Expert to Beginner

At last I have a workshop to play in! ...

After finally getting the spare room decorated, I have now moved my tools in and made some wood shavings. Tool storage is pretty basic at the moment but I hope to either build a tool chest or wall cabinet at some point.

As you can see from the photo below, the new bench is a nice size for such a small room and fits my needs fine as a beginning wood worker.

As expected, the bench does try to run away from me when planing heavily but its not to bad if I butt it against one of the walls and my tools are sharp. Its also too high for planing, although the perfect height for cutting, etc, so I might shorten the legs a little in time to get more weight down over the plane. Well see its early days...

Aside from a bench hook and generally playing around with scraps of wood, this small bedside table is the first thing I have ever made out of wood in my life! All done using hand tools only and no electricity aside from the room lights!

Its made using Half Lap joints from scrap wood (really soft Pine) thrown away by the next door neighbour and an old bed headboard, (which I think is African Mahogany) for the top. It took me 3 days to build it (including stripping heavy varnish from the Mahogany) and I have already learnt so much in those three days.

As a logical learning progression, I thought I would start with simple Half Lap joints and then progress on to Mortise & Tennons, Finger Joints and finally Dovetails.

I have some Mahogony offcuts from my boat, bought some pieces of cheap Pine from the timber yard and stock piled some old wood that was destined to be thrown away, so expect some more small projects soon.