A Cup of Coffee and a Trip to Sumner Woodworking Supply
So, picture this: it’s a crisp Saturday morning, the kind where the leaves are just starting to turn and there’s a chill in the air that makes you want to wrap your hands around a steaming cup of coffee. I was sitting on my porch, thinking about this little woodworking project I had been itching to get started on. Yeah, I know—I probably should’ve just taken a break and relaxed. But that’s not how I’m wired, you know?
Anyway, I had this brilliant idea about building a rustic coffee table. I don’t know what it is about coffee tables, but they’re like some rite of passage for us DIY folks. Everyone thinks they can just throw one together, but man, is it different when you actually get into it.
Now, living in my small town, we don’t have a Home Depot extravaganza on every corner, but we do have this magical little place called Sumner Woodworking Supply. It’s like stepping into a time capsule of sawdust and warm wood smells. As soon as you walk in, the air is filled with that rich, earthy aroma of freshly cut timber. Can’t beat it. And the folks there know their stuff. I’d go in on the weekends, shoot the breeze with the staff who feel more like family than just folks I talk to in a store. We’ve shared everything from tips for cutting joints to what stain goes best with oak.
So, there I was, wandering the aisles at Sumner. I was feeling inspired, but also a bit overwhelmed. Sure, I had this vision of a rugged, farmhouse-style table, but I wasn’t quite sure where to start. I strolled past the pine, which smells almost like fresh pancakes when you cut into it, and thought, "Nah, that’s too basic." Then there was this gorgeous piece of walnut. Goodness, the grain on that wood was like something out of a painting. I picked it up, and it felt solid in my hands, which is always a good sign. I could practically hear it whispering, “Take me home!”
So, I grabbed that walnut and some maple for the legs, thinking it’ll give that perfect contrast. Then, of course, came the tools. I had my trusty miter saw but felt like I needed to treat myself to a new router. Ah, yes, the sweet sound of a router humming away, carving out some beautiful edges. But I’ll be honest, I didn’t know how to use it properly. I mean, I’d watched a couple of videos late at night—always a dangerous move—and figured it couldn’t be that hard, right?
Fast forward to me back in my garage, wood everywhere and tools sprawled out like I was about to throw a miniature lumberjack competition. I was feeling pretty good until I realized I hadn’t marked my cuts. I thought, “Eh, I’ll just wing it.” Spoiler alert: never wing it!
When I finally fired up that router, it made this awful screech that echoed off the garage walls. And then, when I tried to make the first pass, it snagged on the wood like it was trying to wrestle it into submission. Let’s just say I ended up with a couple of deep gouges that should have been smooth edges. I could’ve easily folded my arms and declared the project dead right then. I was pretty close to hurling the whole lot into the nearest dumpster.
But then came one of those moments—you know, the ones that make you laugh about how silly you were being. I took a deep breath, sat down on my workbench, and had a little chat with myself. “Look, you’re not going to make a masterpiece the first time around. Just give it another shot.” After a couple of deep breaths and a bit of coffee swirling in my cup, I decided it was time to hit the reset button.
I headed back to Sumner with my tail between my legs, feeling a little foolish, but the staff didn’t bat an eye. They were super encouraging, almost like they’d seen my kind before. I picked up some new router bits, and one of the guys even showed me how to use the tool properly—turns out, I just needed to adjust the speed and let the bit do the work instead of wrestling it like a bull.
Back in the garage, everything changed. This time, I took my time, measured twice (okay, maybe three times), and channeled my inner craftsman. The router whirred, and to my shock, it actually worked! I couldn’t believe how smooth that wood turned out. It was like I was unearthing something beautiful that had been hiding beneath a rough surface.
After many late nights, a few more misfires, and a lot of coffee (and maybe a slice of that lovely coffee cake from the cafe down the road), my rustic coffee table was born. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine. I took a step back and laughed, thinking about how I almost quit. It’s funny how woodworking can mirror life sometimes. You mess up, you feel like throwing in the towel, and then you figure it out, one little adjustment at a time.
So, if you’re thinking about diving into a project, go for it! Don’t worry about messing up or feeling like you’re in over your head. Embrace the mistakes; they’re part of the journey. You might just end up with something that brings you a little piece of joy every time you look at it. And who knows? You might find a little community of folks at your local supply store, ready to share a story or two when you need it most.
