According to the latest poll on Knots, the user forum on FineWood
working.Com, finding wood of suitable quality is the leading cause of frustration. More than one in four woodworkers cited it.

One in five respondents said finishing–either applying a finish or rubbing it out–was the most frustrating part of woodworking. Finding affordable, high quality tools and keeping shop machinery in good working order are other leading sore spots. The graph below gives the details. A total of 938 people voted in the poll, which closed on July 14, 2008.

Some people added their own annoyances to the list. Here’s a sampling:

“Distractions!”

“Customers! I’d much rather build what I want, not what they want.”

“I can’t find enough time in the woodshop.”

“Finding the tool, pencil, whatever that I absentmindedly set on some horizontal surface en route to doing something or fetching another tool.”

“Picking a piece to make, thinking through the construction details, re-designing in light of construction details I find tedious. Once work begins I’m happy as a clam.”

“My most frustrating problem: mistakes.”

And lest you lose all hope, consider this response:

“Nothing. Honestly. I enjoy the whole process and don’t get frustrated. I consider the process to be an exercise in problem solving. I’ve never thrown a tool or lost my cool in my basement shop. Compared to my real job which can be a real pain, woodworking is a walk in the park. When I’m having a problem with some aspect of a project, I walk away. Then the old brain kicks in and various solutions occur to me. I have trashed nearly completed projects because I didn’t like something about them and never thought twice about it. It is a contant learning process.”

The poll is a thoroughly unscientific (but, we hope, thoroughly entertaining) part of FineWoodworking.Com. There’s a new poll posted on the home page.

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

DeWalt 735X Planer

At high speed, the planer works fast and leaves a smooth surface. But the slower, finish speed produces an almost glass-smooth surface. Knife changes are easy.

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AnchorSeal Log and Lumber End-Grain Sealer

Good for both sealing the end grain of freshly cut logs and boards, this wax prevents end-grain checking and saves material

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Ridgid R4331 Planer

Priced nearly $300 less than the DeWalt 735X, the Ridgid R4331 is an excellent value. Its three-knife cutterhead left wonderfully clean surfaces on plainsawn white oak and white pine. It did not perform nearly as well on curly maple as the 735X.

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