The Little Shop That Could: My Journey with Dave Alger Woodworking
So, picture this: it’s a rainy Saturday afternoon, and I’m sitting in my garage, a mug of coffee steaming beside me, and a pile of wood in front of me, just waiting to be transformed. Yeah, that’s right. I’m about to throw myself into another one of my woodworking projects—a hobby that kind of spiraled once I stumbled upon a few YouTube videos a couple of years ago. Believe me, it’s been quite the ride.
Now, you might have heard about Dave Alger’s woodworking. He’s this down-to-earth guy who runs a small shop and shares his wisdom on crafting furniture and all that, but honestly, the world of woodworking isn’t nearly as glamorous as Instagram would have you believe. It has its fair share of mishaps, mess-ups, and moments where you realize just how unprepared you are.
That One Time I Tried to Build a Coffee Table
Okay, let’s backtrack to one of my early endeavors—a coffee table for the living room. I figured, “How hard could it be?” This was before I even knew the difference between oak and pine. I decided to go with pine because it was affordable, and I thought it would look nice once stained. I trekked over to the local hardware store, feeling pretty confident until I got hit by the smell of sawdust and varnish. It was intoxicating, and I thought, “Yeah, I’m definitely cut out for this.”
I brought home some 2x4s and started sketching out my design right on the floor of my garage. I had my trusty miter saw—a solid little Dewalt that I always brag about to friends, but there I was, staring at my shaky lines, wondering if they’d even amount to anything.
First mistake? Not measuring twice and cutting once. I was so excited, hands just itching to get started, that I dove into cuts that ended up being way too short. I remember holding those tiny pieces, realizing they wouldn’t even support a coffee cup, let alone the way my wife loads up on snacks during movie nights.
The Struggle to Create
I almost gave up then. It was one of those “Why am I doing this to myself?” moments. But I took a breath, brewed another cup of coffee—which, honestly, is half of my fuel for these projects—and made a plan. If I wanted that coffee table, I had to secure my measurements first.
So, I took a step back, and for a good hour, I just sat there, measuring and re-measuring everything with my tape measure. Every inch felt like an eternity. But once I sorted it out, the smell of fresh-cut wood filled the air as I fired up the saw again, feeling that mix of anticipation and anxiety. It was that hum of the blade cutting through the pine that felt like a moment of triumph after all that self-doubt.
Learning to Laugh
Once I had the main pieces cut, I moved on to assembly. I grabbed my electric drill, also a bright yellow Dewalt (not sponsored, but hey, I could probably be their poster child at this point). I was attaching the legs when I realized I mixed up the screws; I’d used some that were too short. There I was, cursing under my breath because these legs were wobbling worse than a toddler learning to walk.
Somewhere in the midst of the frustration, I just started laughing. I mean, who screws up a coffee table, right? I thought of Dave Alger and some of the hilarious tales he shares about his early projects—like that one time he ended up building a chair upside down. I had to remind myself that even seasoned woodworkers have had their share of blunders.
Eventually, I got it right. I grabbed some larger screws and re-drilled everything without turning it into a total mess. The end result? A slightly crooked but still functional coffee table. I mean, it’s got character, right? I took a step back and thought, “That’s my coffee table and it’s got a story. It’s been through the war, just like me.”
The Joy of Creating
Every time I look at it—and believe me, I still do, every single day—I remember the ups and downs of that little project. The smell of pine still lingers in my nose when I sit down with my morning coffee, relaxed and sipping it while the kids are off to school.
It may not be perfect. Heck, it might even tilt a little if you place a drink on it just right. But you know what? It has stories. It’s a reminder that every scratch and dent tells a tale of a learning experience, a moment where I thought I wouldn’t succeed but pushed through anyway.
Wrapping Up My Thoughts
So, if there’s anything you take from this little coffee conversation about my mishaps in woodworking, let it be this: Don’t be afraid to dive in, even if it feels overwhelming. Every mix-up can lead to a lesson learned, and every project—no matter how crooked—has something valuable behind it.
The next time you’re staring down a stack of wood and feeling like you’re in over your head, just grab that cup of coffee, and remember that it’s all about the little moments that make it worthwhile. Sometimes, the mishaps become the best memories. Just go for it! You might surprise yourself like I did.
