Just a Little Bit of Wood: My Adventures with Treeline Woodworking Supplies
You know how life can throw you curveballs sometimes? Like, you think you’re just going to build this simple shelf, and suddenly you’re standing in your garage, surrounded by wood shavings, at 10 PM on a Friday night, wondering what in the world went wrong? Yeah, that’s the kind of day I’ve had more than a few times.
Let me take you back a bit. A few months ago, I decided to tackle what I thought would be an easy project: a corner shelf for my living room. Nothing fancy, just something to hold my plants and a few knick-knacks. I thought, “How hard could it be? I’ve got my trusty miter saw, my drill, and a couple of cans of wood stain.”
So, off I trotted to Treeline, a local woodworking supply shop that I absolutely adore. It’s a quaint little place, tucked away in the corner of downtown. Nothing too flashy, but it’s got soul—wooden beams, that musky smell of freshly cut pine, and the faint sound of saws buzzing in the background. The owner, Ron, is like a walking encyclopedia of woodworking. He could tell you the difference between birch and maple without even thinking about it.
I strolled through the aisles, fingering the smooth grains of various woods, and finally settled on some pine. I mean, it’s sturdy, and let’s be honest, it’s pretty forgiving for a novice like me. I grabbed some other supplies too—a couple of clamps, screws, and a nice, rich walnut stain that smelled heavenly. Honestly, just being in that place was like stepping into a traditional old-world workshop; I could’ve spent hours chatting with Ron. But I had a project to get rolling on.
Now, the first mistake I made—oh boy, was it a doozy—was not measuring the space where the shelf would go properly. I got a bit cocky, thinking I could eyeball it. This led to some rather amusing moments when I got home. Picture this: me standing there with my cut pieces, trying to shove them into the corner of the room, and lo and behold, they didn’t fit. Not even close! I almost gave up right there, too. I was so frustrated; it felt like I’d wasted the money I spent at Treeline.
But instead of throwing in the towel, I took a deep breath, poured myself a fresh cup of coffee, and decided to take a step back. Sometimes you just gotta reset, right? I measured again, and… well, it turned out that my first cut was off by a good six inches. Who knew six inches would matter that much? I’d like to say I’ve learned my lesson, but let’s be real—I’ve repeated that mistake a few times since.
After reconciling with the tape measure, I got back to work and, honestly, it felt great. The smell of the wood, the sound of the saw slicing through, and the deep, soothing thud of the hammer—it all felt right. And when I finally got those pieces to fit, it was like blooming sunshine in my garage. I couldn’t help but laugh a little at how well it came together!
Now, this is where things started to get interesting. I moved on to the staining process, which, let me tell you, can be a bit nerve-wracking. You want it to look perfect, and there’s always that voice in the back of your head saying, “What if I mess this up?” But once I laid down that rich walnut stain, it just soaked into that pine, transforming it from a plain piece of wood into something warm and inviting. The smell was intoxicating; I could’ve bottled it up and sold it for a premium.
Of course, I had another moment of self-doubt when some drips started running down the edges. I almost freaked out, thinking I’d ruined it all. Instead, I grabbed a rag, wiped up the excess, and just took a moment to appreciate the beauty of the imperfections. Isn’t that the charm of woodworking? Each piece is unique, with its own story to tell.
After a few days of drying, I finally mounted that shelf. I remember standing back and just looking at it. It wasn’t perfect—there were a couple of spots where the wood came together in ways I wasn’t happy with—but it was mine. And it really brought a warmth to my living room that I hadn’t expected.
In the end, that little shelf became a sort of monument to my journey, a reminder of what I could accomplish. I chuckle every time I see it, thinking back on all the moments of doubt and frustration. If I could summarize my experience with Treeline and all that pine into one piece of wisdom, it’d be this: If you’re thinking about trying woodworking, just go for it. You’ll have mistakes along the way, maybe even moments where you just want to give up, but those moments? They’re part of the process. You’ll surprise yourself, and before you know it, you’ll have created something that brings you joy—imperfections and all.
So here’s to the next project, whatever it may be! There’s a world of wood out there, and I can’t wait to explore it a bit more.
