It’s hard to believe that Pam and I worked on this Rose Parade Float 20 years ago in 2000. That was a special year for us and like the rest of the world we survived the Y2K in style. We’ve done a lot in the insuing years. For at a decade of that time we taught school together and retired a decade ago. Prior to my retirement is when I seriously got back into woodworking and started acquiring the tools that I have now. 

New Year’s Resolutions are usually done on New Year’s Day but I’m getting started on mine for WB Fine Woodworking today, New Year’s Eve. It’s something I have to admit that I’ve never done for woodworking and should have long ago. As I’m sure many of you have noticed I’m very hap hazard (unorganized) in what I do.

First of all part of this new found planning is coming out of the fact that it looks like air condition/heating will finally happen for my shop this year. We have about $3,500 saved up that’s designated for that project. It’s more than the rough estimate our professional installer gave us. Yes, as mentioned before, I’m not doing the instillation. We have a local independent AC guy that we’ve worked with on maintaining our heat pumps and have found him to be an expert in what he does and he’s reasonable in what he charges us. That’s all I expect in someone who works for us.

With AC and heating my shop time will be available on a more regular basis. Living in Southern California affords me more shop time than most locations but I’m one who easily sweats during the heat of our summers. That alone has prevented me from working in my shop many days even though the shop is well insulated. The heating part will add a few more winter days which will help as well. Pam and I usually stay home on very cold days so shop time on those days will now be available.

Secondly, I’ve got too many projects in progress. There are actually some table parts out in my shop that I milled and glued up over twelve years ago. Yes, you read that right. Fortunately living here affords me to luxury of not having to worry too much about wood movement. The table top is still as flat as the day I milled the lumber and glued it up. I have another table in progress as well. Both are small side tables so the parts aren’t taking up too much space but I need to get them built and in our house. They will be high priority projects this year. Since they are already “in progress” they will not be full build YouTube videos. I may just share the end products or parts of the design and construction.

Of course there is the workbench project too. I know, that’s taken me far too long to build. I fully agree. It will get done this year. I plan to continue working on it as I work on other projects but it is no longer my top priority.

As I mentioned in my December 2019 Shop Update on YouTube I do have some projects that have to be done as soon as possible in 2020. The first is a trophy. You can see previous trophies I’ve made for our basset hound clubs on this website. This one will be somewhat similar to one of those. It will be made from walnut and Zebrawood. It must be ready by the end of February at the very latest.

Another high priority project will be a handle turned from Frogwood that was given to me by the guys at FrogBlanks.com. As mentioned in the December 2019 Shop Update I’ll be turning a handle for a coffee scoop out of one of the FrogBlanks. Obviously this will be a quick project that I can sneak in between other projects but I want to get it done as soon as possible. I had intended to turn the handle before Christmas 2019 but my local Rockler store was out of the kits and I didn’t want to pay for shipping.

I also have the quarter sawn oak lumber all marked and ready for a Limbert tabouret. This is definitely something I’d like to build this year. I don’t remember where I got the design and plans. They were on the website of one of the woodworking magazines. The magazine even included templets for the curved legs and shelf that interlocks into the legs. This will be my first attempt at template routing so I’ll need some cash for a good pattern bit. My first choice will be one from Whiteside. Hopefully somewhere along the line this year I’ll have the cash to splurge on one of them.

I’ve purchased a couple of the projects from the Wood Whisperer Guild. Whether or not I get started on one of these this year remains to be seen. I at least plan to try to get to one of them. Right now I’m not sure which one I’d like to tackle between the Green and Greene Blanket Chest and two Fremont Night Stands. We need them in our bedroom. The night stands will replace some that my parents bought us when we got married in 1971 and we don’t have a blanket chest. One would be very handy to have. Based on need and build time/difficulty I’m leaning toward the blanket chest.

Oh, and Pam has already stated that she wants be to make Christmas presents for close friends and family again next year. This year she waited until october to mention it so this year I’ve already been put on notice that I need to make something again this year. She likes the fact that when I make things it cuts down on shopping and somewhat in the cost of items. We already have a plan in mind so I can get started on them any time this year which will help. No, I’m not saying any more about them until after they have all been given out.

I already have started a video on my SawStop. Mine was an early model that I bought in 2007. Videos on the machies I use has been “promised” since the beginning of my channel but I keep putting them off. Hopefully others will soon follow.

Of course much of this will be well documented on the WB Fine Woodworking YouTube channel and Social Media accounts. As I go along I’ll also try to continue some tool videos and technique videos. I’d also like to finally produce some videos regarding the machines I have in my shop. This year I have created a lot of the necessary video clips needed to create them. I hope you follow along to see if I do what I plan to do.

Wow, that’s a lot. My hope is that this resolution will be one that I’ll be able to keep. We’ll see. Until then, Happy New Year!