As a family with two young children, we know the challenges our teachers are facing as they transition to online learning. And shop teachers have the additional challenge of a topic that usually requires in-person instruction and hands-on experiences. You may or may not be aware that we accept donations throughout the year for a Guild scholarship fund and now we’re using those funds to supply shop teachers with opportunities for online learning. If you know a shop teacher who is struggling with this transition and who could make use of Guild projects for their students, please send them our way. Have them email Nicole mailto:nicole@thewoodwhisperer.com and we’ll do our best to accommodate their needs. If you would like to donate to the scholarship program, please do. I have a feeling we are going to get more requests in the coming weeks as schools likely won’t resume any time soon. We’ll make a public post in the future thanking everyone involved in the effort. – Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Well. Marc & Nicole
We know people are at home with their kids looking for things to do. So we decided to collect all of our kid-friendly projects in one place for your convenience.
We know people are at home with their kids looking for things to do. So we decided to collect all of our kid-friendly projects in one place for your convenience.
In the hussle and the bustle of moving and the holidays, Marc and I realized we forgot to announce the results of the 2016 Woodworkers Fighting Cancer charity drive officially! So without further adieu, thank you to everyone that built the castle bookcase (almost 100 built!), bought a mug, hat or coin ($1745 worth sold!), participated in the auctions or just donated directly to The Jessie Rees Foundation. Because of all of you we hit our 1st goal of raising $15,000 and we came close to our second goal of $20,000! Currently we are at $17,606.00 and our campaign is open all year long. So while we are not actively fundraising you can still donate directly to the charity anytime you like. Your donations help bring joy into the lives of kids and families that are battling cancer and Erik from The Jessie Rees Foundation also wanted express his thanks.
“WOW!! Because of your generosity, we will be able to stuff and ship over 860 JoyJars for Courageous Kids battling cancer! So awesome! Thank You for your support!”
– Erik Rees, Jessie’s Daddy
You can still donate at anytime to help us reach our second goal and provide more JoyJars to kids!
You can also learn more about Jessie’s story and how her foundation began here.
In the hussle and the bustle of moving and the holidays, Marc and I realized we forgot to announce the results of the 2016 Woodworkers Fighting Cancer charity drive officially! So without further adieu, thank you to everyone that built the castle bookcase (almost 100 built!), bought a mug, hat or coin ($1745 worth sold!), participated in the auctions or just donated directly to The Jessie Rees Foundation. Because of all of you we hit our 1st goal of raising $15,000 and we came close to our second goal of $20,000! Currently we are at $17,606.00 and our campaign is open all year long. So while we are not actively fundraising you can still donate directly to the charity anytime you like. Your donations help bring joy into the lives of kids and families that are battling cancer and Erik from The Jessie Rees Foundation also wanted express his thanks.
“WOW!! Because of your generosity, we will be able to stuff and ship over 860 JoyJars for Courageous Kids battling cancer! So awesome! Thank You for your support!”
– Erik Rees, Jessie’s Daddy
You can still donate at anytime to help us reach our second goal and provide more JoyJars to kids!
You can also learn more about Jessie’s story and how her foundation began here.
For the last few months I’ve been dropping hints about an impending move to Colorado. Recently the hints have become overt statements and if all goes well, we’ll officially be in Colorado before Thanksgiving. Because I seem to get the same questions via email daily and during my Friday Live sessions, I thought I’d write up some answers here on the site to avoid repeating myself and to prevent speculation.
Why are you moving?
To put it succinctly, kids change everything! Nicole and I never really LOVED living in Arizona. It was a means to an end, the “end” being running a successful business in an area with a reasonable cost of living. When you work all day and play video games all night, being stuck inside in the air conditioning for eight months out of the year isn’t that bad. But ever since my son arrived in 2011, priorities have shifted and our biggest challenge is finding indoor activities that allow the kid to burn off his seemingly endless supply of energy (otherwise he chews the furniture). Those indoor activities usually cost money which gets old quickly, considering all we really need is an afternoon at the park. And now that we have two little ones, things are going to get worse before they get better. So now that we have kids, we crave the same 4-season climate we grew up with.
Why Colorado?
Colorado is beautiful and has plenty of outdoor activities. The weather profile is what we’re looking for and many of the cities have exceptional school systems. And aside from that it comes down to our collective gut. There’s just something about Colorado that appeals to us and it’s where we feel we belong. It doesn’t hurt that we have some friends in the area too.
