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It is a rare event, to be sure. Usually, my review of the book I am reading is already coming together in my mind as I read, because I react to certain passages in a particular manner and am obviously aware of whether my reading experience is an enjoyable one.
But there have been a couple of occasions when I've been unsure about what I wanted to express in my review, even after I've finished reading the book. The most stunning example of that phenomenon occurred recently as I finished reading The Devil in Pew Number Seven, a memoir by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo.
Synopsis:
Becky's father, Robert Nichols, was a divorced hell-raiser who, following a Navy stint, enjoyed drinking and brawling. In his mid-20's, he had a conversion experience, during which he became a Christian and completely changed his lifestyle. As Alonzo describes it, he became obsessed with studying the Bible and, although he never attended seminary or received any formal theological education, began his career as an evangelist within six months. When he met Alonzo's mother, Ramona, she was a church organist who had also been married once before. He was conducting a multi-night revival at the Church of God in Bogalusa, Louisiana, and Ramona was instantly attracted to Robert. She was relieved when he cautiously returned her affection. Six weeks later, they married and embarked upon a joint ministry of music and the Word.
Called to the Free Welcome Holiness Church in the tiny community of Sellerstown, North Carolina, in late 1969, the Nichols were soon blessed with their first child, daughter Becky. The parsonage they settled into was across the street from the home of a "wealthy, well-connected, and respected businessman," Horry James Watts, then age 65. Watts wielded power both in the congregation (even though he wasn't a member) and community, and became increasingly incensed as the new pastor's popularity and influence grew, while his power base diminished. A parish made up of a mere 12 members when Nichols arrived soon outgrew its physical facilities and the construction of a larger church was planned.
The small church had seven rows of pews on either side of the center aisle, and Watts took up residence during each worship service in the last row, number seven, from which he made faces and noises at Nichols as he preached in an attempt to disrupt the proceedings. Hence, the book's title. On occasion, he walked out before the service concluded, slamming the door loudly as he left.
Watts also engaged in a systematic war of terror with the pastor and his family. Threatening telephone calls and letters were just the beginning of an eight-year calculated attack designed to send the Nichols family packing, "crawling or walking... dead or alive." As Becky's father became more determined to stay in Sellerstown, Watts' attacks escalated in intensity. Telephone lines were cut and security lights shot out just before dynamite exploded near the parsonage and next-door church. Watts contracted with a local thug to run down Becky's father with his vehicle and make it look like an accident. The Nichols family nearly escaped death more than once.
Review:
Alonzo's tale of growing up in Sellerstown is easily one of the most disturbing books I have read in a very, very long time. The first chapter opens with seven-year-old Becky running out of her home -- her father had been wounded twice, her mother shot dead right in front of her, and the crazed gunman remained barricaded in Becky's bedroom holding his wife and infant child hostage -- to seek help. From the book's very first words, "I ran," Alonzo pulls her readers into a grim, true story punctuated by years of maliciously calculated, unspeakable acts of violence directed at a charismatic, but peace-loving pastor, the wife who was his partner in life and ministry, and their two very young children, by a crazed, power-hungry, and obviously evil community leader.
Convinced he was called to minister to his Sellerstown flock at any cost, Becky's father remained to model the kind of behavior Jesus exhibited toward his enemies. Remarkably, her mother stayed, as well, standing steadfast alongside her husband with Becky and, later, the Nichols' second child, Daniel, as Watts menaced their family, even when armed guards were posted around their residence. Watts knew no moral, ethical or legal boundaries. His catalogue of despicable stunts included killing innocent family pets as part of his quest to regain the power he once wielded over Nichols' congregants.
Alonzo has received exuberant praise for the book on several counts. That praise is, for a variety of reasons, well-deserved. The book is exquisitely drafted, telling her family's story with the same flair for dramatic tension that makes the best mysteries so much fun to read.
Unfortunately, despite Alonzo's expertly crafted prose, it is impossible to forget that the story unfolding page by page is completely true, especially when she recounts episode after torturous episode of mayhem, and chronicles its impact upon her entire family. Particularly gut-wrenching are her descriptions of the manner in which Watts' conduct served to persecute her and her younger brother, who was born with nerve damage because of the incidents their mother endured while carrying him. After one particularly virulent episode, Daniel was discovered sleeping in his crib, surrounded by shards of glass and debris. Had he rolled over, he would have suffered severe injuries... or worse. Alonzo believes that he was spared because the hand of God was upon him that night as he slept, peacefully unaware of and too young to comprehend the violent attack upon his family.
