Blog

New Store, Not Quite Yet
New Store, Not Quite Yet
It's been almost a month since I started the project to change my website host from Squarespace to Shopify. Read more...
A Scary But Exciting Day Ahead
A Scary But Exciting Day Ahead
Today I’m joining the legions of ecommerce websites on Shopify. I have been on Squarespace for about 8 years. Squarespace is OK but has absolutely no support and a lousy... Read more...
Thankful
Thankful
I have lots to be thankful for. I have a loving wife, four children and their wonderful spouses, eight grandchildren and one great granddaughter. That’s plenty enough right there but... Read more...
Ten Very Good Reasons To Buy From Me This Holiday Season
Ten Very Good Reasons To Buy From Me This Holiday Season
Because I make very beautiful stuff (bowls, hollow forms, cutting boards, puzzles) Read more...
Like a Ton of Bricks
Like a Ton of Bricks
This morning I read an article about why women live longer than men. I didn’t get very far into the article when I read this passage “Women can still expect... Read more...
The Nuts and Bolts Of It
The Nuts and Bolts Of It
Selling products online requires a lot of behind the scenes hard work, especially if you sell on your own website like I do. I sell on three platforms because they... Read more...
PPE - Personal Protective Equipment
PPE - Personal Protective Equipment
I’ve never done a very good job of protecting myself from the hazards of woodworking or woodturning but a series of things has driven me to take it more seriously. Read more...
A Mighty White Oak
A Mighty White Oak
Many years ago in the 1980’s a big storm felled a very big white oak tree in a neighbors yard. I was allowed to get 3 logs that were 9... Read more...
Pommele Sapele - Again
Pommele Sapele - Again
I don’t usually write two blog posts on the same subject but I’m making an exception today. I just finished a pommele sapele wooden bowl that has extraordinary figure. Those... Read more...
Lemony Snicket - A Series of Unfortunate Events
Lemony Snicket - A Series of Unfortunate Events
It all started with an email from Microsoft saying they would no longer support my Microsoft Surface Pro 4 tablet computer. That means the door is wide open for the... Read more...
Another New E-commerce Platform for Handmade - Handmade.com
Another New E-commerce Platform for Handmade - Handmade.com
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1400"] One of the artisans on handmade.com [/caption] As of 12/31/25 I have closed my Handmade.com shop for a myriad of reasons. I was the fourth artisan... Read more...
The Other Things She Does
The Other Things She Does
Besides being a great shop partner, my wife Pennie is also a very talented “plant lady”. She has worked at our local Lowes store in the garden department full time... Read more...
The Way She Does the Things She Does
The Way She Does the Things She Does
My wife Pennie takes my green bowls out of the soup (denatured alcohol), paints them with Anchorseal and wraps them in brown paper. I’m not sure she enjoys it but... Read more...
Scarface
Scarface
This beautiful curly black walnut fruit and salad bowl has a repaired stress crack. The crack occurred while the bowl was drying. Read more...
So Much To Be Done!
So Much To Be Done!
Logs destined to become bowls. Read more...
The Best Laid Plans
The Best Laid Plans
Some of you know how much I despise the back-end work of operating a website/ecommerce site. Taking the pictures, making the videos, doing the SEO. I realize that it’s not... Read more...
I’m Teaching Again!
I’m Teaching Again!
I have Jennifer Garner to thank for my new woodturning student. Read more...
A Very Pleasant Surprise
A Very Pleasant Surprise
I get most of my wood locally from trees blown down in storms and those removed by arborists. Some friends bring me wood and a local tree service brings me... Read more...
Testing, 1, 2, 3
Testing, 1, 2, 3
As you may remember from a previous post, I’m listing some of my items on a new platform called Goimagine. The platform gives 100% of their profits to children’s charities... Read more...
Another New Platform
Another New Platform
Another new sales platform! Read more...
Thank You Kara Buntin
Thank You Kara Buntin
It’s a little early to be celebrating but I can’t help it. I’ve got happy feet. I’m not quite ready to shout from the rooftops but I’m a happy camper... Read more...
ETSY - You Try My Patience!
ETSY - You Try My Patience!
I have had a shop on ETSY since 2010. https://www.etsy.com/shop/sanderswoodworking It has been a love hate relationship. They constantly tweak their algorithm and I have to make changes to my... Read more...
The Fruits of My Labor
The Fruits of My Labor
One of my favorites to turn is wild cherry. The wood is close grained, dense and really smalls nice when you are turning it. It’s not the only fruitwood I... Read more...
Small Bowls and Jewelry Dishes - Why?
Small Bowls and Jewelry Dishes - Why?
One reason is that not everybody can afford to buy a $200 or $300 bowl right now. Inflation is eating up a whopping percentage of our paychecks. This Christmas, the... Read more...
It's Coming On Christmas!
