This past weekend, I was knocking around in my shop and I realized I was starting to break a sweat.  A glance at my combo shop clock/thermometer showed me why – it was a balmy 87 degrees in  there – at 9:30 in the evening!  Yes, we’re starting to enter the long, hot season here in Florida.

As we start to gain on the summer (or we move from the warm summer months to the much cooler winter months south of the Equator), it’s time to start thinking about climate control in our shops. Today, let us know whether you have a totally tricked-out full-on AC/heat setup or you rely on nature to create your ambient shop temperature.

Woodworking can be such a solitary thing to do. I mean, you get into the shop, do your business and then return to the family after a fulfilling session.

But, there are some woodworkers out there who aren’t alone. No, I’m not talking about disembodied spirits or anything like that. I’m talking about those companions of the four-legged variety. A shop cat or dog can help make the time a little bit more fun (or frustrating, based on the pet’s personality) and can even provide a sounding board for design decisions. “So, Fluffy, what do you think about dovetails here?”

This week, tell us if you have a shop mascot and what the experience is like for you.

Welcome to Wood Workers Safety Week 2012!  Woot!

I know, you have heard EVERYTHING about shop safety, right?  You’ve heard it all, seen it all, tried it all and you can’t stand to see something else about it.  Sure. But, it never hurts to have a refresher to help remind you about how to prevent painful, disfiguring and costly injuries.

While all tools pose a potential safety risk, the table saw remains the number one culprit in shop injuries. Accidental blade contact and kickback are two of the common ways that people can be injured.

Of course, there are a number of safety devices included in your table saw.  Whether it’s flesh-sensing technology or a simple splitter and blade guard, each of these gadgets works to help prevent mishaps. While they are useful, some woodworkers see them as non-essential add ons that just slow them down.

This week, look at your table saw setup and let us know how much safety equipment you use on your table saw. Is it the whole shebang, or do you get rid of those safety devices?

Face vises. Wagon vises. Leg vises. Shoulder vises. When it comes to work holding tools, there are many devices (sorry, just had to throw that one in there) woodworkers can turn to.

From simple shop-made tools to fancy, elaborate highly-engineered cast iron behemoths, there is a work holding contraption that can immobilize your work for just about every taste, preference and price point.

This week, we’re looking to see how many vises are on the main workbench in your shop. Do you have a vise in every corner of your bench, or do you rely on other work holding devices?

Sorry that today’s poll may be a little boring … but I do have a question about a tool that’s found frequently in woodworking shops.

While they may have started as essential machinist’s tools, drill presses have become a workshop staple. Hey, if you need a hole bored straight into a piece of wood, there’s no more accurate way to get the job done. Drill presses also have scores of other uses. Want to bore holes on an angle into a piece of wood? Set the table angle and bore away. Chuck a sanding sleeve in there and you have a spindle sander. You can get a mortising attachment to make it a multi-tasker.

But, then there are the drill presses that sit for a long time collecting dust. I know someone who has no fewer than six drill presses, because other woodworkers give him theirs when they discover they don’t get any use.

Today’s question – just how essential are drill presses in a woodworking shop?  Critical pieces of machinery, or a total waste of time?

People love to classify things.  Speak to a biologist and you’ll learn a boatload of Latin in when talking about an animal’s classification.  Chemists classify the elements as metals, non-metals, noble gasses…  the list continues.

Pastry chefs will classify ingredients as wet goods or dry goods, and it’s not as easy as it seems. Sugar is considered to be a wet ingredient.

When it comes to woodworkers, we also tend to classify ourselves into categories based on our abilities and knowledge of the craft.

This week, I’m looking to see how you classify yourself as a woodworker at this moment.  Don’t be bashful – be as honest as possible.  Remember, no one has to know you you voted.

Well, you’ll know….

When you think about woodworking shows on TV, there are a few that immediately spring to mind. Norm Abram and the New Yankee Workshop. David Marks and Woodworks. Tommy Mac and Rough Cut. Roy Underhill and the Woodwright’s shop.

But, there’s a show that doesn’t normally get a lot of discussion -the American Woodshop.

It’s a glaring omission, considering that the show has been on the air for 19 seasons, and host Scott Phillips has been an institution on the show. He’s been out there at woodworking shows, demonstrating tools. Over the years, viewers have watched him build a shop and turn out some sweet looking projects.

But, there has also been a number of woodworkers who call his work amateurish and question why he has been on television for as long as he has.

Today, tell us what you think about Scott Phillips and the American Woodshop.