What about your shop?
The Dream Shop was fun to build and work in. It was a really cool experience. But in the same way I like to say Home is wherever my wife and kids are, my Shop is wherever my tools are. Doesn’t matter if it’s an 1800 sq. ft standalone building or 1-car garage. Woodworkers always figure out a way to make things work. So I’m not emotional about it at all and truly look forward to a future garage conversion. The house we are hoping to buy (we are currently under contract) features a 4-car garage at about 1050 sq ft. That’s not too shabby! But it will require a little downsizing, a little creativity, and a little extra work to get the shop up and running in that space. If I am ever feeling nostalgic about the old shop, I can always watch the Dream Shop build video.
How will this affect TWW and the Guild?
It won’t affect the Guild at all. I’m going to finish the Grandfather Clock project before I lose the shop and my new shop will be up and running before the next Guild project begins. The free site might see a slight decrease in content since that’s what I usually focus on between Guild projects. But I do plan on documenting the garage conversion so who knows, maybe I’ll have more content than I expect.
Did the shop affect the house sale?
When you have a big shop on your property, it can be a blessing and a curse. It’s not livable space, so you can’t add it to your square footage and that means it doesn’t do much to raise the overall value of the property. And if someone doesn’t have a use for the shop, it might be a deterrent. On the flip side, if someone does need a shop space, it could give the house a competitive advantage. So it really just depends on who’s looking at your house and what they want. But there’s really no way I’ll recuperate my investment in the shop. Good thing I’m sleeping on a bed of Honda money (that’s a joke).
Oh and if all of this moving talk sounds familiar or perhaps you’re hoping I’ll document the move, you might want to check out these videos:
For the last few months I’ve been dropping hints about an impending move to Colorado. Recently the hints have become overt statements and if all goes well, we’ll officially be in Colorado before Thanksgiving. Because I seem to get the same questions via email daily and during my Friday Live sessions, I thought I’d write up some answers here on the site to avoid repeating myself and to prevent speculation.
Why are you moving?
To put it succinctly, kids change everything! Nicole and I never really LOVED living in Arizona. It was a means to an end, the “end” being running a successful business in an area with a reasonable cost of living. When you work all day and play video games all night, being stuck inside in the air conditioning for eight months out of the year isn’t that bad. But ever since my son arrived in 2011, priorities have shifted and our biggest challenge is finding indoor activities that allow the kid to burn off his seemingly endless supply of energy (otherwise he chews the furniture). Those indoor activities usually cost money which gets old quickly, considering all we really need is an afternoon at the park. And now that we have two little ones, things are going to get worse before they get better. So now that we have kids, we crave the same 4-season climate we grew up with.
Why Colorado?
Colorado is beautiful and has plenty of outdoor activities. The weather profile is what we’re looking for and many of the cities have exceptional school systems. And aside from that it comes down to our collective gut. There’s just something about Colorado that appeals to us and it’s where we feel we belong. It doesn’t hurt that we have some friends in the area too.
What about your shop?
The Dream Shop was fun to build and work in. It was a really cool experience. But in the same way I like to say Home is wherever my wife and kids are, my Shop is wherever my tools are. Doesn’t matter if it’s an 1800 sq. ft standalone building or 1-car garage. Woodworkers always figure out a way to make things work. So I’m not emotional about it at all and truly look forward to a future garage conversion. The house we are hoping to buy (we are currently under contract) features a 4-car garage at about 1050 sq ft. That’s not too shabby! But it will require a little downsizing, a little creativity, and a little extra work to get the shop up and running in that space. If I am ever feeling nostalgic about the old shop, I can always watch the Dream Shop build video.
How will this affect TWW and the Guild?
It won’t affect the Guild at all. I’m going to finish the Grandfather Clock project before I lose the shop and my new shop will be up and running before the next Guild project begins. The free site might see a slight decrease in content since that’s what I usually focus on between Guild projects. But I do plan on documenting the garage conversion so who knows, maybe I’ll have more content than I expect.
Did the shop affect the house sale?
When you have a big shop on your property, it can be a blessing and a curse. It’s not livable space, so you can’t add it to your square footage and that means it doesn’t do much to raise the overall value of the property. And if someone doesn’t have a use for the shop, it might be a deterrent. On the flip side, if someone does need a shop space, it could give the house a competitive advantage. So it really just depends on who’s looking at your house and what they want. But there’s really no way I’ll recuperate my investment in the shop. Good thing I’m sleeping on a bed of Honda money (that’s a joke).
