Making Stuff WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOHN R. GREENWOOD
T
he last couple of months have been challenging for everyone. It’s an ideal time to express my gratitude and admiration for those on the front lines of the war on COVID-19. I’m fortunate to be retired and have little to complain about in comparison. My priority is in the next room, safe and sound. Although spurts of fear and uncertainty have caused some tears and a few nightmares, my wife and I are trying to remain positive and productive. In that light, I’ve begun making stuff. This week I made some stuff so I could make more stuff. Our garage is only large enough for a Toyota, a motorcycle, a bicycle, and a vast assortment of yard tools. A cellar is not the
192 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | MAY/JUNE 2020
ideal place to build stuff. I’m much happier building stuff out in the fresh air. The view is better, and a leaf-blower will make sawdust magically disappear. For the last forty years, my building projects have been squeezed in between work and other responsibilities. Now that I have more time to spend on projects, my impatience is more manageable, and the quality of my circular saw cuts are vastly improved. I started by building a worktable. I added casters for mobility. I didn’t use any specific set of plans, although I did watch hours and hours of workbench building videos on YouTube. I’m not sure if that made the end result any better, but it did kill a lot of time.
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