Ironically, when the Nichols family finally left Sellerstown, it was not at the hands of their long-time tormentor, Watts. Rather, Becky's mother was shot dead by Harris Williams, whose wife, Sue, was one of Ramona's closest friends. Williams, a thirty-five-year-old alcoholic, had a criminal record of domestic abuse. Against the advice of friends and relatives alike, Becky's mother was insistent that Sue take shelter from Williams in the parsonage with the Nichols family. "Momma said our home would be a temporary refuge until Sue could get things straightened out. I'd say that was ironic, considering how the parsonage had been the focal point of ten recent violent attacks," Alonzo writes. Williams, angered because Sue sought a restraining order against him, barged into the Nichols home as they sat down to supper on Maundy Thursday, March 23, 1978. He shot Becky's father twice.
"Harris turned and pointed the weapon toward Momma. Standing by the kitchen table and in front of the washing machine, she was unarmed; she held no knife, no gun, not even a chair to throw in her defense.
She cried out, "Jesus! Jesus!"
The gunman stood seven feet from the woman who had given me life, who, for almost eight years, had clothed me, fed me, and nurtured me. The one who filled my life with laughter, love, and lessons on forgiving others just as we had been forgiven by Jesus. None of that history mattered to this man.
Without hesitation, with a cold indifference to her precious life as our mother, he fired a single bullet to her chest."
So leave Sellerstown the Nichols family finally did, with one of them -- Ramona -- in a casket. Becky's father remained hospitalized for three weeks, recovering from his wounds, but he never really recovered at all. He was unable to attend his wife's funeral service. Five months later, he was well enough to preach a farewell sermon to his Sellerstown congregation, but his ministry was over. With his children, he moved to Mobile, Alabama, where family members cared for Becky and Daniel, and Robert spent his final years in and out of mental institutions. Prior to his wife's murder, a health scare culminated in a diagnosis of permanent damage to his heart, the cumulative result of Watts' torment of the gentle-spirited preacher. Becky and Daniel lost their surviving parent to a blood clot in his heart on October 5, 1984, when they were 14 and nine years old, respectively. At the time of his death, Robert Nichols was just 46 years old.
Williams was sentenced to life in prison for killing Ramona, but was released in 1999 and remained on parole a scant five years.
Eventually, sufficient evidence was gathered to also bring Watts and his accomplices to trial. He entered a plea of nolo contendere and was sentenced by a judge who should have recused himself. As he ordered Watts to spend 15 years in prison, with another five-year sentence to run concurrently, the judge practically nominated him for "citizen of the year," acknowledging that he had engaged in business transactions with Watts and, based upon his familiarity with Watts, found the charges against him surprising.
The genesis of The Devil in Pew Number Seven was Alonzo's receipt, when she was in her 20's, of her mother's diary. Begun in 1976, Ramona wrote: "To my darling daughter, Rebecca, I'm writing this book in hopes of answering some of the many questions you've asked, but at the tender age of 6, your little mind is not able to conceive. Your mom is talking to you down through the years... " Ramona described the love she had for her husband, their meeting and brief courtship, and, in the last entry, how excited they were to begin their ministry in Sellerstown. Ironically, she never penned a single word about the horrors that characterized the Nichols family's days in Sellerstown.
Alonzo told her family's story during a Bible study, after which a friend with connections in the publishing industry helped generate interest in a book. Believing Romans 8:28 ("God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.") to be the impetus for her new career, Alonzo says that "in my own amateur way, I began writing, believing I had been given a mission by God to get this story of forgiveness out there, to honor my parents' lives and to let people know that no matter what you go through in this life, God is there to help you through it."
The theme of the book is forgiveness. Specifically, Alonzo's ability to forgive both the man who murdered her mother before her seven-year-old eyes, as well as the man who destroyed her childhood through his heinous and unrelenting harassment of her family.
