I’ve put together my first short field guide for woodworkers who are starting to think about a real shop and buying their first stationary equipment. What tools really matter first, what can wait, and how to avoid wasting money. It’s based on decades in my own shop and the same kind of perspective I share on my YouTube channel at Fabricator’s Field Guide. Not affiliate lists or how-to instructions, just practical guidance to help you make confident decisions. You can check it out here:

Fabricator's Field Guide -

Essential Wordworking Machines Landing Page - Fabricator's Field Guide

A Clear, Practical Guide to Buying Your First Real Shop Equipment — Without Wasting Money or Overbuilding Your Shop For woodworkers who are getti...

This Texas lady is badass!

Safety rules are training wheels… When you’re new to the shop, safety rules aren’t just about protecting yourself… They teach you to notice hazards and think ahead. Following a simple framework helps you start developing awareness… Which over time becomes intuition. Beginners often don’t realize this until they’ve had a few “aha” moments of understanding risk. If you’re just getting started, I break this down in my latest video. Watch it here: #grownostr #tools #woodworking #metalworking #diy

Safety rules train awareness… That awareness creates safety.

Just a boring Christmas Eve! Merry Christmas nostr!

Latest video is up! Cheers!

I’ve spent the last few weeks outlining the adult shop class I’ve been talking about… Getting clear on the structure helped a lot. It’s focused on hands-on skills you can actually use, including how to use tools safely, work with materials, and put things together. The outline maps a path from beginner projects all the way to more advanced projects that teach how things are designed and built in manufacturing. This outline will also guide some upcoming videos, so it’s becoming a foundation for a few different things I’m building… Still early, but it finally feels solid enough to build from. I’ll keep sharing progress as it comes together. #grownostr

“Success teaches us nothing; only failure teaches.” -Admiral Hyman G. Rickover

Following… I need a better miter saw stand solution. View quoted note →

Do you keep your workshop perfectly organized, or do you embrace the chaos?

TOOL TIP TUESDAY: The combination disc/belt sander is one of those tools you don’t think about much until you really need it. Then it becomes the hero of the shop! It handles quick miter touch-ups, rough sharpening on knives or chisels, and freehand shaping on wood handles. Not flashy, rarely talked about, but incredibly handy when the moment hits. #Woodworking #DIY #ToolTipTuesday #FabricatorsFieldGuide #grownostr

Here’s a screenshot of the rough cover for the woodworking machines e-book I mentioned yesterday. Still tweaking a few things, but it’s finally coming together. This project has been slowly taking shape since the summer, and I made a good bit of progress over the weekend. Now that the draft is around 40 pages, it finally feels real enough to start sharing pieces of it. More updates as I keep polishing it… Cheers!

I’ve been slowly building an e-book since the summer, and I made some great progress on it this weekend. It’s now sitting at about 40 pages. It’s a beginner-friendly guide to the main woodworking machines I use in my own shop, written from my real experience. Every tool in the book is one I actually own and use, and the photos are all from my shop. The goal is to help new woodworkers figure out which machines really matter and how to build a capable home shop without wasting money. Getting close to wrapping up the draft. More updates soon… #woodworking #diy #grownostr

Fiat Appliances… Over the weekend, my wife and I needed to get a new oven… Our old one died after 7 years. The salesman said to us that due to energy standards most appliances are only expected to last 7-8 years! This is because of all the electronics embedded in them. How in the hell is this a good idea? Every 7 years we get to replace a major appliance? Supposedly to save the planet? We have a LONG way to go to bring back sanity in this world! #grownostr

New video up! It’s a quick reminder not to overlook the boring stuff in your shop… Even scrap materials have potential if you know what to do with them! Cheers! #woodworking #grownostr

TOOL TIP TUESDAY: Need equal spacing between things in a project? Most will use nails, however they can fall down… I needed spacing in a project over the weekend and used washers. They worked great and don’t fall over. When you need spacing under 1/8 inch. Washers do the trick! #grownostr #diy #tools #woodworking

This is great… In a very nerdy way!