The Amateur Crafter: Project 0.2 – A Grizzly Now Lurks in the Cave!

It’s here! My Grizzly G1015 grinder/sander has arrived, along with the oscillating drum sander – also purchased from Grizzly. This adds a whole new level to the process I can use to make a knife. Although it does have some limitations, which I’ll probably write an article on later, it looks like this might just be one of my best purchases so far for the shop. Now I can try out my own designs, or for that matter try to duplicate others. I’ve got a ton of ideas I want to try out. For example, I’ve always been kind of partial to the Spyderco designs. Most just seem really functional and comfortable to hold without losing any elegance in the overall design. I may try a fixed Manix 2 blade. Or, perhaps I’ll try out the Kershaw Mini Skinner 1081

– a good, easy design fixed knife. Still too early for me to attempt a custom folder, I have to learn more about the construction and design of a folder in order for me to try and build one. For the discerning knife enthusiast, how about a “Blackbear’s take” on a Mcusta Katana series folder in a fixed style? Boy, am I excited! Let me just begin the un-boxing and…

Some assembly required.

The Amateur Crafter: Project 0.1 – Workbenches, New and Old

Been just a little while since my last post. There are two reasons this particular article was delayed. First, the original was accidentally deleted somehow. Second, there are a lot of pictures in this article. And even though Blogger is great for posting anything I want about anything, it’s not exactly the fastest to upload images, especially from a camera that’s 14.1 megapixels. So, be prepared for a pretty short article but with a lot of pictures.

I’ve recently purchased a black Kobalt 3-drawer workbench from Lowe’s Home Improvement. It was on sale and it happened to be the last one in that particular store. Compared to the Montezuma Workbench I was thinking about buying from Northern Tool, it was quite a deal. It adds some much needed bench, drawer, and wall space to my shop. I’m really pleased with the look and it’s design. It comes with a small fluorescent light and additional storage space above the light fixture. And, there’s a power strip along the side, which will be a huge help for me. Overall, I’m very happy with it. But it was not without problems.

The one, glaring problem I had with it was its construction. It seems like the pieces for this workbench were thrown together on a late Friday afternoon and everyone was just hurrying to get it done so that they could all go home for the weekend. It’s not that the workbench doesn’t fit together properly, it does. The problem is the screw threads – for practically every single piece. The holes were either too small due to enormous amount of paint caked onto the piece, or the threads themselves were created with a worn-out tool. After I assembled four pieces per instruction, nearly every single piece thereafter required me to chase the threads on approx. 75% or more of the holes and most pieces had at least 4 mounting holes for the machine screws. So I had to spend a great deal more time prepping each piece before assembling them. This made the project take nearly all morning to complete. The other problem with this workbench is that it was missing the “S” hooks it was supposed to come with. This isn’t too much of an issue for me because I didn’t intend to use them, at least not there but it would’ve been nice if I had them for later.

The unassembled Kobalt scattered throughout my shop.

While this wasn’t a major problem for me I can see where this might be a big problem for the average DIY consumer. As a machinist, I have purchased or I have access to the tools necessary for me to complete the assembly of the workbench. It was a bit annoying having to go buy a metric set of taps and dies but I knew what I needed and I knew where to get it. But for the typical DIY-er, I suspect that the screw threads issue would put him/her in a real bind. Simply trying to force the machine screws to work would most likely result in stripping the threads out, which would make the assembled workbench less rigid. I’ve sent word to Lowe’s customer relations via e-mail and I’ve made a customer review on their website. Don’t know how much that would help but hopefully it’ll offer some direction to someone that doesn’t know how to fix it.

From the photos, one can see that I resurfaced the top bench of the main workbench left by the previous owners. All I really did was get a bit of ¼ plywood and cut it to size. Then I laminated the pieces to the top with screws and wood glue. I should note that the previous owner apparently loved his hammer and nails because I found no less than 56 nails, screws, or staples embedded in the top – excluding those needed to mount the top to the frame! I encountered this before when I installed the dozen fluorescent light fixtures in the basement. The person I hired for this worked with me doing this and we found more than 70 nails throughout the basement, most were still sticking out as if it was used to hang something. We stopped counting how many we found around 70 and we continued to find more afterwards. I guess the previous owner’s philosophy was “a nail unused is a nail abused.”

The cheap metric tap & die set to the rescue!

Some lubricant, or as some of my more rural students would say, "some earl!"

Partially completed.

Finished assembly.