Plainly, Alonzo sees her parents as martyrs. She writes:
"I am so thankful that God gave me such amazing parents. Not many people these days can say that someone laid their lives down for their friends, but mine did and I'm so proud of them for standing in the line of fire for the sake of the gospel. I can't even imagine what their rewards are in heaven for enduring the five years of terrorism at the hands of a tormented man."
Therein lies my problem with The Devil in Pew Number Seven, and the reason it took some time for me to decide what I wanted to say about the book... and how I wanted to say it.
I understand why Alonzo needed to forgive those who persecuted her family, including the judge who violated his ethical duties and a correctional system that allowed Williams to be released far sooner than he should have been, for the sake of her own sanity, and in order to achieve a sense of peace and closure about the events she lived through as a very young child.
But for me, what's missing from Alonzo's narrative is an acknowledgment and discussion of her need to also forgive her parents. Alonzo portrays her parents as utterly blameless saints because they remained in Sellerstown in order to stand up to Watts, and serve as examples of faithfulness and resilience. Her single-minded portrayal of her parents robs from Alonzo's memoir a huge measure of authenticity and credibility.
But reading Alonzo's descriptions of the horrific incidents of violence directed at her family caused me to become increasingly angry not only at Watts, but at her parents. Given the terror that Alonzo endured -- the promotional material for her book begins with the sentence "Becky Alonzo never felt safe as a child" -- I find it incomprehensible that she was not angry, as well, and kept expecting her narrative to include a discussion of her anger at her parents and how she overcame it in the process of learning to forgive.
Thus, the message I took away from reading The Devil in Pew Number Seven was not related to forgiveness as much as judgment of others. Reading the book constituted an ongoing struggle for me not to judge Alonzo's parents -- and quite harshly, at that. As a mother, I simply cannot fathom how Ramona could allow her young daughter's life to be devoid of safety, security, and freedom from fear. I don't understand why Ramona did not stand up to her husband, telling him to put his pride and stubbornness aside for the sake of his family. Had he refused, she should have gathered up her children and retreated to safety. I simply could not relate to a woman who chose to continue living in perpetual terror to the point that, as a direct result, it caused her second child to be born damaged.
I was equally appalled that Alonzo's mother welcomed her friend, Sue, into the home where she was raising her own children, knowing not only that Sue's husband had a history of violent behavior, but also that he could easily locate his wife and child. There can be no argument that Ramona did not realize the danger, since she was urged by several of her own family members not to provide refuge to her friend because to do so risked her own safety and that of her family.
I was raised in a Christian home as a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (and its predecessor American Lutheran Church). The God with whom I became acquainted as I grew up would never ask a believer to take foolish chances or behave recklessly with regard to one's own children and their well-being. Rather, I was not taught that God expects blind obedience. Perhaps it is a matter of Biblical interpretation. My Lutheran pastors never interpreted the Bible literally, nor do I. And I do not believe that a shepherd is called to lay down his/her life for his/her flock under any and all circumstances, especially when the shepherd could take proactive measures that would make that ultimate sacrifice entirely unnecessary.
After all, God the creator bestowed our intellect upon us, along with other many other gifts. From him comes our ability to think, reason, analyze, and use the gift of intelligence to make good choices. I struggled while reading The Devil in Pew Number Seven with the fact that Alonzo's parents, in a very tangible sense, put the interests of their parishioners ahead not only of their own well-being, but, far more importantly, the needs of their own children. And from my perspective, that was neither brave nor deserving of martyrdom. It was, from my Lutheran theological perspective, quite foolhardy and, in its own way, an affront to the God who gives the gifts of wisdom, discernment, and rationality. I was sickened by the Nichols' failure to protect their children, as well as preserve their own health and well-being so that they could raise those children themselves, providing them guidance and wisdom until they became adults. In a real sense, the Nichols sacrificed their own children because, in the end, Watts succeeded in driving her father to a state of complete mental and physical breakdown that not only terminated his service as pastor of the Sellerstown congregation, despite his refusal to escape, but took his life a few years after his wife's murder. Becky and her brother were orphaned.
I'm sure that my viewpoint is also influenced by other factors beyond church doctrine including locale, the time period during which the events related by Alonzo occurred, and the manner in which women's roles, as well as the role of a pastor's spouse, have evolved and changed in the years since Ramona Nichols died. Ramona grew up in very different time and place than I did -- probably in both a household and congregation where subservience to one's husband, and certainly one's pastor, was modeled. I grew up in a home where neither spouse was subservient to the other; my parents' marriage was very much an egalitarian arrangement. The Lutheran church has always valued the contributions of its women members, and began ordaining women in 1970.
