Hello again,
March sneaked up on us when nobody was looking!
It's the month of Mars, the ancient Roman god of both war and agriculture. What a strange concept - death and birth in a single personification. It was a fatal combination for at least one ancient Roman - Julius Caesar was murdered on the Ides (15th) of March, back in 44 B.C.

Jump ahead 2,048 years and Mars once more has a special meaning for all of us, with the NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity exploring its surface, and a European Space Agency mission which apparently has confirmed the presence of frozen water on the red planet.

Back here on earth, March is the month of the spring equinox, when the earth is at just the right angle for sunlight to fall directly on the equator. The next morning, those of us in the northern hemisphere begin to gain a little daylight every day, which usually means we begin to spend a little more time outside and a little less in the shop. So, this issue of Woodezine profiles a woodworker with a definite outdoor bent: Jason Hill shows us his log furniture (a unique and relatively easy way to work wood), which he builds when he's not out guiding hunters or extinguishing forest fires.

March is a windy month and here in Wyoming we harness a lot of that wind to generate electricity. Bringing up electricity is just my way of leading into another of this month's features, a comparison of induction and universal motors. The article explains how they work, where they're most appropriately used, and why my buddy Roger owns biological riding mowers. (You'll have to read it to understand...)

We still offer free classified ads to our subscribers, and a desktop download every month. That's an image we shot so we own the copyright, and you have our permission to use as you will. This month, it's a rebate plane built in Scotland a hundred and some years ago. It came to us through an antique/flea market shop in Dublin a while back.

We've added a letters to the editor page this month, and all the regular departments are here, too. Turning Tidbits keeps you up to date on the world of woodturning, while the new products section covers new woodworking tools, equipment and materials. And for those of us who like to use veneers, there's a look at how the various cuts of veneer are achieved..

Like every publication, we need to keep our circulation growing if we want to continue to be viable. One way to do that is to ask you to introduce us to your woodworking friends, clubs, family members and so on. If you've been with us for a while, you already know we're pretty straight shooters: the only time we'll ever contact you is to let you know when the next issue is available. Our ultimate goal is to be able to continue to offer the eZine absolutely free to everyone forever, and to do that we'll eventually start running a few ads in the pages of the magazine. If you feel strongly about that, and you think charging a subscription would be a better way to go, please let me know. Your feedback will be appreciated.

That's about it for now. Feel free to eMail us if you have a great idea, jig, tip or source to share with everyone.

Until next month, enjoy this issue. And don't forget your safety glasses.
John

John English
Editor, WOODezine.com