Carpentry 101

I have always had an interest in woodworking. I think it is a cool art form and is very practical. That doesn't mean I'm good at it. I have taken this course with the same teacher in my Freshman year and I really enjoyed it. We made a cornhole set, a bench, and many other things. I wasn't able to take woodshop for fall term but I was able to for the elective term. I really enjoyed the course this term. I struggled a little bit with things, just because I am not very good at carpentry, but I got the hang of it.

We started out by planning what we wanted to do. I honestly don't remember why I chose to make a box. I was not the only one who made a box in the class so I would assume the idea was suggested by our teacher. We then learned how to use all the tools. We practiced with the table saw, the chop saw and the nail gun.

CM. "Box Sketch." (2018)

Once we were certified to use the machines we started making out designs. I started off by marking the pieces of wood with the correct measurements. I chose to do a square box that would by 5in x 5in. We cut the pieces out of wood with the table saw. Once all the sides of the box were cut we had to add grooves to the top of the sides of the box so the top could slide in and out. We did this by setting the blade of the saw down really low so it doesn't;t cut all the way through the piece of wood. Our teacher warned us that the saw could kick back and could send the wood flying, but he said that rarely happens. But as luck might have it, while my teacher an I were cutting my piece of wood, the saw kicked back grazed my arm, and flew with such force back into the window shattering it. That was a fun experience.

After that, we were not allowed to use the saw anymore. Our teacher cut the rest of the pieces out without incident. Once we had all the pieces it was time to nail them together. I used a clamp the put the 2 pieces together. I then had to use the nail gun to stick them together. I was not very fond of the nail gun as I thought I would accidentally shoot myself. Once we had it all nailed together, I took some small nails and a hammer and secured the base on. Some of my nails didn't go into the wood so I had to start over.

I then made a mixture of sawdust and glue and rubbed it in al the seams of the box. This was to seal it and smooth it out. This mixture was very gross feeling and dried way to fast. After that had dried I had to spend a long time sanding all the glue mixture down so the surface was smooth. That was very time-consuming. I then stained the piece and it was finished!

CM (2018) "Box."

CM (2018) "Box."

CM (2018) "Box."

In the end, I am glad I took this workshop. I learned a lot about woodworking and a good lesson on safety. I had some struggles with nails and the pieces not fitting correctly, but I worked through all of these problems and now have a little wooden box I have no idea what to do with. Now I definitely know orthopedic surgery isn't for me.