Now I really enjoy the finish work, but I don’t always like the tools that he has in the shop. There are several cordless tools that we use for finishing, and they do a great job, but changing the batteries has always been a problem. On some of the tools I have a real problem getting my hand all the way around the battery to get the battery to release. It’s not that I have small hands, the tools are just not user friendly.

This past weekend we were in one of the local DIY stores, and we went through the tool section ( His idea, not mine), and being a typical guy, he got excited about some of the new cordless tools. While he was explaining all the benefits of the Lithium Ion Battery and the added power it provides, I found myself more impressed with the size and weight of the tools. We looked at several brands of cordless tools, and most were very comfortable to hold, and the batteries didn’t require hands the size of the Incredible Hulk to change.

While this may sound strange, this is one time I wouldn’t actually mind if he were to start replacing his older cordless tools.

He wrote an article on our main site extolling all the benefits of Lithium Ion batteries. If you’d like to read it, here’s the link.  Lithium Ion Battery Powered Woodworking Tools

As a woman in woodworking, I’d like to hear from those of you who have had a chance to use or see the new smaller cordless tools. What do you think of them?

I know as a long time woodworker, it is hard for me to find relevant information on new techniques or tools. Sure there is a lot of information, but a lot of it is either rhetoric or condescending. When I find a good book, I treasure it and pass it on to others, the name not the book. With that thought in mind, I have been on the look out for a serious book on woodworking that is nether full of rhetoric or written in a condescending nature.

Well I think I may have found one. Woodworking 101 for Women: A Complete Guide: How to Speak the Language, Buy the Tools & Build Fabulous Furniture from Start to Finish by Marilyn MacEwin, is a fact filled book that covers the relevant details of woodworking. Most of the reviews
have been very positive, surprisingly, some from men who had purchased the book for themselves. One of the reviews I found most interesting was from a guy, who says if it’s good enough for a women then men should use it too.

Does the book make a new female woodworker a master craftsman, of course not, no book can do that. What it can do is explain some of the technical jargon that is part of the woodworking world, and may give that one women who has the next great design idea, enough confidence to try it.

If there was one issue I could take with the book, it is that some of the projects maybe beyond the ability of a new woodworker. Cutting interlocking dovetails and through mortises may not be for the novice woodworker, female or male. I don’t want anyone interested in woodworking to get turned off when just started because their first project was too difficult. But that aside, the projects are first class, the designs refreshing and the information great. I think this is a keeper for all woodworkers, not just the women.

I think the programming directors of all the DIY TV networks should take a real hard look at their programming choices, especially those geared toward women. Looking at the programming schedule for this week end; there are countless editions of “This old House”, “Ask This Old House”, “Woodworks”, and if we’re lucky “Holmes on Homes”. Now don’t get me wrong, I love those shows and have learned from all of them.

But look at the shows that feature Women during the same period, and what do you find? Shows that show women teaching Scrap booking, or how to cover a lamp shade with macramé or shows that try to redecorate a room in a day for the unsuspecting spouse. Come on people, I know that women are as capable of any project that their male counter parts..

Before anyone gets upset with me, please allow me to apologize. I mean no disrespect toward the scrap bookers and their followers. I am only trying to point out that today’s women are as capable as anyone, and I would love to see women given the same respect as the male craftsman.

Yes, I know that there was a female woodworker on TV about a year and half ago. Sure I watched her show, and while I didn’t particularly care for the projects that she made, she was a very skilled woodworker. And I will admit to a certain amount of jealousy over the amount of Festool products she had at her disposal. I would love to have half of those!

What I would love to see are shows that show the best craftspeople, male or female. I don’t understand how the networks can still get away with this form of discrimination. This form of disrespect is not limited to the TV programming. Check out copies of any of the woodworking or DIY magazines that cover the newsstands each month.

If there are still any males out there that feel there is no place in woodworking for women, I guess you have never shopped at Rocklers for tools or supplies. This Minnesota based woodworker supplier is run by a woman woodworker.

I grew up in the typical Midwest blue collar family. My paternal Grandfather was a carpenter and home builder and I also had several uncles who were also quite handy. Skilled as they were at their trades, they didn’t have the time or inclination to pass along these skills. The high school I attended had shop classes, but they were not available for those who had aspirations for college. So my woodworking experience didn’t start in earnest until we purchased our current home.

To some this might sound like sour grapes, but as much as I enjoy woodworking now, I really wish I had been given an opportunity earlier in life. But I can’t change that now, it’s as they say, water over the dam. I can however pass my knowledge on to my grandchildren and hope that I can inspire them to become life long woodworkers.

The problem I have isn’t giving time to the grandkids, but finding a project that they will enjoy making. Each of my three grandkids has different skills and attention spans, so no one perfect project exists or at least I haven’t found it. The youngest, is happy to nail two boards together, but the older two actually want to make something. My imagination isn’t on the same level as the kids, so I turned to books for help. This is not a really strange idea as a lot of my ideas come from books or magazines.

So take your kids or grandkids to your local book store, find a book that has projects that your kids are interested in and help them make it. This is a win-win situation. You’re spending time with your kids, and you’re introducing them to your favorite hobby.

I came across this book while looking for a project book to enjoy with my grandkids. Strange as it sounds Tinkertoys were one of the first building projects any of us ever did so why not? Not complicated, not a big investment in time or money. But you might just sow the seed for the next great craftsperson.