One thing is certain: Alonzo's compelling recitation of the events of her childhood is fascinating, thought-provoking, and would make an excellent selection for a Christian Bible study group or book club. It certainly provides a basis for discussions from which much can be learned by listening to others' reactions to the story.
Maybe the real legacy of Alonzo's parents is the opportunity their story provides to explore the myriad questions raised in the minds and hearts of other believers about the reasonableness of the Nichols' reactions to the situation they were thrust into, how improvements in law enforcement investigative techniques might today result in swifter action being taken not only to protect victims of violent crime, but also bring perpetrators of such heinous acts to justice, and the various other agencies and organizations that would intercede to support and assist the Nichols, including but not limited to groups that provide education about and shelter to victims of domestic violence.
One word that does not appear in Alonzo's tale is "will," but the book could serve as an excellent springboard to a discussion about what the term "God's will" means. Although she does not use the phrase, it is readily apparent that she feels the events she describes unfolded in accordance with "God's will" not only for her parents' lives, but for all involved.
For those reasons, I do recommend The Devil in Pew Number Seven.
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When you're shopping for essential items for your newborn baby it can be tempting to purchase every little thing that you see. However, there are many purchases related to your baby's crib and nursery that are totally unnecessary and even dangerous. When it comes to purchasing a crib, simple is always better. You may be attracted to beautiful cribs with all kinds of ornate details and scrollwork but infants and toddlers can strangle themselves within seconds if their clothing becomes caught. Someone in your family may also be encouraging you to use a crib that has been passed on through many generations. However, older crib models may not meet today's strict safety standards. Many experts recommend not using baby cribs produced before 2000. There should be a manufacture date printed somewhere on the crib which is required by law. If you can't find the date the crib is probably too old. You're better off purchasing a new crib if you're not sure about using a used crib. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
Sleep positioners should also not be used in your baby's crib. These devices are usually made of foam and are used to position babies so they can sleep on their back. However, child safety experts warn that use of these positioners can actually close off the child's air passages and cause suffocation, despite marketing claims that they actually help your infant sleep better. No tests have been done on these devices to prove they have any benefit so save your money.
Do not place soft bedding, blankets, stuffed animals, or pillows in your baby's crib. The only thing that should be in the crib besides your baby is a mattress, mattress pad, and a fitted sheet. The addition of soft bedding can increase the risk of suffocation. Instead of using a blanket it's usually better to dress your baby in a footed sleeper with light layers underneath. Wearable blankets are also available. Remember though, you don't want your baby to get too warm as this can also cause respiratory problems and stress. Crib bumpers are also generally not recommended. However, if you decide to use them, mesh bumpers are the best options as they still allow air to flow through all sides of the crib.
When you get started in woodworking there are many paths to follow, forks in the road, dead-ends and shortcuts. It's a journey that our forebears would make with the help of a living, breathing guide: a master, a grandfather, a shop teacher.
Sadly, the guides are fewer in number today. And so you are left with people like me to help. Like the making of meat byproducts, it's not a pretty sight. Getting your woodworking instruction from books, magazines, television and an occasional class is a slow way to learn a complex task. In fact, many woodworkers spend a long time (years!) simply accumulating machines and tools before they ever build a single stick of furniture. And when they do begin to build, they inevitably discover that they actually need different machines and tools to make what they really want to make.
So they buy more tools and machines.
I want you to know something important that does not get said much: There is another way to begin building furniture. You don't need a table saw, a workbench or even a shop. You don't need to spend ,000 to build your first birdhouse. You can go to the home center in the morning and build something in the garage on the same day.
I'm not talking about building junk, either. The difference between a nice-looking set of bookshelves and a rude assemblage of 2x4s isn't a table saw. The difference is cleverness, sound design and just a wee bit of patience.
To build nice furniture you need three things: A handful of decent tools that you won't outgrow, some help getting started and some realistic projects to build.
