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#1 ·
Todd A Clippinger

March, 2010

This month, for our LJ eMag, we meet with Todd A Clippinger and learn a bit about his woodworking journey.

1. How did you find LumberJocks and what was the key feature of the site that kept you coming back?

Not long after I bought my computer I was talking with my local tool supplier about some ideas that I had for doing woodworking videos online. He told me about this guy that calls himself the "Wood Whisperer" who was doing video.

When I checked out Marc Spagnuolo's site, I found the link to LumberJocks. The world-wide community is just incredibly generous and friendly, that is what kept me coming back.

2. Tell us a brief history of your woodworking journey

My woodworking journey has it's roots in my remodeling career. I was doing a lot of work on older homes from the 1920's and 30's and I always loved the original style trim work and built-ins. I was usually tearing out poorly matched remodels from the 70's and 80's that had been inflicted on these beautiful old homes and I often needed to fabricate the trim myself. It was here that I developed my hand and tool skills.

To understand what I was working on, I looked into architectural history and discovered the Arts&Crafts movement, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, the Prairie School, Greene&Greene plus the key figures associated with the styles. Then I found out there were contemporary woodworkers interpreting these styles in a modern vernacular and I was hooked.



3. I can often tell when a project is one of yours; what do you think defines a "Todd A Clippinger" piece?

This is kind of a hard question for me to answer. It almost needs to be someone on the outside looking in to point out what it is that says "Todd A. Clippinger." My work goes from a Shaker bench to a very contemporary closet design. But there is something about it that all ties together.

Often, there is a certain way an individual interprets materials and assembles elements that creates a personal style. I love contemporary interpretations or a modern style that reflects a traditional one. I love curves and arches, when appropriate I try to get them into my work.



4. Your work is very artistic, where do you get your inspiration?

I am greatly influenced by the study I have done of the historical figures and movements. The influence may or may not be directly seen in the project, but it is always in my head interacting as I design.

My wife and I visit art galleries and we know a lot of artists that work in various mediums. Talking to them is stimulating to my creative process.

My best ideas and design solutions seem to occur when I am taking a walk with my wife and the dogs. There are all these influences and logged ideas in my head and they seem to breakthrough on their own when I relax and am just enjoying time out with Rita and watching our happy dogs run.

5. What do you find to be the most challenging part of woodworking and what is the most rewarding?

In building a freestanding piece of furniture it is easy to figure out a pleasing proportion and there is a freedom of expression. But I am usually working with a specific set of parameters such as space, style, and budget. The most challenging aspect is to come up with a design that fits all of these requirements at the same time.

The most rewarding part is reaching that break through moment when I nail it with a good design and it fits all of the requirements. The project as a whole is a visual, tactile, and cerebral experience that is satisfying in every way and happy clients are a great part of the reward.

6. What is your "most" favourite project created to date?

I am emotionally attached to all of my projects, but the one I am most fond of is the Mahogany Sofa Table. This was the first project that I really expressed myself and would consider it to be on the higher plane of fine woodworking and design.

I made the table for my wife, Rita, and we have it here in the house. It is such an easy piece to look at, I really nailed it with interpretation of materials and the proportions. It was part of the portfolio that got me juried into the 2007 Western Design Conference.



7. Where can people find you on the internet (website etc)?
www.amcraftsman.com

The website is very static because it's primary function is an online portfolio for potential clients. I have more work on display at LumberJocks.

8. What is the biggest tip you can give people starting their journey into woodworking?

Spend lots of time in the shop and less on the computer.

As you are building in the shop, many things are happening. Hand-eye coordination and muscle memory is developing which creates skill. A sense of understanding for volume, mass, and proportions will develop as you build as opposed to just drawing. Also, greater creativity will be generated as the principle "One Idea Begets Another" occurs.



9. Anything else you'd like to share with your fellow LumberJocks?

Don't be afraid to push your personal limits on a technical and creative level.

I have had some redo's in my projects and had to figure out some master level repairs for situations that have gone awry. But everything has pushed my work and skills to the next level.



Thanks to Todd for taking the time to do this interview (and for all the support he provides to our site and our members!)
 
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#642 ·
Monte Pittman

This interview with Monte Pittman is from the February 2013 issue of our LumberJocks' eMag.



1. How did you first get started working with wood?

Partially from both parents believing that is you can make it for yourself, then do so. A lot from my mother. She helped build the dairy barn, house, corrals, made all the kitchen cabinets and living room furniture. At 83 she still does wood burned pictures as well as numerous other arts and crafts.



2. What was it about woodworking that initially caught your interest, enticing you to get into it at the level you are now?

Really, when I started I would never have dreamed that I would even attempt many of the things that I am doing now. It comes down to: the further I went the further I wanted to go. Then when I found this site I realized that the sky is the limit.



3. Tell us a bit of history of your journey from that beginning to where you are today

When I started I was happy with a reasonably straight butt joint. I am still not very good at joints, but I am trying much harder. I stare at how seamless many of these folks make theirs and it continues to motivate me to do better.



4. What inspires you regarding wood creations?

The wood, plain and simple. I love seeing the wood and trying to imagine how I can use it so that I can display it's beauty.



5. What are the greatest challenges that you have met along the way? (and how did you overcome them)

The need to learn vs the time to learn. I probably spend way too much time on LJ's studying everything. I look at every post to get ideas and to learn. Sometimes learning greatly cuts into sleep time, but I hope that this is what i do full-time in the near future.



6. What is the greatest reward that you have received from woodworking? (personal or tangible)

Probably sounds corny, but my greatest reward has been the people I have met through this site and the information I have learned from them. Irreplaceable.



7. What is your favourite tool that you use for woodworking?

Hard to say. I slab trees, so right now the chainsaw and soon to be bandsaw mill. It's the first time I get to see what the wood looks like. Christmas in every tree trunk.



8. What is your favourite creation in/for your woodworking?

Very hard to say. At this point I still am thrilled with everything I am able to do.



9. What tips would you give to someone just starting out or currently struggling with woodworking?

I find that virtually all of the mistakes I make are because of a lack of patience and trying to cut corners. You'll be much happier with the outcome if you take your time to do it right.



10. How did you find LumberJocks and what is it that keeps you coming back?

Found it on an internet search. What keeps me coming back is the shear artistry of the people that are here and how absolutely wonderful most have been to talk to. It's like being able to have a conversation with Picaso. Even ones that I haven't talked to has been an inspiration to me. Evweything from Triferns turnings to Jeffros horse. Things I may never try, still inspire me to try different things.



Thank-you to Monte for taking the time out of his busy schedule to do this interview!
 
#672 ·
StumpyNubs

This interview with StumpyNubs is from the March 2013 issue of our GT News.


1. How did you first get started working with wood?

I suppose I started like everyone else, with a hand saw and some old scrap 2X4's as a kid. I've told the story in my blog about my grandfather's big green monster. It was his 1950's Dewalt radial arm saw that he kept tucked in the corner of the basement with a blanket over it, waiting for the time he could retire and use it. We weren't allowed to go near the thing, which of course drew me to it. I grew up thinking that the ultimate hobby was making stuff out of wood with a radial arm saw.

2. What was it about woodworking that initially caught your interest, enticing you to get into it at the level you are now?

I like the idea of making something out of raw materials. I mean, in this day and age of factory made plastic everything, people seem to forget that we used to make things ourselves. Some still look surprised when I tell them I could make that piece of furniture, or even that tool they want. It feels good. I also like the opportunity for artistic expression. I was considered a gifted artist as a child and young adult. I was skilled in several mediums, from oil portraits to Asian batik. But over time I lost my desire to pursue art- until I started woodworking full time. It became a natural outlet to express my creativity.



3. Tell us a bit of history of your journey from that beginning to where you are today

My family didn't have a lot of money when I was a kid, so if I wanted a bookshelf for my room or a box for my rock collection, I had to make it. Grandpa didn't let me use the radial arm saw, but I could use his hand tools and all the bent nails I cared to straighten. I would have to search through his scrap wood pile and ask to have any old piece I wanted. That taught me a lot about choosing wood and seeing diamonds in the rough, so to speak. As I got older and needed new furniture, I made it with my hand saw. Let me tell you, nothing forces you to be creative when you have only a couple of tools and big ideas!

4. What inspires you regarding wood creations?

I love antiques. I am a junky for anything old, and that includes furniture. I wander through antique shops way more than my wife would like, and I always want to see what type of joinery was used or how the piece stood up to heavy use over time. For that reason I am also drawn to the traditional woodworkers of today, like Roy Underhill's use of classic tools or Charles Neil's use of classic designs.

5. What are the greatest challenges that you have met along the way? (and how did you overcome them)

I never had a place for a shop. My wife and I always lived in small apartments and any woodworking had to be done in the living room amid the irritated sighs of my wife as she picked splinters from the carpet and her feet. But I made a lot of stuff that way. It wasn't until about five years ago that I got the space for a real workshop.

6. What is the greatest reward that you have received from woodworking?

By far it's the relationships I've developed with other craftsman. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true. Through the production of the online "show" and the Stumpynubs.com website, I've met people of all skill levels who have been helped by what I do. I get fan mail, for goodness sake! Imagine that, a clown like me inspiring others! It's very humbling, but also very satisfying. I love to build stuff, but I enjoy sharing with others even more.

7. What is your favourite tool that you use for woodworking?

Hand planes, hands down. I can't get enough of them. I pick them up at yard sales and flea markets, sharpen them up and let out a soft sigh as I listen to them cut a fine shaving from a piece of straight grained wood. I think it's sad that so many people work wood their whole lives and almost never use hand planes. They are by far the most satisfying tools in any workshop.



