Distaff woodworking

Does anyone know any women who are really into woodworking? I certainly can't think of any reason why they shouldn't be as interested as, say, some men are in cooking. I know a woman who is interested but doesn't get involved. She does like watching Norm however! I'd like to know that there are some women turning out projects as good as (or better than) those the men in here do. After all, it isn't an activity where strength matters very much.

FoggyTown

Reply to
FoggyTown
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All kinds of women work wood. They even have their own magazine. Odd, how folks who insist they want to be treated the same, because they _are_ the same want to have their own magazine. Names available in the index of FWW and such.

Reply to
George

Check out John Lucas' site:

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and various females test products and make some great projects.

Dave - Baltimore

Reply to
DLB

[...]

I've come across a few woodworker gals. "P" comes to mind. Worked with her in a shop in RI back in the 80's. She was the go-to gal anytime anybody needed shaper cutters ground. Aside from that, she did everything everyone else did about the same, except maybe for the heavy lifting. She was a nice gal & a good fishin' buddy.

Met "A" in the 90's working in a millwork and woodworking shop, their main employee. Was doing what we would call 'fine woodworking' and doing an outstanding job of it.

Did some cabs and a fireplace for a basement remodel job last year, and the lady carpenter on the job was one of the best I've worked with. Real hard worker, knew what she was doing.

But definitely, there are way fewer women woodworkers than men woodworkers. I'd guess it's partly cultural differences, and partly innate differences between the sexes. Culturally, I'd guess there are fewer women who aspire to success in the trades, whereas guys might be more inclined to see something noble in it. Also, at one time, less so now, women were given a hard time trying to enter the trades, so it would make sense that there would be fewer of my generation (50ish) , but more younger women in the trades. And lastly, it's my understanding that male brains are innately more likely to have good three-dimensional and mechanical reasoning abilities, and female brains are more likely to have well-developed communication abilities. And of course, there are exceptions, guys who can't use a screwdriver, and women who can build anything.

And there is also the fact the environment of working with a bunch of guys in a shop may not appeal to a lot of women; guys are pretty rough on each other, use rude language, a lot of sexual references, the c-hair is still considered a standard unit of measurement in most shops, the work is hard, the pay is low - maybe women are just smart enough not to want to get involved.

Reply to
Juvenal

Kathy Wingert who builds custom guitars and used you post to this news group, is just one that comes to mind.

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Reply to
Nova

I took a woodworking class a few years ago. Of the 12 of us, four were women. Unlike most of the men, they did not have beer bellies either.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

My daughter-in-law is a licensed building contractor. She has built houses with her dad since she was old enough to do so, doing most anything that needed to be done. I've built several projects with her and have been amazed at what she can do. She's not just a carpenter, but a fine cabinet and furniture maker.

Reply to
Charley

There have been a few that have come through here. The names I don't remember without going back to the archives to look them up. There was on women from New Orleans that owned her own company. I often reflect back now and wonder how they faired in the mess down there.

As often as I can I enjoy looking at the work of people who enter their work into contests. A high percentage of winners are women. I think most are to busy doing instead of talking.

Roy

Reply to
ROYNEU

I do.

Renata

Reply to
Renata

Where did you get the notion that women woodworkers want their own magazine? The fact that one exists (or, existed) doesn't mean there's a demand. In fact, i'd prefer not to segregate by gender - 'cause you guys have a head start in the field, if nohthing else :-)

While there are times for differences between the sexes, ww'g is rarely one of them.

Renata

Reply to
Renata

Further support for the cultural arguement.

I recall now, back in the late 60's in jr. high shop class. Boys had to take shop, which was metal shop, woodshop, and mechanical drawing. Girls had to take home ec, and there were no exceptions. Boys had one week of home ec at the end of the year, hated and resisted it the whole way, and iirc we baked a cake, learned to sew buttons, balance a checkbook, and on the last day had a party with the girls & played spin the bottle & other parlor games under the teachers watchful eye. For that week the girls made jewelry in metal shop and had a blast.

At the time, I didn't care for woodshop so much - building birdhouses and other crap out of warped pine boards - but enjoyed drafting class, and metal shop was awesome: I made a sand casting and poured an aluminum ashtray in the shape of the US, forged a screwdriver blade and turned a yellow plastic handle for it, turned a little ball peen hammer with a knurled handle, spun an aluminum bowl, cut and solderded together a little tin box, made a sheet of hammered copper, turned a brass candlestick, forged and tempered a cold chisel. Still have the box, the chisel, and the hammer. So the guys were exposed to shop big time, and the girls merely got a chance to stop sewing and baking class for one week to make cool stuff. I'll bet most of the gals would've rather had a year of shop than a year of home ec, but maybe I'm just projecting.

Reply to
Juvenal

...so much for my theory about women's communication skills. >8^)

Reply to
Juvenal

Reply to
George

The bulk of the best chefs are male.

When a woman decides to become a (*fill in blank*) she will do so. With a few exceptions, they can do anything a man can do. (The exceptions are simple: a 5'0" 100 girl isn't going to carry me down a fire-truck's ladder.... and neither will a 5'0" 100 pound guy.)

This whole gender typecasting thing is bullshit. If a woman can't do a certain job, it is because she either hasn't learned, or doesn't have the desire.... sure as hell not because she is a woman. My oldest daughter is an operator at a nuclear power-station. She leaves lots of guys eat her dust. She studies hard, works hard and has excellent work ethics. Any MAN with the same qualities would do as well as she does.

Any man/woman who stands in the way of a talent, is an idiot. Gender be damned.

r
Reply to
Robatoy

You making up for some past sins or something? Who said anything about gender typing? Methinks you protest a little too much, son.

FoggyTown

Reply to
FoggyTown

That's a pretty strange response, don't you think? You should widen your mind a little. All the women in my family have been very strong. I'm sorry you didn't have that experience.

r
Reply to
Robatoy

I know a fairly tiny female timberframer. It's quite odd to watch her shoving whole logs into the Woodmizer

Reply to
Andy Dingley

Misplace your sense of humor, mayhaps?

Renata

Reply to
Renata

There's an excellent female woodworker who works closely with another female who, IIRC, does the inlay work ... but I can't remember either names. I believe there might have been an article about them in American Bungalow, or a similar mag, a year or two back.

Be nice to find a website ...

Any idea who that is?

Reply to
Swingman

I can't tell if you're genuinely obtuse or just a troll. All I said was that I didn't personally KNOW any women who were into working. Nothing about should be or could be or prevented from, etc. Maybe being around all those "strong women" in your family has affected you.

FoggyTown

Reply to
FoggyTown

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