I’ve also mounted my meager drill press to the edge and my portaband saw on the other side of the vise. I’m quite pleased with the paint job I did with the aftermarket pieces from SwagOffRoad.com. I decided on a desert camouflaged themed paint scheme and the results are great – even if I do say so myself! The construction of the aftermarket pieces also came with problems. In some ways, it appeared to me that some of these pieces were completed rather quickly with no eye towards the quality of the look and finish. Note the burrs and divots I had to file down in the photos. Again, for me this wasn’t much of a problem. But I don’t like receiving incomplete work that I’ve paid to ship to me completed. After cleaning up the pieces I sanded them down – first with a wire rotary brush, then I used some 180 and later 220 grit sand paper. I also used some primer on my pieces before painting. I’ve no idea if this will improve the life expectancy of the paint job but the paint did adhere much better to the primed pieces than to un-primed pieces. And for additional protection of the paint job, I coated the whole thing after it dried with some clear, flat matte finish. And yes, from the aftermarket pieces assembly photos at the end of this post, one can see that a bit of panty hose was used on the Dewalt. The point to that is for dust. Because the saw is now mounted upright, the port for airflow into the motor (I think) is exposed right behind the blade. This will become a magnet for metal chips, shavings, dust, etc. To help with dust prevention I wanted to cover up the opening but not prevent airflow through it. So, a bit of panty hose and some electrical tape to do the job and I’m in business.

This is the insert that becomes the "table" for the portaband saw.

Very heavy and stout table to hold the insert. It even comes with mitring slots, which I'll probably never use. One concern I have is that the table is 1/4" steel plate, but the sides are 1/8" steel plate. They do hold up the table fine, but repeated use over time may result in fatigue in the sides. I may be way off on this but just the same, I've created a CAD file with the side design, altered for 3/16" steel plate.

The mounting area for the table insert.

One of the many nicks and dings I found in the pieces from SwagOffRoad.

One can see the burr or "wire edge" left all around the mounting area for the table insert.

Primed pieces ready for paint.

The finished "desert camo."

The table surface was left unpainted because it's very likely that the paint will simply get scratched off from use. Also, a bit of paste wax rubbed in and buffed to give the table a smooth surface. Not sure if the wax will help prevent rusting but we'll see.

Finished assembly and installation onto the workbench. It's not noticeable from the photos but I also used some rubber washers in between the washers and the work pieces to be used as possible dampeners. The hope is that this may cut down the vibration for the overall machine.

Some pantyhose to provide at least some particulate filtering for the portaband.

A note on safety. There is a problem that I didn’t see with the purchase of the foot pedal. I thought that it was of the so-called “dead man’s switch” design, but it is not. A dead man’s switch is a type of safety device that requires constant activity from an operator so that the safety switch will allow a machine to work. An example would be requiring an operator to use two power buttons on a hydraulic press in order for the press to work. These buttons are located far enough away from each other that the operator has to use both hands to keep the buttons pressed – thus keeping his/her hands safely away from the pinch points. And if only one button is pressed, the machine will not work; hence the term – dead man’s switch. I thought that the foot pedal was a normally open switch that I would have to keep my foot on the pedal constantly in order for it to close much like a toggle switch – it doesn’t work that way. It works as a push on-push off latching switch. Push once to turn it on, but the switch stays on and requires a second push to turn it off. This will not do. I’d much rather have a foot pedal that will turn off if I take my foot off. For now, I guess I have no choice but to use this particular foot switch. But I’d feel safer with it tucked away underneath something. I’ll probably make a foot pedal housing so that I can’t drop something onto the pedal and have it accidentally turn on. This can be a very simple construction and only needs to prevent anything from landing directly onto it yet still allow the operator (me) to easily reach it.

And for the table saw, I’m probably going to move it into storage for the time being. I’m not likely to start right away into cabinetry or any other small projects that require the use of a table saw any time soon and it’s really in the way right now. But I wanted to mention, no matter how much of a pain in the neck it is, never-ever remove the blade guard or the riving knife from a table saw. In fact, never remove the safety device on any machine. It’s just not worth it. There’s some debate among wood workers about the anti-kickback pawls. Those on the Skil 3310 10-inch are particularly sharp and easily dig into the work quite deep. I don’t like them, but I’m hesitant to remove them. The pawls are removable without removing the blade guard. I may try to modify them by softening the edges. I can probably do this with a file or a decent belt sander. In any case, I strongly suggest that these remain on the machine. I’ll give a really good example; check out this video on YouTube by an experienced wood worker. This video is linked with permission from Tom Hintz from NewWoodworker.com.

Bottom line, removing the safety devices on your machinery is just not worth the risk.

