WIA 2010 – retrospection
Going to WIA far exceeded my expectations on all levels.
As many of my fellow bloggers have said, meeting everyone in person and just having that one on one time with fellow woodworkers and bloggers was easily worth the price of admission. This is not something you can describe or necessarily understand unless you’ve been a part of it, so I won’t try to elaborate – just try and go next time.
One of my secondary or even tertiary goals in attending Woodworking in America was to get some useful material to fill this blog with. I just hope I can crank it all out before next year’s WIA (which Chris Schwarz confirmed would be in the same location, pending a few contracts being signed).
A few of the things I hope to cover here include:
- Some of the key points and techniques I picked up and will hopefully be applying to projects.
- Book/DVD reviews (I picked up a couple that I think I need)
- Tool kit builds/reviews. (Hock plane kits, Czeck Edge tool kits)
- What I would look for next year at the conference.
One extremely disturbing thing that I learned during the conference was that my current workbench design (I use that term loosely) is dramatically poor for handtool use and will be undergoing a massive transformation once I understand how I’m going to do it. Book #1 to review will be Chris Schwarz’s new bench design book, which I will be diving into shortly.
I’m not knocking my old bench when I say this, it has been a good bench, but like your favourite old pair of jeans, eventually they wear out and people can see into your drawers…and that’s not always a good thing.
Ian
Woodcanuck's Blog 
Ian, I would like it if you share more about your current bench and tell us where you think it is lacking. While you may be looking to build a whole new one, I think it would be interesting to see someone analyze and retrofit a bench to be more hand friendly. With so much bench porn coming out of the Pop Wood shop, we tend to think we have to have all the bells and whistles (like I can talk with my pimped out Roubo). In reality though, the bench should suit your work. If nothing else, let’s see your existing bench and open a discussion here on the blog on improvements.
October 5, 2010 at 10:13 am
Excellent idea. I’ll try and get out in the shop and snap a few pictures of what I’m starting with and pose some of the issues I have with it.
My dark side (Normite) finds the workbench just fine and in some cases down right excellent. But, have you ever tried to plane a board flat without a vise and bench dogs?
I have started reading Schwarz’s new workbench design book, and recently watched Bob Lang’s 21st century workbench DVD. I’m a sucker for researching stuff before I dive in because I hate redoing something later on.
Ok..note to self, start drafting up my Workbench Revitalization Blog series. 🙂
October 5, 2010 at 10:30 am
I also think that’s an excellent idea. I look forward to the new series.
October 5, 2010 at 11:16 am
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