It's a challenge

OK my fellow Lumberjocks here’s the deal. I’m still struggling with medical issues of the orthopedic variety and may be having surgery before the end of summer. I hope it does not end up in surgery as that’s never a good thing, but that seems where I’m headed. I’m really hoping the doctor will send me the physical therapy route, but not sure that’s really a realistic option. Anyway, until then I’m on medication that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to be safe around woodworking machines. The good thing about this medication is that I’m apparently quite entertaining. In addition, I’m right hand dominant and my right shoulder/arm is a major part of the problems I’m having now. So that’s also a challenge. I’m learning to do quite a few things left handed.

Anyway, back to the challenge. As you all know, I’ve become smitten with hand tools and have got quite a collection going. As we all do, I’ve been working on some projects that are probably way above my hand tool skills at this point. I think we all do that, look at something and think – “oh that looks easy” only to discovery that it’s not so easy after all. Then the project ends up either finished, but done very poorly, or I get frustrated and it gets put on a shelf and never gets done.

I’ve been trying to find books that have beginning type hand tool projects in them and have had very little luck. You know the type of book, here’s a project with step one, then a project that combines step one with step two and so on. I’m finding that this type of book is quite a challenge to find. If you know of any books like this, please pass on the titles to me.

Until I find a book I still need projects to work on. I can only make so many boxes—- so what type of projects would you do in this situation? Please give me some ideas. I’m really looking for things that are easy, that can be done with all hand tools, that will help me build skills and yet still still be a challenge. How’s that for a tall order.

I could fill my hours with needle work and making afghans, but honestly, I’ve made enough of those things to have given one to most of the living Texans. So I’d prefer that you’d help me come up with some easy hand tool projects.

So how about it, can you help me out?

Thanks in advance.

-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!