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