The Amateur Crafter: Project 1 – Forced Patina

Well while I’m waiting for some of my equipment to come in, let’s try a little easy-to-learn project shall we?

Forced patina is the act of producing a “weathered” look on an item, in this case, a blade blank. Now the blank I made on a CNC (computer numerical control) milling center so it’s not how I’m going to produce a custom blade at home. But I will at least give some information about it. It’s a project that the students and I wanted to try out to learn a possible manufacturing process.

Photo A

Photo B

The design is modeled after a Benchmade Mini-Griptillian with a drop point tip. Of course our model isn’t a folding knife, it’s a fixed blade. Now we had to be extremely careful about this particular project because we wanted to make sure that we weren’t violating any state or federal laws by learning this process. The end project will not be a finished blade; we can’t do that. But we can make the profile, heat treat it, and make scales (handles) for them. Even though it’s not technically a finished, useable blade, we decided to keep within the blade restrictions. So the overall length is approx. 6” and the blade itself is less than 3 inches. From photos B & C, one can see the similarities of our blade and the Benchmade 556-PNK.

This particular mini-griptillian was a birthday present to my mother. The handle is a pink color to represent Benchmade’s commitment to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this model to an institution dedicated to the study of breast cancer, of which my mother is a survivor.

Photo C

Now for my attempt at a forced patina. I’ve read articles and books and visited web pages and watched videos. But I know that some of the best experience is just to get out and try it yourself. So, for the “agent” I’m using just plain mustard with a bit of vinegar mixed into it. I mixed the two carefully because I wanted the mustard to have a bit more “bite” with the extra vinegar, but I didn’t want it runny. It needed to be more of a gel for easier working. This helped some but I probably would have done better at the application with something like a Q-tip. I was out at the time so I resorted to an old model paintbrush. From photo D, one can see how it was applied.

Photo D

And I learned that mixing the agent too think will cause it to dry too quickly, making the resulting patina fairly subdued. Now, I actually like that look, but I intended for the patina to be darker than that. The first attempt I simply laid the mixture on the handle section in something resembling a pattern. For the second pattern I used a bit of electrical tape that I cut up for smaller pieces. This was just to allow the chance at applying the agent to all areas that I wanted to have a patina on. The first attempt, the agent was more of a gel and didn’t run much. So for this attempt, I made the mix a bit runny and laid the agent on smoothly and as evenly as I could. The result was about the same as the first attempt, perhaps a bit improved.

Photo E

Photo F

Again, I’m fine with that look but I did want the patina to appear darker. But I suspect that because the blank was made from O-1 steel, that it won’t weather quite as good as say 1095 steel. And from the photos, one can see where the mix started to leech under the areas where the tape didn’t quite stick properly to the blade.

Photo G

Photo H

The result created some little “blobs” at the tips of the tiger stripes. Still, for a first attempt on steel that probably won’t take weathering too well, I think it came out pretty nice. I can’t wait to try it out on some softer steel. I’ve managed to find a seller of 1095 steel already annealed so hopefully I’ll have some additional blanks soon.

The Amateur Crafter - Project 0: Shop Design

First order of business, design a shop. How do I do that again? Well, from the previous post, I decided that I wanted the purpose of the shop centered on three main functions: knife making, wood turning, and small cabinet making. Small cabinet making may be adjusted to mean simply, small wood working projects. With this in mind, the machines that I’ll be purchasing are going to have to be small from necessity. But basically, most of the work will flow around the main workbench already in place and around an additional workbench I plan to either purchase or make.

Photo A: lower side door entrance

From photo A, one can see the size of the shop okay, but the photo doesn't really show how small it is. And yes, that is a 10”compound miter saw mounted to a shop-made tool stand blocking the doorway into the next room. Technically, the size of the room is 12’ x 16’ but that doesn't mean that I’ll have that much space. Along the back wall, there’s enough space for another workbench and maybe some wall mounted cabinets for tool storage. That’s probably where I’ll stick a woodworking band saw and maybe a small wood turning lathe. Additionally, to the far right corner, I’ll have some sort of dust collection system. Undecided as to which type yet but I know I’ll probably need one.

Photo B: left of the outside entrance

The furnace can be seen in photo B, right next to a pretty stout desk left by the previous owner along with that pegboard. I’m not really big on pegboards and I’ll probably remove it at some point and mount a cabinet there. But the furnace takes up a good chuck of space right next to the door. So, I’m actually missing about a 4’ x 3’ section of the room.

