DIY is the new fad

In a world where almost everything can be served to anyone who is fortunate enough to afford the product together with the service, it is quite refreshing to see the times change. More and more, “Do It Yourself,” or DIY, is becoming a big fad for a host of people – regardless of class or financial standing. 

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From the name itself, one could surmise that this is a very self-serving way of obtaining what is needed in a project. A lot of things can be done inside the house, for instance, and the materials needed may either just be lying around the garage, or could easily be bought from the hardware. Painting a house, or maybe replacing the bathroom tiles, is a common chore that can usually be done the DIY way. 

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The beauty of DIY is that it does not only help save money, but it could also be a very good way to spend time with the family. The house could be a big family project! Fences, chairs, and tables are easily made with a quick know-how of woodworking. For woodworking that needs a tad more expertise, Laguna Tools and Shiloh Cabinetry may be good options to procure the bigger cabinets from, or even ask for tips for the projects from. 

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Whatever the case may be, DIY has already caught on and is being practiced around the world. Trying it out is highly encouraged. 

Laguna Tools has been in the woodworking industry for more than 20 years now and can surely help you out with your DIY needs and inquiries. Follow this Twitter to learn more.

It all started with wood

Has anyone imagined how life was like way back when? Has anyone given a thought as to how the “prehistoric” men and women were able to survive their environment? How did, say, the Neanderthals, or those that came before them, ever survive?

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Studies would teach that civilizations started near bodies of water. These provided them the basic necessities for food, farming, and most probably hygiene as well; however, how did the early people manage to cook their kills and catches? How did they stay warm on a winter night? It is but right to believe that, together with water, wood was just as an essential part of building civilization as is known today, and was probably more important in the time before time. Wood would have been a primary aid that they’d seek for most things they need to do. Fishing rods, campfire logs, weapons and armory – all of these were made of wood.

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In today’s time, wood is no longer taken with a grain of salt. It is a real pleasure to know, however, that there are those like Laguna Tools and Shiloh Cabinetry who still give respect to how important wood is to man’s everyday life, and even incorporates modern-day twists to every piece they make.

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People should be brought back to marvel at the basics of the past to better understand and appreciate what they have in the present, and wonder at what they may have in the future.

Laguna Tools is a pioneer in the woodworking business. To know more about the company, follow this Twitter.

REPOST: Five Must-Know Woodworking Tips for Beginners

Yahoo Contributor Eric Brennan shares these five guidelines for those who want to start a woodworking project.

Getting the most out of your woodworking projects starts with the right tools, materials and know-how to get the project done right. But there are a few tips that even professional woodworkers overlook when they create their own projects. Use these five must-know woodworking tips and you can be sure your first woodworking project will run smoothly and efficiently.

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 Budget

Many times, when you're looking over plans for a woodworking project, it's easy to overlook the material budget. This might be because the piece looks too rewarding, fun or challenging to build. Budget problems during the middle of a project have killed more woodworking plans than you can imagine. Be sure before starting any woodworking project, you create a cost breakdown list of tools and materials to ensure you budget remains intact from the beginning through the end of your woodworking project.

Get Familiar with Tools

There is nothing more dangerous than a beginning woodworker who buys a large power tool for the first time and doesn't know how to use it. If you're looking to use power tools for the first time, take a class, read a book or watch someone use the tool first to help prevent dangerous accidents from misuse. Tool rental services can provide you with a tool to use and demonstrate its use for you, helping to make you familiar with new power tools.

Start Small

Don't let your eyes fool you. It's just like when you go shopping when you're hungry-you buy a bunch of stuff you don't need. The same goes for beginning woodworkers who think they can do advanced projects without getting their feet wet with something smaller first. Start small with projects that will teach you the basics before you tackle more complicated woodworking projects.

Buy Scrap

Many woodworkers who are just starting out plan to build something extravagant or difficult when choosing their first project. While it's best to start small when you're a beginner, it's also best to start cheap. Buy cheaper materials and damaged scrap where you can. Any beginner is bound to make mistakes, and scrap wood can help keep down the cost while allowing you the practice you need to get good and hone your woodworking skills.

Practice Makes Perfect

Repetition of projects using a variety of tools and practicing new skills and techniques all help the beginning woodworker improve skills and work towards becoming a novice and professional woodworker. Be sure that you practice the basics first and know how to use each of the tools in your woodworking arsenal before moving to more challenging projects.

A good way to get practice without having to spend a fortune on tools is by taking a shop class at your local vocational school. Some stores like Home Depot and Lowe's offer woodworking classes that teach how to use specific woodworking tools and techniques.



Laguna Tools provides woodworking equipment for both beginner and professional woodworkers. Follow this Twitter page to get more tips on woodworking.

Woodworking and the young generation

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Ask today’s kids what they want to be in the future. Would a kid want to become a woodworker someday? Most of them would probably answer what popular notion has made them to believe is dream-worthy: to be a pop star, a CEO, a doctor, a computer programmer.


