Coffee, Wood, and Lessons Learned: My Journey into John Lloyd Woodworking
So, let me set the scene for you. It’s a Saturday morning, and I’m sitting in my small garage that smells like freshly cut pine and… well, let’s not talk about the coffee stains on the workbench. You know how it goes—trying to keep everything tidied up is a lost cause when you’re knee-deep in wood shavings and half-finished projects. That’s how it all started for me with woodworking, really, or as I like to call it, John Lloyd Woodworking.
I should probably explain who John Lloyd is. He’s this amazing guy in town—an older gentleman who turns out stunning furniture and other unique pieces. I always thought his stuff was beautiful, and watching him work was mesmerizing. I mean, you’d see the care in his hands as he honed a chisel or the way he’d sand a corner until it was smooth enough to make my skin jealous. The man has a gift. One day I thought to myself, “Why not give it a shot? How hard can it be?” Oh, how naïve I was.
The First Project: A Simple Shelf
I decided my first project would be a simple floating shelf for my living room. Pretty straightforward, right? I went to the local lumber yard and got some nice pine—smelled like summer days and family barbecues. I was feeling good about this. That was until I got home and realized I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.
The first thing I messed up? Choosing the wrong tools. I had a jigsaw and a drill that I had bought on sale, but nothing more. I watched a ton of YouTube videos, but there’s just something about seeing it in person that makes things clearer. I thought, “How hard can it be to make straight cuts with a jigsaw?” Well, let me tell you, it’s a lot harder than it looks. After my first cut, which came out all wonky—I mean, it looked like the shelf was trying to do the limbo dance—I remember standing there, scratching my head, wondering if maybe I was better off sticking to my day job.
Power Tools and Patience (or Lack Thereof)
Next, I thought I’d give the sanding a shot. I’d bought this little palm sander, and let me tell you, that thing can vibrate your hand into oblivion. It smelled fantastic though, like freshly milled wood with a hint of sawdust. I was in my zone, feeling all artsy and stuff. Then I realized I hadn’t measured anything. At that point, I was splashing wood finish all over like I was Jackson Pollock. I almost threw in the towel thinking, “If I can’t even keep my wood clean, how am I supposed to make anything beautiful?”
But I rallied. I learned to stop and measure. I probably measured twice, cut once, and then went back for a third measurement just to be sure. And you know what? When I finally got that shelf mounted on the wall, it was like I had climbed a mountain. My wife walked in and did that little surprised nod. You know, the nod that says “Wow, you actually did something good!” It’s moments like those that keep you going.
A Curious Mishap: Wood Glue vs. My Dog
Now, if you think that was the end of my mishaps, well, here comes a doozy. I had just finished gluing the floating shelf brackets together. I was soaking in my short-lived success when my dog—good ol’ Rufus—decided it would be a good idea to treat my workspace like his personal jungle gym. With one little paw swipe, he knocked over the wood glue I had so carefully placed. I remember just staring at the glue slowly oozing down my freshly-sanded board, and I could almost hear a sad violin playing in the background. I laughed about it eventually but man, was I about to lose it at first.
Lessons from the Wood Shop
As with anything worth doing, I learned to embrace the chaos. I got tired of fighting against it and instead just dove into the mess. I started to appreciate the quirky mistakes and even the funny stories that came from them. Like when I accidentally left a screw sticking out and went to hang a picture. The picture frame? Yeah, that didn’t survive, but hey, at least I learned to look before I leap next time!
Also, I got better at picking tools; the difference between a decent jigsaw and a good one is night and day. I splurged on a Bosch, and my cuts? Let’s just say it’s like using a hot knife through butter. And I invested in a better sander—one that felt like an extension of my arm.
And can we talk about wood types? Oh, the sweet scent of cedar! I could sit in my garage and just savor that smell for hours. But honestly, splurging on good wood—like cherry or walnut—made a difference. It’s softer when you work with it, and the finish? Heart-eye emojis all around!
So, What Now?
If anyone’s thinking about diving into woodworking—just do it. Stop waiting for the “perfect moment” or “perfect tools.” I wish someone had told me that upfront. You’ll mess up, possibly a lot, but you’ll learn so much more than just how to cut and sand. You’ll learn about patience, laughter, and all those small victories that make life so rewarding. And trust me, there’s nothing quite like standing back to admire something you created with your own two hands—or finding out that you’ve managed to inadvertently create a one-of-a-kind “modern art” piece thanks to your dog.
So grab your coffee, some tools, and give it a whirl. You might just surprise yourself.