8. What is your favourite creation in/for your woodworking?

I have a step-brother with special needs. When he graduated from the 8th grade (there is no public schooling for kids like him past that grade in Michigan) we had a party just as if he had finished high school. I made him a box. It was simple, but still beautiful with spalted maple and walnut. He LOVED that box, and he still keeps it next to his bed… It doesn't get any netter than that.

9. What tips would you give to someone just starting out or currently struggling with woodworking?

Read, watch and practice. We live in an internet age where you can learn fine woodworking while you sit on your couch eating Cheetos. Don't do that. Instead take the books or computer to the workshop and actually try those hand cut dovetails yourself. Don't be afraid to mess up a hundred times, because no skill worth learning comes easily. Through sites like Youtube, A new woodworker can apprentice with the finest craftsman of our generation right in his own shop. Take advantage of it!

10. How did you find LumberJocks and what is it that keeps you coming back?

I searched "woodworking" on Google. No joke, that's how I found it. And I was immediately hooked. Lumberjocks is the best forum out there because of the way the site is designed. It's very visual, lots of pictures, places to show off your work, express your opinions, share your knowledge and learn something new. No other forum is as feature packed and user friendly. And that draws woodworkers of all skill sets. That's why I'm here.

Thanks StumpyNubs for taking the time to do this interview.
 
#696 ·
HorizontalMike

This interview with HorizontalMike is from the May 2013 issue of our LumberJocks' eMag



1. How did you first get started working with wood?

As a home owner, I have built the deck projects and an elevated astronomical observatory using noting more than a circular saw and powered miter saw. I always had a desire to do some woodworking as far back as high school. Unfortunately, back in the 1960s my high school counselors were insistent that I take the "academic curriculum" because "shop" was for those others, whatever that meant. Long story short, no shop for me in HS.

2. What was it about woodworking that initially caught your interest, enticing you to get into it at the level you are now?

Just touching and handling wood always held some mystic power over me, however, that always seemed to take a backseat to the demands of everyday life and pursuing a "professional" career. It was not until my "professional" career was winding down that I decided to act on my woodworking desires. I had already built my decks, observatory, and a 24'x30' garage by this time and the woodworking desire was burning strong in my soul.

When I decided to convert my garage into a woodworking shop, I did so pretty much in one fell swoop. I bought my TS, BS, Jointer, Planer, and my first Router all in one summer season. In other words, I jumped into the water with no exit strategy and I was determined to make this happen.



3. Tell us a bit of history of your journey from that beginning to where you are today

Since I jumped into the woodworking hobby full tilt, at least equipment wise, my first major project was just as big and audacious in scale. I chose to build the 21st Century Workbench designed by Bob Lang. It required all of the skills that I lacked at the time and it would require me to develop those skills as I went. This ended up being a very important decision and well worth the long and drawn out effort that it required of me. I had some other challenges in my life pop up during this time, so my workbench project had to take a backseat for a while until I worked things out elsewhere. Once completed and posted on LJs, the many, many LJs responses/comments pretty much signaled to me that I had arrived as an "official" woodworker, at least as a hobbyist.

After that, I got a bit distracted with the whole LumberJocks woodworking community thing and spent more time online, than in the shop. I now know that that happens to several folks on occasion and now try to spend most of my time actually IN the shop and not just talking about it. Thus far I have made a hand full of furniture pieces and developed an interest in Early American Arts and Crafts, as well as some primitive Early American. These tended to compliment our existing furniture pieces handed down in the family. I am now spreading my wings into hand tool restoration and smaller projects that won't take up so much room.



4. What inspires you regarding wood creations?

My inspiration in woodworking is about learning the trade/skill-set. I am not driven to have my own creations as much as I am inspired to learn how to recreate existing interesting pieces. That said, I am learning to make minor modifications to existing plans, such as changing joinery techniques on a project in order to accommodate the equipment I own. The projects I take on, give me a feeling of time-travel, back to the time when each of these pieces were an important part of our lives. Sure, I use power tools mostly, but I do mix in hand tools as needed while I imagine how these were created originally.



5. What are the greatest challenges that you have met along the way? (and how did you overcome them)

My greatest challenge has to be learning to operate all of my power tools in a safe manner, WITHOUT harming myself from such things as 'kickbacks' and the like, and doing so WITHOUT formal instruction. This was a scary time in my life and I fully understood that mistakes, any mistake, could end very badly.

How did I overcome this challenge? Very slowly. Input/advice from fellow LJs was instrumental in guiding me to online tutorials and video instructions to increase my safe-practices skill set. While I do not recommend "online-only" instruction at this very early critical time, I did find that it is possible to self-learn these skills as long as you realize that this is not a trial and error learning mode. That said, NO, do not create a kickback just to see what happens!

My other big challenge is finishing. This may also be on several other folks list as well. Overcoming finishing problems is much more trial and error, though getting the advice from fellow woodworkers goes a long ways in shortening that trial and error time frame. Even with the best advice, I have found that sometimes the wood does what it wants and you may still have some trial and error practice to get things just right.



6. What is the greatest reward that you have received from woodworking? (personal or tangible)

By far, having furniture in my home that I alone built, gives me the greatest sense of pride I have ever experienced. I do enjoy praise from other woodworkers of my posted projects as well, and that praise does drive me to start new projects more quickly. While not exactly a competition, it feels more like a "group" expectation in order to maintain your own membership within the group even though this is just a perception.



7. What is your favourite tool that you use for woodworking?

I would have to say that my favorite tool is actually the combination of my powered jointer and planer. These two machines together, have made my woodworking projects fit more precisely and look much more professional than I could ever have dreamed of without them. Now I do not have to make excuses for 'bad' commercial lumber when building a project.



8. What is your favourite creation in/for your woodworking?

Boy this is a tough question to answer… Barring any large woodworking mistakes, I would have to honestly say that each piece gets better than the last and that the last piece is my favorite creation. I am early enough into my woodworking hobby that I am continually learning new skills and improving on each and every new project I take on.



9. What tips would you give to someone just starting out or currently struggling with woodworking?

First, ask questions. There is a great abundance of advice on LJs for the asking. Most advice is good to great, however not all advice falls into those categories. Taking time to learn about your fellow LJ members' expertise is an important part of seeking advice. The shear number of postings is NOT a good gauge, though browsing through a member's projects and blogs can go a long ways in predicting the quality of advice you may be receiving form that member.

10. How did you find LumberJocks and what is it that keeps you coming back?

I am sure that I discovered LumberJocks while doing an online search concerning woodworking. It was one of those things where a LumberJocks post happened to answer a specific question and the LumberJocks webpage popped up along with the post that answer. From there, I started reading/lurking until I was convinced that this LumberJocks website was truly worth my time. That did not take long at all, and I have been here ever since, as long as I behave that is… ;-)

Thanks, Mike, for taking the time to do this interview as well as for behaving (big grin)
 
#726 ·
Grumpy

This interview with Grumpy is from the July, 2013 issue of our LumberJocks' eMag.
Both Grumpy and I thought that we had done this before but we couldn't find it anywhere … so here we go (again?)


1. How did you first get started working with wood?
My father was a builder and was away a lot when I was young. He had a big shed with lots of tools in it so as a boy I had access to lots of woodworking gear. Didn't know what most of them did at that stage but had a lot of fun learning.



2. What was it about woodworking that initially caught your interest, enticing you to get into it at the level you are now?
I worked in a local sawmill (lumber mill) during my school holidays where I saw lots of different timber types and noticed the beauty of timber and the potential for making things from wood.



3. Tell us a bit of history of your journey from that beginning to where you are today
After those early days and being married with children things were financially tight as many would remember during the 70's. So there was a need to make things rather than buy them. I made a bedroom suite, coffee tables, pantry cupboards, pool table and lots of household items.
My skills developed as I went along & I had a weekend job with a friend who was a carpenter, so further polishing of those skills came about.



4. What inspires you regarding wood creations?
Without question Lumberjocks has been a great inspiration to me. The many and varied projects & tutorials have been of enormous benefit.
I travel a bit locally & overseas and there are many things I come across that inspire me to make or modify something I have seen along the way.



5. What are the greatest challenges that you have met along the way? (and how did you overcome them)

6. What is the greatest reward that you have received from woodworking? (personal or tangible)
Just the thanks from the receiver is good enough for me. I don't make anything for financial return. Luckily these days I don't need to.



7. What is your favourite tool that you use for woodworking?
That is a hard one. I guess the one I would miss the most is the tablesaw, or perhaps the bandsaw, or maybe the wood lathe. LOL



8. What is your favourite creation in/for your woodworking?
It has varied over the years. These days I get great pleasure in making gifts of small items that show the natural beauty of wood.



9. What tips would you give to someone just starting out or currently struggling with woodworking?
Never think of it as a chore.
Only do it when you feel like it.
Take your time and if you bugger it up just do it better the next time and learn from the experience.
Never say it can't be done unless you try
Finally, wear eye and ear protection and dress for safety.



10. How did you find LumberJocks and what is it that keeps you coming back?
I found LJ's just by chance surfing the net for a project and never looked back since.
I keep coming back to add more pictures to my 'Interesting Trees' blog. LOL
But seriously I have made many friends on LJ's and have learned a lot from the experience.



Thanks (again?) Grumpy for taking the time to do this interview!
 
#727 ·
*This has been a great history of your accomplishments!

A big thank you!
* to you & Debbie!
 
#731 ·
WistysWoodworkingWonders

This interview with WistysWoodworkingWonders is from the August 2013 issue of our eMag.



