As you know, I am kinda ‘into’ this woodworking thing.  At least for now.  Maybe after I have all my fingers amputated by the new tools, I’ll hafta get into something else.  Probably not massage therapy, knitting or much more writing, tho. Texting will be out.  I may have to limit mysef to poking the holes out of pre-cooked do-nuts.  Whatever, I’ll cope.

But it would be better if I limited my involvment in the actual making-of-stuff to some extent.  It’s only prudent.  I am not that good with saws and things.  I gotta stay away from the sharp tools.  I should stick with hammers and meauring devices.  Glue.  Clamps.  Maybe use a router table when I get really good.  No chisels!  Ten feet away from the table saw – no matter what!

I have shed enough blood, thank you very much!

Perhaps I’ll just specialize in sanding?  I’ll be the chief sander.  Over time the guys will come to refer to me as ‘Sandy’.

It’s better than ‘Stubby.’

Maybe I am getting ahead of myself.

I have been looking more and more into the ‘business’ tho.  There is a guy in Campbell River who runs Hillmark boats.  See: http://www.hilmarkboats.com/wooden_boats.html  .  And that seems more-than-lucrative enough.  I have no idea if he sells anything but the menu is impressive.  Can you imagine paying $41,000 for a new, wood 20-foot ‘open’ sail boat along old Newfie fisherman lines?  The ‘rocker cradle’ in the next link is $15,000. http://www.finewoodworker.com/rockercradle.html.  That is a rocking chair, folks, for more than my folks paid for their first house!  That guy is definitely staying ahead of inflation.

Who woulda thunk that wood was the new gold!

Mind you, they definitely add value with extraordinary amounts of skill.  We’re probably not that good.  At least, I don’t think we are.  And, anyway, I definitely am not.  I  cannot ‘sand’ my way to a ‘cradle rocker’ or 10′ wherry.  So, I am definitely not presenting those guys with any competition.  But some of our old crazies are pretty damn good.  I am confident that we could get ‘half-way’ there if not, eventually, the whole way there.  We can make some of that stuff.

Stuff that will definitely float.  Stuff that will definitely rock.

Well, OK, let’s stick with ‘half-way’.

So, we make toys.  We make ‘rockers’.  We make some boats for ourselves.  Maybe one or two for others.  How bad is that?  Could be fun.  Sounds like fun for me (as long as there is sanding, I will be there!).  Get the old wood stove going.  Dress all raggedy-comfy and listen to the old fools wax on about how stupid each other is.  Now and then clamp a piece of glued wood to another.  Sand it.  Make a fortune!  Sounds like a plan, to me.

I had no idea being an industrialist was so easy and fun.  Everyone should do it!  Buy a factory.  Why not?