2024-06-07
It’s a fact of life that all Software Engineers will eventually cocoon up, metamorphosing into their final state of curmudgeonly woodworkers. The question is not if, but merely when.
Here I wanted to just capture some of what I’ve worked on in the first three months since I’ve picked up the hobby.
I was lucky enough to find a great Makerspace nearby, with a great woodshop and cheap monthly subscription. There I’ve got access to most standard power tools, like a table saw, miter saw, drill press, jointer, and planer. While I use these semi-frequently, especially for the initial dimensioning of lumber, I’ve found myself preferring to work from home with just some simple hand tools whenever I can.
The main tools I’ve got at home include:
First project, and honestly should have started with something easier. While it looks kinda fancy on it’s own, it’s really just to help make some future projects. There are actually a total of 4 of these, with the ends of each cut at very specific angles.
The last project in this list used these heavily.
The makerspace has a large industrial laser cutter. While I wouldn’t really classify it as proper woodworking (the laser does too much of the work), it was fun to try and cut some designs. This one is a lesser known pattern from one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s houses.
My wife has a side business of a gluten free bakery (shameless plug - slaythegluten.com), and wanted to replace our wire shelving. Here I was fortunate enough to have the help of a friend who is an experience handyman. I also originally sketched out the design in Blender, which was it’s own learning experience.
I’ve got far from the ideal setup in my garage, but I make it work. Ideally I’d like to build a full-size workbench in the coming year, but wanted to figure out some of the basic techniques I would need on a smaller version. The added mass + vice still come in super handy, and it’s been easier to do projects since I’ve built it. I’ve also gotten a better idea of my workflow, and some features I’d want to both leave and add for a full-size bench.
After 3 months of getting distracted with other projects, I finally got to use the jigs I made as a first project. Even though this seems a lot simpler than the other projects, I’ve found it the most challenging.
Each of these strips has to be cut to precise lengths, and the ends chiseled at extremely precise angles using the jigs. The small gaps seen are where the cuts and angles are even ever so slightly off.
These patterns are still some of my favorite things to work on though, and I look forward to improving and starting to incorporate them into other designs.
I’ve really enjoyed the first three month’s I’ve spent woodworking. I’ve gone from pretty much never holding a hammer in my life, to feeling quite comfortable with a wide variety of tools. It’s refreshing to be entering a hobby where it feels like I know nothing, and have to work hard to build a new mental model. I’ve signed up for a number of local classes in the next month or two, so I’m excited to see where I’m at in the next three months.