1. How did you first get started working with wood?
My first introduction to woodworking was in high school, although I would probably never showcase the projects I built in school, lol. My most recent start came when I was living in a mobile and the need for some new furniture for my newborn son developed. I was working out of a 14×10 shed with not much space for any type of tools. My first "makeshift" table saw was actually a circular saw mounted upside down on a box I built. It worked ok, but took some time to set up each cut.



2. What was it about woodworking that initially caught your interest, enticing you to get into it at the level you are now?
During my recent days of woodworking, I fell in love with the look of wood as it came out of the planer. I was putting through some dark walnut, and the grain and pattern that came out were stunning, it was this that kept me interested most, as well as the ability to take something from rough lumber into a piece of furniture for my family.

3. Tell us a bit of history of your journey from that beginning to where you are today
My journey started off as I stated above, in my very small shed as a workshop. Eventually when we moved, I worked out of my wife's garage, but this too proved to be inconvenient as I was always moving tools around and constantly cleaning after each session. After a long discussion with my former neighbour, I was convinced to build on to my house and add a dedicated wood working shop.
Off to the bank for the finances, and several years later, my shop is almost complete. I am still working on shop built cabinets (some of which are already highlighted here on LJ), and I have yet to trim out my shop, lol. Guess someday I will get to that.



4. What inspires you regarding wood creations?
I am not so much inspired as most of my projects are purpose built. If I require a piece of furniture, I design and build it. Pretty simple actually. Some friends have asked me to build them retirement shadow boxes which tested my ability to be creative and cut mitre joints. I am always inspired to try something new which is the reason I built the crib board for my wife - she totally loves it!



5. What are the greatest challenges that you have met along the way? (and how did you overcome them)
My greatest challenges were shop space, which were party overcome by the new shop, although I do wish I built it a bit bigger (I am sure most LJ's wish they had bigger shops, me too)



6. What is the greatest reward that you have received from woodworking? (personal or tangible)
There are several rewards that stand out from woodworking, so I will highlight my four most rewarding.
First was the crib board I built for my wife's Birthday, this allowed me to sample some new woods, creative techniques, and challenging finishes. My wife's reaction when she received the gift was well worth the hours in the shop.
Second was a shadow box I built at the request of a retiring friend. What started off as a simple shadow box, soon turned into a monster shadow box that held two flags, two plaques and his medals.
His reaction alone when he first saw it, was undescribable. He was in the midst of a conversation at his retirement ceremony when I brought it in, he immediately came over and with tears in his eyes thanked me. It was well great to see his reaction!
Third is my poker table - this took a great deal of time to build, but has received numerous compliments from all my friends who come over to lose money to me, lol. Of course, I don't think I have won enough to pay for the materials yet, but we enjoy our time with our friends playing poker.
Last is a shadow box that I made for a gentleman who works in the same line of business as I do (Royal Canadian Navy). He managed to get my address off LJ's (through my home page) and dropped by for a quick visit explaining that he was at the end of places to search for a shadow box to highlight his parents upcoming Canadian Citizenship. After a brief discussion, we came up with a game plan and I set to work on modifying an already built shadow box (time was very short on this one). He certainly appreciated the quick work on putting this one together.



7. What is your favourite tool that you use for woodworking?
My favorite tool in my shop is probably my planer. This is where I first get a glimpse at the beauty of the grain of the wood I am using.



8. What is your favourite creation in/for your woodworking?
My favorite creation from my woodworking so far is my poker table. Can't say enough about it, please read the write up on my LJ page for more info about this build.



9. What tips would you give to someone just starting out or currently struggling with woodworking?
The tips I would offer are these: 1. When buying tools, save up and buy quality tools, they are well worth the investment. 2. Don't be afraid to ask for advice. 3. Follow the rule of thirds; one third is project building, one third for sanding, one third for finishing. 4. Always maintain focus when working with power tools. 5. If you are having a bad day in the shop, get out and start over the next day, it is better than adding piles of wood to your burn pile.



10. How did you find LumberJocks and what is it that keeps you coming back?
I stumbled on LJ by google search. Although I don't remember what I was researching, I found a picture which led me to a fellow LJ's site. That night, I spent at least 2 hours surfing the site and was hooked! I created my own account soon after and started checking out everyone's amazing projects. What keeps me coming back is both the quality of projects and the amazing people on this site.
There are so many LJ's that are not only great woodworkers, but great advice-givers as well. The forums provide an excellent means for researching options for everything from finishes, to how to videos.

All in all, I am very happy to be a LJ. Please enjoy the tour of my shop and send me any feedback you wish, I am always open to learning new tricks!

Thanks, Steve, for taking the time to do this interview.
 
#733 ·
Larry & Karen Wiebe

This interview, with Mr. Larry Wiebe, is a follow-up to a posting I made a couple of months ago and is for the September 2013 issue of our eMag.

I first met Mr. Wiebe at a year-end shindig for his school that was hosted by him and his wife. Not only was this the end of the school year but a recognition of his retirement. At the picnic, I eavesdropped on a conversation he was having about the design of his picnic table that allowed it to be set on uneven ground and still be stable. This had my attention and, thus, my first blog.

My daughter arranged a visit during the summer and I had the pleasure of touring the "off the grid" home that he and his wife, Karen, had built together.

Larry, with a degree in physics, took up woodworking as a hobby not too many years ago. This cedar chest was his first project.

Wood Table Rectangle Floor Flooring


Nine years ago Larry and Karen started designing the off-the-grid house. In the summer of 2008 they started building and the next spring they had moved in. By "they", I mean 4 people including Larry and Karen. By doing it themselves they kept the costs down and they were in control of doing the job "right".

During the design/build stage of this "first in the region straw-bale house", they were highly involved with the inspectors to not only ensure that everything was done right, right from the start, but also to educate the inspectors about the how and why of such a structure.

Plant Window Building Landscape Sky


The bales, which are a great insulator (and, thus, no need for air conditioning in the summer), are attached to a steel frame and were cut to fit precisely, even with the rounded walls and curved windows. The walls are 20 inches thick, with one inch stucco on each side.

Window Wood Grey Tints and shades Font


Here, is their window of proof, showing the bales inside the walls.
Wood Twig Art Paint Trunk


This wall, as with most things in the house, is made from recycled, reclaimed materials. The salvaged cherry was cut for the imitation tongue and groove design and the cut-off strips from the edges were used for splines.

Building Wood Beam House Wood stain


I asked Larry what his favourite tool was, as I ask all my interviewees. His response was that he uses the table saw the most but his favourites are the unique tools displayed on the wall above. He uses the tools and puts them back on the wall when done. He also loves the tools that he made himself for specific purposes - the sander/can crusher, the sander that he made specifically for curved railings, and so on. Karen's favourite is the chop saw.

The main floor's ceiling, made from wood left over from another project, was placed on a 45 degree angle. This, according to Larry, is easier than making straight lines. "How so," I ask. Well, there is more forgiveness as you aren't looking at "straight" but at angles. The imperfections are less noticeable. All individual pieces of the ceiling are made so that they can be lifted out if needed.

Light Window Building Fixture Wood


The kitchen, which was maybe my most favourite part of the house, was filled with oohs and ahhhs. The cabinet cupboards were all (except a shelf on the corner) made from one tree. The doorknobs are stones. Larry said that he put the stones in a bucket of water, stood on the edges of the stones and then drilled the holes. When dry, they were attached to the doors with screws and epoxy.

Brown Wood Flooring Wood stain Floor


The counter has a little bit of history to it. My daughter, who first saw the home a year or two ago, said that, when she saw it, it was plywood covered with mactac. ... and she said it was beautiful. When I told this story, Karen and Larry laughed. Apparently the mactac, on the temporary counter, had to be replaced several times due to wear and tear and to allow for colour sampling. But, it served a purpose as they decided on the colour that they wanted.
The final counter is made from cherry-and that's another story: Larry saw some rotting cherry boards at someone's house and asked what they were for. He got them, of course, sorted through them, cleaned them up and then put boat varnish on top. (oops.. no picture. Sorry)

The other part of the kitchen that I adore are the free-standing antique cupboards - specially chosen for the house. Oh how I wish I had one of these …
Food Tableware Property Cabinetry Countertop


Behind this cupboard are the stairs leading to the second floor. .. but, as you might guess, the railing is unique and handmade. Driftwood and buoys found along the shore.

Fishing net Wood Fish Net Mesh


One of the MANY spectacular elements of their home is the sumac floor upstairs. The "riverbed" section of floor took three weeks to design and complete. Each slice of sumac was place in a way that highlighted the grain and any other peculiarity of the wood. On the floor are faces and animals. To lay the pieces out he started at one end, went to the opposite end, into the middle and, well, whatever needed to be done to create the masterpiece.

Brown White Light Amber Wood


Brown Wood Amber Flooring Wood stain


Wood Flooring Floor Trunk Hardwood

(A picture from their photo album)

When I heard of the sumac floor I was extremely curious. The only sumac I had ever seen were spindly little branches in the ground. But, that isn't what Larry is working with! He told me that if you go to an undisturbed piece of land the sumac at the centre, the grandfathers of all the off-shoots, are rather huge trees! Check out his supply that is waiting to make a captain's bed and the first handmade canoe that will remain "theirs".

Wood Gas Bedrock Concrete Soil


Wood Building Trunk Natural material Composite material


One of the rooms in the upstairs is the bathroom.

Wood Fixture Dead bolt Door Floor


Now, you wouldn't think there would be much to say about a bathroom-but this isn't just any house, it's the Wiebe's! Check out the mirror-beautiful, right? Larry found it rotting away in the woods somewhere. He took it home, cleaned it up, replaced a piece here and there and voila: magnificence!

