How I Got Started
I always had a fascination for woodworking but, until 16 years ago it never went beyond fascination. I bought my first house 28 years ago while still single. It was a handyman special (definition: disaster) I was confident that with a little TLC I could transform this into a really nice place to live. I didn't realize in my youthful exuberance that in addition to a little TLC, there's lot's of sweat and a lot of money. It turned out to be a self taught class in home remodeling. "This Old House" never prepared me for this. My arsenal of tools for this job were an old Toolkraft 9 inch table saw, (passed down from my father) a 1/3 sheet sander, a 7 1/4 inch Black and Decker Circular saw and a Sears 3/8 variable speed drill. Although I did experience a lot of personal satisfaction in doing the carpentry, plumbing and electric, what I enjoyed the most was making the molding for the house. The house was about 90 years old and built in a Victorian style. The trim around the doors and windows were a 1 by 6 pine with 5 different shapes of flutes running the length of the board. The corners were 5/4 in thickness and 5 1/2" square with a bull's-eye center. Being able to transform a plain board into a molding reproduction, got my interest in woodworking going again. Although my interest was in gear, my confidence was in neutral. Enter my fiance, now my wife. It was a Sunday morning, we had just finished a pancake breakfast. I was reading the weekly Sears sale flyer that was tucked into the Sunday paper. Sears had their 12 inch bandsaw on sale. I told Nancy how I wished for a saw like that. A band saw was just what I needed to allow me to try my hand at woodworking. I was safe here, no test of confidence. With the wedding and needed renovations in the house, there was no way we could afford to buy that saw. I put it out of my mind. A couple of days before our wedding day, there was big box in the middle of the living room floor. When I tore off the wrapping, lo and behold, a Sears 12" bandsaw. I was ecstatic, I was also apprehensive. Nancy bought this with a little nest egg that she had tucked away. I was worried that her confidence in me might be unwarranted. First thing I did when we got back from the honeymoon was put together the saw. It was great. After cutting some fancy patterns and doing some scroll work, I was ready for some real work. Real work meant more tools. Old tools needed updating. More power, more speed, more precision. I've built a platform bed, home accessories, medicine cabinets and now kitchen cabinets. I especially enjoy building toy chests and jewelry boxes. I've built a number of these for resale. My father's hand me down 9 inch Toolkraft table saw is a distant memory when I adjust the fence of my Delta Unisaw. When I'm cutting a board on my Sears 12 inch bandsaw, I have the very clear memory of my fiancé's smile as I was tearing the wrapping off the box. It was her confidence that got me started and now there's my experience that keeps it going.

Confidence is all it takes to open up a world of enjoyment in woodworking. You don't need a lot of expensive tools and gadgets. I made some nice items for the house with basic tools. The band saw was great, but a jig saw would have done a lot. The bandsaw was an expression of confidence that motivated me. When I want to buy a new tool, I tell Nancy it's her fault, she got me started. Am I glad she did.