On 11/19/2015 10:19 PM, Bill wrote:
I was reading Chris Pyes, book, "Woodcarving Materials, ...", Vol. 2,
recently and he brought up the topic of "Beginners Syndrome". He's wrote
that it's common enough phenomenon that he thought he should say
something about it. Apparently it's characterized by reading a lot of
books and buying a lot of tools, and not making so many wood chips. I
haven't bought "that" many tools, but I can still identify a little with
the poor suckers he's talking about. So instead of hovering over the new
Marc Adams (School of Woodworking) catalog, that I just received, like I
usually do (they are rather out of my budget anyway), I scanned it
more quickly without hovering, determined to get my shop in order : ).

It has started to occur to me just how much stuff is sold to people, in
various hobbies or pastimes, that might similarly suffer from "Beginners
Syndrome". Just regard this as a PSA message. You might possibly know
someone suffering from BS.... ; ) Toss them a hammer and a nail and
ask them to make the knife--and to get on with it! When one has work
that takes all that you'll give it (a feeble excuse!), it's all too easy
to fall into the BS trap! I think I need to learn how to cut a
pizza...into 7 slices... ahhhh!! Maybe 6 slices...okay.

Bill


And just to add a bit more.
Tools, not the ones you use to cut wood, the ones you use to design with.

I used tp build furniture long before I got my first computer and it
took me forever to build something.
It really helps prevent many mistakes if you have a scale drawing
instead of a picture in your head. ;~)

And until Sketchup I was not terribly fast even using AutoCAD LT.
I suspect that Sketchup is as revolutionary to wood workers as the
SawStop and Festool Domino...

If you are not using that program yet you should be.