What's the first thing you ever built?

[Lee Bidwell]

After reading Johnny Means wax nostalgic about his workbench in a recent thread, I got to thinking about my first "project". Freshman year of college, my roomate and I decided we needed a coffee table. He had an old metal beer sign he "acquired" from some undisclosed location, and we decided it would make a great addition to our dorm room. I was working for my dad pouring house foundations, and one day I salvaged some scrap cutoffs (2x4s and 4x4s) from a house site. My only tools were a hammer, nails, and a circular saw. So, 4x4s for legs, and I made an attempt at a mitered top with the 2x4s using a 25' tape to measure and mark a 45* line, cutting with the cs. Only about a half inch gap in the miters:D. The table never actually got used, and sat in my dad's building until one day, right after I got married, my wife saw it and decided we could dress it up as a coffee table (we had NO money back then). So we added some cedar her dad had on hand to cover my sloppy top (better miters this time, but they were trial and error give how out of square the table was :)), put gobs of caulk in my gaps, laid in some tile, and had a piece of glass cut. It served as our coffee table for 6 years in our first house, and I still have it in an upstairs media room. I'll probably never throw it out. Just looking at those miters brings back memories and makes me smile.
130007130008
I had no idea at the time the slope that coffee table would send me down. I never decided, "woodworking will be my hobby." It just sort of happened when I realized I could build things with better quality and more to my taste for less money than I could buy them. I'm still very new at woodworking, having really only gotten serious in the last year (since we moved to a house with a garage for a proper shop), and I still have a ton to learn, but it's nice to look at that first piece and see how far I've come.

So, enough about me. What was your first piece? What tools did you have to work with? Pics if you have them. Anyone have anything with more shoddy construction than my coffee table?:)

[Tom Hintz]

When my wife and I bought our first house one of the first things I did was build a workbench in the basement. I needed to buy a circular saw (a good one then cost $17.99!) but that, a bag of nails and a bunch of 2 X 4's got me started working with wood. Then I doscovered that one of my new neighbors across the alley was a very friendly master cabinetmaker and my interest in woodworking was set.

[Denny Rice]

In the 7th grade, the first year I ever had wood shop, I built a pretty standard 12" bookshelf with made out of walnut. My mom still has it almost 30 yrs later.

[Jeff Willard]

I had a spare copy of an old RCA Red Seal recording I wanted to display in a frame. Got some red oak "sticks" and attempted to rout a channel to house the LP, sandwiched between two pieces of glass with a Dremel. Burned up two Dremel tools doing it :eek:. Etched "Nipper" (RCA logo) into the front piece of glass. Canyon width miters. But the dog looks good. Then I lost my footing...

[Matt Meiser]

I think mine was a manger for the nativity set under our Christmas tree when I was maybe 6 or 7. Built from scrap wood, whatever size pieces I could find. One piece had a "Holley Carbs and Pumps" sticker that I partially peeled off but couldn't get the rest so you can still see it through the stain one of my parents help me put on. So for 30-some years my parent's have had corporate sponsorship of their nativity scene. :D Several years ago I told my mom I'd make her a new one and she refused.

[Bill Arnold]

I was messing around in garages of my father, grandfather and uncle but can't say I "built" anything until about age 11 when I helped my father on an addition to a utility room on our carport. I would add a few pieces of siding each day after school, then painted it when finished.

My first real woodworking was in 9th grade woodshop when I was 13. The three projects I built that year were a small table lamp I built from a plan, a "hi-fi" speaker box I designed to add to our system at home, and a turned nut bowl with a column in the middle to hold the nutcracker and picks. My parents made all the appropriate nice-nice comments about the items and I was pleased with what I accomplished.

I did some of the usual toy and other things for the kids along the way but didn't get into any "fine" projects until about 1999.

