These Guys are NUTS!!!

When I first wanted to get into woodworking I was worried.  Not knowing anyone who did it was a concern of mine.  Who was I going ti ask if I had a question.  Not even getting started on the cost of all the high priced tools I knew it would take. But my wife told me not to worry because I needed a hobby and I could learn from the internet. 

I was still very unsure as I had watched a lot of shows on TV and those guys could turn a tree into a great table with all the chairs in 30 minutes.  They would talk about who trained them and they have been doing it from like the age of 5. Well it was something that I really thought I would like. So I figured I would try it out. Not wanting to make too big of an investment.  I got some magazines and went from there.

 Well sadly there's no magazine for beginners.  So when I saw some of the "Fine" magazines they had at the store I was worried again. I went to the library and found some really good books that helped a lot. So I went out and got a few things I thought I would need.

Then came the internet.  I looked around and found a few things that peeked my interest.  When I got on YouTube I saw a lot of guys that were so boring I would just stop watching halfway in, if I made it that far. There were a lot that also kind of figured you knew most of this stuff. I mean I didn't know what a dovetail was or why I needed it to make a box. Wasn't a box just 4 sides, a top and a bottom? So searching again I go.  

Ok let's try "beginning, woodworking, 101". That's when I found this. A guy that was funny and understood what just starting meant(Steve Ramsey). Hey said everything I was thinking. There's a lot of guys out there that are willing to show you how to do stuff but they are all after money. This guy was willing to show me for free and I really enjoyed watching him.  I looked all over his website and tried to check out other folks he knew. But a few of them want you to join this or that. I thought it was going to cost me so I skipped it. I still picked up magazines and worked on things I wanted to try. Well just a few months back I looked into Keek. On the advice of Steve. 

After I was on keek I met a lot of fun guys and one guy that just flat out loved what he does and like to help people. Laney Shaughnessy said joining his site was free so I figured I would give it a shot. It is a lot of fun over at the UFOWW. The guys over there are a lot of help. And getting to talk to guys over on keek as well has given me insight into how hard these guys work to help guys like me. Like Jay Bates, runs his website, works in the shop, makes videos for YouTube, is the maintenance crew at an apartment complex & still has a happy family. I know they make it look easy. But when they come up with ideas for new stuff I think, "Where did you get time to think?" It can get to be a lot of fun. I can talk to some ot these guys like normal folks. Well I use the term "Normal" loosely. I mean if you ever ask anyone that is as passionate and something to tell you about it. They don't want to shut up. But finding friends was something that I was not looking for. But I guess it just happened to be a bonus of learning this new skill.

Thanks for reading.

Canoe

Tic Tac Wood

Tic Tac Wood

This was a project I did with my little girl in mind.

I had ordered some Figured Walnut Pieces from an online distributor. Wanting to try my hand at making a box. After re-sawing the wood (a first for me) on the table saw. I was finding a lot of beauty in the wood and I was unsure just what pieces to use.

The top slides open to allow you room to place the pieces inside for the game. And one day maybe her keepsakes.

I was worried about the corners being mitered and if I could close them without gapes. Being that it was my first box. Not having a lot of choices in the wood I could get my hands on at the time I used Oak as the top and bottom.

When you flip the top over you see the board. Very scary making these small parts on the table saw I had at the time. Not having a zero clearance part for the saw I placed a large piece of plywood over the table top and made a makeshift zero clearance.

You can then flip the top and slide it back on to play the game.

After I gave it to her on Christmas at a small get together with family. I was so proud of my skills that I had started to learn. And the biggest question I got from the everyone was "You made this?".

That was the point I realized that if you can make more or at the least make a pattern. because someone will always like your work.

Thanks for reading,

Canoe

Christmas Fun

Well for Christmas this past year I wanted to do a project with Sylvie. So we made these Advent calendars that I seen Steve Ramsey do.

I started out as one but when Cammie seen it she wanted one for here classroom. Her's is the LSU set. Sylvie had a lot of fun painting the balls all the different colors.

I'm sure an Easter one will be coming next year. As you countdown to Christmas you take the balls off base and put them on the tree until you get the star at the top. (Sorry no pic of that one)

But it was a lot of fun taking the time to do this with Sylvie. The base under the ball had candy in the holes I drilled. I used a Forstner  bit just a little smaller than the balls so they held in there. But it was still big enough to put a mint in each one.

Rocks in the Cradle.

A good friend of mine was due in a couple of months when I decided to make a cradle for her. I wanted to do a rocking chair but was not sure of my skills just yet. But I guess my skills are good enough for a baby.

This is a solid oak cradle that did with maple pegs. It is called a "Knock Down Heirloom Cradle". It will come completely apart as only the lighter colored pegs holds it together.

 The design of it is pretty neat. This plan also came from Wood magazine(Seeing a pattern yet?). I was able to use a few new skills and learn a couple things along the way.

Here is all the parts after the finish waiting for it to dry. I sanded down to 400 to give it a nice shine. And I was able to walk it over with about a month to spare before the little girl was born. Mom & Dad were very happy to have such a gift. And seeing Mom glow even brighter was well worth it for me. I think I found that my skill set surprised even me.

Thanks for reading.

First Ones

Hi, Canoe here.

Well I finally did it. I started my own place. A place to put some pics for the projects I make. I know it is not much, but it is a start. Most of the things I have made have been gifts for friends. But when I started getting folks asking me to make this and make that and they would pay me, well I figured Why not show people.

This was one of the first thing I made to give as a gift. It is hard to tell in the pic but it was for some kids. The table is about 24" tall and stools about 14" tall. Of course the LSU colors went over big for the parents also. It was just something I had seen in a Wood magazine so I didn't come up with it on my own for sure.

This was also a Wood mag plan that I did for my little girl. Mom wanted somewhere to put all her books, Sylvie (little girl) loves to read. And mom loves the darker color. I did this in red oak with a mahogany stain.

Making the molding myself was a lot of fun and something I was very proud of. I think it helped to make it look a lot more "store bought". I did have a rookie mistake here and there. Like the wood grain going the wrong way.

In my attempt to save money and get all the shelves from one sheet of wood. I had to cut two of them with the grain. So I ended up with this. But not like I was selling it or anything. So I just marked it up to a learning lesson. 

  Soon after that my wife graduated from college and started teaching. She said she needed a podium for her classroom. I drew a few things and came up with this.

It sits on casters and is set only 1/4" from floor which was something for me. It had everything she asked for as well as the colors of the school. The shelves adjust and the top opens. on a piano hinge with a locking arm to hold it up for her.

Well then Cammie (my wife) told me to do a project for myself. Which lead to the thing I think all woodworkers make at some point in their life, a end grain cutting board.

I had a lot of fun making that and playing with the different woods. But I soon learned that I was making a lot of things harder on myself in many ways. I didn't have a drum sander or even a planner at the time so sanding this bad boy got tough. And the wood was no cheap. All I could find at the time was online ordering for the wood and I figured if I just did small ones I could get more different types. Well I have learned that I was so wrong when it came to that. But that is another subject for another time. 

Well that was basically my first set of projects. I hope you liked the blog as this was my first. Thanks for reading.

Canoe