Photo C: Massive workbench

The previous owners also left this large workbench. It measures 10’ x 2 ½’ and even though it’s a bit of an eyesore, it’s pretty stout. I’ll probably try to add a thin sheet of plywood on top to improve its looks – somewhat. It looks like it was made with standard 2” x 4” pieces laminated together with wood glue and screws. The top surface and the middle shelf is ¾” plywood.

Photo D: Decent space available

Side “view” from the entrance to the washer/dryer room. There’s a great deal of empty space available as well as wall space for cabinetry.

Photo E: Entrance from far room.

The problem with the location of this entrance way is that it only leaves about 10” from the right wall. Now, I can construct a narrow bench there but I need to be able to either move it away on casters or have a possible fold-down bench. I haven’t decided yet which. Most likely the simple workbench on locking casters will be a stronger workbench. And by the way, if you’re looking for a table saw, don’t bother with that particular Skil model that can be seen in the photo. It’s a 3310 10” table saw that comes with a pretty lame table. It’s labeled as cast aluminum but I think it’s more of a mixture of pot metal. Also, the miter slots are not standard size and if you want to create a small mitering sled or a cross cutting sled, you’ll have to purchase parts from Skil for the railings. I've not found an aftermarket provider for them. For the beginning hobbyist, it’s a fairly cheap table saw that won’t break the bank. But if you want to have greater flexibility in terms of shop-made add-ons, rigidity, and aftermarket accessories, go ahead and buy a better table saw – possibly the next larger size. It will likely come with a better table and with proper, standard-sized miter slots.

So to start with, I think that I’ll purchase a small metalworking band saw. I have to point out that band saws for woodworking won’t cut metal as well. One cannot simply swap out the blade and expect it to perform just as well on metal as it does on wood. The reason for this is because woodworking band saws operate at a higher SFPM (surface feet per minute). For the new crafter, that basically means blade speed. Wood is a softer material than steel (obviously) and to cut steels, blades must move at about a fraction of the speed and will also require more TPI (teeth per inch). For a metalworking band saw, I have basically two choices: one being a horizontal/vertical 4” – 6” capacity, or a type that’s called a “portaband.” Each band saw has its pros and cons. The floor model (either a dedicated horizontal or dedicated vertical) will probably offer greater stability. But that comes at the price of a higher cost (normally) and more floor space taken up by the larger machine. A horizontal/vertical can be setup to provide a small decent horizontal type band saw and normally comes with a small plate and a locking mechanism to allow vertical band saw work. The problem with this is that normally the plate provided for vertical work is a meager size and does not provide much rigidity – a term I’ll use frequently throughout this series of articles; also it will not offer any reasonable size of working space for vertical cutting. Typically these types of band saws might be good at one type of cutting (i.e horizontal) and somewhat below average ability at another type of cutting (vertical). Rigidity means stability which usually equates to safer use. The portaband saw is a much smaller alternative, and comes at a much cheaper price. A portaband saw is hand-held instead of mounted on a stand and uses smaller blade sizes (i.e. cheaper). But this will have a much smaller capacity and will probably only find use in my shop as a knife-making machine. Due to the size constraints of the room I have to work with, I’ll not likely have an application outside of knife making that the portaband saw can fulfill. Also, for greater rigidity the portaband saw must be modified and mounted on a wall or workbench by the consumer if he/she requires stability, which I will. Fortunately, there are aftermarket resources that can provide kits to help modify the portaband saw for the purposes of mounting on a wall/workbench/table or to allow it to be held in a large vise. Because space is at a premium in my shop, I’ll purchase the portaband saw with the aftermarket kits.

Purchasing the right, good machinery is best accomplished after doing a bit of research on what’s available. Look up various models from a variety of manufactures. Check out customer reviews on websites if they’re offered. Go visit hardware stores or other distributors if any floor models are available for viewing. Basically, do your homework. It may take a lot of time prior to the purchase, but you’re not as likely to purchase a machine more like the consumer grade equivalent of a “lemon car.” And, from the research, you’ll be able to purchase something that may have a good reputation and even a loyal following. I’m thinking of a Makita, or a Milwaukee, or a DeWalt. I’ll not purchase a cordless. I very much want this to have 110v power. The reason for this is because I’ll also purchase a foot pedal for turning the portaband saw on and off, which means that the trigger will have to be fastened in the on position. Once I get that machine in, I’ll be sure to show my mods.

Further posts on Project 0 will involve space, machine and workbench location and work flow.

