Comments on: A Comedy of Errors

By: Danny H.

Danny H. — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:08:46 +0000

Megan,
perhaps it’s time for a woodworking reality show ! Starring you of course !

By: Megan Fitzpatrick

Megan Fitzpatrick — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:46:18 +0000

December issue (drops 11/15).

By: wfariss

wfariss — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:42:33 +0000

When will the Gents Chest plans show up in “I Can Do That”?

By: Megan Fitzpatrick

Megan Fitzpatrick — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:31:37 +0000

I concur…but for that column, we’re “stuck” with using the good, but basic set of tools in the Official I Can Do That tool kit – and I’ll lobby to add a marking gauge to that kit before anything else!

By: Maurice

Maurice — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:48:59 +0000

Megan,
When it comes to small trim, I find these mitre shears to be invaluable. No more trips back and forth to the saw: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=32192&cat=1,64488&ap=1

Ciao,

Maurice

By: zdillinger

zdillinger — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:26:11 +0000

Well, that finally explains the little green specks of paint that one finds on virtually every old Stanley handplane!

By: Fred West

Fred West — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:07:01 +0000

Thirded? tsstahl I feel your pain with the exception of the occasional feeling of competence. Place “in” in front of competence and replace occasional with “almost always” and you have a better idea of my work.

Megan, now you have me worried as I did not know that the new de riguere was carrying a purse for my block plane. )

Fred

By: rwyoung

rwyoung — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:01:45 +0000

Once picked up a full gallon of paint and somehow (no idea how) it spun end for end in my hands and slipped out. Falling lid-end down it struck the concrete step at an angle and of course the lid popped. Slow-mo all the way on this one, including the audio track.

Ages 11 through 43 have been very awkward for me (see post on bone viewing in other blog). I hope to grow out of this stage soon.

By: tsstahl

tsstahl — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 03:44:40 +0000

Seconded. Every project for me is a succession of unplanned events with an occasional feeling of competence.

By: Publius Secundus

Publius Secundus — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:31:20 +0000

I just read your update, and that of Chris, and though they are about difficulties, or perhaps because of it, they strike a chord with the woodworkers you and the magazine serve. Everyone who’s built something of size has lived with less than perfect wood somewhere or other, in the hope it won’t become a problem. Sometimes that’s a vain hope, and your benchtop cracks. Finishing glitches cured with paint are legion. Even green paint. Some woodworking magazines leave readers with the impression that it’s perfection or failure, as in anyone who doesn’t produce work as perfect as magazine photos is doomed and incompetent. I find the candor of the PW editors refreshing and encouraging to real humans, letting them know that everyone has a calamity now and then. Hobby woodworkers are supposed to have fun in the doing, not fear errors to the exclusion of doing anything. While I’m at it, I commend you folks for providing your own benches to the conference for who knows who to use. We know how much work you all did to build the great benches and you handed them over to be used rather than sit largely unscarred by the unwashed at home or work. You set fine examples for folks to really stand behind the notion that tools are to be used. Not everyone would have considered it. Thanks.