It’s happened to all of us.  You are working from commercial plans or a cut list of your own devising.  You follow the plans closely and make all of the cuts.

But, when you move on to the assembly process, you accidentally glue a piece in the wrong place.  For me, I usually discover this accident when I get farther down the road on the assembly process and have to break the pieces apart or cut new ones.  Drats!

Fortunately, most woodworkers make this mistake once, then turn to a method of carefully marking the pieces to ensure it never happens again.

This week, let us know how you keep track of the pieces in a complex project.  Do you use the tried and true cabinetmaker’s triangle or something else?

There are few tools as basic, ancient and effective as chisels.  A stout metal body with one end ground to a seriously sharp edge, connected to a wooden or plastic handle.  No fuss, no muss.

While chisels may seem so basic and elementary, they are frequently used on just about every project.  Trimming tenons to fit.  Mortising out for hinges.  Squaring rabbets to accept a crisply cut back panel.

The only problem with chisels is that they seem to reproduce when you aren’t looking.  Soon, you can end up with a huge collection of bench chisels, butt chisels, paring chisels, mortisting chisels, Japanese chisels and other models in a wide variety of sizes.

This week, I want to know how you store the chisels you use most frequently. In the wooden box you bought them in?  Loose in a drawer in a rolling tool chest?  Organized by size in a custom built chisel rack?

Now, I know you may have a set of special chisels you have tucked away somewhere, but I want to know about your most frequently used set.

It’s hot. You are sweaty. The kids are driving you nuts because they are ALREADY bored with summer vacation. What to do?

If you are like many of the other millions out there on the highways this summer, you are out enjoying a family vacation. Away from work, home and all of those cares.

Yup, living out of a suitcase with limited access to laundry, bickering kids in the back seat and hotel shower heads that go from ultra-lame dribble to uber-powerful riot control with the twist of a dial.

While we are away, there are lots of things to see and do. The mountains. The sea shore. Museums and lakes. Cityscapes and peaceful countryside. Oh, and woodworking.

Yes, there are plenty of places where you can see some sweet woodworking. This week, tell us if you plan for woodworking on your family trips, if it just happens or if you steer clear altogether.

Once the only way to learn about woodworking was to take a lesson from a school or a knowledgeable neighbor, relative or friend,  read books and magazines or watch woodworking shows.

Today, woodworkers have access to a vast array of resources right from the comfort of their own living rooms.  Websites featuring new techniques, tool reviews and video build alongs have sprung up and can provide immediate access to what woodworkers want to know.

Of course, the Internet could be a huge time waster, taking away valuable time actually doing something in the shop.

This week, how important of a woodworking tool do you believe the Internet is for you?

Today in the United States, we are celebrating Father’s Day. I am writing this poll in the wee hours of the morning because I know the rest of my day is going to be filled with lots of fun and relaxation, so I wanted to get this done early.

With today being Father’s Day, it’s only natural that the poll touch on an important topic – how much of an influence was your dad on your woodworking?  My dad wasn’t necessarily a fine woodworker, but he was a VERY handy DIY kind of guy who showed me the ropes when it came to working with tools. And, during one big home improvement project – the finishing of our basement in our home – I caught the bug. Sure, the bug took about another 15 years to really kick in when it came to woodworking, but hey, it was a time delayed bug!

Thanks, Dad.

(Oh, while I’m at it, happy Father’s Day to everyone out there, especially Marc Spagnuolo and Aaron Marshall, celebrating their first Father’s Day today!)

So, this week, tell us how much of an influence your dad was on your woodworking.

I will be the first person to admit that I have not built everything that I have wanted to. I guess that’s a good thing, otherwise, you might be looking in the classified ads for Tom’s Big Tool Sale.

Some of the project I have yet to build because the time isn’t right ( a pendulum cradle for my grandchildren – with my boys both 14 and 11 – might be a bit premature). Some projects haven’t been built because space is an issue (I would really love to build a 16-person dining room table, but come on…).

And, some projects I haven’t yet tackled because – gosh darnit – I’m just plan intimidated. Yes, I’m afraid that I don’t yet have the necessary skills to build a chair.

No, I’m not talking about your average do-it-yourself Adirondack chair with some screws and pressure-treated lumber. I’m talking about stuff like rocking chairs. Or dining room chairs. Or an easy chair you can sit in at the end of a hard day, kick your feet up and let your cares just drift away. It’s something about the angles. And the joinery. And getting it to sit stable on the floor.

That’s my block, but I’m sure that most of you have other challenging projects you can only dream of building because they intimidate you.  This week, I have put together a brief list of project types. Be sure to tell us which one you think is the most intimidating to try. And, if we didn’t include your most intimidating project type, tell us what it is in the comments.

Ever since Craig Sommerfield brought the first practical pocket hole drilling jig to market back in 1990, woodworkers have been turning to these fast and convenient joints for projects. And, if you listen to the marketing folks at Kreg Tools and other jig manufacturers, it would appear that you could build an entire set of kitchen cabinets in mere hours.

While the joints are easy to make and quick to assemble, many woodworkers question just how effective they truly are.  This week, what do you think about pocket screw joints?