The Long and Winding Journey

I told you a couple of weeks ago I would begin a new project at the Toybox and that I wanted to share the process with you. That starts today and I hope that it will only take a month or so. It seems important, though, for me to talk about the journey the idea has taken to get to this point. I am sure all of you who are woodworkers or hobbyists could recount stories where you faced the same thing.

This project first presented itself in November of 2007 in Issue #96 of ShopNotes. If you haven’t subscribed to this publication, I would recommend checking it out. It has good articles and tips in an easily understood format. On page sixteen of the issue, I read an article about building a multi-purpose disk sander. It was a thing of beauty. I remember being transported back to the day when reading the Sears Roebuck catalog offered all the possibilities in the universe. That’s how I felt when I read the article about this project. This item would change my shop and give me capabilities I only dreamed of, AND I could build it myself.

I couldn't wait to get started on this project in 2007. The first thing I needed was to understand how I would cut the pieces out and what materials would cost. I took the cutting list from the article and loaded it into a software package I use called Cutlist, a fantastic tool to decide how to minimize waste and make correct cuts first. So, I got that work finished and saved, and the project stalled. My world, with all of its requirements, stepped in and other things were more important.

Now, I kept thinking and dreaming about this project. In January of 2010, when I started working on the Toybox in earnest, it was one of the first projects that came to mind. I remember sitting at my computer and pulling up the Cutlist document thinking it would be really easy. The tough part - in the move to Des Moines, I had packed away the prized Issue 96, and I couldn't find it. You might ask why I didn't just go to the Internet and download a copy, or order a back issue from the publisher? Truthfully, I am a bit of a cheapskate (use whatever phrase you are comfortable with). I couldn't spend good money for something I knew I already owned. So started one of the most intense scavenger hunts of my life. I continued to open boxes from the move, hoping that I would find Issue 96.

Finally, about a year ago, I opened a box to find several ShopNotes, and lo and behold, Issue 96 was included. I was moved to actually let out a little yelp of joy. This wasn't the end of the journey though, there were two more stops for Issue 96. The first happened when I read the article again and put it on the coffee table, only to have the rest of the items on the table swallow it for a few months. Then, when I finally got the magazine to the Toybox, I put it in a safe place and forgot where that safe place was.

But now I have Issue 96 in place at the Toybox ready to get to work building a multi-purpose disk sander. This Saturday morning I will buy a sheet of ¾” MDF, and begin turning one big piece of material into several small pieces. I will start ordering the accessories so I have them when I need them. I am sure to get harassed at home a bit when all of the Amazon boxes begin showing up, but let’s be real…I have waited to start on this project for more than 5 years.

It is time. I hope you enjoy the project with me.