Being a guy means I suffer with a common problem of male ego. We don’t always like to ask for help nor do we like to feel intimidated by what we don’t know. My first few trips to the lumber yard shopping for quality hardwoods were all about breaking that barrier. On my first trip I was asked by different employees if I needed some help, but I kindly replied “no thank you” and proceeded to walk around, observe the variety of woods, trying to not to look like I was new. After 30 minutes of “wandering” I finally swallowed my pride and went up to a guy and asked for help….and help I got! After that, it...
One of the common questions that came out of our first festival participation was “Where do you get your wood?” (usually posed by another woodworker or weekend hobbyist) This question sparked several conversations that led to an exchange of valuable information. It's human nature.............we enjoy sharing things we've discovered with others who share our interest. As far as wood sources go, for convenience there are the Big Box stores, but without offending anyone,they're primarily good for plywood and structure based wood (2 x 4’s, etc). Then there are lumber yards; however many of them are also focused on building materials. The places where you get prime hardwoods are specialty lumber businesses, generally to be found via online searches...
As I develop my skills as a carpenter I like to share “little discoveries” that have made a difference in my projects. Much of what I have learned is from watching videos and then putting that knowledge into action, so I thought I’d first give a nod to some helpful sources. When it comes to making end grain cutting boards I have primarily used 3 sources. The “Wood Whisperer” (http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/) is very informative and entertaining; Mtmwood (http://mtmwood.com/) has exceptional Youtube videos and The Boardsmith (www.theboardsmith.com/). Although the boardsmith doesn’t include videos he has some great information on “why” we do endgrain boards. These artisans have been gracious enough to share their expertise with the world, so I try to...
You have to have power to run the tools. If you have the knowledge & ability I suggest adding a few electrical outlets to your shop. Doing so at the beginning will help you as your shop grows. If you don’t have a THOROUGH working knowledge of electricity then bypass this step or get some help. I had the blessing of hanging around a contractor friend for several years and learned a lot. The biggest thing to remember with electricity is that it can kill you, so don’t play around…. That said, my electrical box is located in my shop so running a few extra lines (I had space on my box) was quite easy. I only run 12/2 wire...
Ok, we've talked about some basics for planning a shop so it’s time to have some fun. To a woodworker there is nothing more satisfying than building or creating things. A workbench is the perfect place to start as it’s simple and essential! The workbench is a must to our shop but it also needs to be personalized. I’m 6’2” so I want a bench that fits my height so I made mine 40” high. This left me plenty of space underneath to put a full size, stable shelf and further room under the shelf for more storage. My benchtop is 3’ X 5’ as I wanted a large enough work area that fit the space I had available. The...
