Women?

Are there any other women out there who enjoy working with wood like I do? I have my own power tools! R-R-R My style is clunky/sturdy. So in short, I make ugly items that will last forever!

I knew I liked you. My husband prefers buying me power tools to buying me jewelry. I have built 14' of oak window seats for my diningroom---they are fronted with bookshelves and have storage chests in the benches; an 8' tall bookcase that wraps around an offcenter door in my hallway; an oak craftsman style 4 poster bed for my daughter and her husband, a cradle for #1 grandchild; an outdoor kitchen/bbq enclosure; and am currently putting crown moulding up in my livingroom and dining room. The tablesaw, sanders, router, sabersaw, circular saw, biscuit joiner, and power miter are all mine. They scare the big guy.

Hiya. Yep, I also love woodworking. I mostly make smallish things but have made a mission style coffee table for my home. I especially love turning bowls and making small boxes. My shop is in my basement and includes a tablesaw, bandsaw, lathe, jointer, planer, OSS, belt/disc sander, scrollsaw, and router mounted in a table. To keep the house free of dust, I've built a dust collection system and use a Jet air cleaner. You can see some of the stuff I've made at http://www.theworks.baka.com/wood/wood.html Happy shavings, Diane Maluso Ithaca, NY

I have just got started in woodworking and really enjoy the creativity and freedom. My tool shop is sparse at the moment and I am looking for more items in my shop. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what would be best to have and if I can find a Website that would offer me those products? That way I don't have to search around everywhere.

Hi! I like to make things with wood also. Mostly right now...I just make sawdust! I have a ShopSmith and almost all the "junk" that goes with it. I am still learning how to use it. Maybe now that I need to find something else to do with my hands instead of eat, I'll read the book and learn how to make it work for me. My favorite tool right now is the scrollsaw. I am trying to make Christmas ornaments to give as gifts this year. It's kinda like learning to color as far as staying within the lines goes. I'm getting better with more and more practice. I guess the saying is true of "Practice makes Perfect". My shop is a cluttered 2 car garage/laundry area/storage side. One of these days, I'll just strip it down to the bare walls and rebuild it. I'm much better at demolition and hanging drywall up & painting.

Hell Rhia. I too have my own power tools. I love wood working, but do to my back pain, I have not been able to do anything for 2 years. I am hoping that after WLS, I will be able to get back into wood working. Take care.

Wow! I had no idea I'd hear from so many women with power tools! Wahoo! You guys rock! You make me proud to be a woman. Lillan, don't you worry, you'll be able to do all this stuff again after surgery. Before my surgery I couldn't walk a half mile without feeling like I was going to fall over dead. But now I could walk several miles without breaking a sweat and I can spend hours and hours walking through the woods looking for mushrooms. You'll be able to stand in your woodworking shop for a few hours at a time, no sweat. There is no way to explain the difference in how you WILL feel versis how you DO feel... you just have to experience it for yourself. Do whatever it takes to get this surgery! It's worth every minute of struggle to make it happen. Rhia

Thanks for the offers of hope. It is my back and the bending over that bothers me more than anything. I have arthritis in my back and bone spurs and the weight I carry makes it worse. I am hoping that after I lose about 60 to 70 pounds, it will give great relief on my back. I have always loved traditionally "male" hobbies. I was 7 when my mom died and I was raised by my father. I learned a lot from my Father. I can do minor plumbing fixes, minor care repair, wood working and other fixit stuff. I was a "Tom Boy" growing up and prided myself on being able to do what the guy's do. I always wanted to stand out in a crowd, but not with my weight, just my knowledge and hobbies. Take care.

I'm with you on that one, Lillian! I like male hobbies much better than women's any day! I like hunting, fishing, working on cars... Man! I wish you lived around here! You are my dream friend! Rhia

Hi Rhia, I'd like to live closer too. I am the handyman at home, and our own contractor. I've built a deck in my back yard, a shed for my junk, another deck for the raised pool, all the fencing around the house, I remodeled my entire kitchen and am in the process of finishing my guest bathroom (including the cabinets that were made to order). I am having a lot of fun playing with my router and the different bits, so I made neat doors for the cabinets. I put in a new bathtub, re-routed all the pipelines to the tub, changed the toilet and sink. All I need to finish is the clean up, the floor and the walls. I had to take a break to go for my RNY on March 15, but I'm back home now, and feeling well enough to resume my project. When I'm done with the bathroom, I'll make a room addition for my pre-teen daughter, who needs her privacy. Go figure! She's only 10! But I'll do it just for the passion of it. On the funny side, my husband hates going to Home Depot, Lowes, OSH, etc. He says it's like going to a foreign country, where he understands nothing what's around him. HAHAHA