Sawdust Therapy

Combo Sander

The stress level at Randy’s work has increased dramatically as the hospital and especially Randy’s part of it gears up for changing the Hospital Information System (HIS) to Epic on May 1st. Many people have been quitting and moving on to other places and projects. Lots of last minute items are popping onto Randy’s punch list and the old ones are not popping off as rapidly as they should.

How does Randy deal with it – sawdust therapy. By that, we mean that he makes sawdust. His workshop helps him to take the stress of work and release it into something else.

Spindle Sander

He recently purchased a combination belt and disk sander from Lowes. Lowes it always a temptation since it only two (business) doors down from where he works. He manages to skip over there for lunch break several times a week. Unfortunately they do not have the range of tools that Randy wants, and neither does the Sears across the street.

Drum Sander

He recently received a new orbital spindle sander and a drum sander that were delivered to the house a week after ordering them. He had to build a separate stand for the orbital spindle sander. The drum sander got put on top of the already-built clamp rack. All tools have to be on wheels so that they can be moved around. The shop is not big enough to have them all ready for use at one time. These new tools are for use in a new area of woodworking – bowls and boxes made with his scroll saw.

Pine bowl

Randy's first attempt basically turned into “Ornamental Firewood”. He did not understand or pay close enough attention to some important instructions in the book. Also pine is not a wood that you want to build a bowl out of, being too soft. The second one is much better and made out of poplar. It is not finished at the time of writing this article.

Unfinished poplar bowl

This is what happens when all you have for a teacher is a book and some videos. It is, however, quicker learning that way than learning on your own. It still takes time to learn what the teacher is trying to communicate (or not) in the book or video. Like fishing is not necessarily about catching fish, making a project is not necessarily about the project. It is the being and doing and getting away from life’s cares.

On our recent trip to Phoenix (taken just before total vacation time freeze lasting from April through June) he was able to take a scroll saw class on Intarsia. This is where a picture is made out of different types of wood. For this class, it was a brown pelican. He even got to use a different brand of scroll saw – an Excaliber 16 inch. The class was given at Woodcraft in Chandler. He spent much time at this brand of store when we lived in Salt Lake City and Phoenix. They cater to the hobbyist woodworker.

Band Saw

We bought some figured walnut wood at one of the shops there in Phoenix. He also found a great deal on a band saw. Somehow it found its way into the RAV4 as we headed home to Yuma. He spent the next week getting it put together, with the parts scattered all over the shop, and was finally able to start projects again on Friday night. This was when he made the first bowl and the second. He also had to fix the pipe clamp stand where he put the 100 pound drum sander. It was a successful week of “Sawdust Therapy.”

You may ask why Georgia was willing to spend all of this money on tools for Randy? 1. Randy's sanity could be preserved by counseling or wood working, and the latter actually has by-products: gifts, etc. 2. Randy is trying to plan ahead for what he would be doing during retirement. 3. Woodworking gets Randy up out of his chair. 4. She loves him a lot.