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Tag: woodworking

  • Shed-Building

    When thinking ahead to my planned sabbatical this year, I wanted to include a large project that would challenge my ability, improve life around the house, or equip us for the future.

    Ultimately, I landed on building a small garden shed to house my growing collection of yard tools and reclaim that space from our garage. It fit into my interests of working with wood and would serve the purpose of finally figuring out what to do with the shady patch of land along our back fence, where I’ve tried and failed to grow plants for a few years now.

    At one point, my heart was set on the idea of building a teardrop trailer and hauling that around North America for road trips. I quickly came to realize that it wouldn’t receive the kind of mileage I had envisioned and it becomes less simple to pack up for the open road when you’ve planted enough roots.

    In order to get this project underway, I had to complete a variety of tasks in the yard:

    • Remove the underground sprinkler system – It came with the house but I’ve never felt fully comfortable with the ongoing water usage so it doesn’t get a lot of use. This year, we’ve been planning for drought conditions and relying more on rainwater collection to keep our plants healthy so it was time to finally move on from what was in place before.
    • Deconstruct raised planter box & transplant surviving perennials – Despite our best efforts to fill in the shady spot by the back fence, most plants struggled under the constant  shade of the two trees we have back there. I could have doubled down on shade-loving plants but instead chose to find a different use for the area and save the existing plants by moving them into pots so they could enjoy more sunshine in other parts of the yard.
    • Dig area to extend gravel foundation – Digging is exhausting work. I moved a lot of dirt and laid out landscaping fabric + new gravel. The most painstaking work involved was tamping and levelling the ground to avoid building on a slant.

    In all, the prep work took me nearly 2 weeks. Once those tasks were complete, I was able to start on the fun stuff. The building process!

    Below is a quick gallery to showcase the progress made in the chosen spot.

    In all, I’m proud of the end result and glad to have more space for my toys tools. It was a great opportunity to try new things, like roofing, and put them into practice.

    Thanks for reading! 😀

  • Wooden Mountain Art With Scraps

    After taking on a bigger project in building a wooden swing for our deck, I wanted to work with wood in a completely different style from following a step-by-step plan and consideration of structural integrity. The idea was to “cut loose” and allow myself freedom and flexibility in how to complete the project.

    The Plan

    With a small pile of wood left over from the swing project, I thought it’d be fun to plan something that would help me use up as much as possible (pictured below, left). I started by scribbling down a rough draft of what I wanted to build, which was essentially a frame of wooden mountains (pictured below, right).

    With enough of an idea of where I was headed, I got started with cutting 45 degree angles in the wood. Despite this being a more creative endeavour, I have a habit of placing limitations on myself to narrow focus and rely on a consistent style for the full piece. In this case, I opted to make all cuts using a fine Japanese pull saw. After relying on a rotating cast of power tools in my last project, I wanted to simplify the approach and hone my skills in making consistent cuts by hand. It was a great practice and felt like I was able to minimize sanding by taking care to make straight cuts. Without the added noise of power tools, I’d say my time in the garage has been a lot more peaceful in recent weeks.

    Once I had enough angled cuts, I went through a cycle of glue & sanding for each of the 4 planned peaks. Sanding is still the area where I feel I could benefit from additional patience but I was content to extend the timeline to compensate and insure that I’ve given it the proper attention.

    The Frame

    I learned that the frame was a bit trickier to line up with handmade cuts but some angle clamps (below, left) really helped to keep everything lined up while the glue dried & I could secure the corners. There were a lot of steps that required me to wait for something to dry but I was able to bounce around to different pieces and make the most of it. I was so relieved when the frame could stand on its own after being assembled because it felt like a small accomplishment to line up all the pieces up.

    Mountain Stain

    Next up, after the initial layer of stain, I sanded down the tops of the mountains in order to add in a second colour that I hoped would provide a bit more depth and shading to the row that would be in the front & most visible in the finished piece.

    The Final Result

    With all the components assembled and stained, it was easy to get them attached inside the frame. Since the plan was to have it hanging from the siding in a well-sheltered area, I relied on a dremel to carve out grooves for the frame to rest on two screws. I added a bit of stain over top of the carved out area to even the colour. I’ve included a zoomed out shot of

    All in all, this was a really fun project and exactly the kind of change of pace that I was hoping for ahead of some bigger plans for the yard.

