Finding My Groove with Once A Tree Woodworks
You know how some folks have hobbies that just kinda click? Like, they’re meant to be doing it, you know? Well, for me, that’s woodwork—specifically, a little venture I started called Once A Tree Woodworks. I wasn’t always great at it, mind you (I still wouldn’t call myself great), but it has been quite the ride. Let me pour some more coffee and take you through a few ups and downs.
The Early Days
Ah, the smell of sawdust and fresh cedar. You ever take a deep breath when you walk into a workshop? It’s like an instant hug. But boy, did I struggle in those early days! I remember my first project vividly. Parents had a massive oak tree in their backyard that had to come down. I figured, “Why not turn that into something!” So, I grabbed my trusty old miter saw and just dove in headfirst.
Sliced it into boards, and man, that smell was divine at first. But then, reality hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn’t know anything about drying the wood. I ended up with a bunch of warped, cracked pieces that looked more like abstract art than anything useful. I almost threw them out, but, stubborn as I am, I thought, “Nah, let’s make something!”
You’ll laugh at what I attempted—an outdoor bench. Everything was going fine until I realized I forgot to account for the size of the wood once it dried. Would you believe I, for some brilliant reason, thought I’d make a bench with not one but two thick slabs? Let’s just say it didn’t work out as planned.
The Tools that Saved Me
Now, don’t get me wrong; I love my tools, but they’re sometimes like children—good one moment, complete chaos the next. After my bench fiasco, I invested in some clamps. Oh boy, did those make a world of difference. Just a couple of good F-style clamps, and suddenly, everything felt more manageable. Honestly, clamping stuff down was a game-changer. Prior to that, I was juggling wood pieces like they were some kind of circus act.
I also got myself a decent circular saw – a Makita, if I remember right. That thing sang when I turned it on and really cut through those stubborn oak boards. Mind you, the sound it makes when you slice through wood… it’s like music, especially when you finally make a clean cut after fumbling around with a jagged edge. It’s satisfaction in audio form.
Learning the Hard Way
And oh, the lessons I’ve learned. You know, there’s this one time I was working on a bookshelf for my brother. I hadn’t quite figured out the concept of measurements yet—good ol’ ‘measure twice, cut once’ was not in my mental dictionary that day. I thought I could eyeball it and ended up with two shelves too short. I nearly gave up right there; I was so mad that I actually tossed the boards across the garage.
I still laugh when I think about it now. It became a point of pride, putting my failings out there. Funny enough, my brother found the short shelves a “quirky feature.” We painted it bright red, and he calls it his “modern art installation.” Doesn’t take much to turn a failure into a family joke, huh?
The Moment of Triumph
Here’s a good one—there was this project that had me sweating bullets. I wanted to make my wife a nice little cutting board for her birthday. Keeping it simple had its own set of challenges, though. I opted for some walnut and maple—really beautiful woods when you put them together.
But you ever try to glue hardwood? That went sideways rather quickly. I was using Titebond III and the stuff wouldn’t dry fast enough. I kept checking, and it was like time itself was laughing at me. I was literally pacing around the garage, peeking at my “masterpiece” every five minutes.
Finally, I came to my senses. I clamped the whole thing down and let it cure overnight. When the morning came, I was terrified to look, but lo and behold, the wood was glued perfectly! I could hardly believe I had made something that actually looked like a cutting board and not a science project gone wrong. I felt ten feet tall, and for a moment, all my past disasters melted away.
Reflections Over Coffee
Honestly, at the end of the day, it’s all about the journey. Each piece has its own story, and every so often, when I look around my little workshop, I can point out the mistakes. That once-warped bench is now a coffee table in my living room, proudly showcasing some dings and scratches that have collected over the years.
If you’re thinking about diving into woodwork—no matter your skill level—just go for it. Don’t let the fear of messing up keep you from trying. If you mess up, you’ll learn something valuable, and who knows? One of those “failures” might just turn into your most cherished creation.
So, here’s to the sawdust, the misfits, and the random pieces of wood that hold our stories. Raise your coffee cup; it’s all a part of the grind!
