What a year it has been!

Retirement has been … an adjustment to say the least.

I went from looking like this (not quite as dressed up)

To looking like this on a regular basis!

So, what have I been doing with myself?

Other than not cutting my hair for a couple months and not shaving for even longer, I’ve been grinding away at my side hustle. If you’ve followed me at all, you know my shop space is seasonal. Which is a polite way of saying, my shop is outdoors, unheated, and has zero frills. However, what it does have is a guy who loves making, creating and building whatever sounds interesting. A couple cases in point to let you see what I’ve been up to in the past 10 to 12 months.

I’ve wanted to make a stand for my drill press for some time, so I finally did it! The drawer fronts are from a few pallets I took apart a couple years ago and the drawer pulls are barrel rings from a wine barrel. It’s unique and functional, plus it looks cool!

I wanted a more professional and functional cabinet for my desktop engraver, so I designed it and built it! The top 2 drawers are a separate cabinet that can be lifted off the bottom cabinet. All the components and accessories are inside the top, making it ultimately independent from the bottom which holds engravable materials!

I made a quilt rack! Some friends wanted a shelf for a quilt that would hang over another piece of furniture. The shelf is the same width as the cabinet it sits above, there is an integrated French cleat in the back and a 2 inch thick “rod” to hold the quilt in place. Again, this was designed 100% on my own.

Last but not least, a commissioned coffee table, designed on my own with input from the owners. We laid out tape on the floor to figure out the perfect dimensions for this ash table. The color of the bottom was perfectly matched (thank you Sherwin Williams) to their existing furniture.

So, what do you need made that you cannot find in a store? Let’s work it out together!