Like many of us, Hamler caught the woodworking “bug” back in the days when industrial arts were a standard part of public education. After satisfying the required woodworking semester in junior high, he chose it as an elective every year of high school.

“Most kids in the woodshop were there because they had to be, but there were a few of us taking it because we genuinely liked it, and the teacher took special interest in us,” Hamler recalls. “High school woodshop is where I learned every basic woodworking task, every hand tool, and I got my first chance at operating every woodworking machine for the first time.”

During those years, Hamler was also bitten by the theater/broadcasting bug. Following his high school theater productions and a couple of semesters of college, he says he “talked his way” into his first on-air radio slot “at a tiny top 40 station in ‘Middleofnowhere’ West Virginia.” Radio broadcasting proceeded to lead him to stations in five areas of the country where he covered contemporary hits and then news/talk radio formats.

“I loved being on the air, but when canned satellite programming began to undermine locally produced news/talk in the mid-90s, it was time to move on,” Hamler says.

Fortunately, he had already been pursuing an off-air love of writing. That interest came to his aid when his future as a broadcaster seemed uncertain. He says writing started as a hobby back in the 1980s — but not with a woodworking bent. At that time, he was penning science-fiction short stories instead. The fun eventually turned to profit when Hamler sold one of his stories to Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine. Writing under the pen name A.J. Austin, Hamler went on to publish stories in Amazing® Stories and Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine. He also published a couple of science fiction novels with co-author Ben Bova.

“I still love sci-fi,” Hamler admits. “When a new ‘Star Wars’ comes out, don’t bother calling me because you won’t reach me — I’ll be sitting in a nearly empty theater at 10:30 in the morning enjoying the premier showing.”

Science-fiction writing, coupled with his woodworking interests, eventually helped A.J. land a job with Woodshop News magazine. It launched the second phase of his career as a woodworking author. Eventually it also springboarded Hamler into his regular project and tool article contributions to Woodworker’s Journal as a freelance author. He’s written routinely for the Journal on various topics for more than a decade.

Hamler has authored seven woodworking books focused on general skills, building birdhouses, boxes and kitchen projects, and woodworking with children. In 2006, he served as senior editor to help compile Woodworker’s Journal’s “The Collins Complete Woodworker.” He’s also served as editor for several other woodworking books from various publishers.

“The real appeal for me about writing books is that they last,” Hamler says. “A lot of us woodworkers keep all of our magazines, but not everyone does. It’s nice to know the books will be around forever.”

Two of Hamler’s project books, and several of his project articles for Woodworker’s Journal, have focused on another of his serious avocations: Civil War reenactment. Hamler admits that he’s always been an American history buff, particularly of life in the mid-19th century. That interest was a natural foray into “playing the part” as soldier.

“Reenacting is a way of actually living that history and doing a little time traveling of my own,” Hamler says. “Plus, it’s camping and hanging out with the guys, getting dirty and making lots of loud noises. What’s not to love?”

When not serving as foot soldier on a weekend battlefield, Hamler has also donned his all-wool garb to do first-person portrayals. These involve creating and staying in the character of a soldier from the 1860s for living history presentations at reenactments, school visits and other educational functions. But, these days, Hamler says his age and a commitment he has to historical authenticity have made reenactments less of a regular pastime.

“Trudging around in the summer covered head to toe in heavy wool, carrying a musket and toting 40 pounds of gear isn’t as easy as it used to be,” Hamler admits. “And, with the exception of officers, soldiers were mostly in their twenties; those in their thirties were considered old. As a living historian, I care a lot about presentation, and — to put it bluntly — I just don’t look the part anymore.”

Instead, Hamler invests those energies into researching, designing, building and writing about campaign furniture. His folding “Civil War Officer’s Chair” (August 2012 issue) has been one of Woodworker’s Journal’s more popular projects, and Hamler says he still gets email inquiries about it. Another period project that ran in our pages was a solid cherry “19th Century Drop Front Desk” (October 2016 issue) that officers favored during the war.

“I used lines, dimensions and materials typical of the period in the (desk) design, but the design itself was my own. For that, I studied field desks belonging to Union Captain Edwin Stivers of Illinois to represent the North, and generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson to represent the South. I pulled design elements from each to blend with my overall design,” Hamler explains. “The result was everything I wanted it to be, and I think it’s the best work I’ve ever done.”

His two books of campaign furniture projects are “Civil War Woodworking” and “Civil War Woodworking, Volume II.”

Even though his wool uniform spends more time on a closet hanger than it used to, Hamler says these days there are other sorts of soldiers he can portray in in air-conditioned comfort, as a member of the “501st Legion.” It’s an international organization of some 14,000 Star Wars fans. Hamler plays a storm trooper.

