Ahhhh, now I understand what is driving my desire to work with hand tools

There are the obvious reason’s such as wanting a hobby when I retire, need furniture for the home and hate the quality of most the common stuff I can buy, my father and grandfather did some woodworking as a hobby so I grew up around it.

 
I am a chemist by training (organic chemist to be specific).  I was in school studying to be a chemist from age 18-30.  During those years, I developed really good hand (and mind) skills for working in a lab and doing research.  I really liked doing lab work and making molecules.  For the first 6 years of my career I worked in the lab.  About 12 years ago, I transitioned from working in the lab to managing folks who work in labs (that’s the simple explanation, it’s a bit more complicated but not worth the digression). 

 

I have a good job/career and look forward to work most days.  Unfortunately, I felt something nagging at me for quite a long time that I couldn’t put my finger on.  I felt a pull to woodworking I didn’t fully understand.  Reading aPaul Sellers blog made it all apparent (thank you Paul!).  I missed using my hands and those finely developed skills when I was in the lab making molecules.  I didn’t go into chemistry to manage others.  I got into it because I couldn’t imagine being anything else other than a scientist working in a lab.  I do get to live vicariously through my colleagues in the lab but it isn’t the same.

Wood working, especially with hand tools, is a way for me to develop refined skills and work with my hands again.  Now I get what was gnawing at me.  At least for me, I now understand my driver.  And that is comforting.