[Mike Heidrick]

I was seven. I had found some lawnmower wheels and two steel rods for axels. I went down to our basement. Dad had pieces of wood, a can of nails every size and shape, can of nuts and bolts, a huge hand saw (to a 7yrld), and his one portable unorganized tool box with hammers, pliers, screwdrivers. I made a coaster go-cart to go down a steep driveway across the street. It had pivoting rope steering that also doubled as a way to haul the cart around. Just uses whatever wood I could find. Shop rags stapled over foam for a steat.

Bicycle ramps out of offcut 2X4s and scrap plywood were also common builds. The neighbor had a shop he let me work in. I even got to use the jigsaw and palm sanders

[Howard Jahnke]

Early in our marriage, My mother-in-law took a job in Hot Springs, Ak. I shortly found out that the bedroom set we were using belonged to her. This left us with our clothes in piles on the floor. With my extensive woodworking knowledge gained in high school woodshop,:rolleyes: I decided I could build the bedroom furniture myself. We were living in a small 2 bedroom townhome. I went to Sears and bought a contractor saw and a router. I proceeded to build a dresser, chest of drawers and headboard out of red oak, in the basement. Much sawdust and 2 months later I finished. 21 years later we are still using the same furniture, and it has held up perfectly. I now have a 24 x 36 detached shop, and woodwork on a daily basis. It was the best decision I ever made to build that furniture. On a side note, I learned the hard way one day while building that bedroom set regarding a table saw and a furnace being in the same room.:eek:

[Steve Rozmiarek]

My brothers and I built some pretty elaborate forts as kids. I started using a coping saw, then a jig saw to make M-16 type wood rifles. It was a lot of fun, and I had a waiting list of neighbor kids wanting one. High school wood shop for a year was a joke, then after I met my wife I really got into ww because we couldn't afford the ridiculous prices that the stores wanted for a crappy bedroom set. Bought a Delta contractor saw, a Jet jointer and a Craftsman dovetail jig, and built a bedroom set. It still works well, but it serves as a reminder every night of a couple important lessons that I picked up over the years. ;)

[Tom Walz]

A border for a worm bed. My Grandpa and I built it out of 2x4’s. He showed me how to use a hand plane which I thought was just plain magic. Warm summer afternoon, pine 2x4, long clean shavings coming off and the wonderful smell.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Sixth grade wood shop, a small, two shelf corner wall shelf about 20"T x 10" D. She still has it on the wall in her kitchen. Scroll work and all, pretty cute actually.
.

[John Gregory]

http://woodworksutah.com/Images/benchDone.jpg

We had just built our shop and our oldest son took a picture of a bench he liked and figured that mom and dad could build it. It was a frustrating first project. Turnings, lots of mortises, curves and angles.
It was a good "baptism by fire" into woodworking.

[Chris Tsutsui]

My first project was when I first moved into my house.

I finally had a garage with my new place so I was constantly on Craigslist and I had bought a used jointer, planer, hollow chisel mortiser, tenoning jig, and a few other things and decided to use them all on my first project because they were all collecting dust.

It's a M&T solid hard maple table inspired by David Marks.

http://www.flex-innovations.com/httenon.jpg

http://www.flex-innovations.com/htaprons.jpg

http://www.flex-innovations.com/htfront.jpg

You can tell that I glued up two halves of 5/4 maple for the legs and I didn't glue them on the diagnal. I meant to buy thicker stock but forgot.

The top is gorgeous but my wife put on a table runner that hides it, and I guess it protects the table top as well.

On a scale of 1 to 10, my M&T joinery turned out to be a 9.5.

I used a circular saw to cut off the ends of the table and a Bosch Jobsite saw to rip all of the stock.

Bandsaw tapered the legs and the jointer removed the bandsaw marks.

Tablesaw cut the apron reliefs, I made an MDF template and used my router table for the first time to make the curved aprons.

The router table did cause a big chip out because one of the boards had a hair-line split I didn't see. I used glue and clamps and fixed the chip out and now I don't know where it is.

This able took 3 times longer than I had expected... heh

[Vic Damone]

A four, 4" rubber wheeled I shaped coster when I was ten. Cut the plywood parts (with supervision, thanks Dad) on the bandsaw I still own. Since everybody else was using strap on skate wheels this was a hot rod. The heels of our sneakers were the break pads.

