re: What woodworking sources did you learn from and are you learning from now?

No pressure, but it’s you, Jim. I’ve discarded all my books, gotten rid of videos and am dedicating my time to waiting on your next post.

;)

I used to have a very significant library. Since my television didn’t offer up channels with relevant information, I relied on that and magazines. However, most my training came from making firewood. That wasn’t my intention starting out.

Aside the frustration of putting a lot of time into something, then having to destroy the evidence I did, it allowed or inspired me to progress, significantly.

While I may not have been familiar with the best methods of joinery, I over built and what, otherwise, might have been a weak build held up to use well.

One advantage of not having a lot of information to follow was, I didn’t know what I couldn’t do.

Several times, well known, at least to our world, experts began promoting a process years after I’d already been doing it (e.g., scary sharp sandpaper sharpening, mixing oils and finishes, etc.).

More than once, I adopted processes I learned, years after the fact, manufacturers stated could not be done with their product. For example, I used to buy my two part, fifty-fifty epoxy by the five gallon bucket. It wasn’t until nearly ten years after I’d been using it I acquired detailed instructions telling me I could not use it on vertical surfaces.