The Amateur Crafter

A Man Without a Cause, a Shop Without a Worker, or Maybe a Worker Without a Shop

I am a machinist, a (former) vehicle mechanic, and a shop teacher. I’ve practically lived nearly my entire adult life in a shop of some sort. Academically, I’ve been attending school for some degree or certificate nearly every year either full-time or part-time since I left the U.S. Air Force in 1998. I’ve sacrificed several of the earliest adult years of my life to serving my country in parts of the world that I grew to hate (not anymore but I would be dishonest if I said that I never hated my time in Saudi Arabia – topic for another blog article I suppose). I’ve studied very hard going to school full-time while working full-time, at the risk of my own health, trying to complete a degree in order to hopefully have a better chance at success. And I’ve dutifully assisted people as students that I still feel to this day aren't worth the time and effort to work up a good spit on much less try to teach a set of trade skills to. It seems as if I’ve constantly been fulfilling my responsibilities to some unit, institution, or organization for a higher cause that I’ve always felt duty-bound to support.

Am I being a bit pissy? Yep. And I’m tired of doing so much for others and not enough for myself. Yeah, this is going to be about me. I’ll admit that this probably paints a very bad picture of me as being selfish. I’m not going to lie. I’m might be getting that way. Mama’s little boy right here is getting tired of the boiled squash and he’s ready for some pie. Don’t get me wrong. I like squash, when it’s properly battered and deep fat fried. Fuck boiled squash. I want something more. Something selfish. Something that screams, “This is entirely for me here. I fully intend to enjoy it!” And I gotta say, it’s about damn time.

Over the past several months I’ve been getting extremely restless. Hurried. Irritable. Kind of like dealing with a spell of diarrhea. Maybe it was my ongoing and seemingly never-ending studies in grad school. On that note, it could very well have been having to write yet another paper on yet another article, lecture, research topic or whatever, for yet another professor what’s-his-name and report yet again on how much I learned from doctor dood-da-ma-phloj-gee and his/her ongoing and vitally important research. Maybe it was some of the people where I teach that just don’t seem to get it. You know, those types that constantly whine about how bad they’ve got it and he/she doesn’t work half as much as some of the laziest students in class? Maybe it’s because I’m approaching that “middle age” bit in life where we’re all supposedly going to have some sort of mid-life crisis and I’ll want to overcompensate by purchasing a hot new really expensive sports car (That won’t happen). Or it could be a combination of several factors that just seemed to keep dragging me down physically and emotionally. Whatever the reasons, I came to a realization a few months back, that I’m just not being selfish enough! Hopefully I’m not sounding real bitter. But it’s high time I went well out of my way to do something just for me.

I suppose that nearly everyone has something that he/she wants to do before “it’s too late” or before “I pass away.” I’ve heard people talk about wanting to travel and see famous places. Yeah. Been there, done that, still doing it but it’s really starting to piss me off. Well, technically the airlines, TSA, and bad travelers are the ones pissing me off but still the whole traveling experience is getting on my nerves. I’ve heard people say that they wanted to learn a foreign language just to learn it. Or maybe some people just want to try out that one crazy thing that they would never do such as bungee cord jumping or skydiving. Well, for me, I just want to get back to my shop and craft something. One problem though, I don’t technically have a shop. And while I do have access to the shop at school where I teach, I’m usually too busy doing administration to go out and work in it. Let me just take this opportunity to restate what I’m usually doing – administration. Oh! What glorious fun that can be right? I miss being able to just make something in the shop, just because I wanted to. Just for the challenge of making it. I didn’t care if the project didn’t work as intended. It didn’t even matter if the project was completed or not. Just go out, tinker around, make a mistake or two (hopefully not at the cost of a digit) and learn something.

So, why don’t I just go back into the shop and have fun? Oh right, that whole don’t-really-have-a-shop thing. At some point I realized that I had the space for a small (very small) shop in the basement. I don’t know when I had this eureka moment but it was a revelation. There’s my shop! That’s where I can go and tinker around. It’s a bit small (12’ x 16’ – not excluding the space lost from the furnace and some of the plumbing) but I could make it work! But I had to be careful. I only have so much space to work with. I could only stock a certain amount of equipment in the shop. How can I equip it and be successful? Certainly, professional grade equipment was out of the question. I just don’t have the space for a decent metal turning lathe. And, anyone that’s purchased or been involved with the purchase of a professional machine knows that what you purchase is a machine. No tools. No tool holders. No fixtures. You get A MACHINE and that’s it. So whatever you spend on it, expect to spend a lot more for the extras. Initially, when I started to think about shop design and layout, I was unsure about the purpose of the shop. At first, when I began to research equipment for footprint, cost, and upkeep, I tried to think about its worth. I started to think about going cheap for machines and hopefully they’ll pay for themselves if I could make money off of them. But how could I make money that way if I’m just going to be a hobbyist? This was the wrong approach. I decided to rethink the purpose of the shop and its worth. How do I define its worth? Would worth be defined as the ability to make money from it as if it were a production shop? Would it be more of a service and repair type of shop where I would service some group of clients in perhaps an industrial environment? Would it be more in terms of assets that I could evaluate for the purposes of reselling? Ultimately, what did I want to get out of this shop?