A gateway project for sure.

[Jim Beachler]

My first real project was a USA Map Puzzle. Saw a magazine at the hardware store (was building a 12 x 30 deck) and said (famous last words) "I can do this". Loved making puzzles so much that I was making them for family and friends till they were full.

Eventually, making puzzles has morphed into my full time job. Currently have 8 part time people working for me as well. We make personalized and educational wooden puzzles.;)

[Dan Gill]

A tree house. The house and the tree are long gone now.

[Mike Henderson]

A desk. I was in the 8th grade. And, yes, that skinny kid is me - a lot of years ago (about 1958).

Mike

[Jim O'Dell]

A solid mahogany telephone caddy for the old rotary dial phone, and a cubbyhole for the telephone book to reside. I remember the wood being a really deep rich red. Used Deft for the finish. Sorry, no pictures....not sure we had cameras back then. :D Jim.

[David Giles]

Absolutely the first WW project? A box.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c290/davidgiles/006626c7.jpg

[Brad Wood]

In my previous career, we built solutions using wood, speed rail, angle iron, etc. I've never really counted any of that work. We were McGyver's, solving problems, making movies.

In my second career, which encompasses the period in which I have been a homeowner, I've built lots of little things around the house..

My very first piece as a "i'm going to try woodworking as a hobby", was a DT box...

http://shopdog.bradandpam.com/images/various/DSC00126.JPG

[George Bregar]

Made some salt and pepper shakers on the lathe in junior high but not counting that a frame and panel door for the crawlspace entrance in my first home. Only power tool was a drill to start the mortises.

Then I made a shelf unit for some Rowe pottery. Still have it, my ex got the pottery.

[Mac McQuinn]

Absolutely 1st thing was a life size profile of "Big Red" a Disney movie dog from 1962. Sits over the door way to my computer room in basement still. 2nd item was 20'x22' deck w/ rails and steps, that was 25 years ago....

Mac

[Jacob Mac]

The first thing I made was a cutting board. I followed the instructions I found on the wood whisperer's website, and I quickly became hooked. The board has some glaring problems, but I learned a lot, and it sparked a love affair with this hobby.

And, all things considered, it is still together after two years of frequent use. Which is about two years longer than I thought it would hold.

[Keith Christopher]

First REAL project was a chessboard I made in the 7th grade. It is currently getting an 'upgrade' pics of it posted in this thread. (think about it without the round tabletop.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=117989

[Matt Ranum]

In junior high I had a woodshop class and hated it. Made some accent mirrors that didn't turn out all that great, probably because I didn't like the class I suppose, and never thought about woodworking until my early twenties when I had an idea for a hidden gun/ blanket chest. I was driving over the road at the time and was looking for a way to hide some valuables when I wasn't at home. I drew up my idea, went and bought a skilsaw, router, and some cheap pine and got to work on it. No pictures but it turned out pretty good considering. It had a false bottom in it that would hold 12 long guns. A friend actually is still using it yet some 23 years later.

Ever since its been a slow decent down the hill picking up speed each year.

[C Scott McDonald]

A book holder thing I built in Junoir High Shop class. Probably still around here somewhere.


Scott

[harry strasil]

Danl Boone long rifles from scrap 2 by 4's and old broom handles for barrels, when I was 7, used the draw knife and 4 in 1 hand rasp I used in Dad's Blacksmith shop repairing wooden wagon wheels. 1951, the year I started my apprenticeship.

[Jim Mattheiss]

The first project I build was a printer cart for my IBM Pro-Printer XL DOT MATRIX printer (I was styling - that's the WIDE carriage model).

The cart was built with 1 x 2 furring strips, sheetrock screws, casters and some luan scraps. I used it for many years

When I finally completed a project recently, the LOML jokingly asked - Where are all the Sheet rock screws? All your projects used to be dotted with them.

