Is it a cliche? Am I the only one making a list of things I resolve to accomplish this year? Early last year my wife gave birth to our second child, and it has been hard to find the time to accomplish anything in my basement shop with two children sleeping above. At least anything noisy. So I have turned to using more hand tools and making less noise which drives my thinking. Call me old fashioned, maybe its the ADHD, but without a list of goals and some clear time frame to accomplish them I'm most likely to spin in circles and accomplish nothing. So here's a list of goals I pledge to accomplish. I figured posting it here might keep me on target in some way? Any other creekers have a list?


1. Build a proper joiners bench. Big, heavy, veritas twin screw vise. I've had the wood in my storage area for 4 years now, I've read the Schawrtz book until it has become worn, and its time, as soon as it warms up a bit in the shop.

2. Add heat to shop. My neighbor is a heating professional, and has had a heater for my shop for several years. Its a simple modine forced air hot water unit on a single zone. Cheap to install, cheap enough to operate. This needs to happen. 54 degrees is chilly for waterborne finishes!

3. Wire my MM shaper. Its been in the shop since June 09, I have the phase convertor and most of the necessary boxes. This needs to happen.

4. Install a cyclone. A few years ago I discussed buying a cyclone with my wife. I was a smoker. Her response was "If you can't be bothered to protect your lungs by quitting, why the BLEEP should we spend household money doing so?" So we argued, and she agreed that If I quit, she would buy me a cyclone with HER money. So a few months ago I quit, and our deal was after 3 months smoke free, I'd get the cyclone. At this point I want a cyclone WAY more than I want a cigarette.

5. Install the doors I made last January. I made new doors for my kids bedrooms just over a year ago. Heavy doors to replace the hollow core units that pass too much noise. I have the hardware, I made the stops, I even put them through the wide belt at work. And they have sat stickered on the assembly bench for a year. I need that bench back, and the kids need doors that keep out noise.

So do others make resolutions, or is this passe? If so and you wish to share, I'd love to hear it. Solidarity in numbers?