Introduction I’ll never forget the day my high school woodworking teacher, Mr. Henderson, told me something that completely changed how I approached the craft: “A good craftsman doesn’t need a fancy workshop—he needs the right hand tools and the knowledge to use them.” At the time, I thought he was just being cheap about the…
Introduction I still remember the first time I tried to build something on my own—I must have been about 8, standing in the garage with my dad, staring at a pile of pine boards. I thought I was about to craft a masterpiece. Spoiler: It was a lamp for my 4H project, and it barely…
Introduction I’ll never forget my first real woodworking project with my dad: a built-in bookcase that looked way too fancy for our make-shift outdoor shop. The smell of fresh-cut oak, the sound of the saw buzzing, and the way my dad checked every cut like it was a sacred ritual—that memory is burned into my…
Introduction I’ll never forget the first time I fired up a table saw. My dad was standing right beside me, reminding me to respect the tool, not fear it. That’s the kind of advice a young boy needs to hear. Woodworking is one of the most rewarding hobbies I’ve ever picked up, but let’s be…
Introduction Did you know that nearly 3 million Americans pick up woodworking every year? That’s huge—and it shows how popular this past time has become. Woodworking for beginners doesn’t have to be scary. All you need is a little encouragement to build that confidence. For me, that came from my dad. One of my earliest…
What is it and Why Build A Hall Tree? When I first heard the term hall tree, I thought it was literally some kind of plant you stuck in your entryway. I laugh at myself now, but hey, we’ve all been there. A hall tree is basically a piece of entryway furniture that usually combines…