Yes, there are but this is where I get to show off my students’ work, show off my work, and encourage you to press forward in your work.
I’m a carpentry instructor for our county’s public schools, dad of three teenagers, husband, and Army Reservist. I’ve also started chairmaking and teaching others the craft too. Some days I’m successful at balancing my commitments and dreams and other times someone is fussing and crying about the imbalance. Most days, it’s me…
Like many of you, I’ve learned to be independent and self-driven but I’m not a self-made man. This means that if I don’t work on a chair for a few days or for even weeks, there’s no one asking me why or encouraging me to get out to the workshop. But, I can’t claim that my success is all on my own. My school principal allows me access to the school shop for my Veteran’s group and classes and my wife looks the other way when I spend money on tools or lumber. I’ve learned how to make stick chairs from the books of Christopher Schwarz and John Brown and I’ve taken a class from Chris Williams. I’m constantly reading books that others have written and most of my projects are outright copies or adaptations of other people’s. As much as I take credit for my “success” due to my drive or ambition, I have to give credit to others for their help and knowledge, especially with my woodworking.
I really enjoy building and creating. From Legos to machining to welding to woodworking to… anything and everything. I have no formal training and have taken only two woodworking classes. Most of my spare time is spent reading, watching, and studying woodworking. So much that it’s become a borderline obsession (I like to call it nerding out). My wife teases me about the woodworking books that I read “for fun” and how exciting they must be.
I hope that this blog might help inspire, educate, or amuse you. And if it doesn’t, I’ll refund your money or you can just stop reading it. But really what this blog does is allow me to share a little more than other social media outlets are able to. It’s difficult to read anything more than a short paragraph on Instagram although it’s a great place to post pictures. I’m hoping that these two outlets will complement each other.
I just found your 'stack this morning and I'm glad that I did :-)