It's Coming On Christmas!
In 1971 Joni Mitchell published the album Blue including the song River. It is one of my favorite songs of all time. The first line is “It’s coming on Christmas”.... Read more...
50th Anniversary
50th Anniversary
50 years, not marriage (though we are close at 46 in June), 50 years of making puzzles. I’m not sure exactly which year I started making them but know it... Read more...
Shopping.....at long last!
Shopping is where I tell my wife I’m going when I leave the house in the morning and walk to the shop. Oscar, my four year old great dane accompanies me. My shoulders are finally well enough to start working in the shop again. Hallelujah! It’s been eight long months since my rotator cuff and biceps tendon surgery. I started making things in the shop again in late January. On January 30th, I had a heart attack. Really. Two stents on Monday, 2/1 and home on Wednesday 2/3. Back working... Read more...
Surgically Repaired
Surgically Repaired
I have had terrible problems with my shoulders for the last several years. Read more...
Sold But Not Forgotten Too!
When we built this website we decided to have a place to exhibit previously sold items. Read more...
Surprise!
Pennie and I decided to take an inventory of finished bowls left in stock. I downloaded a CSV. file of the listings, imported it into Excel then arranged it in order numerically and printed it. Read more...
Getting It From Here to There, It's a Crap Shoot!
Getting It From Here to There, It's a Crap Shoot!
Many of you know from recent personal experience that quite a few packages are taking vacations in warehouses while on route to their final destinations Read more...
Say Cheese! (and save 20%)
Say Cheese! (and save 20%)
Now through December 2, 2020, save 20% on all cheese and charcuterie boards. Read more...
Let's Start at the Beginning
Let's Start at the Beginning
The other day I posted a picture of the remodel I’m doing to my lathe room. Today I will show the whole system from start to finish. Read more...
A Little Remodel
A Little Remodel
I rotated my 3520c lathe 90 degrees and built a temporary enclosure around it with 4x8x2 foam board. Read more...
Slowly But Surely
Slowly But Surely
After a very long spring and summer with very little time in the shop, I was able to work a full day there today. Read more...
I Can See Clearly Now - Well Almost
I Can See Clearly Now - Well Almost
The good news is that my retina surgery seems to have been a success! Read more...
Old One Eye
Old One Eye
Though it’s too early to know for sure, the cataract surgery on my right eye this morning seems to have been a success. It was done a couple of hours... Read more...
What You See
What You See
I have tried very hard to limit my exposure to people outside of my immediate family, It just makes sense. Read more...
Who Are You and What Do You Want?
Who Are You and What Do You Want?
Writing a blog about my woodworking is both inspiring and intimidating. While there is no deadline being imposed on me, I do feel some pressure to come up with something... Read more...
Heavier Than I Thought
Heavier Than I Thought
I’m over-run with lumber. I have been sawing lumber on and off for two years. Read more...
When Life Gives You Lemons!
When Life Gives You Lemons!
I went to see a new orthopedic surgeon yesterday for a second opinion on my shoulder issues. His recommendation for a lasting solution is surgery on both shoulders about 6... Read more...
Delayed Gratification - At Least I Hope It’s Only Delayed!
Delayed Gratification - At Least I Hope It’s Only Delayed!
We have all paid a price for the pandemic, some have even paid the ultimate price. I am lucky so far. Read more...
Ahhhh!
Ahhhh!
The picture you see is not of two drill presses nor of metal ductwork, it is a picture of the wall unit of my new mini-split heating and air conditioning... Read more...
The Beast!
The Beast!
One of the advantages of being old is you can tell on yourself and nobody will make fun of you. This is the story of the beast and it’s a... Read more...
Cutting Boards
Cutting Boards
I’m sure your mother, or some other wise person, told you to never say never. I’ve sure heard it many times in my lifetime. Last year I said I would... Read more...
Nostalgia - Puzzled!
Nostalgia - Puzzled!
I was making puzzles yesterday and waxing nostalgic. I have been making them for almost 50 years. I learned to make them from Robert S Brunk. I helped Bob and... Read more...
What's in a name?
What's in a name?
When I first opened my website there were only dot.com’s. Someone had already taken sanderswoodworking.com. I was very disappointed. The person that had that domain name had a website with... Read more...
It's Been Awhile
It's Been Awhile
I haven’t written a blog post since December. Lot’s has happened since December but let’s focus on what’s happening now. I’ve decided that my life’s calling isn’t teaching woodturning, it’s... Read more...
Three
Three
Some days everything just goes really well. Today was one of those days in the shop. I started off this morning on housekeeping duty. Read more...
Oscar and I Went To Hickory Today For Some Mustard
Oscar and I Went To Hickory Today For Some Mustard
Oscar and I took a trip to Hickory to the Klingspor Woodworking Shop. We did not browse, we did not lollygag, we got right down to business. Read more...