Something extra
I enjoy living where I do in Eastern Pennsylvania where each season is distinct. The cold snows of winter slowly give way to warm spring afternoons. Then, the heat and humidity of summer are followed by the crisp, cool days of autumn. The change is refreshing and each season brings with it certain activities, chores and things to get done. I was thinking about this the other day as I was working outside, ostensibly doing spring maintenance, but mostly enjoying the warm sunshine after being cooped up all winter. On my agenda that day was to make the rounds of the six or eight birdhouses we have scattered around the property; cleaning them out and making sure they are in good shape for the coming season. There were several that had seen better days, so I added replacing them to my ongoing to-do list. Actually, this isn’t the first time I’ve added it to my list, but for several years, by the time I had some free shop time to devote to making new birdhouses, the old ones were already occupied. This year, however, I was determined to get the jump on the avian community and get some new houses made.
My motivation was two-fold. In addition to taking care of our local bluebirds and tree swallows, when I took over this column last summer, one of my goals was to increase the number of stories we have in each issue. The results of that effort are finally starting to take root: I was able to sneak an extra story into this issue. Take a look at Finishing Touches, on pg. 58. This is a new department where we plan to touch on all things finish-related. This time around, new contributor Rob Johnstone takes a look at the nuances of hard wax oil finishes. Unfortunately with the cost of paper and postage, I haven’t been able to increase our page count. So, to add more projects and techniques without compromising the quality of the stories we already offer, we’ve turned to our website. First up, here, is a plan for the aforementioned birdhouse. It’s a good one, designed with durability and avian health in mind. I encourage you to check it out online.
We’re still experimenting with how we present stories on the web, but no matter what the format, you can count on them being full of proven techniques and thoughtful designs, thoroughly vetted by our team of seasoned woodworking experts. We hope you enjoy the online part of the magazine as much as you do the print issue. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to putting those new houses up before I miss another season.
Ken Burton, Editor-in-Chief
ken_burton@woodcraftmagazine.com
