Over the last couple of years I’ve kept on returning to the question of carpentry. Not in a general sense, but specifically in relation to my ability to turn my hand to the following projects:

1. Build shelves under the stairs,
2. Box in the thermal store and build a cabin bed in the second bedroom,
3. Build a high level, long, wide shelf in the kitchen,
4. Put up shelving in the utility room.

…OR the alternative of hiring a professional. A steady accumulation of tools over the period (chisel, hand saws, a circular saw, jigsaw and sander then most recently a router and whole array of cutters) has pushed me to test my skills or risk losing face and admitting to recklessly buying ‘boys toys’.

Just to set the record straight (and start work on any future defence of my position) I’ve not been recklessly or pointlessly buy these tools. I have been putting them to use – boxing-in pipe work in the bathrooms (and there has been a lot of boxing-in to do as the fittings were moved around from their planned locations due to my wayward planning and purchasing), fitting skirting boards, oak floors and trim between the stairs and floor. But there is still plenty more work for them to do.

As a proof of the concept that I’m up to doing all this woodwork, I’ve made a start on the shelves under the stairs.

Step 1 – THE SHELVES UNDER THE STAIRS

(Quite an ominous title that one).

From Barn Conversion 2011

The purpose of the shelves is two-fold, to provide storage but perhaps more importantly, to box-in and tidy up the under-stairs area including hiding the unsightly under-floor heating manifold.

Having drawn up the plans (incorrectly as it transpired) and bought the wood I started work…

When it comes to the barn, at the moment, the skill about which I know very little, but with which I plan to achieve much is woodworking.

I have the following on my to-do list to be built: shelves under the stairs, book cases along the landing, a cabin bed and boxing-in in the second bedroom, a woodstore, a garden gate, some garden storage, planters and a shelter for the gas bottles. Each of these projects will require some pretty skillful woodworking if I’m to get the level of finish I aim for. In reality, I’ll probably need to buy some of these in, but at the moment I like to think I can do them myself (except perhaps the garden gate, I think that’s probably one for the professionals).

For some obscure reason, there seem to be lots of wood-working plans freely available on the internet (is woodworking big in America?), but most I’ve seen are pretty poor quality. Then the other day I came across the California Redwood Association website and some great woodworking plans. The measurements are in feet and inches so won’t suit the modern British builder and they suggest the use of redwood, which is pretty tricky to get at B&Q(!), but I really like these clear, concise and very usable plans. So far I’ve go my eye on the Petaluma Planters and Garden Tool Shed plans and there are more on the Project Plans page.