“Fully decked out in costumes that look like we’ve stepped off the screen, we make appearances at charity and community events, conduct hospital visits, attend fundraisers, visit libraries and more,” Hamler says. “It’s great fun, especially when working with kids. And I suppose I’ve reached the ultimate level of sci-fi geek: I have my own trading card, fully decked out in my storm trooper armor.”

When he’s not defending the Empire, writing a tool article or designing his next project, Hamler is continuing to put the finishing touches on a new 1,200-square-foot basement workshop. It started out, enviably, as one big, empty room.

“I really have been able to design it just how I wanted it,” Hamler says. “The walls are exactly where I want them, electrical outlets (and lots of them!) everywhere I need one, plenty of LED lighting and a work/traffic pattern designed from scratch…I’m in absolute heaven.”

While Hamler says he’s been a creative person his entire life — with careers that have catered to that urge — there’s an impermanence to magazine writing. Both theater performance and broadcasting are live, “in-the-moment” enterprises, too; once the radio show ends or the curtain drops or the last musket fires, the performance is over. But, what continues to draw him to woodworking is its lasting nature.

“When you make a piece of furniture, you’re creating a historical object. I’m not talking about reproducing old historical things like my 19th-century furniture, but you’re creating something that will last for a long, long time and will have its own history,” Hamler says. “I still have a couple of the first projects I made in woodshop in the 1960s. They’re not very good, but they’re also not terrible. And, their existence ties directly to my own life. That’s a powerful thing.”

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The saw offers a 22- x 28-3/4-in. cast-aluminum table top with built-in outfeed support for added capacity behind the saw. With its telescoping table extension set up on the right, it can make rip cuts up to 35 in. wide. Or, set the table extension on the left for up to 22 in. of rip capacity.

A soft start function reduces noise and recoil at startup, and the saw’s electric brake stops the blade within seconds for added safety. When set square to the table, the blade will cut up to 3-1/8-in.-thick material at 0 degrees or 2-1/4-in. stock when tilted to 45 degrees. Both the bevel scale and bevel height adjustment knobs are situated on the front of the cabinet for easy access and viewing. The saw comes with a 3/4-in. T-slot miter gauge that features a large scale with adjustable positive stops at 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 degrees to the left and right. You can also install a dado blade up to 13/16-in. wide for cutting dadoes, grooves, rabbets and other joinery.

Overload protection automatically shuts off the motor in a possible current overload situation to help prevent damage to the saw. A riving knife behind the blade minimizes the effects of binding during rip cutting and reduces the potential for kickback. An oversized power switch with emergency off safety cover is positioned at knee level, when the machine is mounted on a stand.

For other features, this 67.3-lb. saw has a rear-mounted 2-1/2-in. dust port as well as onboard storage for the push stick, blade guard and anti-kickback pawls. A 10-in., 40-tooth carbide-tipped blade and two blade wrenches are also included. Optional accessories sold separately include a fold-and-roll stand (item 374769), dado insert plate (item 374761), MultiVolt 36V battery (item 372121M), MultiVolt AC/DC Adapter (item ET36A) and MultiVolt 36V Battery/Charger Starter Kit (item UC18YSL3B1).

Metabo HPT’s 10-in. MultiVolt Table Saw (model C3610DRJQ4) retails for $699, which includes the choice of either a 36V MultiVolt Battery/Charger Starter Kit or MultiVolt AC/DC Corded Adapter. See a retailer for details. Also, through July 31, 2019, Metabo HPT is offering an online rebate that enables you to get the AC Adapter or a 36V Triple Hammer Impact Driver (bare tool) for free. The company covers your saw purchase with a two-year warranty. See a video of the MultiVolt Table Saw by clicking here.

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Chris Marshall: Composite lumber is mostly a blend of waste wood fiber and polyethylene or PVC (plastic) resins, and it’s the resin component that makes it long-lasting outside. It doesn’t attract wood boring insects, absorb water or rot. You can find examples of composite lumber at any home center or contractor yard by looking in the decking and outdoor railings departments. It’s widely available, but brace yourself for the sticker shock: this “fake” lumber isn’t cheap.

There’s nothing inherently dangerous about cutting, routing, drilling and sanding composite lumber with conventional woodworking machines and sharp cutters. Since it has no grain direction (think MDF here), the material doesn’t put up much of a fight when ripping or crosscutting. But, most composites are quite dense, heavy and flexible. When you’re ripping it on a table saw, be sure to keep the splitter or riving knife in place behind the blade, just in case the board closes up on the outfeed side as you push it through the cut. Also be careful to use adequate infeed and outfeed support for long workpieces to maintain control — let me emphasize again that this stuff can be very flexible, especially once it’s warmed by the sun! The resin component also tends to gum up abrasives faster than wood does. So, go easy when power sanding in order for your sanding drums and belts to do their job.

Tim Inman: In my limited experience building with composites, I have been able to use almost all my cutting tools. Keep in mind that one part of the “composite” is plastic. So you must avoid anything that causes heat build-up. Common sense, but sometimes the “melting” issue is forgotten until after the router or blade is gummed up.

