Philosophical Question #1

[Jim Young]

I was wondering what people think about when they are doing mundane tasks in the shop.

The other day I spent about two hours planing down lumber. Since I had my head phones on the outside world was closed to me. Not much thought has to go into shoving a board into a planer so my thoughts go elsewhere. (I'm not saying this happens while doing other tasks such as TS work.)

Most of us are hobbyists getting our minds off of things like work. In my case I mostly think about the next project or next step in the current one and occasionally start to think about work and its issues.

[Ken Wright]

I spend most of the time that the piece(s) is traveling throught the saw frantically trying to remember if I measured twice ... then if its going to fit as it must .. and what else I should have done before this. Then there's always that nagging twirl in your stomach to watch out for the kickback and for your fingers.

Maybe as you get a lot of years under your woodworking belt ... these kind of thoughts go their way ....

[Dave Anderson]

Is that a picture of your property as viewed from the shop?

Man, if I had that view, I know my thoughts would be wandering to the scenery!:cool:

Many years ago, I had the privilege of staying at a friends house on Lake Lanere (sp?) beautiful country!

[John Miliunas]

Jim, you're right about planing being kind of a mundane activity, but I kind of enjoy it, especially when the piece is really, really in the rough. Sometimes it's just so cool to see what starts to evolve from it!:D By and large, though, I agree with the WW hobbyist mentallity: It really helps get my mind off of other things. Digging around and inside of computers all day and servicing the folks who use them, can get a bit stressful and WW really helps knock the stress level down a few notches. I think that may be one of the reasons I really enjoy turning, as well. I'm not that good at it and just learning. Probably all the more reason that, when I'm at the lathe, my attention is completely and totally undivided to that spinning object in front of me! Heck, at this point, I'm not even sure what I'd do to release some of that tension if it wasn't for woodworking! It not only relaxes, but yields great rewards, to boot!:D :D :cool:

[Dale Thompson]

Jim,
When I'm doing that mundane (what does that mean?) stuff, like sanding, I usually start thinking about my next disaster--er--project. This time it is a 27" Noah's Ark for my first grand-rugrat due in August.

Like John, when I'm on the lathe, I am in a no-spin zone and think of nothing but keeping the bevel touching just before the cutting edge. I have learned this because I'm tired of replacing face shields due to large "catches" and their "impact" on shields. ;)

Does anyone have any ideas on an "unsinkable" Noah's Ark. Just kidding!
:confused:

Dale T.