Wood Door Building Stairs Tints and shades


Oh, and the rest of the wood in the bathroom? Boards from a pig barn. Now, I grew up on a farm and we had pigs and I do not remember ANY piece of wood that I would want to bring into my house!! But … check it out

Brown Amber Wood Wood stain Rectangle


Oh, and here are two of the windows on the second floor …. nothing is ever ordinary!
Brown Wood Lighting Beam Wood stain


Wood Wood stain Hardwood Tints and shades Rectangle


Another extraordinary feature of the home is the lighthouse. Yes, a lighthouse.

Karen saw the idea in a book at a bookstore and bought the book just so she could show Larry and see if it was do-able. He looked, he thought, and, well, the rest is history. It is 48 feet high and has three floors. They had designed it as four floors, but if they had stayed with four they would have had to hire an architect in order to pass inspection. So three it is!

The inspiration lighthouse was simply a bathroom in the bottom section of the space. The Wiebe's version is a porch area on the bottom, the winding stairway up the centre and the lookout/hangout area in the top. As I climbed the 48 feet (or there about) and tried not to gasp too hard and show how out of shape I was, I was reminded of climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa back in the day when I was in shape-walking up and around, up and around - all that was missing was the lean.

The look-out area at the top is spectacular. Sitting on the northern edge of Lake Erie, one has a clear view of the lake and Karen said that on some holidays they get to watch the fireworks in Port Rowan, Long Point and across the lake all at the same time.

From the look-out you can also see their garden, which has its own flare of beauty with its pathway from the house. The Wiebe's, as you might guess, grow and preserve a lot of their food. You can also see, as you look out across the back yard and fields, the wind turbines that produce some of their power.

Plant Natural landscape Terrestrial plant Grass Groundcover


Cloud Sky Plant Windmill Ecoregion


Here are some more views out of the lighthouse windows

Cloud Sky Tree Atmospheric phenomenon Plant


Cloud Sky Window Fixture Plant


.. and these are "straight down"
Plant Slope Road surface Asphalt Land lot


Plant Flower Slope Road surface Flooring


The home uses solar and wind power to run almost everything in their home and his shop. They have a generator to charge the batteries when there is no wind/solar power to do the job and also to run his welder and to start the big table saw.

Motor vehicle Gas Engineering Machine Audio equipment


Larry said that solar power is much easier to use and maintain as you have to monitor the wind power somewhat. If you get over the "full mark" you have to shut it down. The solar power moderates its self. The produced 500 watts of power manages pretty much anything a typical home runs.

Communication Device Telephony Gadget Gas Audio equipment


His students helped with the wind turbine. (I can hear some of you now-finally getting to the students' projects). The students made the blades for the one turbine (carved in the classroom from marine plywood) as well as helped build the alternator, including winding the coils.

Plant Wood Twig Tree Foot


Wood T-shirt Curtain Engineering Automotive wheel system


Art Gas Wood Circle Cable


Speaking of the students, what other projects has he included in the shop classes? Three canoes, a couple boats, gazeboes, picnic tables, the house (as I mentioned in the first blog), lockers in the room, benches throughout the school, a circulation area in the library (saving the school $7000), coat racks, for special events, which hold several hundred coats, and stage extensions that set up in a few minutes and, with its unique dovetail system, are also transformed into risers. I'm sure there are many others but I think that gives you an idea of what a great teacher he was. His goal was to teach the youth to conserve energy and materials, that they can make things and solve problems with whatever is available and that they can fix things rather than buying new. I'm guessing that he was very successful with this goal.

Another of the projects: a mirror based on something that was important to them. Larry said that he always created a project to show the students what it would look like (without their personal twists to it of course)
Wood Table Tableware Wood stain Hardwood


This boat was primarily built by the student identified in the name.
Font Gas Automotive exterior Bumper Composite material

Motor vehicle Bumper Automotive design Wood Automotive exterior


The house

Plant Building Window House Fixture


Of course, I'm sure you would like to see his shop. He actually has 2 different buildings plus the "shed" that rather than being demolished was turned into the home of their clay bread oven.
Plant Botany Shorts Vegetation Grass


Shorts Gas Brick Brickwork Baseball cap


The shop.

Straw bale insulation
Plant Rectangle Wood Automotive tire Grass


Wood Floor Flooring Beam Hardwood


Wood Automotive wheel system Gas Machine Auto part


More "Outside" Photos
Flower Plant Flowerpot Houseplant Terrestrial plant


Plant Sky Natural landscape Tree Land lot


Plant Flower Tree Vegetation Grass


This little area fooled me-I thought they had some espalier trees on the end of the building that had died. No, it is a piece of art, wood put together to LOOK like trees, vines, etc.

Flower Plant Sky Window Architecture


I asked them if there was anything they would do differently and the answer was a very short list. First, the gas fireplace would go (and is actually going), being replaced with wood. The gas doesn't warm the big room up enough and they love the cutting of wood and the smell of it burning. The second change would be that they would make the house three feet shorter. The 46 foot length has wasted space.

As to their favourite part of the house, Karen quickly pointed to her thinking spot, a chair at the kitchen counter by the recipe books and windows. Larry's? His wall of tools.

Window Wood Kitchen sink Cabinetry Interior design


I then asked them where they got the "off the grid" motivation and vision. Well, after telling me that they stayed on the grid for a full year just to sure they could do it before they cut the ties, he wrapped up the interview with this surprise: "We aren't green".

I was confused-they collect their water from the roof and store it in a huge tank in the basement, they use solar and wind power to run all their appliances and other energy needs, they build most of their own stuff with salvaged material, and they preserve their own garden produce. How much greener can you get?

And Larry said it started with, "Can I do it", "how simply can it be done" and "can anyone do this" ... and that is how it all began! He just wanted to know if he could. I guess he can!

A big thank-you to Larry and Karen for showing me their home and sharing their story with us.
(And a thank-you to my daughter for making it happen and my 2-year-old grandson who was ever so patient.)

Dog Plant Smile Carnivore Dog breed


After I got home I realized that I didn't get a picture of the front of the house. On my next drive down to the lake I'll be sure to take a picture or two.

Here are some other interviews that I found online

 

Attachments

#734 ·
Larry & Karen Wiebe

This interview, with Mr. Larry Wiebe, is a follow-up to a posting I made a couple of months ago and is for the September 2013 issue of our eMag.

I first met Mr. Wiebe at a year-end shindig for his school that was hosted by him and his wife. Not only was this the end of the school year but a recognition of his retirement. At the picnic, I eavesdropped on a conversation he was having about the design of his picnic table that allowed it to be set on uneven ground and still be stable. This had my attention and, thus, my first blog.

My daughter arranged a visit during the summer and I had the pleasure of touring the "off the grid" home that he and his wife, Karen, had built together.

Larry, with a degree in physics, took up woodworking as a hobby not too many years ago. This cedar chest was his first project.

Wood Table Rectangle Floor Flooring


Nine years ago Larry and Karen started designing the off-the-grid house. In the summer of 2008 they started building and the next spring they had moved in. By "they", I mean 4 people including Larry and Karen. By doing it themselves they kept the costs down and they were in control of doing the job "right".

During the design/build stage of this "first in the region straw-bale house", they were highly involved with the inspectors to not only ensure that everything was done right, right from the start, but also to educate the inspectors about the how and why of such a structure.

Plant Window Building Landscape Sky


The bales, which are a great insulator (and, thus, no need for air conditioning in the summer), are attached to a steel frame and were cut to fit precisely, even with the rounded walls and curved windows. The walls are 20 inches thick, with one inch stucco on each side.

Window Wood Grey Tints and shades Font


Here, is their window of proof, showing the bales inside the walls.
Wood Twig Art Paint Trunk


This wall, as with most things in the house, is made from recycled, reclaimed materials. The salvaged cherry was cut for the imitation tongue and groove design and the cut-off strips from the edges were used for splines.

Building Wood Beam House Wood stain


I asked Larry what his favourite tool was, as I ask all my interviewees. His response was that he uses the table saw the most but his favourites are the unique tools displayed on the wall above. He uses the tools and puts them back on the wall when done. He also loves the tools that he made himself for specific purposes - the sander/can crusher, the sander that he made specifically for curved railings, and so on. Karen's favourite is the chop saw.

The main floor's ceiling, made from wood left over from another project, was placed on a 45 degree angle. This, according to Larry, is easier than making straight lines. "How so," I ask. Well, there is more forgiveness as you aren't looking at "straight" but at angles. The imperfections are less noticeable. All individual pieces of the ceiling are made so that they can be lifted out if needed.

Light Window Building Fixture Wood


The kitchen, which was maybe my most favourite part of the house, was filled with oohs and ahhhs. The cabinet cupboards were all (except a shelf on the corner) made from one tree. The doorknobs are stones. Larry said that he put the stones in a bucket of water, stood on the edges of the stones and then drilled the holes. When dry, they were attached to the doors with screws and epoxy.

Brown Wood Flooring Wood stain Floor


The counter has a little bit of history to it. My daughter, who first saw the home a year or two ago, said that, when she saw it, it was plywood covered with mactac. ... and she said it was beautiful. When I told this story, Karen and Larry laughed. Apparently the mactac, on the temporary counter, had to be replaced several times due to wear and tear and to allow for colour sampling. But, it served a purpose as they decided on the colour that they wanted.
The final counter is made from cherry-and that's another story: Larry saw some rotting cherry boards at someone's house and asked what they were for. He got them, of course, sorted through them, cleaned them up and then put boat varnish on top. (oops.. no picture. Sorry)

The other part of the kitchen that I adore are the free-standing antique cupboards - specially chosen for the house. Oh how I wish I had one of these …
Food Tableware Property Cabinetry Countertop


Behind this cupboard are the stairs leading to the second floor. .. but, as you might guess, the railing is unique and handmade. Driftwood and buoys found along the shore.

