Yearning to Learning
When I returned to WOOD® magazine after months of officing from home, the first thing I noticed, ironically, was the touches of home in my office: family photos, a roll of duct tape autographed by Red Green, an airplane (above) made out of scrapwood by my son, Colby, when he was maybe 4 years old. It reminded me of discussions we’ve had in the shop over the years about teaching woodworking to someone who’s never tried it. Where do you start? Understanding wood and how it moves seasonally is essential (but, honestly, kind of boring). Do you start with teaching how to use hand tools, which can be fussy and intimidating, or power tools, which can be costly and intimidating? Every textbook or “for dummies” publication about woodworking I’ve seen takes…