I have more experience using composite lumber, so let me share that with you. I have a wonderful set of porch furniture made from the stuff. It is fantastic. No painting or weathering, just using. I don’t even put the porch furniture away for the winter anymore. The glider bearings are all stainless steel and weatherproof, so I figure why bother? Another reason not to move the furniture seasonally is that composites are very heavy.

My porch steps were rebuilt using composites. Again, weatherproof, no paint needed, etc. But, composites will sag when they get warm in the sun. We added extra substructure framing to support the composites and enjoy the benefits of both. If you use standard wood construction dimensions, your composites will most likely distort and disappoint. I’d start with a small project and see how it goes.

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“Good luck. While out fishing for your next endeavor, I hope you catch a live one!!! Thank for the memories.” – Ray Kustush

“Good luck with your jungle. Mine is seeing the Johnson grass try (and almost succeed) in keeping up with the Spanish Cane at 6’+. I like your reference, and in your retirement, here is yet another by Douglas Adams you might like to read: “The Prostitute in the Family Tree.” The Bible is funny, according to Adams. In this book, Adams demonstrates how readers can discover this often-neglected humor by looking at the Bible as a whole and seeing biblical stories with all of their rough edges — the unethical and ambiguous characters, the unsolved problems and the surprising endings. Adams argues that by missing the humor and irony of the Bible, readers often mis-intended the meanings as well.” – Riley Grotts

“Always enjoyed your writing. Good luck! I guess it is bad form to ask where you are going, but hope you enjoy it!!” – Tim Frazier

“I’m so sorry to hear you are leaving. Unless you’re retiring … then I’m really happy for you! In either event, you will be missed. I truly wish you the best of luck. Take care and God bless.” – Mike Sztukowski

“Sorry to see you go but hope for the best in your future endeavors.” – Walter Hayes

“I wish you all the best. Thanks for all of your hard work, and know that you will be missed.” – Paul Busic

“Good luck to you and those other pastures. I’ve moved four times (companies) in my career. I finally found the one for me. The pastures are still green after 21 years. I can’t think of a column of yours I haven’t enjoyed. You’re not a good writer but rather a great one. Again, best of luck to you.” – Dell in Kaysville, Utah

“Swans make beautiful music all the time. They don’t care about their location when singing. So when you leave, you will continue to make beautiful music wherever life takes you. It has been a pleasure reading your articles and listening to your opinions on everything wood! We will all miss you. Take care and enjoy this next phase of your life wherever it takes you. Be like a swan — just keep singing wherever you are!!!!” – Leonard McAbee, Jr.

“Sorry to see you go. I wish you the very best. You will be missed.” – David Gandy

“We will miss you. Thank you.” – Andy Mahler

“Over the years you have been a welcomed fixture on the electronic publication and I have enjoyed many of your articles. All the best in your future endeavors. Your smile and inputs will be missed. Thanks for all.” – Charles Buster

“Best of luck to you! Thanks for your contributions.” – Ron Repp

“Good luck with taming the greenery. I retired recently and do not know how I had time to go to work. If you are retiring, then enjoy it! If not, do it as soon as you can … it is great fun. Thank you for your emails and magazines. I signed up for the special offer as a result of enjoying theses newsletters from you and Rob. Kind regards.” – Richard Shepherd

“Good luck on whatever you plan to do next. You will be missed. I’ve enjoyed your time with Woodworker’s Journal.” – Matthew Jungblut

“Only been reading ya a short time but after 21 years I am sure you’re ready for a change. Congrats and enjoy your new life you are moving on to. Take care.” – Gary E. Knable III

“Thanks for your years of dedication and writing! We, your readers, salute you and will miss you — all the best in your next adventure!” – Drew Hession-Kunz

“As I really looked forward to your additions to a fine Woodworker’s Journal’s over the past two years, you are leaving. Just want you to know that your section on the oddities of things was a real joy. You write very well, so hoping that the new chapter in your life’s book will allow you to continue with a wonderful skill in keeping readers interested about a specific subject. Take care; perhaps your name will pop up somewhere in the future.” – Bob Gilda

“Wow, 21 years on the keys. You’ve not only learned about the tools, but you’ve also seen them evolve! Everything’s changed so much so fast in these last 21 years. Tools, electronics, programs and robots. You could just open the door and send the ‘bot out there to look after that lawn while you relax in an easy chair with a nice cool lemonade. I’ve enjoyed reading your articles. We have a knack for taking things for granted, and then one day things change. Hope you enjoy your new adventures! Whatever you decide to tackle, you’ll surely know which tool to reach for. Enjoy the change and the lemonade.” – Ray Roy

“You will be missed. Best wishes for the future.” – Daniel Paretsky

“We’ll miss you Joanna! You have been an excellent editor. Keep in touch…” – Chuck Strauss

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