Cheers

JIm

[Rich Huhra]

In my freshman year of high school I built a walnut bookcase with shelf and sliding doors in shop class. My mother kept this til she passed on and I now have it in my shop full of books. That was 47 years ago.

[Don Orr]

Birdhouse with my Grandfather when I was about 7. He died when I was 12. Wish I had more time with him.

[Harold Burrell]

My first project was when I first moved into my house.

I finally had a garage with my new place so I was constantly on Craigslist and I had bought a used jointer, planer, hollow chisel mortiser, tenoning jig, and a few other things and decided to use them all on my first project because they were all collecting dust.

It's a M&T solid hard maple table inspired by David Marks.

http://www.flex-innovations.com/httenon.jpg

http://www.flex-innovations.com/htaprons.jpg

http://www.flex-innovations.com/htfront.jpg

You can tell that I glued up two halves of 5/4 maple for the legs and I didn't glue them on the diagnal. I meant to buy thicker stock but forgot.

The top is gorgeous but my wife put on a table runner that hides it, and I guess it protects the table top as well.

On a scale of 1 to 10, my M&T joinery turned out to be a 9.5.

I used a circular saw to cut off the ends of the table and a Bosch Jobsite saw to rip all of the stock.

Bandsaw tapered the legs and the jointer removed the bandsaw marks.

Tablesaw cut the apron reliefs, I made an MDF template and used my router table for the first time to make the curved aprons.

The router table did cause a big chip out because one of the boards had a hair-line split I didn't see. I used glue and clamps and fixed the chip out and now I don't know where it is.

This able took 3 times longer than I had expected... heh


This was your first project???

I hate you...

;)

[Harold Burrell]

This simple veggie bin for my wife...

[Michael Prisbylla]

No pix (this was pre-digital camera territory) but I made a wooden mixing spoon for my mom on my father's scroll saw and belt sander when I was 8 or so. It was pretty useless as a spoon, but mom hung onto it for a long time.

[Mike Nguyen]

Here's my first ever project. The bottom cabinet was bought from Lowes (unfinished) because I did not know how to make cabinet doors. It required just table saw, miter saw and it was what started me into this hobby.

[Richard Cordery]

Ok so if you read all of these and didn't once have a tear well up you don't deserve to work with wood. I think I remember building gocarts out of scrap and wheels we could steel ect.. But in grade 7 I was in a shop class and Mr Brown was the teacher I only got to spend 1 school year with him to bad really to bad he was a good man and an excellent shop teacher. I built 2 projects 1 was a spoon rack that Mr brown gave me a medium mark for and when I compared it to other projects and the marks they got I was a little pissed. later I found out that he took my spoon rack to other classes to show it off and showed to other teachers bragging he taught the guy that built this all the while telling me I could do better. I never thanked him for that and Mom still has the rack 40 some years later. The other was a little gardening shovel and bucket a decorative thing that had to be decorated with a hand painted little peice of art kind of a mothers Day thing wish I had pics it was a cute little project. I gave it to mom but she packed it up carefully and mailed it to my Grandmother in England and about 20 years later I was at her house and there it was hanging in her hall. It pissed off my uncle who said he could rebuild 1000 year old churches and she would not put up a picture of them but this little peice of crap hung in the hall. Things that make you go hmmmm. any way she died a few years ago and anther uncle took great joy in telling my Mom that he persoally burnt that little shovel thing I made. I havn't been to England for 20 years and don't plan to go soon (there is a reason the Boston tea party took place) But I sure hope Uncle Ralph comes to Canada I would like to see him 1 last time.

Sorry for the rant

[ed vitanovec]

I'm dating myself, my first project was a water bed with a pedistal and bookshelf head board.


Ed

[johnny means]

I'm dating myself, my first project was a water bed with a pedistal and bookshelf head board.


Ed

LOL I commend you for being able to admit such a thing.:D

[Larry Edgerton]

I built my dad a tool box. It is a terrible affair that was my first project when I bought a old Delta 9", made out of scrap CDX with hardwood slides and plywood drawers.

