It’s sawdust season.

[Rob Luter]

Good weather and way too many other obligations have kept me out of the basement shop all summer. Crappy weather and some spare time got me down there yesterday. It was therapeutic. Did some cleanup and organizing, sharpened a few things, and did a little project planning. I’m looking forward to snow.

[Jim Koepke]

During busy times it makes me feel good to get in the shop even if it is only to sharpen a pocket knife.

jtk

[Tim Andrews]

I’m right there with you Rob. When the weather is nice I spend a lot of time on my other addiction, golf. I’ll be in the shop more often soon, particularly since I’m retiring this year.

[James Pallas]

This is a great time of the year for outdoor projects. I’ve been inside all summer and it’s time for me to be outside. I’m going this week for materials to rebuild the deck stairs. I’ll be oiling the yard sweeper, the leaves are starting to fall. Moved my long sleeve fall shirts to the front of the closet. It’s supposed to be the last of the 90 degree weather here this week. No shop stuff until the end of November at least.
Jim

[Thomas Wilson]

I have been struggling all summer in the shop on planning my ductwork for the dust collector. I am nearing the final drawings and parts list. There will be a brief interlude for the parts to arrive which I will use to build some cabinets. I have spent most of the summer at the lake. Probably we will spend a lot of time in Atlanta this winter which means I will switch to handtools. I want to finish the dust collection installation before I leave.

We went for a late afternoon boat ride today. Just a few other boats out on a perfect day.

[Joe A Faulkner]

My shop is a disaster. I used to think I was just one more shop project away from getting it organized. I think multiple things contribute to this. 1. I always buy more lumber than I need. 2. I almost never throw out or burn scraps. 3. I love to start projects. 4. I sometimes take on a new project even though I have other projects in progress. 5. I am a pack rat. 6. I love to dabble in new things. I spent time in the spring on a shaving horse, a reamer, tapered mortise jigs, acquired a few more tools, draw knives, spoke shaves, a new to me hand saw, and God only knows why but another Jack plane. 6. I have a variety of trees on my property that present me with lots of opportunities for dabbling in using secondary lumber and milling some small logs with a 20” chainsaw. Late this summer I recognized that the last couple of builds were made more difficult by having to work around unfinished projects. A few weeks back I finished the king-Sized cherry headboard for the so-called Master bedroom. It makes for a nice addition to the bedroom and freed up a lot of real estate on my work bench. I am now pushing to wrap up this MCM bookshelf. After that, I have some white oak currently cluttering up my router table and the extension tables on either side of it that needs to be stored somewhere else, and I need to find a home for the shaving horse too. We live out in the country. I may try to convince my wife that it looks good on the front porch. I really am hoping to do more handtool work this fall and winter.

[Rob Luter]

1. I always buy more lumber than I need.
2. I almost never throw out or burn scraps.
3. I love to start projects.
4. I sometimes take on a new project even though I have other projects in progress.
5. I am a pack rat.
6. I love to dabble in new things.
7. I have a variety of trees on my property that present me with lots of opportunities for dabbling in using secondary lumber and milling some small logs with a 20” chainsaw.

And I thought you were going to share some problems. You sound pretty mainstream to me :D

[steven c newman]

Right now, I'd love to be able to move around well enough to even get to the shop....let alone work in it. Have resaws that need planed flat, ripped to size, edges jointed straight....let alone all the tool rehab I need to do....haven't even cleaned up the shop from the last project. Kind of bummed out, right now....and getting GRUMPY...er

2 block planes need rehabbed
2 squares need rehab
1 bevel gauge has been cleaned up, and is ready for work
1 chisel needs sharpened
2 backsaws need cleaned up
1 Mitre box needs cleaned up, and the spiders evicted.

Should be a normal weekend's work.....maybe someday, eh?

Ok..just on a whim, and to see how I do on stairs...I carried most of the above (that would fit in one hand) to the shop, spent 1 hour, or so cleaning 2 squares, and 2 block planes. Gave the bevel gauge a wipe down. Chisel will wait until the next time. Couldn't haul the tools AND the camera...needed one hand to help me down the steps...one at a time. Both block planes are now rust free, irons have been sharpened to 600 grit, for now. Knee started hurting, time to stop. Lower back felt fine...neither liked doing the stairs...

