Here's My Woodworking!
by Andreas Zenker
Greenville, NY
Click on any picture to see a larger version.
As a computer programmer by trade, my days are spent building things that are challenging and fun. However, it was amazing to me how much pleasure and satisfaction I got out of this little project!
I caught the woodworking bug about 4 months ago and started to devour all the information I could get. Podcasts such as Woodtalk, Matt's Basement Workshop, The Wood Whisperer, Renaissance Woodworker, ShopTalk Live and, yes, the Highland Woodworker show. As I tried to decide what sort of woodworker I might be when I grew up, my interest in hand tools and hand cut joinery was piqued. So, when I saw this plan in a Fine Woodworking Basic Skills issue, it really grabbed me. It looked small enough to be affordable as well as something that I might be able to finish in my limited spare time. I know it's just a stool, but something about the joinery was really intriguing. So I took this on as my first project.
I cut the part to size using an old Makita 8" job site table saw, and did the rest of the work by hand. I felt like every time I went into my basement to work on this I had to learn a new skill. Through tenons with wedges, dovetail-like joints for the leg braces, planing boards flat, well almost flat ... need to work on that some more.
The material is eastern white pine, with scraps of cherry I gleaned from my father-in-law's shop. The finish is General Finishes Outdoor Oil. My wife already has designs on using this for flowers on the front porch - I am flattered that she wants to adopt it.
I have seen some of the other "show me yours" you have chosen and I feel that this is pretty humble in comparison, but to me it is the best thing I ever built and was just a lot of fun.
You can email Andreas at
andreas.zenker@gmail.com
.
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