Bill Stankus - How to Design and Build Your Ideal Woodshop

Woodworking is many things: It can be a hobby, it can be repairing an old chair or making toys, it can be a craft or a business, it can be creating heir-loom objects or simply puttering around in the woodshop. Wood and working are two average words that, when combined, create a fantastic venture. You (the woodworker) and your woodshop are the celebration of those two words.

This book isn't about picture-perfect workshops or snazzy photographs of tools. It is, however, an attempt to convey the following: Woodworking is an active process that combines desire, artistry, experience, problem solving, materials and effort. Making things with wood is truly one of mankind's ultimate achievements. And our quest for making wooden objects will probably never end.

There are a few individuals that I would like to thank for their contributions to this book. First, Alan Boardman was essential in clarifying the notion of the ideal woodshop. He once told me that as long as he had a pocketknife and could whittle, he would be content. Sometimes saying the obvious simplifies the search.

I would also like to thank the following woodworkers for allowing me into their workshops and for the hours we spent talking about shops, lumber, tools and woodworking enjoyment:

Steve Balter, furniture maker

Earl Bartell, woodturner

Ted Bartholomew, woodturner

Dean Bershaw, furniture maker

David Beyl, instructor

Dave Buck, hobbyist

Derrick Burke, hobbyist

Charles Caswell, furniture maker

Harry Charowsky, hobbyist

Tom Dailey, hobbyist

Bob Folline, hobbyist

Steven Gray, woodwright

Robert Girdis, luthier

Hannes Hase, custom wood windows

Mark Kulseth, furniture maker

James Leary, remodeler

George Levin, furniture maker

John MacKenzie, hobbyist

Doug Matthews, antiques restorer

Curt Minier, furniture maker

Jon Magill, hobbyist

And, I would like to thank the following for their technical assistance: Ales Litomisky, Ecogate, Inc.

Cindy Lozeau, Lockwood Products, Inc.