Fishing net Wood Fish Net Mesh


One of the MANY spectacular elements of their home is the sumac floor upstairs. The "riverbed" section of floor took three weeks to design and complete. Each slice of sumac was place in a way that highlighted the grain and any other peculiarity of the wood. On the floor are faces and animals. To lay the pieces out he started at one end, went to the opposite end, into the middle and, well, whatever needed to be done to create the masterpiece.

Brown White Light Amber Wood


Brown Wood Amber Flooring Wood stain


Wood Flooring Floor Trunk Hardwood

(A picture from their photo album)

When I heard of the sumac floor I was extremely curious. The only sumac I had ever seen were spindly little branches in the ground. But, that isn't what Larry is working with! He told me that if you go to an undisturbed piece of land the sumac at the centre, the grandfathers of all the off-shoots, are rather huge trees! Check out his supply that is waiting to make a captain's bed and the first handmade canoe that will remain "theirs".

Wood Gas Bedrock Concrete Soil


Wood Building Trunk Natural material Composite material


One of the rooms in the upstairs is the bathroom.

Wood Fixture Dead bolt Door Floor


Now, you wouldn't think there would be much to say about a bathroom-but this isn't just any house, it's the Wiebe's! Check out the mirror-beautiful, right? Larry found it rotting away in the woods somewhere. He took it home, cleaned it up, replaced a piece here and there and voila: magnificence!

Wood Door Building Stairs Tints and shades


Oh, and the rest of the wood in the bathroom? Boards from a pig barn. Now, I grew up on a farm and we had pigs and I do not remember ANY piece of wood that I would want to bring into my house!! But … check it out

Brown Amber Wood Wood stain Rectangle


Oh, and here are two of the windows on the second floor …. nothing is ever ordinary!
Brown Wood Lighting Beam Wood stain


Wood Wood stain Hardwood Tints and shades Rectangle


Another extraordinary feature of the home is the lighthouse. Yes, a lighthouse.

Karen saw the idea in a book at a bookstore and bought the book just so she could show Larry and see if it was do-able. He looked, he thought, and, well, the rest is history. It is 48 feet high and has three floors. They had designed it as four floors, but if they had stayed with four they would have had to hire an architect in order to pass inspection. So three it is!

The inspiration lighthouse was simply a bathroom in the bottom section of the space. The Wiebe's version is a porch area on the bottom, the winding stairway up the centre and the lookout/hangout area in the top. As I climbed the 48 feet (or there about) and tried not to gasp too hard and show how out of shape I was, I was reminded of climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa back in the day when I was in shape-walking up and around, up and around - all that was missing was the lean.

The look-out area at the top is spectacular. Sitting on the northern edge of Lake Erie, one has a clear view of the lake and Karen said that on some holidays they get to watch the fireworks in Port Rowan, Long Point and across the lake all at the same time.

From the look-out you can also see their garden, which has its own flare of beauty with its pathway from the house. The Wiebe's, as you might guess, grow and preserve a lot of their food. You can also see, as you look out across the back yard and fields, the wind turbines that produce some of their power.

Plant Natural landscape Terrestrial plant Grass Groundcover


Cloud Sky Plant Windmill Ecoregion


Here are some more views out of the lighthouse windows

Cloud Sky Tree Atmospheric phenomenon Plant


Cloud Sky Window Fixture Plant


.. and these are "straight down"
Plant Slope Road surface Asphalt Land lot


Plant Flower Slope Road surface Flooring


The home uses solar and wind power to run almost everything in their home and his shop. They have a generator to charge the batteries when there is no wind/solar power to do the job and also to run his welder and to start the big table saw.

Motor vehicle Gas Engineering Machine Audio equipment


Larry said that solar power is much easier to use and maintain as you have to monitor the wind power somewhat. If you get over the "full mark" you have to shut it down. The solar power moderates its self. The produced 500 watts of power manages pretty much anything a typical home runs.

Communication Device Telephony Gadget Gas Audio equipment


His students helped with the wind turbine. (I can hear some of you now-finally getting to the students' projects). The students made the blades for the one turbine (carved in the classroom from marine plywood) as well as helped build the alternator, including winding the coils.

Plant Wood Twig Tree Foot


Wood T-shirt Curtain Engineering Automotive wheel system


Art Gas Wood Circle Cable


Speaking of the students, what other projects has he included in the shop classes? Three canoes, a couple boats, gazeboes, picnic tables, the house (as I mentioned in the first blog), lockers in the room, benches throughout the school, a circulation area in the library (saving the school $7000), coat racks, for special events, which hold several hundred coats, and stage extensions that set up in a few minutes and, with its unique dovetail system, are also transformed into risers. I'm sure there are many others but I think that gives you an idea of what a great teacher he was. His goal was to teach the youth to conserve energy and materials, that they can make things and solve problems with whatever is available and that they can fix things rather than buying new. I'm guessing that he was very successful with this goal.

Another of the projects: a mirror based on something that was important to them. Larry said that he always created a project to show the students what it would look like (without their personal twists to it of course)
Wood Table Tableware Wood stain Hardwood


This boat was primarily built by the student identified in the name.
Font Gas Automotive exterior Bumper Composite material

Motor vehicle Bumper Automotive design Wood Automotive exterior


The house

Plant Building Window House Fixture


Of course, I'm sure you would like to see his shop. He actually has 2 different buildings plus the "shed" that rather than being demolished was turned into the home of their clay bread oven.
Plant Botany Shorts Vegetation Grass


Shorts Gas Brick Brickwork Baseball cap


The shop.

Straw bale insulation
Plant Rectangle Wood Automotive tire Grass


Wood Floor Flooring Beam Hardwood


Wood Automotive wheel system Gas Machine Auto part


More "Outside" Photos
Flower Plant Flowerpot Houseplant Terrestrial plant


Plant Sky Natural landscape Tree Land lot


Plant Flower Tree Vegetation Grass


This little area fooled me-I thought they had some espalier trees on the end of the building that had died. No, it is a piece of art, wood put together to LOOK like trees, vines, etc.

Flower Plant Sky Window Architecture


I asked them if there was anything they would do differently and the answer was a very short list. First, the gas fireplace would go (and is actually going), being replaced with wood. The gas doesn't warm the big room up enough and they love the cutting of wood and the smell of it burning. The second change would be that they would make the house three feet shorter. The 46 foot length has wasted space.

As to their favourite part of the house, Karen quickly pointed to her thinking spot, a chair at the kitchen counter by the recipe books and windows. Larry's? His wall of tools.

Window Wood Kitchen sink Cabinetry Interior design


I then asked them where they got the "off the grid" motivation and vision. Well, after telling me that they stayed on the grid for a full year just to sure they could do it before they cut the ties, he wrapped up the interview with this surprise: "We aren't green".

I was confused-they collect their water from the roof and store it in a huge tank in the basement, they use solar and wind power to run all their appliances and other energy needs, they build most of their own stuff with salvaged material, and they preserve their own garden produce. How much greener can you get?

And Larry said it started with, "Can I do it", "how simply can it be done" and "can anyone do this" ... and that is how it all began! He just wanted to know if he could. I guess he can!

A big thank-you to Larry and Karen for showing me their home and sharing their story with us.
(And a thank-you to my daughter for making it happen and my 2-year-old grandson who was ever so patient.)

Dog Plant Smile Carnivore Dog breed


After I got home I realized that I didn't get a picture of the front of the house. On my next drive down to the lake I'll be sure to take a picture or two.

Here are some other interviews that I found online

Another great article Debbie. I wish there was an award for efficiency, an Acadamy award for Green if you will. I'm sure the Wiebe's would win. Thank you for all your hard work.
 

Attachments

#745 ·
Dennis Zongker

This interview with Dennis Zongker from the October 2013 issue of our LumberJocks eMag.



1. How did you first get started working with wood?

When I was 14 years old, during summer time I worked at an architectural mill shop sweeping floors, and tailing on the moulder or planers. On occasion I would be able to help a cabinetmaker or a machine operator when they would need an extra hand.



2. What was it about woodworking that initially caught your interest, enticing you to get into it at the level you are now?

What really got my passion for woodworking to level that is today was I started reading history books on some of the master woodworkers of the past. A few that I read was Marquetry by Pierre Ramond, The Limewood Sculptors of Renaissance Germany, The Art and Practice of Marquetry by William Lincoln, Antonio Stradivari His Life and Work, and Grinling Gibbons & the English Woodcarving Tradition. When I read about other cabinet makers and how talented they were it gives me inspiration makes me want to try harder.



3. Tell us a bit of history of your journey from that beginning to where you are today

To get my woodworking business started I sold all my amps and guitars to purchase a table saw, miter saw and an assortment of hand tools. This was not an easy thing to do because at the time I was a professional musician. But my passion for woodworking had overtaken the passion I had for music.

I ended up getting a job at a local cabinet shop where my brother was working. After so many years of working there my passion was leaning more towards building furniture. In order to buy more shop equipment I needed extra money so in the evenings I started making furniture and restoring antiques in my garage and basement of my home.

In 1989 my brother Dan and I decided instead of working at a cabinet shop we wanted to start our own business making custom furniture. Every year that went by we grew little by little with the quality of the pieces and the amount of work it has never been an easy road but when you have a deep passion for something it makes it well worth the journey to get there.