That particular question right there, “What do I want to get out of this shop?” really stumped me. I was genuinely dumbfounded. What the hell do I want to get out of this shop? It had been so long since I invested myself into a project just for me that I had forgotten what it was like to think about what I wanted to get out of it. I actually had to stop and mull this over for a while before I decided (tentatively) on a purpose for the shop. And even though I had some ideas, I realized that eventually just like my blog, its purpose could change. And it did. I thought at first that I would make a shop with maybe small cabinet making, turning, or perhaps fretwork in mind and also a few metal working machines such as a milling machine and a lathe. Eventually though, I had to accept the fact that I didn’t have the space for all of that equipment. However, I did have enough space for pursuing one of my passions, knife making. I’m not a knife maker or even a serious knife collector. I don’t have a massive collection of unusual or highly sought after knives. I may know a bit more about knives than the average consumer. But I still wouldn’t call myself an amateur knife maker. I’ve always enjoyed learning about that process and I’ve always loved seeing the work of various professional custom knife makers. But I’ve never had the opportunity to pursue that as a hobby before. Usually, I never had enough space, or enough money to start a shop of my own. Even approaching it as a frugal hobbyist, one can spend a well over a few thousand dollars in tooling and equipment depending on how much one wants to accomplish within the shop. And to pursue it with greater productivity and easier construction in mind, the price tag for a well-equipped shop can be in the tens of thousands of dollars assuming of course that a facility already exists and is awaiting installation of equipment. If a building must be made, then the price goes up even higher.

I decided that the ultimate purpose of this shop was to allow me a chance at pursuing hobbies for life enrichment. I probably wouldn’t be able to pursue all of the hobbies that I wanted to, but I had enough space where I could pursue several. The reason I want this shop is so that I can learn to: make a knife, or turn a wooden bowl, or build a small wooden cabinet, just because I want to learn how to do these things. It doesn’t matter if I become hugely successful at whatever projects I take on. What matters is that I have the space and hopefully most of the equipment needed to make those projects. There’s no reason that the shop has to “pay for itself” as if this were going to become a business. It simply needs to be properly stocked and maintained. When I figured this out, I understood that I didn’t have to look for the cheapest machine/tools/etc. possible, I just had to find the best materials that will give me the best “bang for my buck.” This could be a low to mid-range consumer grade machine to a very high-end professional grade tool. Whatever the shop needed to fulfill its purpose, that’s what I should invest in. Understanding this opens up the possibilities for stocking good equipment for the shop, albeit at a slower, less financially stinging pace. I finally decided on keeping the purpose of the shop to just those things: knife making, woodturning, and small (very small) cabinetwork. It’s quite likely that I may not have enough space to do all of those but I am going to try and design the shop just for those three purposes. And it doesn’t have to be written in stone. I could very well change one of the purposes of the shop later down the road. So, as of this writing, another purpose behind this blog is to list my ongoing shop adventures. Also, I’ll most likely post some of this on my simple YouTube channel, probably in a lame Windows Movie Maker format. But I’d like to document where I’m starting out with this shop and where I’m going with my projects. I realize that this means I will probably come into conflict with some of the “purists” out there that see what I’m doing and exclaim, “You noob! You shouldn't (insert some description of what I’m doing on a project here) that way! You’re doing it wrong!” Well I’ve actually already encountered some of that on a couple of machine shop forums (despite the fact that I teach this) and just a bit of that on one knife making forum (despite the fact that I want to learn it). I’m sure most of us know someone like that. Everyone probably knows some uber snob with such huge amounts of experience in a particular field that he/she can’t be bothered to properly give constructive (a.k.a. helpful) feedback. But that’s okay. I’ll just write about what I learned from a particular project and move on to another. I’ll just keep writing about particular projects that I’m involved in and whether or not those projects were successful. And by successful, I mean, completed. Done and done. No time constraints. No client. Just a completed project that I wanted to do.

Why exactly are you here?

As an instructor, and I'm sure some can relate to this, I will often join in with my colleagues whenever there is a discussion going on about students, teachers, policies, etc. which will then usually become a long-winded event. Whether it's the quality of the incoming students or lack thereof, or perhaps the questionable competence of a particular instructor, I can cluck with the best of hens in the coop. But sometimes, my fellow colleagues just piss me off.