I have offered to make dad a replacement because it is an embarrasment at this point, but he takes great pride in my pain and points it out as my first project to anyone who will listen, at least when I am in earshot. To be fair it is loaded with hundreds of pounds of wrenches and still works fine, but it drives me nuts.

I have gotten a little better in the last 35 years.......

[harry strasil]

Ooops, I forgot that, My Dad gave me my Grandfathers horse shoeing tools to use, and I built a box for them, then my Dad liked it so well, he had me make him one too.

[Jim Rimmer]

Absolutely 1st thing was a life size profile of "Big Red" a Disney movie dog from 1962. Sits over the door way to my computer room in basement still. 2nd item was 20'x22' deck w/ rails and steps, that was 25 years ago....

Mac
Got any pics of that profile?

[Ed Breen]

1939 I was spending my free time in the New York City Police Athletic League. As part I remember building a pair of simple bookends. Very simple but to a 10 year old it was an event that I still remember and give thankls to the PAL.

[Rob Robinson VT]

1957 in 7th grade shop class - a solid walnut bookcase as a Christmas present for my parents - it's still in the family in my grandnephew's bedroom

btw, that was at South Riverside Junior High in Wichita, KS (building is still there and still a school but it's now called something else)

[mickey cassiba]

Jewelry box in 7th grade wood shop. Mine was mahogany filched from a woodworker's scrap pile that I passed daily on the way to school. Looked way better than the pine kits that the school district passed out to us "intellectually challenged" kids. I go t a "D" on the project(didn't use the supplied kit, my corners were too round, etc) , but i and my stepmother of the month thought it was pretty. Haven't seen it or her for forty years. but it did start me on the road to woodworking.

[george wilson]

I have no idea what I made first. I started at an early edge. They had old tools on the lighthouses,like wooden planes and hand crank bench grinders.

[Jon Crowley]

The tow truck in the attached picture was my first project. I was 7 or 8 years old. Used a coping saw, nails, and hammer. My dad helped me bend a wire coat hanger to make the knob for the tow hook, which actually works. :)

My dad still has this on his desk at home. I'm considering making a new one of the same design, with much improved skills now :) and giving it to him for xmas.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I forget whether it was a walnut mouse, a pig shaped cutting board, or my drum throne. I think it was the mouse. They all happened the same year.

I still have the drum throne.

[Rob Robinson VT]

The tow truck in the attached picture was my first project. I was 7 or 8 years old. Used a coping saw, nails, and hammer. My dad helped me bend a wire coat hanger to make the knob for the tow hook, which actually works. :)

My dad still has this on his desk at home. I'm considering making a new one of the same design, with much improved skills now :) and giving it to him for xmas.
Go for it! My dad was in the trucking business and for his 65th birthday I made him a scale model of the 1954 GMC straight cab semi he drove for many, many years (nearly half a million miles!) and painted, decaled and lettered it to perfectly match his actual truck. It sat on his bookshelf until he passed away at 79 and was passed down to my nephew who's a long-haul trucker.

[Larry Fox]

A big wooden key-holder in the shape of a key. My mom still has it and it is funny this thread comes up as I just saw it over the weekend and thought how funny it was that she still had and uses it. Varnish on it is about 6" thick.

First project "on my own" so to speak was probably a cat scratcher o something and the finish was likely just a simple coat of carpet.

[Josiah Bartlett]

Mine was a cub scout pinewood derby car shaped like my father's '70 Opel GT and painted metallic blue. I used construction paper for the windows. I think I cut the profile with a coping saw and shaped it with a sureform rasp and some sand paper. My father polished the pin nail axles and I took 3rd place in the regional run offs and best in show. I still have the car, although the paint isn't as shiny as it used to be.

My first good project was an electric guitar- stratocaster style- made out of ash and finished clear. I still play it once in a while. I'm thinking about doing an electric bass. The bass I have now is starting to wear out and never had the tonal quality that I really want.