    I’ve already begun the chain of events that will help me prepare a foundation for my new shed. It’ll likely be the biggest woodworking project I tackle during my sabbatical and one I’m very excited to start working on. First, I need to put in the work, so that’s exactly what I’ll be doing. Thanks for reading.

  • A Swing With Perfectionism

    Happy to report that I’ve completed my wooden swing after some weeks of finishing and a break in Montreal. The only unforeseen blocker that came up was the realization that I would need to do my annual clean of the deck before I could kick back and truly enjoy the end product. That meant I had another week of work waiting for me outside unless I wanted the reminder each time I sat down.

    Gonzo was getting a bit impatient for quality sits.

    A lot of the finishing work was sanding the wooden slats to smooth the sitting surface and mask imperfections in the wood and all my little errors along the way. I must have sanded the whole thing 3 or 4 times once it sat assembled in the garage. As it’s often a step I lose interest in, I tried to be very mindful about sanding everything evenly. It was rewarding to see the subtle improvement with each round. In addition to the staining, I also opted for a semi-gloss clear coat finish to help seal the wood from the elements and hopefully extend the life of all bench pieces.

    Once it was fully sanded and stained, it came time install the hardware. I was a bit nervous for this work out of everything because I wanted to build something that will support weight for years to come and stand the test of time. The jury will stay out on that one but I’m happy with where things landed and grateful for the opportunity to work with the bench vice.

    Because our deck is painted, I try to touch it up at the start of each summer. Before I moved the swing into place, I scraped the surface and power washed everything. All that’s left now is to cut the excess chain.

    The finished product.

    It’s been quite a journey from start to completion and I had a chance to try a lot of new things in garage. There are some small things I would do differently next time around but that tends to be natural for longer projects where lessons are learned. I feel like a better craftsman overall and have reclaimed project space in the garage for new things.

    Up next? I think I’ll work on something more creative and open-ended using the leftover scrap wood from this project.

  • Monday Morning / Meal Prep

    A little over a week has passed since I began my sabbatical. Monday morning was the first time it felt weird. I woke up with a similar drive to “start my week” and dive into new comms and clear the familiar backlog of notification. For some reason, I’ve been waking up earlier than normal and ready to start my day close to 6am, which is not an appropriate time to mow the lawn so I have looked to indoor activities, like meal prep. Every few days, I’ve been making healthy, high-protein lunches in batches and it’s given my days more structure while giving me more energy than I’m used to from sipping coffee at my desk. I haven’t quite mastered the art of overnight oats yet but I intend to!

    I’ve been keeping busy with projects in the garage, which has become my new office during the day. I’ve been holed up there more than outside due to ongoing rain but I’m still happy with the progress I’ve made. The first project I had queued was to stain a convertible chair/step lapper that my father-in-law had gifted us over the winter. Next, I started on the porch swing by following a printed step-by-step plan. The frame is now built and the bench is nearly assembled. I’ve resisted the urge to excitedly speed through to a finished product in favour of patience with more of the details and finishing touches, especially sanding. I had hoped to finish before my trip to Montreal but now I likely won’t until late May, which I can live with if it means an end result that I’m proud of.

    Miter saw came in clutch
    Jigsaw cuts
    Bench pieces
    Frame pieces
    Frame assembled

    Yesterday, I was able to celebrate my wife’s birthday. It felt great to be at home for the day to spend time cooking a nice meal & baking her a cake. Both things I enjoy and don’t often dedicate time for. It’s probably been more than 10 years since I baked a cake that wasn’t from a box, something I did a lot more often with my mom & grandmother while growing up. I won’t be signing up for any baking shows but I’m happy with how it turned out & tasted!

    “Thirty, Flirty, Thriving” – Something my wife has been repeating so I put it on the cake.

    Tomorrow, I fly to Montreal to celebrate my friend’s upcoming wedding & visit with family. I’m also really looking forward to that poutine. Thanks for reading.