I last took wood shop in 4th Grade, which would be almost sixty years ago. I did love it, but I’m hardly a woodworker.
I just joined the Woodworkers’ Club of Rockville and went to my beginners’ safety and certification classes last week. Two nights, 6:30-9:30. We covered basically all the machines in their shop.
Above there’s a picture of the main table saw. Below are some of the routers and sanders.
It was a bit intimidating, not (just) because of the power of these tools (and their power to do me harm, although I took some comfort from the SawStop cartridges that are standard on most of this equipment and that will stop a blade before it takes off what my teacher called a “digit.”) It was also intimidating because most of the other people in the class have serious woodworking or furniture-making projects.
And me? I want to build a tool system on my wall that has “leaves” like a book and you can flip through the “pages” to find a tool. Something like the above.
In terms of what the rest of the people taking the cert course with me were doing, this is woodworking kindergarten. I feel a little ashamed even taking up the resources of the Club with this stuff.
On the other hand, I really don’t have the space for great power tools at home and the weather’s not nice enough to work on stuff in my driveway.
The Club is an opportunity to see if this has interest for me, to see if it’s worth the time and money (and the shlepp out to Rockville!) To see if I can make anything actually any good.
Dan,
There is another path, one without the investment, noise, dust and ever present danger of maiming or death! The furniture you see, glorious or simple, built before the mid-19th century was made by hand. Planes, chisels and saws. They’re easy to find and work as well now as they have for thousands of years. Makes for fun, quiet, pastime.
Greg