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Hide the Pain Harold is a real person, and you should be following him on Facebook.
Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking world. This week we’re looking at getting older, fan blades, and leather pants.
Tool News Quick Bites
Ryobi Releases New Portable Power Solutions: This isn’t particularly woodworking-focused, but I thought some of you might find this useful. Ryobi has a trio of new power sources with USB and 120V outlets that are powered by 18V and 40V batteries. This sort of stuff is perfect for camping, or even as a (rather large) portable power bank. I have an older version I’ve been using for years now, and I’ve been very happy with it.
With Age Comes Wisdom… and Aches
Reader Mike A. made me aware of a thread on Lumberjocks where woodworkers discuss the realities of the craft as they age. It’s an interesting peek into the future, and has gotten me thinking. There is a lot of conversation out there in the safety realm about being in the right headspace, being fully aware, before turning on a tool. And of all of the safety considerations, it’s probably the most important one. But what about physical capability? And what happens when that diminishes? The thread is full of stories like this one:
Like all of you, I have my limitations. I have a essential tremor, weakening eyesight, and a spinal cord injury which affects my balance, walking and causes intense, chronic pain limiting my ability to work for any long period of time. That being said, earlier this year, I had an emergency medical incident that almost took my life at age 70. But God gave me a Mulligan.
OK, I’m not gonna be building huge pieces of furniture anymore. But I can still use a small table saw, a Scrollsaw a bench top bandsaw and hand tools. And I can go out in my garage sit on a stool and still make sawdust for limited intervals. Enjoy whatever you can do with the abilities you have. We’re doing this for fun not to make ourselves miserable. And as for me, I’m trying to adopt Clint Eastwood‘s philosophy: “don’t let the old man in“.
Already at 37 I’ve found I can’t manhandle a sheet of plywood around like I used to. I don’t even try to use the table saw for that now — the track saw is better in every regard. Moving slabs of lumber has become a two-person job. So much of the work though is dependent upon a steady hand and keen eye, which I still take for granted at this point in my life. It’s not all bad news though:
Having only read the first couple dozen entries, I can relate to just about everything which has been stated EXCEPT that I find all of these “slow downs” are actually making me more efficient than ever with fewer mistakes and redo’s. Heck, I’m only a very young 64, but I’m severely inspired by a group of guys I play racquetball with who are in their mid-to-late 70’s and the one guy who is 83 – all still playing 2-3 days per week.
Stay active as much as you can. Be active with a variety of different types of things. The whole upshot is that the more you exercise your mind and body, the slower the “slow down”.
KEEP AT IT – as much as you can! [… especially the part about laughing at yourself!]
Random Reddit: Wind Tunnel Edition
Here’s the oddest piece of woodworking you’re going to see today:
Help me figure out what to do with this enormous spruce NASA wind tunnel fan blade?!
byu/ryankrameretc inwoodworking
My first instinct is to make a table of some sort with the full blade, with a floating glass top. I’m sure there are more creative suggestions out there though.
Out of Context Christopher Schwarz Quote
“Maybe next time I agree to teach a class I should bring my leather pants and bullwhip.”
Video of the Week: Alex Snodgrass Shop Tour
It’s always cool to see what former contributors of Pop Wood are up to these days. Though defining Alex Snodgrass by his contributions to our magazine is a bit like defining Neil Armstrong as a teacher from Ohio. Technically accurate, but largely missing the point. Alex is known to many as the bandsaw guy, and unsurprisingly, he has several in his shop. Cool fact: after watching the video, I can now say I have the same kind of bandsaw he has, though in his case, it’s the extra one in the overflow area.
Anything interesting I missed this week, or that you want me to highlight in a future Splinter Report? Let me know on social media or drop me an email at cknoff@aimmedia.com.
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