Idle thoughts from an addled mind
One of the things I like about woodworking is that it requires thinking and planning ahead. I spend as much time, if not more time, thinking about a project than I spend in the shop working on it. How am I going to make that cut? In what order should I do these steps? It forces me to slow down and be patient, two of my weaker qualities.
Continue reading “Plane Stupid”
Once I finished reverting the garage from a series of kennels into an open workshop, it was time to get back to some projects. I started with a quick and simple one that ended up being a nice Christmas present.
Continue reading “Workbench from Santa’s Helper”
This past summer, my wife and I realized that with our daughter heading to college, we no longer needed to be in the large suburban house we had been renting since selling our Capitol Hill house a few years before. Concern for commutes (thanks remote work!) and school districts were replaced by a desire for nature and a different kind of space. So, we did some searching and found a lovely house on 12 acres about 40 miles west of D.C. It’s far enough to be away from the madness, but close enough that we can come in when necessary.
Continue reading “From the Dog House to the Woodshed”
This weekend I made another set of Adirondack furniture — two chairs, an ottoman (I should have made two) — and a table. These are fun to make, but time-consuming, as I’ll describe below. By the way, folks have inquired about buying them and I’m happy to say that yes, I will make them to order for purchase. With current lumber prices, the cost for pressure-treated versions of the chair is $275 and for the ottoman and table, $125 each. (Cedar versions are $425 and $250, respectively, due to the cost of materials.) All screws are high-quality outdoor stainless steel. Delivery is included for local drop-off; small fee if I have to go outside my neighborhood. If you’re interested, you can reach me at hatchmade@icloud.com. I make them upon order, so turn-around time varies depending on the calendar, but you can expect them to take 3 to 4 weeks.
Continue reading “Have a Seat”
This site has been dormant for quite some time, but like Brood X cicadas and humans re-emerging post-pandemic, this seems like a good time for a revival.
In part, this re-emergence is due to my diving into a new hobby since the pandemic began — woodworking. At the start of the pandemic, we had a little-used basement with a couch and a TV. By the end, that basement had turned into a full-scale shop with a bandsaw, table saw, router table, workbench, dozens of clamps, shelves and more.
Continue reading “Branching Out”
Hatchomatic 