Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
As many of our regular visitors know, Woodworker West magazine published a regular column of excerpts from surveys we conducted on our WoodCentral forums, usually on the “ides” (15th) of every other month. We harvested your responses, edited them and send them off to our friends at Woodworker West for publication in their next issue. Everyone was most welcome to participate, though no attribution was given and readers could count on editorial brutality of the highest order.
The topic of copying versus imitation is one that never seems to go away. There’s a story going around about a friend of a local furnituremaker who was traveling somewhere off the beaten track and came across a piece of furniture looking exactly like one of his friend’s designs. When he met the maker of … Read more
There’s one thing all woodworkers have in common-tools. We couldn’t ply our craft without them. But, where, why, and how we acquire those tools is another matter, and the Internet is having a big effect on these choices. I asked our visitors, “Where do you buy your tools, and why? And, what drives your tool-buying … Read more
These days, time is in short supply for most of us. Even though we enjoy sensory rewards of woodworking, we also want to accomplish something in our limited time in the shop. This time, I asked our visitors, “What are some of the approaches, habits, and practices that help you to work efficiently and avoid … Read more
Though woodworkers are a diverse group, the one common denominator is that they all have a place to do their woodworking. So, this time around, I asked our visitors, “What is the importance of your shop to you? What makes it special?” “My shop is my kingdom. I am the absolute ruler of this small … Read more
Readers of the WoodCentral.com message boards were asked: “Do you make it a point to attend one or more woodworking shows each year, and why or why not? How can the shows be improved?” “I stay away because I have always fallen under the spell of the seductive product displays. I go home with a … Read more
Lamentably, September’s terrorist attacks on the United States have taken a toll on our economy and our national psyche. I wondered if woodworkers were also feeling the strain, so I recently asked WoodCentral forum visitors, “How have events since the September 11th bombings affected you as a woodworker?” “I have significantly increased productivity in the … Read more
A.J. Hamler, editor of Woodshop News, wondered about people’s attitudes toward perfectionism in their woodworking projects, it’s safe to say that some people strive for absolute purism in construction and technique;others are more interested in getting the job out the door. So, I asked the question: “How many—and what kind of shortcuts are you willing … Read more
Over the past several decades, woodworking has grown from a lowly Industrial art to a mainstream activity enjoyed by millions of people. Yet, despite the shifting demographics and all the new developments in tools and materials, the fundamentals of woodworking haven’t changed very much. To get an idea of what the future may hold, I … Read more
These days, woodworkers are awash in a sea of information—magazines, books, mail-order catalogs, woodworking shows—as well as a dizzying array of new tools, materials and gadgets. So, this time around, I asked our visitors, “Where do you get most of your woodworking news, inspiration, and know-how these days? Has the internet changed any of that?” … Read more
I recently posted this query on our WoodCentral message board: “From your interactions with other woodworkers–and from your own personal experience–what sorts of traits and interests distinguish woodworkers from other people?” “…artistic talent, either expressed or repressed. Many are also musi clans or artists.” “Quite a large number of engineers take to woodworking. My guess … Read more
The craft renaissance in this country over the past 25 years has fueled a raging debate among academicians, curators, impresarios and artisans about the distinction between “art” and “craft?” I recently put the issue on the WoodCentral table for discussion: “In your estimation, what is the distinction between ‘art’ and ‘craft’ as they pertain to … Read more
Woodworking has come a long way in the past fifty years, but where does it go from here? What happens when the”boomers” go to their great reward? How will the torch be passed to the next generation of craftsmen? I was searching for clues to this mystery when I recently put the following question to … Read more
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