STIRRING UP A BIT OF SAWDUST BLISS

MY LAPTOP IS NOT MY FAVORITE TOOL ...

When I was about 10 years old, my neighbor and I decided to build a raft. I use the term build loosely, as it was just several layers of plywood scraps nailed together. It wasn’t well thought out, and at about 24 in. square, it was meant to hold only one person. When it came time to test our creation in a cattle water tank, at least I had enough foresight to allow my neighbor to take the raft on its maiden voyage, and I got to bike home dry.

I’ve learned a bit since then, especially in the five years

I’ve been at Family Handyman.

Starting here meant closing my cabinet and furniture shop. I hauled all my tools home and crammed them into my one-car garage, where they’ve been sitting untouched—except when I get to bust out some of my favorite hand tools for work in the Family Handyman shop.

When our woodworking issue rolls around, I’m always eager to start making sawdust and shavings again. The smell and feel of different species of wood are heavenly to me. I also love the process of coming up with a design and working out details.

Then the fun really starts: choosing my stock during a trip to the lumberyard, planing rough lumber to reveal the wood’s character, milling parts, cutting joinery, assembling and, finally, applying a finish. Finishing is always a big moment, when the wood really comes to life.

Right now, a resurgence in the popularity of woodworking is happening, and I think it’s because so many of us want to create something real and tactile in an increasingly virtual world. Our hands are meant for so much more than tapping a keyboard or swiping a screen.

It’s gratifying to see things in our imaginations become beautiful, finished products in our homes and know they can be enjoyed by generations to come. I hope the projects in this issue inspire you, wherever you are on your woodworking journey. We’d love to see what you’ve been building! Send your photos to submissions@ familyhandyman.com.

Are you planning to make holiday gifts for family or friends? How about DIY holiday decor? If so, enter our contest to win one of three $500 cash prizes!

SEE P. 4 FOR DETAILS