How long has it been?

[leehljp]

The first project that I remember was a "toy" boat 2 ft long - frame and slats, (don't remember the correct terms) - of my own design when I was about 8 and that was 54 - 55 years ago. Worked OK, it did leak, and I learned to choose my wood more wisely. Cypress would have been better.

[Wood_workur]

Started doing real work in 6th grade, and I got my table saw in 7th. I'm now in the 12th grade, which puts me at 5/6 years.

[woodturner]

The sail was made of pillow ticking (remember that?).

The local sailing club works with kids to get them interested in sailing. We have them build a boat and sail it the same day. It's a simple skiff and the parts are precut. It's really only big enough for a child, but it works. We use Tyvek for sails.

[cork58]

I guess it all started in High School. My book ends were something only a mother would put out for view in the house. I backed off after that but as I grew in years I came back. My wife wanted something for the barn and after I built it for her she would'nt put in the barn. I must admit it came out pretty good. I made some special things for her tack, put the ranch brand on the doors and made a seceret drawer for hiding things in. Just knoty pine but did hand, and I mean hand rub good oils in for a finish. Took most of the winter but had it ready for Christmas. Made her cry and I've been hooked since. I make her something every now for Christmas, some are funny, some are not, and not meant to be like my fathers flag case 3 yrs ago. I beleive that allot of love goes into each thing that I make and sign someplace and give a history of why and where the thought came from.

Cork

[master53yoda]

My first project was rebuilding a house after a fire when I was 24 It took me 18 months on a 900 ft house. cabinets sheetrock and everything.
The insurance company found a reason to not pay. I bought it from my brother and the first names never got changed on the policy. so they refunded the policy fee 3 years worth.instead of paying because i didn't have insurance and my brother didn't have a loss. the worst part is it was legal according to the insurance comissioner, he also told which company did it with out me telling him.....

[toolbelt diva]

I took wood shop in middle school and made a paper holder and van bank (which I still have). Can't remember what else I made... Years later I found this forum and got a BT3100 for my birthday or did the tablesaw come first? Asked for more power tools for that Christmas. Made a mobile base for the BT and then a swinging door gate for our fence. Then my mom passed, we had two children, and now almost 5 years later I'm back and wanting to get started again. Still have unused power tools waiting to be opened. Asking for subscriptions to mags this Christmas. Would like to make a small arbor and toy chests next.

[dbhost]

My first "woodworking project" was a pinewood derby car when I was a cub scout. Dad cut it out on the band saw, I got to sand it on the spindle sander and with a block sander... It looked like a mix between a 1960s drag rail, and a Chiquita Banana... That was in the late 1970s. In the early 1980s, one of the few classes I wasn't constantly getting in trouble in was wood shop, through junior high, and high school. Post high school was a woodworking void until a little over two years ago when LOML encouraged me to pursue woodworking. I have built the shop up, and re-learned some pretty rusty skills. Most of my projects have been closer to awful than awesome. But they are coming out better and better...

The projects I am proudest of are the step stool (completed, last years Birthday present to LOML), the heart shaped advent candle stand (Anniversary gift for LOML, she wanted a special advent candle holder, since our anniversary is in December, I decided to integrate bits of our wedding into it. The candle holders are in the shape of a cross. Let's see, the walnut and red oak cutting board that is on the bench right now in clamps, I know I will need to plane it down a hair, but not too much, and even without a finish the color contrast is stunning...

[chopnhack]

Not very long, for about as long as I have been a member here I guess. Sure, I have created some odds and ends before that, but nothing to be considered fine woodworking until more recent. To date my best piece would have to be the children's rocking horse in walnut. Followed by the wide step stool.

[jaybee]

Many balsa and paper model airplanes - back when dope was a good word. Still use, and just refurbished my 46 year old grade 9 3 step ladder/stool.

[billwmeyer]

My first project was to make a couch from a free Georgia Pacific redi-cuts brochure that I picked up at a store where I was working. It was made from pine and for a finished I scorched it with a propane torch. The cushions were made of foam rubber which I cut to size with an electric knife. My tools at the time were all Black and Decker a 1/4" drill, a jig saw and a circular saw. I finished it in 1 day, except for the upholsery, which my mom did for me a few weeks later. It was fun and I was amazed at the result. This was sometime in the late 70's.

Although I did a lot of remodeling over the years, my next furniture project was many years later when I built a cradle for my grandson. I got inspired by Norm.

Bill

[JR]

Do the years of staring at Norm's work count? If not, then it's been about 10 years, when LOML bought me the BT3K with router and router kit package at Costco.

I spent a long time believing that I had a homeowner/handyman's workshop. I managed to make a complete a number of decent projects, albeit slowly and with sawdust EVERYWHERE! Once I decided to commit myself to being a "woodworker" things go more smoothly. I'm not sure the quality is any better, though!

JR

[cwsmith]

I replied "6 years", but even that is sort of a stretch when I see the variety and quality of craftsmanship that most of you post. My projects are getting better/more challenging as I now have more time and a slowly growing ability to do things in the house that we've always wanted. I guess my "six years" covers the period that I've concentrated on buying tools and exercising my limited talents to build things to fit the house.

But things like the library and the wife's cookbook room are still bordering on general carpentry, rather than "working" wood. For me, cutting boards to length, squarely, and then fastening them together to make a bookcase or window seat just doesn't seem to live on the same par as building a fine piece of furniture, cabinet, or some of the many projects that I've seen and read about both here and on the Ridgid forums.

I've been doing "household carpentry" for a few decades. Stuff like a workbench for the son, a deck, trimwork, and other projects probably takes more ambition and education than it does "talent". Working with wood for sure, but not exactly "working wood".

CWS

[dkerfoot]

I still have the 2" scar from my first Pinewood Derby car, which happened to be scheduled shortly after I won a utility knife for selling whatever it was we sold back then (it wasn't popcorn yet).

I built a couple of projects in junior high shop class in the late 70's. I cobbled together some wall shelves and kid's furniture over the years. My first real project was 3-4 years ago. A two person swing with frame using cedar slats over a PT lumber skeleton. It looks better than it sounds and blends perfectly with our Cedar fence (with PT posts). I built that with nothing but a CS for cutting, a block plane for rounding the edges of the slats and a ROS. At the time, I was reading this forum and lusting after a BT3100.

Now I have many great tools and not so many projects to show for them. We already have a house full of quite nice wood furniture, so I tend to build small boxes and turn bowls. I also have increasing wood allergies and I end up with a headache even after using a full-face respirator and dust collector, so as much as I covet shop-time, I need to pick and choose.

[Rand]

When I grew up there was a vacant lot across the street with a tree house in it. I remember working on a second story for it.

I don't know how old I was (maybe 7). My dad gave me a hammer, a box of 6d nails and couple of wood scraps. He showed me how to use the hammer and I practiced until the box was gone.

[Norm in Fujino]

Like many others here, depending on how you define "working wood," I can't remember. We weren't particularly well off when I was growing up, and my dad was a handyman, so he always had a set of tools of one description or another, and I played at making my own toys. I still consider it a minor miracle that I arrived at adulthood with all my limbs and digits intact. I took two years of shop in 6th-7th grade, and made a few things there, but I don't consider my genuine woodworking to have begun until building my new house here in Japan 15 years ago. Necessity is the mother . . . as they say.