Big Game Hunting

It comes down to children or, more correctly, the lack of children.

Each time I have a tool target in the cross-hairs and I squeeze off a Visa round to bag another trophy, I always pause and think, “Well, it’s not like I’m having to save for a kid’s college fund.” Don’t get me wrong, tools probably won’t call me or surprise me with a 9 day cruise through the Mediterranean when I turn 75, but I also won’t ever fight with tools about whether or not I am able to take care of myself. I just cannot see a Router Plane conspiring with a Plow Plane to get my Power of Attorney and put me in a home. However, I can picture a sneaky little miter plane telling me I should sign the Do Not Resuscitate order.

So the barren Skiver household has seen multiple visits from the tool stork in the last few weeks. I wanted to wait until my workbench was completed before I bragged about the new little ones, but I’ve got to get this information out there before the lack of updates dooms this blog to fleeting, flash in the pan greatness. So, for the sake of Blog sustainability, I will use the 80% done bench as a stage. 80% done means all I have to do is mortise the bottom of the benchtop, drop it onto the tenons on the top of the legs, assemble the vices, drill the dog holes, and then finish it with a coat of Sears Weatherbeater to hide the beautiful Maple. Within a year or so, we’ll have ourselves a bench.

Tonight when I get home from work, I will roll out the first of my trophy tools that arrived a month or so ago. I won’t be able to make it a long entry because I have to prepare my cut list for a class I am taking next week. Next week, the Marc Adams School of Woodworking kicks off its 15th year of existence, and I will be there taking a class with Chris Gochnour. It’s a hand tool class building a shaker clock, and I am supposed to bring my pre-cut lumber. So I have to resaw, joint, plane, and cut a bunch of cherry tonight. However, I should be able to get out a description of at least one of the new little Skivers.