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First I apply tape to the mating surfaces of both the template and the material I am going to create my curve in.
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​One of the biggest advantages I have found with this technique is that after you have finished routing, the template comes off without much fuss and the tape peels off easy leaving no residue behind. Now I am pretty certain that if I know about this technique you probably do too, but if you did not I hope this helps you out. 
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The age old question. " I want to get into woodworking, but what tools do I need to get started ? "  And as I go back through everything I have published I quickly realize I have never addressed this question before, so here's my two sense. 
​I can understand how it could be intimidating when you walk into the shop of someone who has been woodworking for years. All the power tools, the hand tools, the jigs, and the walls covered with everything from clamps to templates, it's a lot to take in for sure. 
But I think the intimidation comes from the simple over sight that you are standing in a shop that is built from years of various projects, filled with the tools collected to complete each one of those projects.  With this in mind my best advise is to decide what you want to build, then it's just a question of what tools do you need to build that project and that's where the tool buying should start and your tools and shop will grow from there with each project you undertake.

With the holiday season upon us we find ourselves seeing all kinds of sales, 
and for a woodworker we look forward to this time of the year. A chance to stock up on 
things, or maybe it's that new tool purchase we just can't pass up because the deal is too good. It's easy to know what you do or do not want, and we always know the make, model and even the color of it we want if there's ever the option. But if you're not a woodworker it can be a challenge to buy a gift for someone who is, and in searching the internet for ideas there are plenty to be had. From the ever famous top ten must have tools, to the ever insightful what the pro use. But the reality is, no two people work the same way so a good tool for one person might be the worst for another, not to mention most of this information usually comes from a sponsor deal or peddling something of their own. But shopping for a woodworker can be easy, because there are a couple of things we all need that are inexpensive and we're always happy to get. The first one that come to mind is glue, stop by your local box store and grab a bottle of Tite Bond, and trust me it will get used. Another great option is acid brushes. You can buy these in bulk from places like amazon for just a few dollars, and they work great for spreading glue. My final pick would be sandpaper.  You can buy this in multiple sheet packs, and if you get two twenty grit you have a winner they will certainly use. Now these may seem like really cheap gifts, and you might be right in the sense of the cost. But the truth is if you feel this way about giving any one of these as a gift, then give them all three. 
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​If you want to learn how to do something, we have the internet. A new cookie receipt,  how to fix a broken thing, or how to build that project you're excited to undertake, the internet is a vault of information. 
Recently I was asked who I enjoy watching or who I follow in the woodworking / maker community, and while I understand the question and the curiosity behind it I also think it creates a king of the hill effect, a suggestion that there could be that one person better than all. For this reason I have always found it to bother me when I see articles or videos about the top ten woodworkers or the best makers you must watch or follow.  
My honest answer to this question is I enjoy everyone, and watch or follow as many people as I can. Especially in social media platforms like YouTube where it has grown to be a huge melting pot of creation and ideas. If you want to understand this just look up how to make a coffee table, there are literally hundreds of videos with all different levels of craftsmanship and creativity and just when you think it's over, a new video comes out with an even greater idea. For me personally I enjoy all video creators and content producers. I think it's the appreciation for the effort they put in it, but also the creativity and craftsmanship they share with all of us that makes me appreciate and enjoy everyone that contributes to this community.  

​With age comes habits, some good and some bad. My bad habit is not measuring
things when I'm building a project, avoiding a tape measurer or ruler as much as I can.
Story sticks have been my building process for as long as I can remember, I mark it
out in the being of a project and never look back with any doubt or wondering if boards 
are the same size or second guessing joinery locations. 
My first job in woodworking was in a cabinet shop were they built custom cabinets. 
Gluing up panels for whatever the project was is where it all started. Eventually I
was constructing cases and during this time period is where I learned about 
story sticks, there really were not many tape measures if any to be found. There
was a wall in the back of the shop with measurements laid out on it and from this
story sticks were made for the various projects. Looking back I realize how
great of a system this was and think about doing something like this in my own
shop if it were not for the lack of wall space I have in my little shop so I tend to use
a yard stick to lay out my story sticks.
Ultimately do what works for you or or whatever you're comfortable with, for me I will
be using story sticks probably till the day leave this place.   