Most children nowadays spend more time playing video games and surfing the Web than reading books and playing outdoors. You can’t blame them. Who would want to become a woodworker when children don’t even know anything about the art of woodworking? The subject is taught in schools, but most students dismiss it as just another class and fail to appreciate the artistry behind it. If woodworkers want to create a longstanding bridge between them and the young generation, or if they want to preserve the craft, they should find ways to make woodworking a part of a child’s everyday life.



 
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Take inspiration from the works of Marc Spagnuolo, woodworking enthusiast, and Glen Huey, furniture maker and author of woodworking books. They encourage children to have a glimpse of the beauty of woodworking. They share the latest tools used for woodworking, teach about the different products that can be made out of wood, and even create video and audio podcasts about woodworking.


Such actions from woodworkers are what keep the art thriving, and maybe inspire youngsters to study this art form and apply it in later life.



 
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Laguna Tools supports woodworking programs in schools. Its official website provides more information about its school programs.

Woodcrafting and generic tools

The act of using brand names to establish a trade or clientele has been a common trader’s practice even before the Commercial Era and the Railroad Development years—as travelling vaudeville acts and troubadours at tha t time baptized themselves with “commercial” names to attract paying spectators—but its importance as an essential aspect in the entire idea of commerce has never been recorded.

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But it is no longer a secret how a simple brand name can change a rivalry in a niche or industry, or how it can ruin a flourishing trade. Brand names have become an important element in any commercial undertaking, and lives have been dominated by multitudes and uncountable numbers of them—for how many years, this, too, is uncertain. On a lighter note, brand names help people to identify. They are the badge that makes consumers distinguish what brand, products, and services they would trust or choose.

In woodcrafting: branded and generic tools

In the olden days when people did not have the option yet of choosing or buying tools for woodworking, they made their own—hence, everything was homemade, handmade, self-made, generic.

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But today, as the world is dominated by advertising and branding, it is hard to find tools that are as sturdy and expedient as the tools created in the ancient days. It’s difficult to find a store that sells reasonably priced woodworking tools that are still excellent and superb in quality. Commercialism paved the way for mass production, which, alternatively, lowered the quality of some branded products.

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Thankfully, there are lots of trades that remain lovers of the craft and do not think of forgoing quality over sales or brand name. Laguna Tools is one of them and, hopefully, more trades like it would spring in the years that are yet to come.

Learn more about the woodworking industry by visiting this website.

REPOST: Woodworking Show returns for fourth year

This feature talks about the annual exhibit “Wood: A Furniture Show” which is spearheaded by Brian Murphy, co-founder of the San Diego Fine Woodworking Association and proprietor of Murphy’s Fine Woodworking in Escondido. The entire article can be read at U-T San Diego's official website.

ESCONDIDO — When Brian Murphy went looking for fellow craftsmen to exhibit in his fourth annual “Wood: A Furniture Show IV” — which opens Friday at the Escondido Municipal Gallery — he ran into an unexpected problem.

Many of the furniture-makers who regularly exhibit in the hugely popular show didn’t have anything available to show this winter. Ever since the recession began, few furniture artisans can afford the financial risk of building an inventory. Instead, they build on commissions and rarely have finished pieces available in their studios to exhibit.

But Murphy still managed to cobble together a show of 14 handmade pieces by six San Diego County artisans, including himself. The show will feature chairs, a rocker, tables, a jewelry cabinet and more.

The “Wood” show is one of the best-attended exhibits all year at the gallery, which is managed by the Escondido Arts Partnership. On opening night last year, more than 600 people crammed the Grand Avenue gallery for “Wood III,” and Murphy said that during the one-month show, visitors came by the busload from all over North County.

“Word of mouth is really great for the show each year,” he said. “We get so many people in here who are art collectors who really appreciate the work of fine artisans. It’s exciting.”

Murphy, co-founder of the San Diego Fine Woodworking Association and proprietor of Murphy’s Fine Woodworking in Escondido, will show two chairs he created in the style of Gustav Stickley. He will sell one and donate the other to the Escondido Arts Partnership, which will auction the chair to raise money for future exhibits.

Also exhibiting are brothers Amal and Shem McNew, whose Escondido-based furniture business McFinn Designs was recently featured in San Diego Home & Garden magazine. The McNews specialize in contemporary-style furniture, and they are creating a table for the exhibit, Murphy said.

Longtime Palomar College woodworking instructor Jerry Beaudry of La Mesa will show four pieces in the exhibit, including a rocking chair in the style of Sam Maloof and a jewelry box.

San Diego resident Dick Ugoretz, who is vice president of the woodworking association, will show some traditional-style wood furniture.

And show newcomer David Marr of San Diego will show some tables and cabinets that highlight his expertise with wood veneer, marquetry and inlay.

Murphy said the recession has been hard on fine furniture-makers, but qual- ity craftsmanship will always have loyal customers. He said he has a three-month backlog of orders right now, and the McNew brothers have a six-month pipeline for projects.

The show opens Friday and runs through Feb. 2 at 262 E. Grand Ave. An opening reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday will be hosted by Stone Brewing Co. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.

Laguna Tools provides woodworkers with top-notch tools and equipment to help them produce high-quality products. This website gives more details about the woodworking industry and how it impacts modern-day arts, lifestyle, and economy.