Looking back at 2011, hopefully…

[Brian Kent]

Pretend it is now the end of December, 2011. :rolleyes:

What "did" you make?

What "did" you buy?

What "did" you learn?

It's a little exercise in woodworking imagination…

[Van Huskey]

Make: all the stuff on my wife's honey do list AND one piece that is totally MY design

Buy: finish my new shop and get all the tools and machines in and running

Learn: 1. how to say enough with the tools and 2. as many new techniques as possible

[Brian Kent]

Finish: Maloof-style Rocker
Build: Wall Tool Cabinet
Do: Organize garage shop and power up the 220's, and add lighting
Buy: Veritas dovetail saws and medium shoulder plane
Biggun: Rebuild staircase at home
One more thing: Suddenly receive free lathe and tools and make ornaments for Christmas gifts

[Victor Robinson]

Build: New storage bed / headboard for the Mrs. and I
Do: Add dust collection ductwork to my garage/shop
Buy: Drum sander (though that probably won't be all...)
Bigguns: Deck, Bathroom reno

[Rich Engelhardt]

2011 was "The big' un..." in a lot of ways..

In Jan of 2011, I got my sub panel run into the garage - -Finally!!! Lights and heat and enough plugs to power things! Such luxury!
In Jan of 2011, I also went on a strict diet (booo - no more beer :( ) and began to do some walking

In Feb of 2011, I quit smoking.

In April of 2011, I left my other "hobby" behind.(no more Friday midnight/wee hours of Saturday morning runs to West Virgina to let off the pressures of the week and do some mindless gambling)

In May of 2011, I had all the equipment bought for the shop that I felt I would need.

By the end of July of 2011, I had a fair amount of sheet goods and wood stocked on the shelves.

In Aug of 2011 I retired from the IT field and launched a new career in home renovation/rescue.

From Aug of 2011 until Dec of 2011, I fell into a nice pleasant routine.
Up at 5:00am, scan the posts @ SMC, attend to the usual morning things ;).
Read the online news headlines.....Irritate my sleeping wife by asking her some dumb questions about something neither of us can do anything about that came from reading those headlines....
Pack up the laptop in my backpack and head to McDonalds on my bicycle for my dicounted Senior coffee & to use their wireless to scan the real estate listings..
Back home by 7:00am and ready to get cracking on all the home stuff I'd put off over the last 26 years due to a lack of time...

By December 2011, I was ready to buy my first "project house". A very nice but neglected Craftsman that shows a lot of promise.

Ahh - life is good!
What's that line from that Carly Simon song "Anticipation" - ?
Yeah, "these are the good old days", that's it...these are the good old days..


Happy New Year BTW.
I hoist an American Ale for y'all tonight, since Lord knows I have to give the stuff up all too soon! :D

[Peter Quinn]

Make: A standing desk for a client whose design has haunted me for over a year now, a dresser for my daughter, and a cedar patio table with double curved legs that matches the sketch I've made.

Buy: A cyclone dust collector. The rest was finished in 2010. The buying has pretty much ended other than the DC. Its time to give up the hose jockey routine and go central.

Learn: How to carve a Benedetto arch top guitar. And cabriolet legs too.