Once in awhile, I'll use something to remind myself of why I love this profession and/or why there's always opportunities to improve it. Well, sometimes I find that my colleagues need a prodding reminder like this as well. I'm not sure if I do this consciously, but every now and then I'll turn a discussion around in a direction opposite from where it was heading particularly if I begin to see a bit of hypocrisy seeping into the discussion. This is not in an attempt at attacking a personal position of a colleague, rather at an attempt to remind them why they chose the field of education for a career. For example, last summer a student, nearing the end of his last semester in our program, was scraping up spare change for gas money, asking friends and classmates, so he could still come to school. This eventually made its way to me, his instructor and academic adviser. So, I decided to pull a little weight (and with my girth I've got quite a lot of that) and I sought out a position at a local manufacturing company that I thought he would be good at. I referred him to the HR director there and a week later, we was learning how to setup and operate machines and earning a good wage - complete with very nice benefits (especially for private sector employment.) This was a story I had used to derail a conversation about how so many of today's youths are privileged and that they're "living off of the government tit." He reckoned, none of them knew the meaning of hard work. My colleague began to talk like a sound bite from a television add for the GOP. I wasn't trying to disprove what that person was saying. To be fair, the student I'm referring to was a combat veteran (Army) with one term of enlistment completed. But the individual who started this discussion was known for making broad generalizations of large swaths of people; something I try hard to avoid, and sometimes still manage to fail at.

Now, I'm not trying to "toot my own horn" about this, far from it. In fact, this is where I throw a bit of self-doubt into this story, because recently, in a similar discussion as before, I used a similar story to reverse the direction of a conversation with a colleague. But then I started to think deeper on this issue and I realized just how often I see someone struggling in life. Not necessarily just in terms of finances, but a variety of aspects of just life in general. Actually "doubt" isn't the proper word here, anger may be more appropriate. I don't doubt that I try my best and that I'm good at what I do. I don't doubt myself so much to the point that I become indecisive. But whenever I'm alone and in a quiet place, I'll go deep into my thoughts and think back about decisions that I've made where I may have done better, not as a form of self-torture but rather as a mental note for the constantly updating self-guide to my life and profession in case I ever come across a similar situation like that one decision again.

Take, for example, the student with a traumatic brain injury that applied several semesters ago to our program - a machine shop program. By law, no one can deny that individual a chance at an education in the machine shop if he is able to meet the physical demands of the trade. But regardless of the law, I strongly believe that everyone should have a chance at improving their education. It's actually part of my educational philosophy. I saw no reason to make an exception with this person. Who cares that he has an educable disability? I welcomed this person into the program with open arms and fellow colleague's snickers behind my back, something I've not forgotten. I welcomed the challenge that this student will give us and looked forward to the experience. One semester later, he was almost in tears after we met with him and the special needs coordinator for the last time to tell him that he's out of the program. I was nearly too heartbroken to inform him that he is just too dangerous in this trade for his own good. Note: his injuries affected his retention and recall abilities and information he learned the day before simply would not stick in his mind, at least not with the limited amount of repetition he could get from our courses. He needed much more than our courses could provide. One thing this student had that I'll always admire him for, determination. If I could have given him an "A" just for his effort, I would have. If there was a grade higher than an "A" in a class based on effort, he would be at the top of his class. He just had it in his mind that he was going to earn a certificate as a regular student and not seek vocational rehabilitation. The same semester, the following year, that student was graduating a with a certificate in an automotive customer service program. He now works for a local dealership in their customer service department.

Being so eager to welcome that student in the program may or may not have been a bit of naivety on my part. But it's decisions/situations like those that I'll reflect back on - again, not as a form of self-torture, but to think to myself, did I do the right thing? What could have I done different? I have a habit of zeroing in on the bottom line, which can sometimes lead to difficult but necessary decisions that have to be made. Was that student truly dangerous to himself in the machine shop? Yes, he was. At some point, did it become obvious that were he allowed to continue that there is high risk of injury? Absolutely. Was the decision and act to inform him just a gut-retching experience that I never want to do again? Of course. Was it still the right thing to do to welcome that student into the program? You'd better believe it. I would be such a hypocrite and so dishonorable if I were to make a decision against my educational philosophy. I don't think I could live with any other decision. That very same colleague and I were in a discussion about the quality of the students currently entering our programs and how our school should take a hard line against this kind of "government legislative interfering" with our business; and that student's story was an example I used to demonstrate why I think that a position like that is wrong. I don't doubt that the public school system has a lot of room for improvement. But that doesn't mean that I get to tell graduating high school seniors, "Sorry, you're just too stupid to come into this program. Good luck elsewhere." That colleague, and note that I stated "colleague" and not friend, is quite brilliant and holds a PhD in an engineering degree, yet the only knowledge and skill I've seen him demonstrate as if it were a natural aptitude is his ability to whine constantly. Sometimes I just want to grab him by his shoulders and yell into his face, "Why exactly are you here?"

