… Or at least that’s my excuse for going another few months without a post. I initially got sidetracked with a project I never thought I would be interested in- an outdoor storage box. We needed something for our patio to store our chair cushions but everything I found online was either too gigantic for the odd dimensions of our cushions or way more than I planned on spending for a box. I did a little research on wood for outdoor projects and just ended up using some cheap wood and sealed it with caulking, primer and a water-proof paint.
The only issue I had was with the lid. Unfortunately, I went REAL cheap and decided to use a couple pieces of pine I had lying around to make a lip on the front and sides of the lid. What I didn’t realize was how much more pine would shrink in the winter than the other wood I was using and after our first freezing day, I noticed the piece had shrunk more than 1/8” cracking the seal of the caulking/paint. So… the box is back in the garage, currently being used as an extra work surface! At some point between now and this spring, I will redo the top and it will go, begrudgingly, back out to the patio.
Soon after came the holiday season and I went into high gear for building. I had a pre-order from my mother to make cutting boards for some of her colleagues. I decided to get fancy this year and bought my first rough cut piece of Padauk. Even the lady at the lumber store commented that I was purchasing something outside of my normal selection! What did I learn about Padauk? That while it is a beautiful wood, it’s best to separate it from light woods as it tends to bleed into them when finishing.
I finished the cutting boards well before Thanksgiving and got working on a shadow box for my brother’s Ironman swag as well as a jewelry box for his then fiancé. At some point, I also made holiday-shaped cutting boards with the leftover Padauk.
At some point during all of this, I convinced Juan (or in reality he convinced me) to purchase a “real” camera so that I can start taking better photos of my creations- hopefully you will see an improvement in the photos. So all of this is to say that no, I have not given up on woodworking or this page. I’m still here, creating and having the time of my life!