The core of "I Can Do That" is a free 79-page manual you can download at popularwoodworking.com/icandothat that will help you choose all your tools and introduce you to the skills you need to cut wood and put the pieces together. The other essential component -- project plans -- can be found on many woodworking websites.
Eventually, we think you will outgrow this approach to construction as your skills improve. I bet you will want a table saw someday. And a drill press. And a smoothing plane. When that day comes, however, you will also have a house full of well-proportioned, well-built projects under your belt. You will be ready for those awesome tools, and the learning curve will be mercifully shorter.
If all this sounds like something that a bunch of idealists cooked up at a corporate strategy meeting, you're wrong. Though I had some carpentry training from my father and grandfather, I started building furniture on my back porch in Lexington KY, with a similar set of tools. Probably the only major difference is that I had a circular saw instead of a miter saw (at the time I did not know those existed). I built a lot of stuff with my simple setup -- some stuff we still have today and some stuff was long ago abandoned at the curb.
So this, dear readers, is a valid path.
My only regret in following it is that I wish that I had this manual (or a master woodworker) to make my journey easier.
Rules for Tools
I am not an emotional guy. I don't get nostalgic about high school, my first car or my first dog. I don't much hugs from family members at holiday gatherings. But I do have the deepest respect and affection for my tools. The care you give tools will gush readily into the things you build with them. None of the tools in the kit we recommend should be disposable; if you take good care of them, they will last.
First, take a look at the list of tools in the box on the previous page. You probably have at least a few of these tools already, even if you're an apartment dweller. The remainder can all be bought at any home center with a minimal investment. But before you rush out and spend your beer money, take a moment to read about my tool-buying philosophy.
You want to be careful when buying tools because these tools should last most of your lifetime. You won't replace these tools with fancy machinery when your skills advance, so you don't want to buy the cheapest tools on display in the tool crib.
So what's wrong with that jigsaw? Everything. Chances are the motor is underpowered, the bearings (if it even has bearings) are flimsy and the electronics are poorly insulated. Push the tool a little hard and it will -- no lie -- catch fire.
That said, you also want to avoid the tools that are loaded with lots of gizmos and features (with the price tag to match). In general, tools with lasers, bubble levels, wrist straps, micro-adjustable doo-dads and digital readouts are not necessary for accurate work. In fact, they might actually make life harder for you.
So I recommend you do two things. First, before you go shopping, visit toolseeker.com and browse around so you can see what brands and models are out there. Toolseeker.com also will help you figure out what to expect as far as price. Second, when you go shopping, seek out the brand-name tools, but choose a brand's stripped-down version of the tool.
Here's an example::Let's say you want to buy a random-orbit sander, and you like the Porter-Cable brand. The company offers the 343 model for and the 344 for . The more expensive model has variable speed. And while variable speed might sound helpful, it's not useful in a sander, really. Skip it and spend the on wood, glue or finish.
This philosophy extends to blades, bits and sandpaper. Buy brand names. Nothing is more expensive than cheap sandpaper, bargain blades or no-name drill bits. But don't buy the fancy professional accessories with plastic cases and flashy graphics. Flashy graphics are supposed to impress the guys on the job site. At home you will impress only the family dog.
Once you get your tools home, treat them like shards of the true cross. Never ever let your tools rust. Rust spreads like a cancer in ferrous materials (iron and steel) and can make your measuring and cutting tools difficult to use. There are a lot of products out there to prevent and remove rust, but the best thing going cannot be found on the shelf: a small can of vigilance.
When you are done with a tool, wipe down the metal surfaces -- especially the cutting surface -- with a rag that has been soaked with WD-40. Always keep the rag nearby (mine is seven years old) and renew it with a squirt of WD-40 when it gets dry. Wiping your tool down does two things: First, it removes dust from the tool. Dust can carry salt. Salt attracts water. The combination of salt and moisture will start breaking down your iron and steel tools.
Second, the WD-40 helps prevent rust by forming a thin protective barrier, albeit one that must be constantly renewed to be effective. Other people will disparage WD-40 (I once did). Ignore them.
Buying Materials
Another key component to the "I Can Do That" philosophy is that all the materials come from a home center. You don't have to buy your materials there, but you also don't have to trek out to some exotic hardwood supplier, learn the foreign language of lumber and spend a ridiculous sum on wood for a purpleheart planter box.
