So they built a 2,400 square foot workshop in the backyard (yes, it’s bigger than the house). “It was supposed to be my husband’s workshop,” Katie said, “but I’ve kind of taken over.”

That started because they needed to furnish the home on a single-income budget. When looking at furniture, Katie soon came to the conclusion that, if they purchased power tools instead of buying ready-made furniture, they could build the furniture they wanted for a fraction of the cost.

After building the first project, a console table for the entryway, she was even more convinced: the cost to build was around $60, while purchasing a new one in the same style would have cost $500.

“I read other DIY blogs, and over time I figured out how to use different tools and learned methods for building things,” Katie said, noting that her formal woodworking education was limited to a few classes in junior high.

Katie soon became the family’s main builder, due in part to her husband’s busy work schedule.

And, a few months after beginning to build her projects for their home, she started a blog, addicted2diy.com, to document her experiences. “I’d read other blogs, and I felt I could offer my experiences. I had been sharing my projects with my friends and family on Facebook and decided that starting a blog would be a fun next step,” she said.

“When I first started the blog, I thought I’d do a little bit of everything: woodworking and crafts and recipes.” She soon found, however, that she had less time to devote to all those areas and, “Over the past two years, I have moved my focus more toward furniture and DIY projects.” The other stuff, Katie said, is “not as much of a passion.”

So far, all of her projects published on her blog have been projects that reflect her needs for her own house. “I like to be solve a problem and relate to people,” she said. “For instance, I built a media console two years ago: up until then, we had our brand-new TV sitting on a folding table.”

She learns something on every project, Katie said, and wants to share those lessons with her readers, whether that’s mistakes she’s made, a new way to use a tool or a specific tool that meets a certain need. “Like when I had a tight space to drive screws into, I found an offset drill adpater that’s become a lifesaver.”

The first big tool purchase, Katie said, was a sliding miter saw. “We had a little one, but it couldn’t even cut a 4 x 4.” Katie also noted that, in the early days, “I used to text my husband before using the miter saw to let him know I’d be using it and text him afterward to let him know I was done.”

These days, she acquires some of her tools through blogging partnerships with brands like RIDGID, RYOBI and Rockler – as well as Craigslist purchases. “About two years ago, my husband found a JET dust collector and 36-inch belt sander on Craigslist, and drove two hours to get it. I couldn’t figure out why we’d need it, because we’d never needed one before, but now I use it for a lot of projects,” she said.

The most complex project she’s tackled, so far, was a Murphy bed she built last year in partnership with Rockler. She modified the plans and added a desk so that the room where the bed was placed could be used a guestroom and also double as her office workspace, and that project was one where she did the most things for the first time, Katie said: “Making my own molding, veneer banding for the edges … I figured out it wasn’t as intimidating as it looked.”

Taking the intimidation factor out of the projects she presents on her blog is one of Katie’s goals. A reader favorite, for instance, is a kitchen island with butcher block countertop that she built about three years ago. “People like the idea of doing it, to save money, to add their own dimensions. I tried to simplify the project as best I could.”

She also carries that attitude into the woods she chooses: “I try to make things as easy to acquire as possible,” Katie said. “Sometimes I’ll go to my local hardwood store if I want higher quality wood, but a lot of it I purchase from home improvement stores.”

As for her work on her own home, the guestroom/office containing the Murphy bed is done – that project also involved repainting and replacing flooring. And Katie still has to replace the flooring, but has finished the furniture for, her older, 10-year-old son’s room. The furniture set included a bed, nightstand, dresser and bookcase.

Now, she needs to start on her younger, almost 9-year-old son’s room. He’s the one, she said, who “likes to have a strong opinion about everything I build,” while the older likes to help assemble projects.

“My youngest is starting to come up with ideas, though,” Katie said. “The other night when I was putting him to bed, I saw a note on his nightstand that said, ‘Tell Mommy about the shoe cubby.’” He had an idea for a shoe cubby design, including color choices, that Katie says she will be building for his closet.

