It’s that time of year again. When I was a kid, Thanksgiving was all about Pilgrims and Indians. And food. (more…)

Whatever business you are in, it’s important to be properly dressed. Lawyers need suits. If you are a doctor, you need scrubs. A chef? You gotta have those white jackets and puffy hats. (more…)

A.J.’s post about greenies really got me thinking. I live in California and we (correctly or not) have a reputation as being home to more greenies than any other state. Personally I have no issues with the idea of practicing good husbandry of the planet’s resources, something that we have collectively failed to do. (more…)

I spent most of day driving with the radio on, listening to NPR. There was a talk show on with a woman from some veteran’s support group as a guest. They were inviting homeless vets to call in and describe how they got there. (more…)

I have never been a detail person. I am able to see the big picture with ease. But many of my customers want to come in close, squinting, to find the smallest flaw. (more…)

I’ve never known anyone to take up woodworking in any form simply as an excuse to buy expensive tools. But I have known many for whom woodworking was greatly enhanced by using the best tools. (more…)

My recent post about lemons got me thinking about the good old days when my workshop was heated by a wood-burning stove. These days, the fire department guys would go apoplectic over the idea. But back then I lived in rural Nevada and visits from fire inspectors were not so much of a concern. (more…)

Neil Young was right! I have never had the luxury of a climate-controlled shop. So I have always had to deal with bits of rust on my steel and cast-iron surfaces. (more…)

Even the best makers lay an egg now and then. It might be one of those designs that looks great on paper but somehow just doesn’t work when it is actually made. Or something as simple as a wrong-sized door or drawer. (more…)

It doesn’t matter how good your equipment is. Sooner or later something is going to break. And you can pretty much bet that it will break at the worst possible time. (more…)