The truth is, you can build a lot of nice things with the run-of-the-mill (literally) lumber and plywood from a home center. You just have to learn how to shop for it.
Let's talk about home-center wood. In general, you are going to find lots of construction lumber -- white pine, yellow pine, Douglas fir and perhaps hemlock. This is sold in thicknesses best for construction 2x4s, 2x6s, 2x8s and so on. There are times you are going to want to pick through this stuff, but when you do, you need to know that it is usually too wet to be used immediately for furniture. If you buy construction lumber, take it home, crosscut it to rough length and let it dry out for a couple weekends before you dive in. You'll be glad you did.
In addition to construction lumber, you'll find hardwoods and softwoods that are thinner and designed to be used for trimwork in a house and even furniture. This stuff has been planed to 3/4" thick and is in convenient furniture-sized hunks. But you need to be quite wary of it. Why?
Well, first off, this stuff is far more expensive than wood will be at an old-fashioned lumberyard -- convenience costs, I tell you. And though it's quite expensive, the really flat and clear boards are just as overpriced as the warped, knotty and split ones.
So sort though the entire pile of wood when looking for boards. Yes, you might get dirty looks from the employees; but if you are going to pay for a pine 1x12, then by God you should get the best one in the store. When you are done, re-assemble the store's wood pile so it is better than you found it.
What sort of furniture woods are you going to find at the home center? For the most part, lots of pine, red oak, poplar, and sometimes maple and aspen. You can build a lot of nice stuff using this wood, especially if you are willing to paint your projects (we will talk about finishing next).
Also, don't forget to visit the moulding section of the home center. You can get away with a lot of store-bought moulding when building furniture -- you don't have to have a router. And the nice thing is that most stores sell the moulding by the linear foot, so you can cut what you need right there (and get some practice with a handsaw.)
As far as fasteners go, let me put one little bug in your ear. The worst thing you can do is to buy screws and other fasteners in those little boxes and plastic bags. You know, the ones that have five wood screws in them. Those are, for the most part, made from soft metal and cost too much. If I have to buy screws at a home center, I will buy a box of 100 or more that are intended for home builders. Heck, I would buy drywall screws before I would buy the little plastic baggies.
And as far as glues go, you're in luck. Home centers have a great selection of glue. Just don't buy the no-name stuff. It might be great. It might not. The name brands (Titebond, Probond, Gorilla) don't cost much more.
Finishing Materials
When it comes to finishing materials you are in tremendous luck when it comes to shopping at a home center. If you know what to look for you can achieve almost any kind of finish you desire.
First, let me say a word about paint. Don't let other magazines or woodworkers bully you out of using paint. A lot of excellent and well-made furniture is painted (for example, virtually every Windsor chair ever made). Personally, I love paint on certain pieces. It allows the graphic lines of a project to really stand out. Paint allows you to easily get the color exactly like you want it. And it's a finish that is hard to mess up. In general, I find that latex semi-gloss paint works very well for furniture. It's durable, doesn't stink up the house like oil-based paint and is easy to clean up.
But what if you don't like paint? Again, you're in luck. Home centers carry a wide variety of stains. And here's a trick that you don't hear a lot: You can mix two (or three or more) stains to get the color you are looking for. Just be sure to mix oil-based stain with oil-based stain, and water-based with water-based.
And while we are talking stains, I recommend you avoid the products that both stain and protect your project. These "one-step" products are usually just stains with a little more binder material in them. They offer little protection to your project, and I don't think they look good, either.
Instead, you should protect your wood with some sort of film finish. In general, you are going to find three sorts of products at the home center that will do this.
There will be Watco, Danish oil and tung oil. These usually are a blend of boiled linseed oil and varnish. It's OK stuff, but you need four or five coats to build up a nice film.
You'll find lots of polyurethane. In general, I think polyurethane is harder than necessary; plus, it doesn't bond well to itself. So sometimes a coat can flake off. If you use polyurethane, be sure to sand the finish thoroughly between coats with #320-grit sandpaper or sanding sponges.
You'll also find varnish or spar varnish. This is the good stuff. It's a lot like polyurethane, except it's a bit softer and bonds more easily to itself. Buy a can of varnish and a can of paint thinner/mineral spirits (they are the same thing). Thin your varnish with three parts varnish and one part paint thinner and you can then apply a nice thin coat with a rag. After three coats or so, you'll build up a nice sheen. Just be sure to sand your finish between coats.
