The Day I Almost Got Scammed by Ted Woodworking
So there I was, sitting on my porch one summer afternoon with a cool drink in hand, the smell of freshly cut grass wafting in the air. I had been itching to start a new woodworking project—something a little more ambitious than my usual birdhouses or garden benches. I mean, I’ve dabbled in carpentry for years, and I thought, “Why not step it up a notch?” That’s when I stumbled upon this Ted Woodworking thing.
The Temptation
Now, let me tell you, the ads for Ted Woodworking were everywhere! You know how it is: you get sucked into one clickbait article about DIY projects, and suddenly you can’t escape the flood of affiliate links and promotional emails. “Over 16,000 plans!” it boasted. “Beginner to pro!” I mean, who wouldn’t get a little starry-eyed over that?
I’m no stranger to dropping a few bucks on tools and plans—you know, hoping it’ll make me the next DIY queen of the town. After a few unabashed rants to my wife about how I could finally build that dream shed (the kind you’ve seen pinned on Pinterest), I pressed that “Buy Now” button.
Reality Sets In
What a whirlwind of excitement that was. But then, when the plans arrived, it felt like I was handed a gift box full of mixed-up Lego pieces. I opened that digital folder and was greeted by a million PDFs. A little overwhelming, to say the least.
I flipped through a few, and oh boy, talk about feeling lost in a maze. One plan was for a garden swing, another for a complicated shelving unit that looked like it belonged in an architectural digest. I remember sitting back, scratching my head. “Am I really ready for this?” I asked myself, almost doubting my skills. Creosote from the pressure-treated wood I had on hand filled my nostrils while I sat pondering.
My wife walked by and joked, “You better not get all fancy on me.” She wasn’t wrong. I was on the verge of giving up.
The Fateful Decision
So, after a few days of seriously contemplating whether I’d just wasted my hard-earned money, I decided to pick a simpler project—something that wouldn’t make my head spin. I chose to go with a small side table. I pulled out all my tools: my trusty old miter saw, a corded drill, some sandpaper, and a jigsaw I bought on sale from Home Depot.
Selecting the wood was no easy task either. The local lumberyard smelled like heaven: freshly cut cedar—the kind that has that sweet, earthy aroma. I opted for cherry wood because I loved the rich color it would give. It was beautiful stuff, and I thought, “This is going to be a masterpiece.”
But the moment I got started, I realized I had bitten off more than I could chew with those Ted Woodworking plans. Halfway through, I felt like the plans didn’t even match the table I was trying to build! I felt as if I was piecing together a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces.
The Breakdown
I almost threw in the towel when I drilled my first pocket hole wrong. I still can hear that awful sound when the drill bit snagged. It made this ugly popping noise, and I was like, “Fantastic, just fantastic.” I laughed when it actually worked out in the end, but not before I’d managed to create a small mountain of sawdust and a few self-deprecating jokes directed at my craftsmanship.
Finally, after fighting with plans that seemed to change mid-execution, I stood back to admire my janky table. It wasn’t perfect—not by a long shot. One leg was a smidge shorter than the other, and the surface was probably a bit uneven. But it was mine. And, man, what a feeling it was to see it all come together.
Lessons Learned
I guess what I’m trying to say is, beware the allure of these grand plans. Sometimes the promises of 16,000 perfect projects lead to a lot of confusion and frustration—at least for this small-town woodworker.
I’ve since realized that sometimes simpler is better. I mean, I don’t mind a challenge and all, but if I had just jumped into that whole “pro-level” thing right away, I might’ve quit woodworking altogether. There’s something to be said about starting small and building your skills.
And here’s a tip for anyone thinking about getting into this: just go for it. Tackle those projects that excite you, but maybe avoid the ones that look great solely in photos or on a flashy website. It’s super easy to feel defeated when things don’t turn out as planned. But the joy of creating something, regardless of how it turns out, is what really matters.
So if you’ve got a project brewing in your mind or some wood in your garage, grab those tools! Start building. You might surprise yourself with what you can create—even if it starts out a little rocky.
