Shop Notes & Rambles
The Rambles are the stories lived and learned over decades — the moments, the lessons, and the shop life that shaped the craft. They accumulate here, sorted by publish date. If you want the curated version, explore the Workshop Library.
Sawdust — How a Radial Arm Saw Shaped a Lifetime of Woodworking
A quiet story about the first woodworking lesson no one teaches — the smell of sawdust in a dim shop, the hum of a radial arm saw, and how those early moments shaped a lifetime of craft.
Does Cancer Have a Silver Lining?
Some days cancer doesn’t just slow me down — it forces me to face the parts of my life I’m terrified of losing. This is one of those days.
Knotty Dave — The Story Behind the Name
I come from a line of makers — a cabinetmaker who survived his own storms, and a watchmaker who carved out a life with grit and charm. My father showed me what independence really looks like. Knotty Dave wasn’t born in a boardroom; it came from real work, real people, and a football field where a parent named me before I named myself. This is the story of the craft I inherited, the brand I built, and the world I’m shaping one honest cut at a time.