I drilled my 1/4" hole and was ready to chisel the 1/4" hole square.  One problem.  Due to my being new to this art, I don't have every tool that I'd like to have.  Namely, a 1/4" chisel.  Yeesh.  This little project has more snags than a broken finger nail reaching into one's pocket.  I hate that.

So, I ordered this chisel from highlandwoodworking.com and received it in the mail on Friday.  http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/narex6mmchisel.aspx

I'm excited to sharpen my first chisel.  Thanks to the fellas @ Highland for posting this for peeps like me: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/blog4/chiselsharpeningB.html

I'm also excited to be able to move forward on this project.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll finish it before the end of the month.  That'd be sweet.  I'll post pics.  Til then, keep on rockin' in the free world.

(Why not...I posted 2 other links already!)

As a beginning woodworker, I have relied heavily upon plans to guide my projects in the past 6 months.  Things have turned out great!  For example, here is a magazine stand/book display I made to organize all my woodworking magazines, knife catalogs and hunting magazines.  I got the plans from an article in "American Woodworker".  Instead of making it from oak, I made mine out of pine from Home Depot.

In "Magazine Mode"

In "Book Display Mode"

Now, I don't make too many things out of pine simply due to it's high probability of distortion, large amount of knots, blotchiness when staining, and mostly because it is a softwood, but I do occasionally like some good 'ol pine!  And given the purpose of this project I'm not terribly worried about my magazines making dents in the wood :-)

I simply followed the directions, used a little wood conditioner, stained it "Ipswich Pine" and put on 3 coats of polyurethane.

Occasionally I look at it in my living room and admire the fruit of my labor.  Whether it's because it looks great or because it was formed by my hands is up for speculation.  Bottom line: I'm very content with the product!

Ahhh...it seems like only last year that I built these.  All 2x4's sawn by hand...man, I was exhausted!  But, these stackable sawhorses are workhorses and have served me well.  Definitely proud of 'em!

...this is an attempt to record my woodworking journey.  Being relatively new to woodworking, I am learning and growing in this hobby 'o mine.  So, if you're interested, feel free to comment, correct, laugh, pull out your hair, applaud, shake your head, and one day - (hopefully) be inspired.

Enjoy. (again...hopefully!)