2023 Great things begin

2022 ended well for me with my first commission from a local school. It’s great to get something out of this money pit of a hobby! Here’s a quick pick to see what the finished project will look like: (times eight)

I also did my first cutting board, and that turned out well too, A few friends asked that I have some ready for them in the future.

My Fishing club also asked that I remake the wooden base of their trophy, so there’s another project waiting. That desk for my office may have to wait a bit longer, but for now my pecky cypress glow desk will serve it’s purpose though it is too big for the space it’s now in.

I’m looking forward to an exciting 2023, keep checking back, much more to come!

Humble beginnings

Scraps and cutoffs is a pretty humble name to choose for a woodworking brand. The name itself basically refers to leftovers after all the good wood has been used. Alot of people wouldn’t save these leftovers or salvage reclaimed wood because there is way more work in piecing together shorts and milling up small pieces to make something.

But that’s exactly where the beauty lies. Cracks can be filled with epoxy or fixed with bow-ties. Below is an example of both.

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The advantage of putting in the extra work is that less wood gets wasted, and some of those scraps can have some pretty nice figuring in them, so why let good looks go to waste?

For me this process is especially near and dear. My dad was a woodworker with a shop that most dream of. Some of the most appreciated projects he made came from wood that has a family connection. Tobacco sticks from the farm my mom grew up on became side-tables and a keepsake box for me. My grandmother’s massive walnut dining table became our family kitchen table that mom still serves dinner on.

The leftovers from all of the projects above have been a great way for me to connect with a bit of dad while learning something new along the way.

The point is – wood doesn’t have to come from a lumber mill or a big box store – it can come from anywhere, and it may mean more for future generations too.

Update May 2022

Been a slow-ish start to the year so far. The treasure chest project has kept me busy doing mental backflips to figure out joinery. Glad I took it on though, it has been a healthy challenge. I haven’t made time to do much else other than a trivet for some friends who will be taking very good care of us while we are in Japan.

The trivet is probably my most technically perfect piece so far. I got the tile idea from youtuber. The wood is leftover cypress from the outdoor plant stand backed with some leftover walnut from a picture frame. I loved the way it turned out, and expect to see more project with this effect. I’ve always loved geometric shapes, but only as long as they weren’t too noisy. I’ve got some ideas for a bookcase we need in the bedroom that will replace the one slowly falling apart we have now.

I’d also like to build a curio cabinet to hold the Uranium Glass collection that I don’t even own yet. I’ve always loved glow in the dark stuff, and this would be a perfect way to showcase some cool items.