Finally, get some paste wax and some way to apply it. I like the fine synthetic steel wool, which is a gray pad. The gray pad will smooth your finish to the touch and the wax will give the whole project a nice consistent sheen.
Don't Forget Your Workmate
The last important piece of your toolkit is a Workmate. This is a portable workbench that you will never outgrow, even if you become obsessed with workbenches, build 10 of them and write a book about it.
The Workmate is one of the greatest woodworking inventions of the 20th century. It's a big vise, a worktable, a clamping surface, a stepstool. With a Workmate, you can work almost anywhere in the house or yard.
When you buy one, get the nicest one in the store (I know that this contradicts my earlier advice on tools). The plastic ones are not so nice. In fact, the best way to buy a Workmate it to pick up an old one from a garage sale. My Jimmy Carter-era one cost me and even included the plastic dogs, which are great for holding panels.
Now Get to Work
Once you buy your tools, pick out a project and get your materials, you should dive immediately into the project. No matter how daunting the joinery journey ahead, I promise you that most of the barriers in woodworking are mental. The first step is always the hardest, and that's true when it comes to cutting your first pocket-screw hole or sand-shading your first piece of inlay.
'I Can Do That' Tool List
The foundation of the "I Can Do That" approach is the small number of tools you need to build nice and sturdy furniture. Here's a list of the basic kit.
- 12" combination square
- 16' tape measure
- jigsaw
- 10" miter saw
- 7 1/4" circular saw
- electric drill
- scratch awl and brad awl
- bastard-cut file
- file card
- palm-grip random-orbit sander
- block plane
- combination oilstone
- pocket-hole jig or a biscuit joiner
- 16 oz. hammer
- nail sets
- 4-in-1 screwdriver
- Workmate
- F-style clamps
The traditional sleigh design of the Sarah Classic Crib makes it a popular choice for baby's nursery, especially with safety minded parents. This lovely Classic Crib features stationary side rails for a safe sleeping environment for baby with a mattress platform that adjusts to three different heights depending on the age of your baby. It easily changes into a toddler bed, daybed and full-size headboard.A crib is meant for use by an infant less than 35 inches in height or 90cm. When child reaches 35 inches or is able to climb out of crib, the crib should no longer be used. The crib should be converted to a toddler bed. 3-position mattress platform included for all stages of growth.The manufacturer has shown a devotion to child welfare and safety and a passion for superior furniture, elegant styles,and unmatched product features.Features:Crib converts to a toddler bed (no guard rail needed for conversion), daybed and full-size headboard (bed frame and mattress not included)Classic Crib design has no moving partsThree-position mattress height adjustmentDurable and functionalFive-year limited warranty against manufacturer's defectsJPMA, ASTM and CPSC safety certifiedAssembly requiredMattress sold separatelyCoordinates with matching Sarah Dressing TableNote: color of finish shown may not be exact due to computer screen resolution
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| Price : $120.99 | Post Date : Aug 24, 2011 22:56:33Full bed rail conversion for Child Craft Eastland Lifetime Bed Wooden full size rails to convert Child Craft F31131.12 Lifetime BedHooks on headboard and footboardMate White Finish.Comes with 3 wooden slats
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The Sealy Baby Firm Rest Mattress receives some of the best crib mattress reviews. It is one of the most comfortable yet firm models of baby crib mattress around. A non-allergenic layer provides comfort for an extremely plush sleeping surface. The Sealy crib mattress fits most cribs and toddler bed frames. This mattress is easy to clean, easy to move or lift and has a waterproof surface and binding. Sealy crib mattresses are made in the USA and this crib mattress includes a 20 year warranty on workmanship and material
| Price : $285.04The versatile design of the Logan Convertible crib by Childcraft fits any décor. The sides are completely stationary. It converts easily into a toddler bed with the removal of the front side assembly. Optional Toddler Guard Rail (F09514) offers extra security for the child transitioning from the crib to toddler bed. Crib can also be converted to a full size bed late with the optional full size bed rails (F06454) available separately. All necessary parts for conversion from a crib to a toddler
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