Woodworking and the New-genre Woodworkers

DSC_0012 I know that we saw a marked increase in children at The Woodworking Shows’ show Saturday as I said in my last blog and Sunday was the same too. Lathes were spinning and kids were asking questions and staff in the booths reached out to them to encouj It’s a unique opportunity for children and parents to come to these shows and introduce them to woodworking. DSC_0019
I demonstrated all through the day and met many new faces and some from my classes, the blog and the online broadcast.
Driving home to New York through the fog I was spurred on by the support I found with everyone at the shows. Where the fog was thick, my iPad came through with clear directions and it made me aware that in the age of mass information, we face a dilemma in that too much information, according Henry Simmonds, creates a dearth of the very thing we need and that’s attention!!!! Changing one letter in the two words mass information and and removing one more and you have misinformation. DSC_0032 All too often that’s what I find that I am facing when I demonstrate because people are always looking for programmed information and when they see me cut rebates perfectly with a tenon saw along an 18” long piece of walnut the lights go on. The same is true when I raise a panel with a Bailey-pattern Stanley #4 smoother and declare it the best metal-cast smoothing plane in the world. They are at first shocked, until they see it working in ways they never dreamed possible, then they are convinced.
The show was as ever good, again. I am preparing for the next shows in Indiana and Kansas. These will be good shows too, I am sure.
I am glad we have reintroduced the Dallas venue back on the show agenda. I have always loved Texas, which is of course my second homeland having lived there for 23 years now. I want the word to get out that I will be back there this year for the show so we can all get together. I will also be picking up my remaining and much beloved hand tools whilst I am there.
The tool box make at the Woodworking Shows show is going really well. DSC_0036 We have the dovetailed corners of the box together now and we also have the back panel framed and the panel raised with the hand plane. Next show we make the drop down door and the tills for the tools. So that means housing dadoes, dovetails (half lap) and mortise and tenons with raised panel. This has been a great fun-time for me and those watching. Also, the workbench made for 20 2x4s was a wonderful intro to my minimalist woodworker too. Everyone is shocked that you get such an excellent bench for $41.

One Comment

  1. Thanks for that Jay. Yes, she’s involved and engaged. Now that’s real woodworking in my eyes. SHe’s passing on what she learned. Each one teach one.

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