Amazing what you can do with two by four stud grade lumber!
By koopharper
@koopharper (7477)
Canada
August 17, 2012 10:49am CST
I enjoy woodworking and especially lathe work. I'm border line flat broke all the time and as a result I tend to use the least expensive wood I can lay my hands on for projects. I buy or scavenge two by fours glue them up into blocks or turn them into spindles. Spruce isn't ideal for turning but I still produce bowls, candle holders and various other projects that come out beautifully. I have sold some but I can't say I can call it more than a hobby at this point. I don't see many discussions on Mylot about woodworking. Are there more of you on here besides me?
3 responses
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
18 Aug 12
I remember doing woodwork at school,but they never let us use a lathe or power tools!
I can appreciate the craftwork that goes into creating a piece of furniture,though.
Having the space to set up your own "shop" and do your own thing must be nice !
@koopharper (7477)
• Canada
19 Aug 12
They actually let us at the machines in school. I turned my first bowl in the eighth grade. Did a little work on my older brother's lathe growing up before buying a lather for myself later on.
My "shop" right now is very make do and I have to be careful not to get carried away. One complaint from a neighbor and I'm out of business. We're hoping at some point to find a place where I can have a real shop.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
17 Aug 12
I don't, but my son does. He got a whole pickup load of wood of all kinds through Craigslist. I think he paid $20 for it all. You should see the chopping blocks, candle holders, trivets and even a patio bench from it!
Do you have anything like that up there? Maybe if you looked around you could find a free or almost free source of wood.
Is that an egg holder in the picture? That's cool!
@koopharper (7477)
• Canada
17 Aug 12
I was supposed to get a small trailer load of two by four cutoffs from a home construction company through someone at work. That person no longer works for my company anymore and although she did have my card, phone number and address I haven't heard another thing. They still might show up on my doorstep at some point. Hopefully they don't let it all weather first. I don't own a planer and I can't really dress the thickness for my glue ups. There is only so much I can do with skinny spindles.
I would pursue cheap wood on Craigslist or through Kijiji but I really have limited space. We are currently trapped in a government housing duplex and I'm using a spare bedroom as a hobby shop. I'm sure they'd frown on that if they found out... but who's telling?
Yes that is an egg holder in the picture. Same one as in my avatar. It was a prototype. Spin off design from what was originally candy bowls I made just for fun. The first morphed into bowl style candle holders. I am capable of producing about six different styles. The one there though is the one that lends itself to that the best.
@TheTominator (4)
• Scottsdale, Arizona
18 Jan 15
I also like to scavenge my lumber from free sources - construction site dumpsters, especially. Houston, TX, was a goldmine, so to speak, when I lived there. So was Franklin, Tennessee. I built several rock-solid workbenches with completely found lumber..! I think in all the time I have been doing woodworking, I've spent $45.00 USD on a new sheet of plywood for the workbench tops. In Houston, I built an entire three-sided garage wall worktop and mitre saw station, all from two-by-fours I found in neighborhood construction dumpsters.Recently, I built a tiki bar with some scrap I found in Scottsdale, AZ (where I live now). It served us well, until we had to move, which forced me to sell it at a garage sale (and it did sell - to two Mexican transvestites! True story).
I also love going the pallet scavenging route, too. I've built more shelves, placques, coffee tables and various whatnots with pallet wood than you can shake a finely turned stick at, and all for a little bit of "sweat equity" investment..!
I have never used a lathe to do woodworking, though. I want to, but just have never had the wherewithal (or the money) to buy one. I prefer 2x4 legs, or metal hairpin legs, anyway. :-)
