#32: What is your dream project?

Woodworkers are a pretty diverse bunch, to put it mildly. But, one thing we have in common is the capacity–no, the propensity–to dream, of projects that we would like to make, if skills and resources were no object. Tapping Into this theme, I asked our visitors the open-ended question, “What is your dream project?” The … Read more

#30: What was your dumbest woodworking mistake: Part 2?

In the September-October issue, we printed–in this column–the first set of responses to my query of WoodCentral.com visitors: What was your dumbest woodworking mistake? There was no shortage of confessions. So, in the spirit of helping others avoid some of the classic bonehead moves, I present you with a second set of tales from which … Read more

#28: How do you price your work?

Many woodworkers dream of making the jump from hobbyist to professional, but they have no idea of how to price their work. Others just want to build an occasional piece for sale and not lose their shirts in the bargain. And, of course, professionals had better have their pricing formulas figured out, because their livelihood … Read more

#26: Do tools make the craftsman?

Tools are at the intersection of the woodworker and his or her materials. Because woodworking is a subtractive process, practically everything we do with wood involves cutting it or subtracting from it in some way. No wonder power and hand tools are such perennial hot topics on the WoodCentral messageboards. Over the years, I’ve noticed … Read more

#24: Would a boycott of tropical woods hurt rain forest conservation?

As most woodworkers are aware, the world is losing its tropical rain forests at an staggering rate. The primary causes are intensive logging and inefficient slash-and-burn agriculture in the overpopulated Third World countries, where most of these forests are located. This alarming situation has sparked a decades-long debate about what woodworkers can do to help … Read more

#23: How do you feel about sharing your tools?

The global reach of the Internet came home to WoodCentral recently when a visitor from the University of New South Wales in Australia dropped by our messageboards to conduct some research on the topic of tool sharing. Apparently, around the world, many communities pool their resources by maintaining “tool libraries.” Our guest was interested to … Read more

#19: Does woodworking have intrinsic “art value?”

In a recent and spirited debate, one of WoodCentral’s regular visitors suggested that “price is something of a badge authenticating the plece.”Red flags went up for Barbara Siddiqui, WoodCentral’s book reviewer and editorial assistant. “What about intrinsic art value?” she asked. Over the next few days or so, our messageboard racked up 56 repiles on … Read more

#18: How do you feel about making a living (or part of a living) at woodworking?

There’s an old joke that goes, “How do you make a million bucks as a professional woodworker?” The answer, of course, is, “Start with two million.” Despite the occasional cynicism of hard-bitten professionals, “going pro” still holds endless fascination for many amateur woodworkers. I asked WoodCentral visitors: How do you feel about the idea of … Read more

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