4. What inspires you regarding wood creations?

I love to see beautiful pieces of furniture, boxes, carvings, turnings and almost all types of woodworking. I like all the styles though out history and really admire the old masters in Europe when woodworking was at its Zenith.



5. What are the greatest challenges that you have met along the way? (and how did you overcome them)

I think that with almost any small business it would be cash flow. The ups and downs can be like a roller coaster at times and working as many hours as it takes to survive. The worst year that we ever had I would work 14 hours a day seven days a week for a little over a year. So I would say that just stick to your plan and never give up. Sometimes the best way out of a bad situation is to work hard and keep believing that it will get better.



6. What is the greatest reward that you have received from woodworking? (personal or tangible)

It is hard to say what my greatest reward is when I have so much to be thankful for in my woodworking journey. I feel blessed that I love my work/business and I look forward to coming in every day. After business hours I then get to enjoy creating, building even more pieces. I get to work with my brother, son and wife in a pleasant daily atmosphere. Last but not least I have written a book to share with others on some of my methods of woodworking. So when you add it all up these are all my greatest rewards.
[NOTE: Dennis has donated a copy of his book for a "LumberJocks Free Draw". Details are in this month's eMag]
Also, you can read Roger Bean's review of his book here: http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/product/3465 

7. What is your favourite tool that you use for woodworking?

My favourite tool is the #3/8 fish tail gouge for adding fine details to my carvings.



8. What is your favourite creation in/for your woodworking?

I would say my chess table, chairs and playing pieces and the Griffin table are equal.



9. What tips would you give to someone just starting out or currently struggling with woodworking?

I would say everybody no matter who you are has ups and downs. I have definitely had mine. The best thing I feel is to never stop trying even if that means working harder than you already do and maybe come up with a new better ways of selling yourself to the right kind of custom. I have found through the years of being in business that being able to be more diverse in many areas of woodworking has its advantages that's when I started learning how to turn on the lathe, carve and marquetry.

Try to stay positive and keep your head up high and then one day things will get better. Sometimes you can't see how far you have come until you take a deep breath and open your eyes and look around you to see your progress.



10. How did you find LumberJocks and what is it that keeps you coming back?

I had a friend on another woodworking site and asked me to go check out this really cool woodworking website. So I did and have had the LumberJocks Fever ever since.



A big thanks to Dennis for taking the time to do this interview AND for the donation of a copy of his book for the draw!
 
#746 ·
Thanks Dennis for sharing and Deb for another very fine interview. Its always a great pleasure and encouragement to hear from those amongst us who excel in creativity, excellence, and pure determination, all the while, generously sharing the paths they have taken.
 
#756 ·
C_PLUS_Woodworker

This interview with CPLUSWoodworker is for the November 2013 issue of our LumberJocks eMag.


1. How did you first get started working with wood?

My Dad had 6 tools:
1. Hammer
2. Flat Head screwdriver
3. Philips Head screwdriver
4. Cross-Cut hand saw
5. Ripping hand saw
6. Duct Tape.

Seriously, I do not remember my Dad doing any maintenance or constructing anything in the 18 years I lived with him, nor do I remember Dad using tools all the rest of his life…………..when we would go over to visit.

This is absolutely not a knock on my Dad. He accomplished many many great things in his life. Tennis Champ. Active with the young men at Church. Pianist and Organist at Church. Avid and expert skier. Honest to a fault. A much decorated Veteran of both WWII and Korea. Great neighbor and friend. A good husband………..and a great Dad.

He would just rather pay to have something done, when and what ever was needed to be done.

He just did not want anything to do with fixing anything or building anything. Why? To this day, I have no idea.

I mention my Dad as my first comment because so many of us learned about tools and constructing things or fixing things from our Dads.

Not me.

I would go over to friend's houses and see their Dads adding on a patio or building a bedroom in their basement, and I would truly be amazed.

I was so different from that my dad in two major ways:

I was…. and still am:

Horse Crazy, and love to build.

I won't go into the horse-stuff, except to say that I have bred and trained horses for almost all my life.

However, I always liked or loved or had the need to build something or work on something.

Initially it was car stuff with my buddies and our cars while teenagers. Boring out engines, adding quad carburetors, etc. etc.

My Mother always had a parakeet or some type of small bird(s) hanging in her kitchen. She loved birds.

When I was 14 or 15, my Mother (whose even smallest wish became an instant commandment to me) mentioned that she a visited a lady who had an aviary in her backyard and how much she had liked it.

I asked Mom to describe it to me. And, when she had finished I said to myself, "well, I can build my Mom one of those".

So, I did.

It was put in the middle of the patio so she could see it all the time.

Even today I wonder how in the world I built that thing with nothing but the few tools my Dad had.

I built it in the shape of an octagon. About 6" feet at the eaves and another 3 foot in the roof, where the birds could go to get out of the weather………and where they slept.

I built it out of 2×3 redwood, with each side of the octagon about 3ft. wide. One side was the door. Up until then, it was easy.

I had to build this thing using only the tools my Dad had, but mainly I used the handsaw and the hammer and nails because that was all I had access to.

The eight-sided roof was an entirely different matter.

But, somehow I was able to make those eight sections of roof and get them installed. I recollect making and re-making that roof many times before I got all the angles right. That part was hard.

We put a couple of thick tree branches (with their own branches) in the aviary and then Mom filled it with the birds that she wanted.

I remember my Mom hugging me and crying because I had built that for her.

That was the very first wood project that I ever made. And it was way over my head in complexity and having proper tools.

But, I was too dumb at the time to know I could not build that aviary.

So I built it.



2. What was it about woodworking that initially caught your interest, enticing you to get into it at the level you are now?

I need to break that down into two parts. What interested me about woodworking that caught my interest?

Part One

As a young husband and Dad, I had to build stuff.

Shelves in the garages and basements,

Dog houses

Fences



My maternal grandfather (who I revered) told me once "never borrow a tool. If you need a tool now, you will need it again, so go buy it. Don't go borrow it.

And, I took that advice as literally as my meager disposable income (at that time) would allow.

I already had all my wrenches and sockets from my car-guy days.

I think my first power tool was a circular saw. And that was my main cutting tool for all the shelves and dog houses, fences, etc. I still have it. It works today as well as it did the day I bought it. It has two repair jobs on the cord where I cut the cord in half, and it didn't work real well for a while after I replaced the original blade with a new blade, mainly because I put the new blade on backwards.

You guys would laugh your heads off if you knew how may times and on how many projects I used that saw with the blade on backwards, totally PO-ed that the new blade cut worse than the old, worn-out one. A neighbor, hanging out in my garage while I was taking 60 minutes to cut through a 2×4 finally told me what was wrong. It is funny now. It was not funny then.

I graduated to building sheds, and then later on, got into building out-building for our horses. Hay barns. Horse stalls. Loafing sheds. Breeding stalls. Tack room. And to do those projects, I also graduated to pneumatic tools, nailers, skill saws, electric drills and drivers, etc.

Finally, I realized that I needed better cutting tools so I bought a Craftsman table saw and a Craftsman Radial arm saw. You old-times will remember when the Tool of the Century was the radial arm saw. I needed the table saw because we had started to use sheet goods and the radial arm saw was so quick and easy for cross cuts, especially on the thick, long lumber we used on the out-buildings….bought right from sawmill.

So, I had developed some carpentry skills……………and had some carpentry tools.

I stayed a weekend carpenter for the next 30 years…….. until 5 years ago.



Part Two

I developed heart problems at age 45.

To shorten a very long and eventful story, let me just summarize that my heart disease didn't slow me down too much for the first 10 years, then a little worse for the next 5 years, and then severely limited my activity level for the next five years………………which are the last 5 years until today.

Gone now are all the horses and barns and tractors and trucks and pastures.

I miss them so much.

One horse in particular.

And all of the people and activities with whom we associated or participated in while in the horse business.

I was pretty sick for a year…….about 5 years ago.



3. Tell us a bit of history of your journey from that beginning to where you are today

And then the Doc's got me feeling better with the right surgeries and right meds.

So, I was feeling pretty good….......and got STIR CRAZY.

I had to work on something. I had to build something. I had to make something.

So, I really pondered this issue………..what I liked to do, what Could I do (physically) that would satisfy my need to not only stay busy, but to actually produce something of tangible value.

I like tools. I am a tool junkie. I took my grandfathers advice and bought so many tools. Never saw a tool I didn't have to have.

I began to tinker in the garage. Just little stuff. Closet remodeling. More and better shelving for THE BOSS's stuff.



Had to pay someone to build a 12×20 shed for me. Just killed me to have to pay someone to do that……….that would have been 4 weekends for me and a buddy.

More shelving out there.

And, I had been buying/splurging on any tool that I thought I might possibly want or need.

I began to make a few little "nice" things for in-the-house.

And made some things for the grandkids.

One day while my wife shopped in a big box store, I did my usual thing and grabbed a couple of magazines and went over and made myself comfortable in the furniture department.

One of the magazines I grabbed was (and still is) a mainstay magazine on woodworking.

"Hey, I like this. I want to build this. We could use this"

"I can build this"

A life changing event……….truly.

And one I was actually pretty well equipped for.

So, I gave the old table saw and radial arm saw to a son

And got Unisaw,

Went all-out on a router table.

Got a good drill press.

You can never have enough clamps became a motto



Bought a very good sliding miter saw.

And bought every possible goodie for all these tools.

4. What inspires you regarding wood creations?

I need to stop here for a second and mention something.

I study the hell out of something before I buy it.

