“Home-maker” is not a term I’d willingly use to describe myself. At least, not until I stumbled on Ana White’s website. She adds a whole new meaning to the word.
Earlier this year I saw a post on a homeschooling website that spoke about Ana’s site. The poster had made a school table for her family. She said something along the lines of “I’ve always wanted to try woodworking but I was too scared of power tools. Then for my 40th birthday I asked for some tools.” Her words described my feelings exactly. The difference was that the poster had stopped talking, and started doing.
Months later I went back to Ana’s site, did some research, made a trip to Bunnings with AnoneeDad, and came home with timber and a mitre saw, which seemed like the least deadly of the wood-cutting power tools. I got a few kids’ woodworking books to get familiar woodworking terms. But the saw sat in its box until AnoneeDad next left town. This was my adventure, and I needed to do it alone. I spent more time online in the first week than I did building. How did anyone do anything new before YouTube? I watched videos on how to use a mitre saw, and how to change a jig saw blade and how to use the Kreg jig. Then, of course, I found a specialist woodworking shop, and bought a Kreg Jig, because pocket holes look really cool. Bunnings became my second home as I bought set squares and clamps and counter sink bits and learned how to use them. I learnt how to use power tools in the presence of a 3yr old boy without losing any fingers. I tried stuff. I held my breath and closed my eyes and tried stuff.
After two weeks I had something resembling the storage bench I was trying to build, but it took another month and a small fortune in stains and varnishes before I finally finished the project.
Despite plenty of flaws (and a slight wobble) I’m prouder of this bench than pretty much anything else I’ve done in my life.