Back in the olden days when I was a teenager, I used to do some woodworking in my grandfather’s basement shop. I made everything from wooden spoons to full-sized magic tricks for the stage. I stopped woodworking after I went to college, only dabbling once or twice in the past twenty years or so, making some simple outdoor furniture for our deck.

Back in 2014, we moved to a new house and did a huge remodeling project that left us with a dining room area that needed an abnormally long table… about twelve feet. Buying something like that would have entailed a custom order and probably many thousands of dollars, so I decided, as many woodworkers do, that I would build one because it would be cheaper. I did… and it was… but it started me on the path of woodworking again. Buying lumber, buying tools, buying hardware, buying more tools, buying plans, buying classes, buying tools (did I mention buying tools?)… all that adds up to that dining room table being more expensive than just buying one.

Of course, the dining room table was just the start and, without it, I wouldn’t have rediscovered the delight of creating things out of wood.

I enjoy building mostly small pieces (the big table was an exception), both furniture and knick-knacks. I don’t particularly care for “construction” type projects like shed-building, deck-building, framing walls, and that sort of thing. I can do it and have done it, but where I find the most pleasure is in building smaller furniture pieces, boxes, and other practical items for around the house.