Some are huge.  Cavernous. You may need a road map and a GPS device to find your way around in them.

Others are tiny.  Places barely large enough to serve as a storage facility for your tools and materials.

Be they huge or tiny, our shops are our retreats from the everyday grind.  Places we can go to in order to escape the family, the bills, the job, the neighbors and connect with the craft we love.

This week, I want to know just how large your sanctuary is.  Whether it’s a converted basement, a garage that hasn’t seen a car in years or a detached building, share with us just what sized space you are working in.

[poll id=”59″]

The plans have been drawn up.  The tools have been sharpened.  The shop has been prepped.

The only thing you need to do is buy wood to build that special project.

Now, where will you get the wood from?

In years past, there was little choice – all lumber was bought locally at a hardwood supplier, construction yard or at a local sawmill.

Today, the Internet offers a tremendous variety of sources to choose from.  Whether you look at an online auction such as eBay or find an online provider, your purchasing options are seemingly limitless.

So, this week, I want to know if you have ever taken the plunge and bought your lumber online.

[poll id=”58″]

When it comes to building large projects, there has been a big shift in the past 30 years.  For instance, if I go to the Reader’s Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual published in 1973, their instructions to build a set of kitchen cabinets indicated that you should build them piece by piece on site.  Judging from what I have seen my friends tear out of their kitchens from homes built in that time period, it seems that was the primary, if not only, way to build.

Fast forward to the 1990’s, and wow, what a change.  New kitchens are built in modular units in workshops close to the large table saws, miter saws and workbenches to ensure a high level of accuracy.  Then, once assembled, these modules are brought to the site to be installed.

While this applies primarily to kitchen cabinets, plans to build other large projects have reflected this change.

Yet, still, I have seen and heard of woodworkers who still build their projects the old way, stick by stick on site.

So, my question this week is about your building process.  Do you build on site, in your shop or have your methods changed?

[poll id=”57″]

While building my new bench, the thought hit me that building large projects are a big pain in the butt.  I would start to work on an assembly, then have to find someplace to store it while I worked on another.  And, then, putting these assemblies together into a more complete project… oy!  No matter where I turned, I was eventually tripping over pieces and parts and I was having some trouble keeping track of all the parts I was working on.

As big as the bench is, it was not my biggest project.  In fact, right now I’m working on a desk system for my son’s room that consists of two huge drawer and bookshelf assemblies flanking a desk suspended across the middle.  That’s a back breaker.

So, this week, I want to know what the biggest project is that you have ever built.  Sure, I don’t have specific measurement categories, but these common items should give you a reference to work with.

[poll id=”56″]

According to the American Hardwood Information Center, red oak is by far the most commonly used North American hardwood. Four out of every ten North American hardwood boards sold are red oak.  It’s the state tree of my former home state, New Jersey, where it grows just about everywhere you look.  It’s one of the most common woods used in kitchen cabinet construction. It’s an extremely common flooring material. Entire bedroom suites are made out of the stuff…

And, sometimes, all that familiarity breeds contempt. I’ve spoken with woodworkers who have flat out said, “Boy, that would have been a great project, except for the fact that they built it out of oak…”

So, in this week’s poll, I wanna know exactly what you think about red oak and its place in your shop.

[poll id=”55″]

When we think of workplace safety, things like hearing and eye protection typically come to mind.  Or, is it hold downs, feather boards and push sticks?  Dust collection? Not drinking before you operate power tools?

My point is that we often overlook one very important part of shop safety – what we’re wearing on our feet.  There are lots of hazards that could affect us down there – from dropped objects to stepping on sharp items.  And then there’s the slipping hazards, splashed chemicals and other concerns.

If a foot or both feet are hurt, you could be out of the shop for quite a long time.

This week, let us know what kind of footwear you slip on before you head out to the shop.

[poll id=”54″]

When most people start woodworking, it’s to build one particular piece. Maybe a storage shelf for the garage or laundry room.  Maybe a table to fit behind a sofa.  Maybe a shoe holder for the closet.

Soon, however, things change dramatically.  That utilitarian project soon gives way to others.  More artistic.  More useful.  More well crafted.

Before you know it, you become a full-fledged woodworker. Once that happens, an interesting phenomena starts to take place.  People tend to build particular types of projects.  Some turn on a lathe, some cut intricate pieces on the scroll saw, and others tackle kitchens full of cabinets.

So, this week, we want to know what is your particular specialty.  Oh, sure, you may occasionally be pulled away from your preferred project for a need in the home.  However, what is the type of project that you are most known for?

[poll id=”53″]