Looking to Learn

[CDPeters]

Hi Zack - welcome to the group.

First off, thanks for your willingness and desire to serve and best of luck as you head off to boot camp...

I want to suggest something for your consideration. Judging from the pictures, I would estimate that you have plenty of walnut there to make the corner hutch. One of the most satisfying parts of woodworking is to take material that has some "sentimental" or other meaningful value, add your own skill and craftsmanship to it to create something that then becomes a cherished possession for someone close to you.

Case in point - walnut from grandma's barn + Zack (and some new friends :wsmile = beautiful corner hutch for Mom. Seems like a natural progression to me - and the result would be something your Mom would cherish forever.

Having said that, your walnut will definitely need some prep that you are not (currently) equipped for (resaw - some nice book-match opportunity there -, planing, jointing etc.) - however I think it would not be difficult to imagine some members close by to you helping you out in that regard.

Anyway - food for thought - welcome to the group and we look forward to getting to know you better and help you learn.

C.

P.S. - do you have a table saw?

 

[zswilborn]

Hi Chris,

I completely understand where you're coming from on using the walnut to build the hutch, but there's a catch on that. My mother and father went through a very uncivil devorce seceral years ago. My father's parents are devorced also. The wood comes from my father's grandmother on his mother's side. There's probably not one person on this earth who my mother appreciates less that my father's mother and grand mother. I'm not entired fond of them either. I feel like value on the hutch for my mother would actually decrease if the wood was a part of that family before becoming hers.

I had thought about making it into a table (the two larger pieces anyway). I would just sell the table at that point anyway. I need to start gaining money, via woodwork, somehow to be able to pay my mother back for the money she spent on wood for building my small workshop. I think I'll start a thread perhaps and see what ideas people give me for projects that I could sell cheap and still make a decent profit on. I would want to sell it cheap because I don't have months to wait for the right buyer to come along.

I have a VERY small table saw, the fence is terrible, the top of the table most not be more than 1.5' by 1.5'. Its not the greatest and it makes things twice as difficult as they probably should be.

Thanks Chris,
Zack

 

[CDPeters]

Understood Zack - BTDT!

 

[Bryan S]

Welcome Zack. I am a little late here, but as you can see there are a great group of folks here. Hopefully you can make one of our lunch gatherings, I would offer to let you ride with me, but you would have to hang out at Cone Hospital until I got off of work around midnight.

A suggestion for thought ACC offers some woodworking classes in their continuing education program. If cash is not too tight it might be just what you are looking for. It is not too late to sign up and here is a link to the schedule. Scroll down to the personal enrichment section and click on the links for more info. Some of the instructors are members here and I believe one of the courses is a beginning to end project.

Good luck to you :icon_thum

 

[b4man]

Hi Barbara,
Would the site allow me to put that into the classifieds as a trade?

Thanks again!
Zack

Yes, you can offer the wood for trade. Our site has a policy for offering 'wood' for sale by members in the WOOD Forum instead of the classifieds. I believe the same would apply for this type of offering.

 

[sawduster2]

Welcome Zack. I am not close as I live in Lexington, VA but I will be happy to assist with any question regarding hardwood lumber or other questions. I too am setting up a shop and am in the midst of installing the dust collection system. I will be glad to share any info on building & furnishing the shop.
You mentioned an interest in making kitchen cabinets - I've made and installed a couple of kitchens over the past few years and can offer some suggestions how to get started without breaking the bank.
If interested I can loan you a DVD copy of the Yankee Workshop 3 part "Building Kitchen Cabinets" series that aired on Public TV a few years ago where Norm gave some pretty good info on building a kitchen. They are not super high quality as they were recorded off the TV. You have to realize that not everyone has all the tools that Norm uses on his shows! You can build quality kitchen cabinets with a planer/jointer/table saw/router table/glue clamps.
Welcome to the woodworking family.

 

[zswilborn]

Welcome Zack. I am not close as I live in Lexington, VA but I will be happy to assist with any question regarding hardwood lumber or other questions. I too am setting up a shop and am in the midst of installing the dust collection system. I will be glad to share any info on building & furnishing the shop.
You mentioned an interest in making kitchen cabinets - I've made and installed a couple of kitchens over the past few years and can offer some suggestions how to get started without breaking the bank.
If interested I can loan you a DVD copy of the Yankee Workshop 3 part "Building Kitchen Cabinets" series that aired on Public TV a few years ago where Norm gave some pretty good info on building a kitchen. They are not super high quality as they were recorded off the TV. You have to realize that not everyone has all the tools that Norm uses on his shows! You can build quality kitchen cabinets with a planer/jointer/table saw/router table/glue clamps.
Welcome to the woodworking family.

Thank you Don! I might be taking you up on that loaner! I need to get several thnigs before I imagine building cabinets though, for instance, my router has a 1/4" collet which limits my use of cabinet making bits. It'll work out in time, I'll let you know when I get a little better set up!

Thanks again,
Zack