Woodworking at the Ugly Green House

One of the "side benefits" of doing all of the remodeling on The UGLY GREEN HOUSE, was that I kept running into situations where I needed to get something made for the house, and I couldn't find any craftsman to make it.  This lead to case after case where I had to learn how to make it myself, and in the process, began to develop an appreciation for woodworking.

Then I discovered Norm Abrahms and Dean Johnson on the New Yankee Workshop and Hometime, and soon I was hooked.  I started doing simple Moulding and Trim, simple detail work, like removing the louvers in the closet doors and installing glue-chip glass.  However, the more I watched Norm on TV, the more I became interested in making some of my own molding and furniture.

By the time I started doing the finish work in our kitchen, I was milling my own solid cherry doors, casing and millwork (as shown in the photo to the left).  It's amazing what you can do with just a table saw and a router!

This lead me on to even more difficult projects, eventually, I even managed to design and create 4 Stickley-Mission style counter chairs for the new kitchen.  I then moved on the larger and larger pieces, and now routinely build large cabinets and tables.

Woodworking is a great hobby, and is especially good for individuals like myself that sit at a computer all day.  I get a great deal of satisfaction from actually making something with my hands when I'm out working in the shop.

If you're looking for a good book on woodworking, some of my inspiration came from the Complete Manual of Woodworking by Albert Jackson.  I highly recommend this as a general woodworking resource.