Why?

To read my blog posts, click here, or follow the “Posts” link above.

As a new hobbyist woodworker, still collecting my tools and learning the basics, I occasionally want to share what I’ve done, or talk about what I’ve enjoyed or found challenging, or put down some thoughts that have been on my mind related to this hobby.

My first introductions to woodworking come from watching shows on television (by and large, PBS). I’ve always found these shows entertaining. However, despite their “instructional” formats, when you decide to give it a try yourself most (not all) of what is available to watch on television is complete bunk, intended more to show you how to write large checks than learn to work with wood.

An expert walks around a shop, explaining how you too can build this beautiful entertainment center in just an afternoon or two, with very little effort on about $20,000 worth of equipment.

It’s good entertainment. I still enjoy watching a lot of these.

The excellent programs and websites that are out there, more often than not, aren’t going to be enough to get you started. There are several reasons for this: they may be mostly providing content for other experienced woodworkers. Also, none of us start learning at the same time. There is no schedule we all follow. No such thing as a date at which it is agreed: “start learning now.”

So while you’re needing to learn some basics, that show or blog is talking to people who are a ways ahead of where you’re at. As a beginner, it feels like you are a college freshman who just walked into a graduate level course.

All of this makes it sound pretty bleak. It isn’t – it’s just at times difficult.

As someone who was curious and wanting to experiment with this hobby, I’ve had many opportunities to feel frustrated. I don’t know if this blog will solve this problem for others, but it is one idea often on my mind that led me to setting this blog up.

I’ve also been meaning to try to snap some photos of tools or lumber I’ve acquired and projects at different levels of completion in order to share with friends and family. Not everyone is as interested in this as some are, so spewing out a ton of posts on Facebook doesn’t seem right – especially since I’m not actually that good at this yet.