Introduction (with a picture!)

[Keith Hooks]

I've been reading these forums daily now for a few weeks, posting occasionally, and now I'm finally getting around to posting an introduction. I'm lucky to have found this message board. It seems like a great community with great people.

I've been working wood for the last few years in a garage shop. I'm a hobbiest with aspirations to make and sell my work some day. Unfortunately, I was recently displaced from my dream shop so I've been living vicariously through you folks until I can get into another space.

The picture I've included is the first piece of "fine" furniture that I've made. It's an end table I built from a plan in Woodsmith. The top is cherry and the base is maple. The finish is blonde shellac.

There are some obvious mistakes (excuse me, "opportunities for improvement"), the most glaring being the choice of wood for the drawer front. I botched the original piece I had to choose from what was left.

It was a first for me in a lot of ways - first use of hardwoods in a project, first dovetails (on the drawer), first mortise and tenon joinery, first non-painted finish - a huge learning experience all around. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and it's since become sort of a validation for me.

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy the photo and I look forward to reading and posting in the future :)

[Mark Singer]

Keith,

Nice work and welcome ....this is a woodworking Forum and nice work like that table is a pleasire to view....

[Bob Noles]

Keith,


First... Welcome to SCM.

2nd.... That is a beautiful table. Even though you may see your own mistakes, I see NONE! I only hope I can do half as well on my first fine WW piece soon.

Nice job!

[lou sansone]

hi and welcome. you will find a nice polite group of ww's here. glad to have you stop in

lou

[Greg Narozniak]

Good looking table. Welcome to the Creek!!

[Kent Parker]

Keith,

Welcome to the Creek. Its hard to think you haven't done this before. Table looks great!! I really like the use of battens for the shelf.

Cheers,

KP

[Jason Tuinstra]

Keith, good to have you here. Your table turned out great. Keep up the good work and welcome.

[Jim Hager]

Good lookin table. I'm kinda new around here too but getting to like it more and more everyday. Bet your frog drawer pull is glad you put him in "the creek":D


Woodsmith has a bunch of good plans in it. I have stacks and stacks of them sitting around here and there. I have subscribed to their mag from the very beginning but I have lost a large number of their issues somewhere. I think I loaned a big binder of them to a friend once but for the life of me I can't remember who it is.

Good luck on finding a new space for your shop.

[David Wilson]

Keith
Welcome aboard. Very nice table. Hard to believe this is your first project.

[Sam Chambers]

Keith...

Welcome to the Creek, and nice job on the table!

(Don't look now, but there's a little metal frog climbing up the front of the drawer!)

[David Pettibone]

Nice work Keith and welcome to THE PLACE!!!! An outstanding bunch of guys and as nice as they come. Nice work and there ain't nuttin' wrong with the drawer face, it's beautious!!!!!!!!:) :) :)


David

[Corey Hallagan]

Welcome to SMC and great looking table! Looking forward to more.

Corey

[Warren White]

Hi Keith,
Let me join the others in welcoming you to the Creek.

My first project was a table similar to yours, completed after taking a class at the Marc Adams school. It too, gave me the confidence to do other things, so I certainly resonate with your comments.

That is a great looking table. You should be justifiably proud of how it turned out. I am sure that each step taken was a learning experience; even those that you felt were mistakes. One day, in the far distant future, I hope to make something without mistakes; but I have to say that in all honesty that day has not arrived in my garage/shop. One bit of advice which you probably don't need...don't give up just because you have made mistakes. That in and of itself would be the greatest of all mistakes you could make. Continue to enjoy the hobby, mistakes and all.

Oh, yes. Cool drawer pull!

Best to you,
Warren

[Doug Shepard]

From one garage-shoprat to another - Welcome! Nice job on the table. Looks like you're off to a good start.

[Tyler Howell]

Welcome Keith A+ from the Pix police:cool:

[john whittaker]

Hi Keith, very nice 1st project. By the number of posts you have made I see that I am newer to this site than you. I second your comment about how helpful this site is. I have made two major (for me) purchases this week based on info gathered from the nice folks on this site. I live in Charlotte as well and glad to know someone else is from my neck of da woods. I'm chicken to mention what I bought because I haven't figured out how to post pics yet, :confused: and the pic police will decend. :) As soon as I have time to post, I'll share with everyone and try to give back a little of what I have received.
Again, nice work.

[Von Bickley]

Keith,
Great looking table. Thanks for sharing the picture with us....

Good to have a couple of new guys from the Carolinas. :) :) :)

[Don Selke]

Keith:

Welcome aboard and very nice piece of work. You will really love the guys and gals here on the creek.:)