How To Start Big Projects? – Viewer Question
This question comes from Jay who asks:
When I see a piece of wood I think to myself “what a waste…” so I store scraps and miscellaneous sized pieces – my shop is full of wood. Yet when I get into the shop, I have no idea where to start even though I have plenty of vision. How do you jump into starting a project? I have problems starting if I know I’m not going to have time to finish it that day, which is why I have recently only been turning pens.
And my response:
What makes this question difficult to answer is the fact that it deals with personal motivation. What motivates me may not necessarily be the same things that motivate you. Having gone through this variation of “woodworkers block” in the past, I’ll share my own story and maybe you’ll be able to get something useful out of it.
When I first started my woodworking business, I had a real hard time managing my time in the shop. As a former hobbyist, I was accustomed to thinking in terms of 1-2 hour shop sessions. So I had this misconception locked in my little brain that a “day” in the shop consisted of about 1-2 hours worth of work. Obviously, if I wanted to stay in business, this wasn’t going to fly. Thanks to a suggestion and a smack upside the head from Nicole, I started breaking my projects down into a simple list of steps. So instead of feeling overwhelmed by the distance between the start and finish, I am focusing on simply finishing the next step. As a goal-oriented person, it feels good to have a to-do list, and scratch those items off my list at the end of the day. For me, it was just a big change in my mentality and approach. And breaking a project down into smaller more manageable goals was the most satisfying and efficient way to reach the seemingly distant finish line.
So lets say we are making a table. On Day 1 we’ll layout the parts on the rough lumber and then mill the lumber to rough size. On Day 2 we’ll mill the parts down to final size and layout/cut the joinery. On Day 3 we’ll finish sand and assemble. On Day 4, we’ll apply the finish. Now, of course, you’ll have to adjust these daily goals to fit your actual time-frame and work style, but you get the general idea.
So with that in mind, write yourself a schedule at the beginning of every project. Chances are you won’t follow it exactly but you’ll get more accurate with every project. The sense of structure will help you feel like you are actually making progress even if you only have a few hours a day in the shop. Hope that helps.
Doll Armoire – Project of the Week
This week’s project comes from William. He writes:
Here are some pics of a doll armoire I built last year. My niece is a big fan of American Girl dolls and stuff. Her mother asked me if I could make an armoire as a birthday present. The one in the American Girl catalog is outrageously priced for a painted version. It was a fun way to mess around with hand cut dovetails on a smaller than usual scale. The armoire stands 25 inches high. The case is made of black walnut. The drawers and door panels are birdseye maple. The feet are mahogany. The drawers are solid birdseye maple fronts with poplar sides and back. Were I to do this one again, I think I’d try the hidden rare earth magnet trick instead of the magnetic catch. I didn’t notice until after the first round of finishing that I didn’t quite sand out the score line on the drawer side. Nothing says “hand cut” quite like a score line, eh? The finish is three coats of the “Maloof blend” of equal parts tung oil, linseed oil, and poly followed by paste wax. Small scale furniture can be a lot of fun, and a great way to use up some stray boards around the shop.
30- Tablesaw Outfeed Table
High Resolution Version
A few weeks ago, I added the Incra TSIII Fence System to my tablesaw. Unfortunately, my old outfeed table didn’t really work with the new system. So its time to build a new one. This isn’t your average outfeed table though. Its a full-size work table with a full shelf of storage. Perhaps the best part of all is the fact that it can be made with a modest collection of tools and just a few sheets of plywood. No fancy joinery here! This is what I like to call, a “Can Do” project. Enjoy!
Edit*** – For those who are interested, here are some exact dimensions for you:
Long Stretchers: 62″
Short Stretchers: 38″
Overall Dimensions: 65″ L x 39 1/2″ D x 33 3/4″H
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Dozuki Dovetail/Flush-Cut Saw Combination dovetail/flush-cut saw features two interchangeable blades and 7-3/4″ L bamboo handle. Dozuki dovetail blade measures 190mm L and has 24 tpi. |
20- One Small Step
High Resolution Version
Its been about a month since my last video post and I am excited to release another video. The last couple of months have been crazy with the major commissions I have been working on, and now its time to prepare for the upcoming AWFS Fair in Las Vegas. As I’ve mentioned before, I will be working at the Festool booth all four days and my goal is to build some cool projects with Festool tools. The step stool in this video is just such a project and is designed to show off the power of the Domino system. Thanks for watching!
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