Drives my wife nuts sometimes.

Not study for hours………….I study for days!

And that is how I found LumberJocks.

I can Very honestly and candidly say that every tool I have bought (of any significance) has been from the research I did on LumberJocks.

Also, I have several hundred "Favorites" on LumberJocks.

Projects that I want to build or contain a skill that I either already have or want to learn, or specific tools are mentioned or products (like sanding and finishing) that I want to keep available for when I need it

All of you folks on LumberJocks have made a HUGE contribution to my life by simply sharing photos of your incredible projects, your review of tools and your comments regarding the projects themselves coupled with your comments on the tools and skills and techniques used.

99% of what I build and how I build it and the skills and tools needed to do the build………….have all come from you folks.



5. What are the greatest challenges that you have met along the way? (and how did you overcome them)

Well, for me it was physical health that was the greatest challenge.

Candidly I never should have done some of the projects I have done.
Projects like the MAJOR shelving projects out in the shed………..it is actually two segments, the shed is 12×20 and the addition is 10×20 open on two ends for the ATV and the tillers, mowers, stuff like that.

I put up a huge amount of shelving out there. Way more than I should have.

I am blessed with such a wonderful wife. She is a couple of decades younger than am I (true) and she helps so very much. Cutting up sheet goods, carrying stuff I cannot handle, getting under the table saw when the exhaust gets plugged. She is the third hand when I need one while building something, and she actually does the work when I just cannot do it anymore and have to rest.

And, (also true) she insists……no…she DEMANDS….that I buy any and all tools that I even think I might like or need.

Like Joe Cocker………in that great voice and song of his………."You are so wonderful……to me".

So,…….. now I have left that "I can do that" phase….

And now I am only building small projects. But they are "special" projects to me ……that I am either building …..or going to build. They have to be "special" to me. This one might be the last one.



I want to build:

A secretary table (that has a very delicate appearance) for next to our front door. 5 ft tall, with a writing surface and cubby holes and/or drawers. Delicate long tapered legs.

I am presently building a 12×48 x 6 combination jewelry box wall mirror on the outside. Two equally sized doors that open into the area where she can hang her jewelry. White Oak. It is going very well, so far.

Also, working on several cutting boards and cheese boards for Christmas.

(A "trick" I thought of and have been using: I make the cutting boards a foot longer that usual, then cut off that "extra foot" and make a cheese slicer out of it. No extra glue ups, very little extra wood…. way cool process to get a few extra "very nice" presents extremely easy).



6. What is the greatest reward that you have received from woodworking? (personal or tangible)

Learning. I love learning.

Tools

Building the projects themselves.

Living life as best I can.

Creating something that is ME.



7. What is your favorite tool that you use for woodworking?

Router Table.

Table saw sled…………..I love how I almost always take it for granted that it will cut "true" every time.

Ridged Sander



8. What is your favorite creation in/for your woodworking?

Being at this phase of my life, it is truly just being blessed with enough days to plan and build and finish a project.

Job well done……and done with such genuine joy.

And "Thanks for this extra day".

How can I ever express that enough ???

9. What tips would you give to someone just starting out or currently struggling with woodworking?

Do not just blindly throw your self into a project until you have (seriously) determined what tools you will need, what wood you want to use, what skills you will need (or need to acquire) the order in which you will do the build and how you are going to "sand and finish" the project.

My biggest challenge, when I first started to make nicer pieces was doing things in the correct order. Example, now I dye or stain AFTER I dry fit everything. I plug the holes or mortises with sponge so the stain stays out and the glue will hold. Then assemble. (just one very poor example…………there are so many others).

Don't think plans are canonized epistles. Many have wrong measurements or do things in the wrong order.

Learn proper gluing. I made so many mistakes with glue. And almost always because I used too much glue and too much clamping pressure.

Your tools absolutely must be reliably square.

Buy used, but good quality tools……..particularly your power tools.

My experience has been that if you take a little time, you can find a tool that someone bought and hardly ever used. Or a wife (widow) who is selling her husbands tools……….and who was a guy that took as good of care with his tools as you will if they were yours.

Good as new. And at half the price. But, be picky. Walk away if it doesn't fulfill your EVERY want and need.



10. How did you find LumberJocks and what is it that keeps you coming back?

Miss Deb……………..I think I covered that already, however, another bonus…. I found a buddy from the same Unit that was in-country at the same time I was. We did not know each other….............until we hooked up through comments on a project. And I have made very good friends with a LJ and his wife via LJ. We now correspond almost daily. We visited them at their home/shop a while back and they are coming down here next week.

Thanks for asking me to do this. Very humbled and honored.

And a Post Script:
I am not a craftsman. Really, I am not.

I have come to realize that I am not really a woodworker. There are so many artisans on LumberJocks. True woodworker CRAFTSMAN.

I invented a term for what I am:

I am a wood machinist.

I get the proper tools

I get the tools setup very very accurately

And then I machine the wood

And follow the "tricks of the trade" that I have learned.

I feel my time on LumberJocks has been an apprenticeship.

One that I have certainly not finalized, but I am more skilled at machining wood for assembly and finish than I was 1 or 2 or 3 years ago.



FOLLOW-UP - Part II
As mentioned, Bruce hasn't been well and as a reminder that, well, as he says, "It reminds me that it is of no use to me today……and I give God thanks for waking ume p this morning and giving me another day."



And this project in honour of the Ms who is at his side, encourages the purchase of tools and helps with projects, doing tasks that he can no longer do himself.


**
And thanks to you for doing the interview!!
 
#776 ·
Jordan Straker

This interview, with Jordan Straker, is from the January 2014 issue of our LumberJocks' eMag.



Tell us how you started into woodcarving
I started carvings after an arthritis operation on my hand in 1988. That Christmas I got a Dremel and said "What on earth am I going to do with this - I don't fix cars!" But in the manual 1001 things to do with a Dremel, was a picture of someone carving a little bird and I said "I bet I could do that" and my brother said "I dare you." I never refuse a dare.

I carved a pretend bird that was mostly carved with a scissor sharpening bur and was outlandish but dang, if it didn't win "Best of Show" at a local carving competition. The judge said "What is the name of that bird anyways?" "Oh" I replied, "That's the, um, yes, Brown Flicker Flasher." So what initially caught my interest about carving was that huge ribbon I hung out of my car window as I drove home.



And your journey, since that beginning?
The journey has been a long one because I want to create everything out of everything. I just love to make things.
The only challenge is the time it takes to hog the wood off. The rest just comes naturally which is a huge and appreciated blessing for me.



What is your favourite tool?
My favorite tool is the Dremel 732. It's the industrial model that Dremel sent me to demo in 1990 and it while it is now out of circulation, it is still running fine to this day and I would be lost without it. Other than that, I use a 4" chain on a circular grinder and go through about 4 Dremel 4000's per year.


(Yes, that is a wood carving.)

What is your favourite creation?
My native and western themes are my favorite creations because they are so versatile and I can let my imagination run wild.



What tips do you have for beginning woodworkers?
I am a carver, not specifically a wood worker and there is so much about wood working in general that I haven't a clue about so I cannot give any tips to struggling wood workers but as carver I can only say that putting in time is what makes a person progress.



How did you find LumberJocks.com and why do you keep coming back?
I don't recall how I found Lumberjocks but immediately upon joining, I was bombarded with comments from the friendliest online people I had ever encountered. These days I do a lot of gourd carving and I feel somewhat like a traitor or possibly infringing on the topic of lumber so I haven't posted much but I often look in on my old friends and appreciate the support they have always shown me, no matter what project I displayed.



And, Jordan - we appreciate you stopping by and for taking the time to do this interview!
 
#777 ·
Jordan - you are always someone who I admire a great deal. I am proud to call you my friend! Congratulations on the article and well-deserved recognition.

Sheila
 
#796 ·
JL7

This interview, with JL7, is from the February 2014 issue of our LumberJocks eMag


1. How did you first get started working with wood?

My dad always had a woodshop, and I guess my first memory was building Pinewood Derby cars back in my Cub Scout days. My very first car took first place (for speed) in our pack. Pretty thrilling for a little guy. I did take the woodworking class in High School, but all in all I didn't build much in the early days.



2. What was it about woodworking that initially caught your interest, enticing you to get into it at the level you are now?

My story might be a little different than others, since I had a 29 year stretch where I didn't do any woodworking (from High School until 2008). I have always liked to build stuff, when I was a kid, I had an Erector set and was also into building model cars from kits. In both cases though, I tended to make up my own rules and deviate from the written directions. This holds true today in my work.

It was really just 5 years ago that I really "discovered" woodworking. I had never worked with hardwood before that and would have say that once I discovered the magic of Hard Maple, it was all over.



3. Tell us a bit of history of your journey from that beginning to where you are today

I'll give the quick version. As previously stated, I always like to build stuff, plus most of my working career has been in manufacturing. I just love to build and fix things. For many years, and for many reasons, I've never had a proper workspace.

I bought this house in 2008 and it had a tiny little workshop in the basement, like 7' x 16'. That little shop sold the house for me. Woodworking wasn't in the brain anywhere, just a cool little workspace to build stuff. First tool purchase was a bench grinder. Then a power miter saw, because I had to rebuild the shed in the backyard. Then a bench top drill press. Again, no woodworking, just a little shop. Spent many years wishing I had a place to putter.

Was at the big box store one day, and walked past the "craft wood" display. Picked up a few pieces on a whim and built some (fairly crude) boxes.

The first challenge was finding wood. I was tearing apart old furniture and scavenging 2×4's to build stuff. Then I discovered the "Materials" section of Craigslist and with the depressed economy, I discovered some really great buys on wood. That was the beginning of my wood hoarding obsession.

