There’s something to be said for momentum when you are working on woodworking projects.  For some projects, you can go from the first milling operation to totally done in a day.  For other projects, it may take longer because they are more involved.

And, then, there are those projects that linger.  You know the ones I’m talking about – “Oh, I have to make the drawers and doors, but, hey, the weather is beautiful and I need those special pieces of hardware…”

Before you know it, that bathroom vanity without the doors has become a long-standing family joke with your unfinished project at the punch line.

So, how long has it taken you to complete your longest-delayed project?  It’s OK, we won’t laugh at you!

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While they may have lost some of their luster due to the Internet and the current economic situation, woodworking shows and expos are some very interesting places to visit.  You get to meet and talk with – in many cases – the same people who created the tools they are selling, to hold the tools in your hands and see them in operation.

Yesterday, while I was at the Woodworking Show in Tampa, I saw some folks hugging the wall just taking some mental notes on what they wanted to buy, while others were staggering out the doors of the convention hall, struggling to carry home all of their goodies.

This week, we want to know how you feel about purchasing something – anything – at a woodworking show or expo.

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All of the instruction manuals for your power tools tell you to give your complete, undivided attention to operating the tools.  However, if you look into most shops, you will find that woodworkers are splitting their attention – slightly – by listening to music or talk radio while doing their work.

Since it’s very unlikely that you will be continuously running your table saw or router for hours on end, most woodworkers are easily able to focus on those particular cuts for the necessary time and then listen to something else between operations.  And, when it comes to a tedious task like sanding, well, a radio is very much appreicated.

This week, we want to know what you listen to while in the shop.  Sure, you may listen to several different things, but which is the primary thing you will listen to.

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Some of the tales are legendary. “My two neighbors and I found out about this rare tree that was being cut into boards and we JUST HAD to have it.  So, we loaded up the trailer and started a cross-country trek…”

Other woodworkers look locally, buying their wood from sawyers who cut trees that grew minutes from their homes.

Either way, when it comes to wood, we can be kinda crazy.  That’s why this week, I want to know just how  far you have ever traveled to pick up a load of hardwood (or choice softwood, for that matter) lumber.   Remember, I’m only looking for the farthest you have ever traveled – not how far you would be willing to travel if the right board came along.

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Has this ever happened to you? When you get your project mostly complete, you move it to the spot where you want to finally place it and – dang – it doesn’t seem ‘right’ to your eyes.  Or, while building, you cut a series of joints on a project, but they don’t seem to add anything to the overall appearance of the project.

Wouldn’t it be great to see what your project will really look like BEFORE you commit to building it?

That’s why woodworkers will sometimes build prototypes of their projects.  They’ll mock up a piece in inexpensive No. 2 pine instead of their prized cherry, maple and walnut boards to get an accurate representation of what the project will really look like in its final form.

Of course, building prototypes does consume a few resources along the way –  namely wood, time and money – some things that woodworkers often find in short supply.

This week, I want to know if you go through the process of building prototypes for your projects, and how the process works for you.

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Nails have been an important part of woodworking for centuries.  Originally hand wrought one by one, they were so valuable that old structures needing to be demolished used to be burned to the ground and the ashes sifted thorough to recover every usable nail.

Today, factories spit out nails at a staggering rate.  And, rather than using hand-forged iron, today’s nail manufacturers use enormous coils of steel wire to make millions of these ubiquitous fasteners.

While brads, pins and nails do have a place in today’s workshop (attaching moldings and solid backs to casework), many woodworkers cringe at the idea of using these metallic fasteners in their casework.

This week, I want to know what your thoughts are on nails in case construction.  Now, exclude the nails or pins you would use to do things like attach molding to a project – I want to know if you use these fasteners to hold the actual casework together.

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For professional woodworkers, it’s the way they keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.  For amateurs, it’s a sign that they have arrived as respected crafts person.

Yes, selling your work is a big step to take.  Whether you are building pieces on spec to be sold  at a craft show or you are building on a commission or contract for a particular customer, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of the exchange of money for a completed woodworking project.

Now, given the current economic climate, it may have been a while since you have sold a piece, but we’re looking to see if you have ever sold one of your creations.

This week, we want to know if you have ever sold a piece of your work and what the experience was like for you.

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