One of the projects that’s high on the list of her own favorites is a recent coffee table and side table set “because of the impact it’s made in my great room, which didn’t have a lot of furniture,” she said.

Katie’s work started off with little projects, she said, and has grown as she’s taught herself to do different types of projects. Now, “I’m building things to inspire other people, to take the intimidation factor out of it,” she said. “I try to make it user-friendly.”

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This year, if you happen to find yourself in California during the dates of March 21 to 26, 2017, come on down to the Long Beach Convention Center, where you’ll find various cultural experiences aimed at highlight all the wonderful aspects of wood.

The theme for this year’s fifth annual celebration of World Wood Day (the first commemoration was in Tanzania in 2013) is “roots,” and all of the projects will address the concept in one way or another.

I am participating in the Collaborative Project that brings together 20 international artists to create a sculpture to be the centerpiece in the Long Beach Convention Center during World Wood Day events.  We have a total of 14 days to create this sculpture!  The concept and design based on the theme of Roots are developed amongst the group upon arrival in Long Beach.  This is a very exciting way to work because each participant brings his/ her personal techniques, ideas, and aesthetic.

At the World Wood Day celebration, there will be an array of events ranging from discussion to demonstrations to displays — and even a concert.  This is a cross-cultural event, with previous celebrations taking place in Tanzania, China, Turkey and Nepal. The common language among everyone is the adoration of a malleable, sustainable material that can be used in a plethora of ways. Wood is embodied in a wide range of ways in our lives because it is such a diverse, renewable material that we rely on in all of its forms.

As fellow woodworker and enthusiast Nick Offerman said, “If you think that you would enjoy the craft, music, beauty, knowledge, and delicious fun of all things wood, then I strongly suggest you get yourself to the 2017 World Wood Day at the Long Beach Convention Center.”

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Press a dimple down into the center of the bag about 1/2″ to provide a little “give.” Now replace the lid and tap it down. The bag makes an airtight seal between the rim and the lid and helps preserve the finish.

– Rich Flynn
Huntington Beach, California

The post Bags Keep Your Finish Fresher appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

– Erwin Nistler
Maple Plain, Minnesota

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“I worked at Rockler for about six or eight months, typically just weekends and usually only Saturday. A gentleman come in on Saturday looking for a specific color of stain. I was opening cans of stain, dipping my finger in and smearing it on a piece of scrap so that he could see the actual color. We found the right color. That night I was using lacquer thinner to clean the stain off six of my fingers.

“On Sunday afternoon, a woman comes in with the gentleman trailing behind. She slams the can of stain on the counter saying it is the wrong color. I told her that it wasn’t a problem and to select the color that she wanted. I put the can of stain with the receipt aside and continued checking out other customers. In 15 minutes or so the woman comes back with the gentleman in tow. I was busy, so another and more experienced employee helped them. I told the coworker that it was an exchange while pointing to the returned can.

“The coworker did the exchange. The coworker then inquired as to the problem, explaining that he had to tell the manufacturer the reason for the return. The woman growled, ‘It’s the wrong color!’ The coworker, without thinking, said, ‘But that is the same color.’ pointing to the old can. The woman snatches the old can of stain and storms out of the store. While the coworker and I were trying not to laugh, the gentleman mouthed the words, ‘Thank you.’” – Rich Flynn

“After reading what others have admitted to doing, I’m not so embarrassed to share how I handle plumbing repairs. When we have a malfunction,I take a picture of everything under the sink, go to the store, and purchase three of everything I see under there. Usually by the time I’ve screwed up the repair twice, the third piece goes in properly. I simply return the stuff I didn’t use or put it with the other purchases from before that I haven’t gotten around to returning. If, after the third try it doesn’t work, it’s time to call a professional like my wife wanted me to do in the first place.” – Dave Beard

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