Woodworking Youngin

[AlanMonty]

At the ripe old age of 21 I decided I wanted to get into woodworking. Im a senior at NC state studying Physics and Nuclear Engineering. I enjoying going out to some farm land my family owns and shooting :2gunfire:clay pigeons with friends and playing my guitar :-({|=. After buying a $2500 guitar I realized how beautiful wood could be. I had never paid attention to the wood grain in color of our oak tables or anything else, but the Western Cedar, Indian Rosewood, and American Mahogony on my guitar was too good looking not to notice. After that I got interested in all the different types of wood and what they're used for. I've always been a hands-on kinda guy; done construction work with Habitat for Humanity, rebuilt a few car engines and after refinishing quite a bit of ugly flea market furniture for some cheap college friends I want to build some stuff.

My dad's family is from High Point and quite a few of them made some really nice furniture for a living. He has made a few things that are pretty nice but being a jack of all trades as he is, can't put more time into it.

Since I'm pretty new to this I'm not sure quite where to get started. I have a decent working knowlege of most of the tools I will need to use but just need to find a project that won't put me in over my head.
I think that learning to make pieces that look nice and are functional will be something I'll value and continue to build on for the rest of my life. Hopefully since I'm starting when I'm just a kid will mean I'll be decent at it by the time I retire.

Guess that about sums up my career in woodcrafting so I'll shut up now.

 

[rickc]

Taking advantage of a shameless plug. There is a woodworking club named the Traingle Woodworkers Association that meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month. A lot of experience and very reasonably priced workshops for members. You can check out the club website at www.ibiblio.org\twa Also working on getting a strong tie between the club and the owner of this site.

 

[sapwood]

Welcome Alan,

Think you're already way ahead of me :-s

Take Rick's advice about TWA. I joined two months ago and the benefits were immediate! The presentations are excellent, members were helpful/knowledgeable, and their library has books and videos.

Sorry 'bout the NCSU thing [-( , maybe you can go to grad school at UNC-CH.

Why Not?
Roger

 

[DaveO]

Welcome, it's good to see some young blood around here. Not that I am exactly young, but younger. You've entered into a wonderful hobby/profession. Very few hobbies give you something that could be used by your kids and their kids, etc. Keep in touch, Dave\\/

 

[SteveColes]

Welcome, it's good to see some young blood around here.

Are you suggesting at 60, that I'm old? ::new_2guns

 

[SteveColes]

And, if you gave your birthday correctly in your profile, you are young: , the same age as my daughter::roll:

 

[DaveO]

Steve, if I am as old as your daughter, then my friend, you're are getting old. "Not that there's anything wrong with that". But you guys have, generally, more experience, and more time, if retired (I guess????). That is why I spend my evenings learning from people no matter what age, it's just nice to hear from someone not the same age as my offspring (which is 21 mo., BTW) Dave\\/

 

[fsdogwood]

Since you are a student at NCSU, there should be some course and the
shop that you can use @NCSU, last time I checked.

 

[Big Mike]

Just ignore that thing Sapwood said about NCSU and unc-ch. You chose the correct school. My entire family are NCSU graduates.

Steve and I both must be getting old. I have just celebrated 35 years of wedded bliss. My wife said it was blissful....so I know it must be so....

Welcome to NC Woodworker....I hope you will learn something here.....8-O

 

[rickc]

Big Mike - your wife sounds like mine. I asked her if I was happily married, and she replied "Ecstatically!" I then asked if she would let me know if that ever changed, and she said "Yes, of course. But don't worry about it!".

I won the jackpot this time around!!!!!