I’m a lot like Jon in that I spend my days working on a computer building 3D graphics and doing CAD work for clients designs. You would think that would be fairly rewarding, and sometimes it is, but there is nothing physical I can hold, or touch at the end of the project. I have some friends with a four year old daughter who I adore, and I carved a small dolphin last Christmas for her. It came out well and she loved it.  There was something about being able to actually “make” something from a piece of wood that gave me a sense of accomplishment. It was something tangible. I learned a lot about fighting the wood versus learning to coerce it. That being said, the wood and I still have major disagreements about who is in charge. That got me back into woodworking after 25 years.

My short term goals are to finish my workbench (Paul’s design), then practice mortise & tenons (not as easy as Paul makes it look), then onto dovetails. I’m going to try to practice cut one a day of either until I get it down. Then onto building a dresser, then bookshelves. I’ve mastered sharpening chisels and plane blades thanks to Paul’s videos. And I have the hairless patched arms to prove it. ; )

Jeff

P.S.  There’s also something addicting about the sound and feel of a sharp plane taking a shaving that is satisfying as well. You just can’t beat that sound. I don’t know why.