I'll admit, I complain about students too. Have you ever heard of a high school graduate that couldn't do fractions? We used to have one like that. Has anyone ever met a person so creative and so brilliant yet so astronomically lazy that they refused to put forth any effort beyond a grade of "D"? I've had a student like that as well. And I know that practically every instructor out there has had those students, year after year, semester after semester, with grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and/or other obscure yet truly loved distant relatives that has just died and he/she (the student) will need (insert special consideration, extra time, "give me a break", and/or some other lenient accommodation here). I've had more than my fair share of slackers, simpletons, scoundrels and shams, but they're certainly not the majority. The point to my rant is that it's all of the other students that I remind myself why I chose education as a profession. It's that Hispanic student with a severe accent that has never attended any post-secondary school (post high school) for an opportunity at higher education - and ultimately became a star for the machine shop program. It's that displaced worker just trying to find another trade to go into with the hope that he/she can find employment after graduating - and winds up getting a job better than the one he/she had before. It's that young lady that never really had a lot of self-confidence and never pushed herself harder to try and go further than she thought possible of herself - and now works as the team leader over a team of production machine operators. That's the reason why I keep teaching. Those are the reasons I use to remind myself why I love what I do. And those are the reasons why I take every semester and every new group of students in with open arms, and not grudging suspicion.

I'll stop ranting here and leave you with a short story (in the next post) that I wrote, didn't finish, wrote again, didn't finish, lost then found it, then forgot about it, and finally decided to complete it. I had originally intended to enter this story into the student/faculty/staff writing contest our school has every year. It's about a dream I had right around the time the student with the traumatic brain injury was applying for the machine shop program. Incidentally, this was also around the time the symptoms of my sleep apnea became noticeable, although I had not yet realized how the symptoms were becoming progressively more severe.

A Flash of Just a Bit of Creativity - and Inspiration?

How Far Will I Go?

How far will I go? Will I eventually lose the ability to keep myself fed and clothed during these tough times? If so, will I have the mental capacity to adapt, change, and overcome the challenges? Will I ever get too skilled or too knowledgeable that I out-qualify any hiring requirements? Will my mind become so inflexible that I become obsolete? If so, will I know when that day comes?

How far will I go? Will I overcome the challenges in the future to educate myself, to keep myself marketable? Can I continue an education and work full-time professionally? Will I be able to handle those stresses in life? Am I able to continue to learn new things, fantastic things, things undreamt of no more than twenty years ago? I’m not so young that I’m inexperienced, nor am I so old that I can no longer learn. But will I ever be so old that I become inexperienced and not young enough to learn?

How far will I go? Will my health gradually deteriorate to the point where I need someone to take care of me? When will this happen? And when will it affect my work? Will my work that I dearly love, and sometimes, love to hate, no longer have any meaning? I consider myself a hard worker, but I’m tired. I feel just a bit more tired every day…every year. My hands, worn with a bit of age, a shop career, and a mechanical background, ache just a bit more every day…every year. Does this mean I’m simply working too hard, or simply getting old?

How far will I go?

How far will I go?

I will always go as far as I can, just to see how far I can go. I will always be mindful of the future, but live for the day. There’s no need to worry over things that have not yet happened, or may never happen. I will always try to remind myself that I am human, I make mistakes, and I forget things. I will always try the best that I can at whatever I’m doing. That’s my nature. I don’t know how to do anything else. I don’t know how to get up in the morning and say, “Today, I’m going to do whatever I can to not learn anything at all.” Trying my best means I will always remain fascinated at the latest and greatest in knowledge, skill, and technology. Because I know, not more than twenty years ago, the world, my world, didn’t quite have the same level of skill, knowledge, and technology that it has today. And twenty years from now, who knows what the latest and greatest will bring? Who can possibly predict what marvels we'll see? Exciting times! Being the best that I can means adapting when I need, learning as I go, and knowing when to slow down, take a breather, and maybe have a good laugh every now and then. Doing the best that I can means taking care of myself, mentally as well as physically. Sure, I may not be as successful as others. I may not be as successful in one area or more successful in other areas. But I’ll always be as successful as I can be, just to see how far I can go.