Woodworking Goals for 2018?

Sean Sean 6 years ago

I'm typically not the type of person to set goals simply because the calendar turns over to a new year, but this time I wanted to jot down a few woodworking goals that I'm going to try and stick to for 2018. Here are a few:

  • Stop rushing to get a project done. This is probably my number one goal for 2018. I started the whole "content creation" mindset to grow my social media profiles to then help grow this site. Well that's not working and I think it's ruining my love for the hobby. In 2018, I'm going to try and slow this down to where i'm possibly only going to work on the weekend and if it takes me 3 months to get a project done, that's fine.
  • Learn everything I can about veneering/vacuum press/bent lamination. I'm not completely new to veneering, but i've only scratched the surface. I understand how much a woodworker can benefit from diving in to the world of veneering and using tools like the vacuum press. The vacuum press is so versatile. If you watch people like Guys Woodshop on Instagram, you see he uses his vacuum press for things like bent lamination, gluing up leg blanks for workbenches (which means you don't have to fight with clamps) and much more.
  • More design work. One issue with trying to complete the projects for social media (YouTube and Instagram) is you really don't want to spend the time to use software like Google Sketchup to design a piece that's complex. Now, a basic table is simple, but adding curves and crazy joinery really slow me down so I avoided them. I hope to change that.
  • Become one with my hand tools. I'm not a complete stranger when it comes to using hand tools, but I know for a fact that I can use them in a much more efficient way and that all starts with sharpening. I currently use the Lee Valley honing guide, and even though it works, I'm not happy with it. The bevel is always skewed but it left me with a "sharp" chisel/blade so I ignored it. The setup time to use the jig is also a pain in the ass, but I get around that by not sharpening as often as I should. I hope to change that by learning how to free-hand sharpen. I know it's going to be tough, but practice makes perfect.

That's all I can think of right now, but that's enough to keep me busy for an entire year. What about you, did you set any goals for 2018? Let me know below.


  1. re: sharpening hand tools - I just started going freehand on sharpening and I'm getting legitimately better results. Glass surfaces and whisps now! 2019 - now to get better at chisel control

    5 years, 5 months ago * (last edited 5 years, 5 months ago)
    1. I kinda failed this part of my 2018 resolution. I can count on one hand the number of times I sharpened this year. Hey there's always 2019 right? lol    

      5 years, 5 months ago