Without my "shed" I'd be out of my head.
The shop (or shed as I like to call it) is a modest building measuring 12'X24' located at the back end of my property. The shed may be small, but it is jam packed with all the tools and equipment required for any hobbyist woodworker. Built as a father/son project in 2008 the shed has seen many changes over the years. New equipment coming in and old equipment going out is normally cause for a full rearranging of the layout and it seems, as with most woodworking shops, it is never truly finished but rather an ongoing project in itself. The shop is fully wired for both 120 and 240 volt equipment. The main source of heat in my shop is a wood burning stove so extra precautions have to be taken as far as dust collection and keeping the shop clean. One day, I'd love to be able to have a shop large enough to house all of my equipment, without the need to roll tools off to the side of the room in order to make room for other tools. I'd love to have dedicated work stations that are ready to use at a moment's notice without the need to setup the tool first. But until such day happens, I will be content to light the wood stove and work on my hobby in the shed that Dad and I built.
What happens in the "shed"
Most of the projects that I create, start off in my head, or on paper and can be inspired by anything. From something as simple as a small pencil holder or a scale model of a vehicle, to extreme furniture projects like my roll top desk, there is always something happening in the shed. Woodworking, welding and the combination of the two is just a small part of what I do. I was once asked, "Is there anything that you can't do?" and my simple reply was "It's not that there isn't anything I can't do, but rather, there is nothing that I won't try."
About me
I got hit with the woodworking bug very early in life and was inspired by the simple and charming projects made by my father and my grandfather. I never really realized my woodworking potential until later years when I started branching out and attempting to make projects that would normally be out of my comfort zone. A licensed electrician by trade and a qualified structural welder, I find woodworking to be the perfect outlet for my creativity. I already had the woodworking pretty much figured out when I started my apprenticeship to be an electrician in 1989 and once that training was done and I had a full time career on my hands as an electrician, I needed something a little extra so I started training to be a qualified structural welder. I found that welding, in combination with woodworking, really opened up a lot of doors and opportunities as far as my projects were concerned. Of course, everything seems better when you truly love what you do.
There Came a Time to Teach.
In 2011 I decided that it was time to start up a small YouTube channel. I filmed and posted a small handful of "one take", 2-3 minute videos demonstrating how to do certain procedures on a scroll saw. There was a fairly positive response to those few shows and it was at that point that I realized the potential of the channel. I had the opportunity to help others who wanted to get started in woodworking through my YouTube channel. I never intended or expected that it would really go anywhere but my theory was always this; "if it helps at least one person, then it was worth doing". And that philosophy is what prompted me to revamp the channel in 2013 to incorporate all forms of woodworking and not just the scrolling aspect of the craft. And hence, Acutabove Woodworkings was born. The show is still going strong, with 2 episodes per week. Fridays are my woodworking segments and on Tuesdays, a segment called "Alternative Tuesdays" airs, which can be anything from tool reviews to welding. You never know what you're going to get on a Tuesday episode of the show. The audience has grown slowly but surely since 2013 and while I may not have hundreds of thousands of subscribers, I feel that the subscribers I do have, have been obtained honestly and are there because they truly want to be part of the audience. I hope you will consider becoming a part of that audience as well.