2024 Year In Review
Like I mentioned in the last blog that nobody really read, the whole idea of “Odd Pegs Woodworking” came about because of the giant wooden monsters and not so much the fine furniture. But 2024 saw a pivot back to traditional woodworking, with a couple of paying jobs and some long-overdue house projects. The beholder, originally promised for 2023, remains in the backlog.
Of the pieces I made this year, I would rank the Davis desk as the personal favorite, followed by the loft bed/dresser and desk for my daughter’s room. With the former, I played with design and pushed for something beyond the usual Shaker-inspired furniture I typically do. While I most definitely could have done better with the cabinet portion of the desk, I’m pleased with the results and ideally will be able to make another iteration for a client. With the latter, it was a fun challenge bending the laws of physics to make an impossibly small bedroom seem bigger. With uneven spacing of studs and an 11.5° angle on the walls, the loft bed was an engineering challenge. I like how the second desk turned out, even though there wasn’t enough personal design thrown into it (had there been, I definitely would’ve named it after my second kid). And with all, I used the natural beauty of the wood to enhance the overall effect. This was a ton of walnut but each piece has its own unique voice. That’s pretty goddamn rad if you ask me.
Commissions are always a plus, especially when I can accurately budget material cost and time (2024 grade: B+ on the former, C- on the latter) The painting trolley was based off a design grabbed off the internet and while I appreciated the aesthetic, I found the build lacking. And like the platform bed, there was the challenge of “How can I get this from point A to point B without needing to rent a truck and/or remove doors?” The end result is far sturdier than what the plans offered and yet can be disassembled with relative ease. If you look at the bedframe I made in 2021 versus the sequel from this year, you’ll see there’s a better understanding of how you can break a piece down into easier-to-manage components. With the next iteration, I hopefully won’t need help getting the bedframe base up a flight of stairs.
As for the rest, the dice tower has had ample usage this year and despite the flaws (the meh sanding for one), there’s a solid foundation for future iterations. The folding tray and hidden storage compartment were creative stretches. Feedback from my son’s D&D group is that it’s good but too tall, so I’ll keep that in mind.
The router table has made a huge difference in the shop and the gumwood cabinet compliments it nicely. I find it hard to believe I spent all those years with a subpar routing station. And prepping the gumwood - one of those “Well shit, it’s free I might as well take it” deals - was good practice for the Davis desk. Can’t remember where I stole the idea, but doubling up the drawer slides on one side helped save space in the top drawers.
There was a potential commission for a sculpture. Follow Your Art studios made themselves a delightful patio and had asked that build a little something something to dwell amongst the flowers. With the bedframe, the two house projects, my ninth annual Pan Mass Challenge, and a need to not hide out in the garage all goddamn summer, I never quite managed to find the time. There’s a design in place, so they’ll be first on the list in spring 2025.
I did have to do some repairs on the existing works. American Nothic took a tumble sometime in January. This was my fifth piece and while at this point I was making better construction decisions, there were still some weak areas. So along with a fresh coat of paint, I updated what I could. Unfortunately, the owner has yet to get in touch with me, so if you’re the owner reading this, give me a holler. As much as I like seeing him in the driveway, he ought to go back to his forever home.
Another lesson learned - if water pools on a chunk of non-pressure treated wood, it becomes a delicious sponge cake for ants. Like, all of them. The Dragon of Ell Pond was damn near decapitated when a colony of ants set up shop inside its neck. When I lifted the head off and they poured out, it took the lead in the “Grossest Fucking Things I Hope I Never Have To See Again” list. So if you want an Odd Pegs Oddity, make sure you have some ant spray on hand. As outdoor art made from wood, there’s going to be an expiration date for these but I’d rather they not succumb to their eventual fate earlier than expected.
So the final result is seven new pieces (seven and a half if you count the shelves for Maia’s room, but I’m not), two sculpture repairs, and a fairly large renovation to the shop. Given that I have about nine months out of the year to indulge myself, a day job, and a family, I’d say that’s a pretty good score. I enjoy what I do, except maybe when dealing with ants. Fuck those dudes.
Be well and stay weird, friends.
