gmaffPappy

I'm a computer consultant and spend most of the week on the road with clients. When I'm home, and the family can do without me for a while, I love planning and building new projects to make the house a home.

My parents have always been into colonial and civil war era antique furniture. I grew up around it and always wanted to have a house full of it. Unlike my parents, I can't do the American Picker routine and travel through the country looking for those diamonds in the rough. There's not as much out there to find anymore. So, I'm set to building it myself.

When I had my house built, I had a third car garage with a 10' bump out on the back added. I even had an extra electrical panel installed with the hope of turning it into a wood working shop.

A couple of years ago, I had my garage finished, and in the process finally had the garages empty, second, electrical box filled and wired to 120v and 220v outlets. I felt like I was getting closer to the dreamed of wood shop.

Last winter I remodeled my office, its closet, and the bathroom right off the living room. I raised the floors 6", ran AV and power under the floor to an AV/Comm/Power floor box and up into the walls. I knocked out a wall to install french doors. The doors aren't in yet, but after seeing the precision and quality of the work I did on the rough carpentry, finished trim, wood floor, tile, etc. my wife (GOD BLESS HER!) agreed to not spend the $1500s on the french doors, and instead spend it on a nice table saw (which I've never owned), so I can eventually make the french doors. I guess the quality of the work made her realize it wasn't just a silly dream of mine, and I could actually build the things I've always talked about.

So, I've been geeking out on tools, shop plans, table saws, etc. During my research, I stumbled across this forum, and through I could learn a lot, and eventually, hopefully, have something to contribute.

-- If it's easy to do, you haven't spent enough time over engineering it.