Being old means your sleep pattern can be erratic, mine is most of the time even when younger. I often find myself awake on the back side of the clock. It can mean there is time for your mind to ramble and maybe time for the shop depending on the project. This morning was a little of both. Some work on MsBubba's kitchen trash can but also thinking while working on the project about the skills needed for working wood.

I think the two most important skills and likely the most difficult to learn are sharpening all your tools and sawing.

If your tools are not sharp they are worthless and you will never be able to sharpen all your tools using jigs unless your kit is very limited and/or your jig inventory is infinite. While sharpening is in reality very easy and can be done quickly it takes time to know "sharp". I do not know any way to get to knowing sharp other than spending time with metal on stone or file and paying attention to how the cutter or saw looks, feels, and works. If someone knows a quicker way I'd love to hear of it.

If your tools are sharp, using a chisel or a plane are almost intuitive. The plane will take a little longer to master than the chisel but not by much. Where the rubber meets the road is saw skills. Being able to consistently saw to a line and have your joint fit off the saw was the most difficult skill for me to master and sometimes I still fail. It is also the skill that makes every other part of wood working easier.

Ok back to coffee and the shop,

ken