In the meantime, my tiny little shop now had more tools than anyone could ever imagine having in 112 square foot space. After 3 additions, the shop now occupies 75% of the basement. Lost in the process was a finished family room. I call it de-modeling……..

The original little shop space is now just wood storage, along with the utility room, the garage and the shed, plus several wood stashes in the working shop. Having a wood stash is huge when you don't have great planning skills. I believe having cool wood available when inspiration hits is key. I can say for me, that I wouldn't have the patience to purchase wood for each specific project. Plus, as most of you know, sometimes the wood dictates the project….

I have some cool wood that is still too sacred for my woodworking skills. I hopefully look for the day that changes…..



4. What inspires you regarding wood creations?

Since we live in the internet age now, it's really hard for me to imagine how people prior to this would learn such a craft. My hats off to the greats of the past who forged the way for us to learn now. Many of them are members here.

That being said, the greatest inspiration I have were from fellow LJ's. There are many, but specifically Steve (Spalm), Martyn (Britboxmaker), David (Patron) and Larry (Degoose) were some early inspiration for me.

I look at some of the incredible stuff posted here, then think, that's impossible. Then say, well it is possible, because they did it. I want to post projects that people say, that's impossible…

I also try to build things using pure wood joinery and try to avoid other mechanical fasteners (screws and such).

Honestly, most of my stuff is just glue and hope……truth.



5. What are the greatest challenges that you have met along the way? (And how did you overcome them)

Three Things:

1. Patience - It doesn't come naturally for me. I don't always overcome this one, and those projects usually don't get posted. This is an on-going issue, but I'm much better at understanding that some things just take time.

2. Wood movement - It's something you can read about, but it is really something you need to experience. I am just now getting to the point where I think I have some understanding and attempt to design correctly for it. Lot's more to learn here……

3. Respect for the tools - This is an ongoing challenge - the table saw requires your "A" game every day.



6. What is the greatest reward that you have received from woodworking? (personal or tangible)

Almost all of my stuff is given away as gifts, so seeing the reaction of the recipient is the best. I'm sure many others have experienced this pneumonia where some (non-woodworking) folks ask how you colored that wood. LOL!

Of course the wood is the star here, and I don't ever use stain or such, just the natural colors…..

One footnote, I have friends and family that say "where did this (woodworking thing) come from?" I'm really not sure…….



7. What is your favourite tool that you use for woodworking?


For sure, the workbench. No stats on this, but 95% of the project time is on that bench. Everything starts and ends there. I view my workspace in 3 dimensions. When I sit at my bench, I have access to so many things…. it's like the cockpit of a fighter jet.

Second would probably be those crazy Incra fences……I have one on the router table and one on the table saw. Accuracy…….wood moves, we need every advantage we can get!



8. What is your favourite creation in/for your woodworking?

That would have to be the bench again. It is really one of those things I still wonder how I did it, but like so many things in this world, it only happens if you make the effort. I say that because there are so many things left that I need to make the effort for. Also, folks like SuperDav (Dave) were a great for moral support. Thanks Dave.



9. What tips would you give to someone just starting out or currently struggling with woodworking?

Try stuff. Safely of course. Reading is great, but hands on is where you learn. Understand that what you envision may not be what you get, and be ok with that. Sometimes you get more than you ever imagined.



10. How did you find LumberJocks and what is it that keeps you coming back?

I'm a computer guy so LumberJocks was always popping up in Google when I searched for anything woodworking. It took me a year to actually sign up because I was intimidated by all the talent here, but I lurked before that. The projects page has always been the shining star in my mind, but the friends I have met here keep me coming back. Some of them are a bit quirky, but I'm sure I'm not all there either……

[And one last project .. didn't know how to fit this one into the interview but definitely wanted to include it .. .so ending with a bang???!!]
 
#797 ·
What a great view into your WW adventure….
Much sage advice hidden in this interview!

I too am inspired by the same folks, as Jeff has been….
Except my list includes Jeff!!!

Love seeing your projects and most importantly, the blogs explaining YOUR process…
The blogs are informative & inspiring!!!

Carry on, Jeff….
I need more inspiration!!!
 
#819 ·
Knotscott

This interview, with knotscott is from the March, 2014 issue of our LumberJocks eMag



1. How did you first get started working with wood?
Woodworking was an evolution that went from watching lots of home shows on TV, to trying to do small projects around the house myself, to taking on bigger projects. While rebuilding our front porch railings, I made a chamfer cut on a post with a borrowed router that totally changed the way the post looked. After that I was hooked for life! My reaction was, "wow! …I did that?!". The things that can be done to wood have fascinated me ever since.



2. What was it about woodworking that initially caught your interest, enticing you to get into it at the level you are now?
Being able to change the shape of a piece of wood with a simple tool was pretty intriguing to me. It wasn't long before I wanted to try every technique, every type of wood, and every tool at least once….I haven't gotten there yet.



3. Tell us a bit of history of your journey from that beginning to where you are today
For as far back as I can remember I've had an interest in building things, and understanding how things work. Once I got married and had a house and a family, being able to do basic maintenance and repairs myself was a financial necessity. Lack of a tool budget and lack of knowledge were big obstacles when I got started in woodworking, but like many others, I bought what was available and just started making stuff. Over time, my knowledge of tools and the ability to use them grew, but it was disproportionate to my discretionary funds to buy tools. I got pretty good at spotting bargains on used tools, and began refurbishing and reselling some of them to supplement the tool purchases I really wanted. In time, I was able to put together a small shop that far exceeds my current capabilities…with any luck they'll last long enough for me to actually get proficient with all them!
Somewhere along my journey of acquiring tools, I got sidetracked with a fascination of saw blades. It actually stemmed from a frustrating experience with my first aftermarket carbide tipped saw blade. At the time $20 seemed like big bucks for a saw blade, but this one didn't cut well, and didn't stay sharp very long….frustration and curiosity led to me experimenting with over 70 different blades. I didn't keep them all, but the experience taught me a lot about good saw blade performance at an amateur level.



4. What inspires you regarding wood creations?
Beautiful wood and unique or clever design is always inspiring to me. My tastes lean towards Mission/Craftsman, and Greene & Greene type styles, but I often only start with a flavor of those styles, then evolve things to suit my whims. The vast majority of my projects have been furniture and items for around the house, and for friends and family members. Building something special for a fraction of the retail cost is also pretty motivating to me.



5. What are the greatest challenges that you have met along the way? (and how did you overcome them)
The biggest challenges I've faced have been shop space, lack of tool budget, shop time, and inexperience. Shop space will remain an issue for the foreseeable future, but many layout changes have at least made it functional and fun for me. I have 6 kids and work full time outside the house, so finding time for the shop is also an ongoing issue. It really boils down to a matter of priorities…when the need arises, I take whatever time I can to get into the shop. More shop time means more experience, so it helps solve the problems caused by inexperience…the wonders of the internet can really help cut down on trial and error, but nothing replaces hands-on experimenting. Another issue I face is that is that just about everything I build is a prototype….I've purchased plans just once, and never did use them. I do the best I can trying to plan the next step and thinking things through, but inevitably mistakes or oversights happen….I learned a long time ago to forgive myself quickly and move on….unlike many costly items, this stuff does grow on trees! Finding ways through a mistake can actually lead to some pretty cool discoveries….it's all part of the appeal.



6. What is the greatest reward that you have received from woodworking? (personal or tangible)
Woodworking means a lot of different things to me. There's the uniqueness of each type of wood, the joinery and woodworking techniques, the tools and the shop layout, and then there's the design and creativity of making stuff. It's multifaceted and appeals to me in many ways. It's all very rewarding to me, but the greatest satisfaction comes from seeing people enjoying and using the fruits of my labor. A lot of the pieces I've made have come from repurposed wood….much of it given to me for free by friends and family. There have been many times that I've taken some repurposed wood and made it into something special for a family member or friend. Giving the wood back to the person who gave it me as a new and unique item has brought more than one weepy moment for the recipient…..that's incredibly rewarding for me.



7. What is your favorite tool that you use for woodworking?
The things that can be done with a router are very cool and nearly endless, but the router itself isn't as intriguing to me as my 3hp cabinet saw. There's just something about the 540# of precision cast iron and steel mechanisms that evokes a primal "Tim the Toolman Taylor" grunt of satisfaction….so without question, my table saw is my favorite tool.

8. What is your favorite creation in/for your woodworking?
My wife will tell that the gas fireplace installation and mantel project is her favorite, but my favorite are the three electric guitars I've made for my kids. I don't play, so learning the nuances of making a guitar was a stretch for me. The first two were traditional looking custom hard body guitars that were challenging and satisfying to build….upgraded proprietary electronics give them a unique original sound. The third was less of a challenge, but was still a lot of fun to build….the body was actually an oak toilet seat. We call it the "Telecrapper", and it always fun to bring out when the kids have friends over. Ultimately, watching the kids make music with something I made has been the pinnacle of woodworking for me!



9. What tips would you give to someone just starting out or currently struggling with woodworking?
Keep at it. Make whatever you want to with whatever you have….where there's a will, there's a way. Everything else stems from that desire.

10. How did you find LumberJocks and what is it that keeps you coming back?
My first recollection of LJ's was a mention on another forum. I like the visual and physical format a lot… the blogs, the reviews, the favorites, the workshops, etc., are all great. The huge welcome I got at LJ's was really neat too. Overall, it's an active and welcoming community with great participation that I've enjoyed being part of. Don't change it!

 
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