A question that I like to ask fellow woodworkers from time to time is: how did you begin woodworking? I was nearly born into the craft, as my dad and uncle owned a woodworking business. (Hence, I was cheap labor.) When I ask the question, I am surprised by the wide range of stories. People who learned woodworking from a neighbor or grandparent. Folks who picked up woodworking tools because they couldn’t afford to buy furniture, or because they had to repair their house (and then couldn’t put them down when they were done). There are even woodworkers I’ve run into who picked up the hobby while they were in prison.
So what about you? Where, when and how did you get started in woodworking? Was it of necessity or inspiration? Let me know, and I will share some of your stories in the next readers’ response section.
Sincerely,
– Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
