| Blog series by ejvc | updated 06-13-2014 03:03 PM | 5 parts | 8033 reads | 35 comments total |
Part 1: How a novice plans a first project
Hello everyone – my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a “crafty” sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas. I decided we’d make a toolbox, intended for the 9 “Red Toolbox” tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 s...
Part 2: Some things are assembled
In which the efforts of a novice and a five-year-old combine to build… something. So a couple of things are done; we have been inhibited by the snow on the balcony or “workshop” as I call it, and the fact that we are moving countries in under a week. We have glued and nailed the main box together. And painted it pink. Photos are in bad light, sorry. From this I have learned: I have no idea how to both hold a box together and nail it and the same time. How...
Part 3: Holes and cuts and left-handed question
In which the five-year old discovers the delight of making holes in wood, and the novice doesn’t have to do very much… So, I found my tools! Amongst which is a Japanese ryobi saw, the kind that cuts on the pull stroke and has a disposable blade. My woodworking teacher 6 years ago must have recommended this, because I had totally forgotten I had it. In my mind I have a tenon saw, but not in my box. I must say the ryobi cuts a lot cleaner than the bad saw we’ve been usi...
Part 4: Getting distracted and sidelined
Does your inspiration come from children’s books? Yesterday in the library we happened upon a book called “Castor snickrar” (Castor does carpentry) which is a child’s illustrated book about a beaver who is building a toolbox on his grandfather’s cabinetmaking bench. Much of it focuses on the names of the tools he uses, very handy since a) they are the very handtools that we have (eg brace and bit, hand drill, mallet) and b) I don’t know the names of any of...
Part 5: We are a lot further along!
My daughter had the brilliant idea of moving all the tools from where the workbenches are, out in the barn attic, to where the giant plywood table is, in the shop in the basement. So I went with it, and we’ve spent some time now finishing up our toolbox. Oh, it is badly constructed. Very badly. It is the opposite of a thing of beauty. And, it is far too heavy for a six-year old. But it is actually done! It is painted pink and red and has her name on the side, and the tools all fi...
