April’s Book.

Alright, bookworms, sharpen those Blackwings, peel back a fresh roll of blue tape, and snap off those OLFA blades. We have a Mike Pekovich book to dive into. This is the most well-rounded and digestible look into the philosophy and design, as well as the basic mechanics of how we create with our hands, which makes it the first one I put into apprentices' hands. 

Mike has mastered not just the woodworking portrayed by the beautiful pieces in the book but also the explanation of the piece and the construction within. (If this was just a photo book, it would still be worth every penny.) His ability to convey the nuance of how to build something is great, but asking the question why and ruminating on the answer makes me more inspired to build than any how-to book. 

My favorite part of the book, which I still reference often, is the "rules" to make shop time successful. I'm going to list them below, but in the book, Mike cracks them open and explains their deeper usefulness. 

1. It's not the number of hours but how you use them. 

2. Make it a habit.

3. Do your thinking away from the shop.

4. Make sure it's worth building. 

5. Why the little things are the "big things".

6. Shavings or sawdust.

7. Our mindset makes a difference.

8. A new technique and new tool with every project.

9. Rethink perfect.

10. Don't rush, but don't stand still.

11. Respect the miter 

12. Sometimes you just need to let it go. 

Sage advice packaged as "rules'. 

The meeting will be held on Sunday, May 4th, at 6pm EST, on the Discord link below. And remember, you can always start the conversation early on The How & Why of Woodworking text thread. https://discord.gg/as2cE59kad