Resaws are still flat...need smoothed down...

[michael langman]

I can relate to so much said in these posts. My cellar shop was a huge mess as it always is through the summer as the garden and outdoor projects take all my time.

Just got back downstairs a few days ago and did a second attempt at sharpening the miter box saw, after spending a few days putting things away. Don't ask me what I did the first time I sharpened it, but it was pretty bad, and didn't cut. Still assembling the miter box after removing grime and rust from having it set these past couple decades.

I look forward to the snow too Rob, after the awful heat, humidity and rain we got all summer.

[Scott Clausen]

This thread makes me wonder. Did farmers and such, during winter, take that down time and make furniture for either personal use or profit?

[steven c newman]

^ Yep. House builders also "moved inside".

[Jim Koepke]

This thread makes me wonder. Did farmers and such, during winter, take that down time and make furniture for either personal use or profit?

A century or more in the past working people often worked in multiple occupations. As the seasons or circumstances changed they would change what they did to earn a living.

jtk

[steven c newman]

Just as about every town or village had a Blacksmith's Shop...there was also at least one Joiner working in the area. Buildings were done during the summer's good weather. After the Fall's Harvest was in, he would go around, repairing the wagons, and any other wooden items...Winter found him in his home....either fixing broken furniture ( another fight down at Paddy's Tavern?) or building new furniture...like cribs for the expected new arrivals. Blacksmith would handle all the metal work.

Was never called a Cabinetmaker.....only those working for the Guilds were called that. Later on, he was called a Carpenter......Patron Saint being a certain "Carpenter's Son".....

[Rob Luter]

This thread makes me wonder. Did farmers and such, during winter, take that down time and make furniture for either personal use or profit?

Family lore tells my paternal Great Grandfather and Great Great Grandfather, who were both subsistence farmers, were carpenters on the side and in the off seasons. My Grandfather used to tell me stories about finish carpenters making $1.00 a day in the early 1900’s in Western Kentucky. He came to Detroit in 1935 with Grandma (and Dad in utero) to work in the auto factories. In Kentucky he had been making $2.00 a day as a carpenter and working in a hosiery mill. When he returned to show off the new baby he told them he was earning $5.00 a day and they called him a liar. In their minds no one could make that kind of money in 1935. He went on to build a career in Michigan as a church pastor and a vocational carpentry teacher. He built great things his whole life.

[Mike Allen1010]

My shop is a disaster. I used to think I was just one more shop project away from getting it organized. I think multiple things contribute to this. 1. I always buy more lumber than I need. 2. I almost never throw out or burn scraps. 3. I love to start projects. 4. I sometimes take on a new project even though I have other projects in progress. 5. I am a pack rat. 6. I love to dabble in new things. I spent time in the spring on a shaving horse, a reamer, tapered mortise jigs, acquired a few more tools, draw knives, spoke shaves, a new to me hand saw, and God only knows why but another Jack plane. 6. I have a variety of trees on my property that present me with lots of opportunities for dabbling in using secondary lumber and milling some small logs with a 20” chainsaw. Late this summer I recognized that the last couple of builds were made more difficult by having to work around unfinished projects. A few weeks back I finished the king-Sized cherry headboard for the so-called Master bedroom. It makes for a nice addition to the bedroom and freed up a lot of real estate on my work bench. I am now pushing to wrap up this MCM bookshelf. After that, I have some white oak currently cluttering up my router table and the extension tables on either side of it that needs to be stored somewhere else, and I need to find a home for the shaving horse too. We live out in the country. I may try to convince my wife that it looks good on the front porch. I really am hoping to do more handtool work this fall and winter.

Joe your midcentury modern book looks awesome! Last time I try to project that size I realized how heavy those large shells/dividers can be. Nice job getting everything square and straight – sounds a lot easier than it is. Sheet goods for the shelves/dividers?

[Tom Bender]

I’m right there with you Rob. When the weather is nice I spend a lot of time on my other addiction, golf. I’ll be in the shop more often soon, particularly since I’m retiring this year.

Tim my advice is to retire in early spring. That will give you time to adapt to retirement in nice weather.