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.
Recovery Ramble
Recovery slows life down, but it sharpens perspective. This Shop Ramble reflects on rebuilding after surgery, the future of a growing woodworking website, and the beginnings of a gallery that evolves alongside a cancer survivor’s craft — one room, one story, one tool at a time.
Shop Life
Shop life is a mix of smooth mornings and sudden chaos — lost tools, kickbacks, forgotten plans, and the small moments that shift a day from normal to “oh, fuck.” This Ramble looks at the humour, frustration, and timing that shape a working day, and the quiet skill of knowing when the day is done.
Mini Kitchen
A forgotten Coleman stove, a tailgate kitchen build, and a season of hard news shaped this Ramble. It’s a story about repair, distraction, memory, and the quiet work of staying steady when life shifts — how a small project became a lifeline, and how building kept me moving when the world felt still.
PHOTOGRAPHY
A Ramble about how photography shaped the way I see my woodworking — from a Grade 11 darkroom to the shop I work in today. This story explores the craft of noticing: the textures, the tools, the moments worth saving, and the way a camera turns everyday work into something lasting. Photography isn’t a side hobby. It’s how I document the builds, honour the craft, and capture the stories behind every cut.