Doug’s Wood Signs have done a lot of County Fairs and Street Festivals over the last year. These multi day events where we are hard at work designing and routing hand carved wood signs has revealed to us some consistencies. Out of the corner of my eye as I am routing a wood sign, I see a man standing close by observing what I’m doing. If I stop to ask if I can help him….remember, we are there to sell signs….. many times the response is “just watching what your doing”. Sometimes they will engage in conversation and reveal that they have a router(s) but, have only been frustrated with any kind of free hand routing. Not a show goes by without some craftsman or aspiring wood worker inquiring what tools i use, what bits are involved, how do I get a certain look in our cedar wood signs.
There is something quite familiar in all those questions…..because many years ago I was asking a craftsman how he did something and I would read anything that i could find on a wood working subject. I have literally boxes of wood working magazines from years of subscriptions. The only difference between a guy who owns woodworking tools and one that actually uses them or is drawn to using them even though he may be hesitant from lack of knowledge….is passion. I was drawn to woodworking as a young boy. We made a lot of what we played with…give me a hammer, nails and a 2×4 and with a little imagination……well, it wasn’t always pretty, but, it was fun!. Over the years, I watched and read and experimented until I built something worth having.
Doug’s Wood Signs came into existence out of a need. …….a need to have the feel of wood in my hands, to create something that people would enjoy and that I would be proud of ……and the need in my advancing years to supplement my income. The same might be true for you. The drive to create in wood, the pleasure you receive from watching a project come together, the pride when someone notices. Those that have been around awhile may have even experienced the pleasure of seeing a piece you created becoming an heirloom.
In upcoming blogs, it is my intention to share some of the things that I have learned over the years. In woodworking, there is more than one way to skin a cat as the saying goes. What I will share will be my experiences. Others may have another way of doing something. No one is right or wrong. It’s just easier for someone to do things a certain way, based on experience levels , available tools, likes and dislikes. I will probably start with things having to do with our cedar sign making here at Doug’s Wood Signs, but as my whims evolve or your questions come up to us, I will attempt to provide a place to learn.
I hope you check back often.
