GRRRRRRR!!!! kind of off topic

[carol]

I know none of my fellow wood workers, however experienced, would never do this but for my fellow female woodworkers:

I'm in the garage trying to align the riving knife on my table saw, working on making a chest of drawers for my first grandchild.

The HVAC guys come over to service our AC and the boss-man sees me bent over the table saw grabbing a beautiful 1x12 piece of pine and says, very condescendingly, "well, little lady, doing a little arts and crafts today?"

I almost threw my speed square at him...

It's not that he didn't have a clue about woodworking or tools or wood shops...it's that the neanderthal would NEVER have asked a man if he was working on "arts and crafts" in his shop. 

Trust me, I have nothing against arts and crafts, I like to knit potholders as much as the next guy person. But I was livid that he assumed that since I'm a woman, all I could do with tools was "arts and crafts". I often get the same treatment from other men whether it's shopping for new tools or buying lumber. 

I know everyone here, men and women, respects the efforts and talents of other woodworkers; but for the women, have you run into the same issue? What do you do?

And guys, what advice would you offer?

[Martin Johnson]

You should have told him that your next "craft" was going to be a coffin to put him in if he ever made another comment like that to you.

[Tim Grace]

He may have been a neanderthal, but I  call it "arts & crafts".  An artisan creates art, the medium can be anything from paint on canvas, to hand carved relief in a nice piece of mahogany to cake decorating.  Crafts, the same applies.  A craftsman, or craftswoman applies their talent, or "craft" to whatever it is they are producing, whether it be a house, a chest of drawers or beer.

I think I would have told him exactly what I saw in that piece of wood and let him know I was going to apply my craft to the wood and produce a piece of art that would look exactly like a chest of drawers for my grandchild.  It probably would have done one of two things, either shut him up or pique his interest in what you were doing.

BTW, I have other hobbies that include baking, cooking, sewing, scrap booking, auto mechanics and firearms.  One of my nieces still has a pillow I embroidered for her when she was 2, and she's now 42.

[daddywoofdawg]

I understand your feeling,But I'd like to think he was making a joke,although worded wrong.I've had people say comments Like, that's alot of wood for a bird house. Just blow him off.And besides can't building a cabinet or whatever be a arts and craft project?there was a whole furniture movement called the arts and crafts.greene and greene,stickley,etc.

[Ronda McElroy]

I get you Carol, however it is my husband that gets most of the flack.  When people come to our house and ask him what he is building he always says to them "nothing, it is my wife's project.  She's working on (insert project here)".  Their next question is usually "well, why aren't you helping her?"  He is hoping that I am working on stuff one day when they come over so they can watch me throw him out of the shed all the while telling him that I don't need or want his help.  I don't even like asking him questions, but finding the information on my own, mostly by asking random questions on here :).

Just because you are a girl doesn't mean that you can't do things on your own! 

[Richard Merks]

Next time tell whom ever that it is an art to apply your craft and if handy point out a few of your in progress and/or finished projects.

[teri]

Ignore it.  He may have just tried to come up with something clever, but couldn't, and just wanted to start small talk.  I work in a HIW, home improvement store, and get men who don't want me to answer their questions simply because I'm a woman.  I ignore it.  If they want to waste their time waiting for someone else to say exactly what I just said, so be it.

[Frank Bove]

I had a similar problem when my wife worked with me in our car accessories business. Men would talk to me over her head. After all what would a woman know about car parts? I cured them by saying "ah, yes. This lady is an expert on these, she'll help you".
The regulars soon leaned to trust her.

[Sloan C]

In all honesty, I find there's a lot of a******* out there and I don't go looking for their respect.  

I've also found this occurs in all hobbies (fly fishing, home brewing, ham radio).  Some people like to come off like they have the perfect knowledge and do things the perfect way and everyone else has yet to reach their enlightenment. 

I figure you're having fun, to heck with them. 

[Harley Willys Smith]

I know the frustration! I have run into that very situation countless times. I am a woman, and I am also a retired journeyman machinist ("really? you know how to run these machines?" as I'm in the middle of a cut, dodging hot chips).

Most of the commenters were nice guys who actually 'meant well' but they just don't realize how patronizing the comments come across. Rather than crush them with some satisfying acid retort, I just bat my eyelashes and smile sweetly and keep working. If I'd given the reply I really wanted to, it would only come back on me as being that crazy PMS woman with power tools. :-p 

I like to let my finished work do the talkin'. :-)