Well, it started out well. The yard needed a table, and I knew I could make one. I searched and found what I thought were the best outdoor woodworking plans. They were simple, detailed and easy to follow. There was a list of materials, which I understood as suggestions, and I headed off to the store to make all of my purchases. Referring often to the material list in the outdoor woodworking plans. I made my way through the store quickly, choosing the most economically wise items I could find (I picked the cheap stuff).
In the lumber section, the prices for the outdoor grade wood shocked me a bit. Purchasing those materials wouldn’t just blow the budget for this project, but probably for the household for the month. I went with construction grade 2X4s, they stood the test of time on my childhood tree house; they have to be good enough for this project. I decided, when I got to the stain department and saw those prices, that I could put that step off until the end of summer.
Back home, my project went well. It turned out just like the pictures. I was thrilled and my family was proud. We spent many evenings gathered around that table all summer long. Then summer ended, and it still wasn’t stained. Before winter, I sent the kids to cover it with a tarp, certain that would protect it fine until spring. Through the spring, it remained under the tarp, but early in the summer, I got the stain and went out to finish the job. I was heartbroken when I found two legs were missing about an inch off the bottom from rot, and several of the tabletop boards had large soft spots that could literally be torn apart.
Lessoned learned: those material lists in the outdoor woodworking plans are likely not suggestions (unless they state so), and the project isn’t finished until it has been finished! Wih focus and dedication you can build anything that you and your family too will be proud of. Let’s see now what other project can I get my hands on!
I’ve been moving all over the country as of late, relocating from city to city in hopes of finding a real final home. I know that it’s going to be tough, and that I’m going to have to spend some significant time on this journey, but it’s going to be a lot of fun for sure. As a measure of convenience, I’ve eliminated a lot of the non-essential things in my life. I’ve selected only a few pairs of clothing that I really need, and I’ve stocked up on a small amount of silverware. The other thing that I really like to do is clean, so I’ve purchased a