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​Do you have to use dovetails in drawer construction?  
I think it depends on a few things, one is who you ask and 
two is what are your expectations for whatever your building.  
If you ask someone concerned about their public views and 
subscribers, their answer will always be no. If you ask a fine 
furniture builder they will almost always tell you yes.
I really think it comes down to what are your expectations for the
piece your building. If I'm building a set of cabinets with drawers
for my shop then chances are pretty good those drawers are not
going to have dovetails. But if I'm building a piece of furniture
for a client or my home then you can bet it is going to have the fanciest looking
dovetailed drawers on the block. It has nothing to due
with how strong it may or not be, but it does have everything
to do with the craftsmanship and pride that I put into each 
piece I build. But I'm just an old guy building things.   

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With age comes habits, some good and some bad. One thing I have found myself guilty of is the amount of things I fail to measure. Now weather this is a good or a bad habit I really don't know, but I do it to ensure the accuracy of my work. The problem came
when I first started build furniture, no matter how much measuring I did something would always be off especially when I would do things like case work. After a lot of struggles a friend of mine introduced me to a story stick and everything became so much easier almost over night. My measurements became more accurate and as a result my woodworking became more accurate than I needed it to be, to say I was happy is a major understatement. A story stick much like a ruler has markings for distance on it, one inch, one foot, ect. The difference being the only markings on the story stick are the ones you put on it, making for no thought when it comes to the repetition of a joint, a cut length or what ever it is you are doing. Just follow the marks and it will always be the same. Now don't get me wrong a tape measurer or a good ruler still has it's place in my shop, but the majority of it's time is spent creating my story sticks. 

​​About thirteen years ago I built my wife a set of dry planter boxes that sit at the end of the steps coming into our home. Not some amazing work of craftsmanship or anything, just pine planter boxes made to have potted plants placed in side them that have sat outside all year round for the last thirteen years. I seems too often I get questions about finishing outdoor projects. And my thought is what are your expectations for what you're building. For me things like the planter boxes I built, I wiped on whatever it was and forgot about it. As the years have gone by the finish is gone and the wood has distressed and worn from the elements creating a look that I think is better than when I first built them.  For something like these boxes that's okay, when they eventually rot it's a easy task to build new ones. Right around this same time I also build a new storm door for our home, this was different. I knew it would see a lot of use and with eleven grandkids probably a lot of abuse as well. So I wanted to build this once and not have to worry about it again for a while. My finish on this was made up of a good epoxy sealer with a varnish top coat, and with a few touch ups over the years it still looks good. 
Back to your expectations what you need to know is that they will only be as good as the effort you put into them. If you choose a cheap finish that is what you will get, and if you take the time to apply a good quality finish you will get quality results. 

​When my wife and I first moved into our home one of the first things I had to replace was the storm door. Not a big job we drove out to our local box store picked out the one we wanted drove home and I installed it. A proud new investment and a task completed on the to do list. Fast forward a few years later and our investment was less then grand, the 
door started to delapitate among other issues with it and being less than happy we just excepted it and moved on with another new door. My first thoughts when this happened where of logic, you know things happen. Maybe faulty materials or a manufacturing issue I wasn't really sure, but what ever the problem was I was sure that it was behind me by replacing it. Except I forgot that thing called Newton's Law, and I ended up in the same situation with this door. At this point in the road I was completely done with box store and I went into my shop to build a storm door. At the time I had a bunch of oak on hand, not ideal but I though it can't be worse than what I'm dealing with now so I moved forward. And with a few mortises and tenons then borrowing the window assembly from the old storm door before I new it I was done. I had built my own storm door, the best part of this story is that as of today that door has been on my home longer than the first two doors together and still looks just as good as the day I built it.
I think the lesson to be learned in all this is you get what you pay for, if you spend a
few dollars you'll get a few mile out it. But the next time that woodworker tells you
it will cost more then you can buy it for at a box store, understand that you are getting
a craftsmanship that can't be bought and true craftsmanship will stand the tests of time.. So you have to ask yourself. Do you want something that will last or do you just want to get by ?