Oh and if all of this moving talk sounds familiar or perhaps you’re hoping I’ll document the move, you might want to check out these videos:
For the last few months I’ve been dropping hints about an impending move to Colorado. Recently the hints have become overt statements and if all goes well, we’ll officially be in Colorado before Thanksgiving. Because I seem to get the same questions via email daily and during my Friday Live sessions, I thought I’d write up some answers here on the site to avoid repeating myself and to prevent speculation.
Why are you moving?
To put it succinctly, kids change everything! Nicole and I never really LOVED living in Arizona. It was a means to an end, the “end” being running a successful business in an area with a reasonable cost of living. When you work all day and play video games all night, being stuck inside in the air conditioning for eight months out of the year isn’t that bad. But ever since my son arrived in 2011, priorities have shifted and our biggest challenge is finding indoor activities that allow the kid to burn off his seemingly endless supply of energy (otherwise he chews the furniture). Those indoor activities usually cost money which gets old quickly, considering all we really need is an afternoon at the park. And now that we have two little ones, things are going to get worse before they get better. So now that we have kids, we crave the same 4-season climate we grew up with.
Why Colorado?
Colorado is beautiful and has plenty of outdoor activities. The weather profile is what we’re looking for and many of the cities have exceptional school systems. And aside from that it comes down to our collective gut. There’s just something about Colorado that appeals to us and it’s where we feel we belong. It doesn’t hurt that we have some friends in the area too.
What about your shop?
The Dream Shop was fun to build and work in. It was a really cool experience. But in the same way I like to say Home is wherever my wife and kids are, my Shop is wherever my tools are. Doesn’t matter if it’s an 1800 sq. ft standalone building or 1-car garage. Woodworkers always figure out a way to make things work. So I’m not emotional about it at all and truly look forward to a future garage conversion. The house we are hoping to buy (we are currently under contract) features a 4-car garage at about 1050 sq ft. That’s not too shabby! But it will require a little downsizing, a little creativity, and a little extra work to get the shop up and running in that space. If I am ever feeling nostalgic about the old shop, I can always watch the Dream Shop build video.
How will this affect TWW and the Guild?
It won’t affect the Guild at all. I’m going to finish the Grandfather Clock project before I lose the shop and my new shop will be up and running before the next Guild project begins. The free site might see a slight decrease in content since that’s what I usually focus on between Guild projects. But I do plan on documenting the garage conversion so who knows, maybe I’ll have more content than I expect.
Did the shop affect the house sale?
When you have a big shop on your property, it can be a blessing and a curse. It’s not livable space, so you can’t add it to your square footage and that means it doesn’t do much to raise the overall value of the property. And if someone doesn’t have a use for the shop, it might be a deterrent. On the flip side, if someone does need a shop space, it could give the house a competitive advantage. So it really just depends on who’s looking at your house and what they want. But there’s really no way I’ll recuperate my investment in the shop. Good thing I’m sleeping on a bed of Honda money (that’s a joke).
Oh and if all of this moving talk sounds familiar or perhaps you’re hoping I’ll document the move, you might want to check out these videos:
We have many perks in The Wood Whisperer Guild and one of our newest offerings is a chance to work side by side with Marc as an apprentice on a future Guild project. Curious how you can become a future apprentice? Below is an interview with our 1st TWW Guild apprentice, David Nichols. He helped Marc build the Barrister Bookcase and graciously shared his experience and advice for any future apprentices!
If you are a Guild member and would like to apply to be the next Guild apprentice for the Tall-Case Grandfather Clock, you have until May 31st to fill out the application! If you get the “job” you would work with Marc side by side for 2 weeks (7 days a week) starting Monday, August 15th and lasting until Sunday, August 28th. The pay you would receive would be a hands on woodworking experience directly from Marc. Ideally you would want to be local, but if you aren’t you would be responsible for your own lodging and transportation (We can help you locate affordable lodging if you need).
What advice would you give to your fellow Guild members looking to do the apprenticeship? I would tell anyone applying for the position not to have a hidden agenda. They are being given a great opportunity to meet Marc and Nicole and to be a part of something beyond their day to day woodworking. The Guild videos that come out of my time with Marc will be a lasting souvenir of the experience. I would caution anyone that this experience should not see this as an opportunity to picks Marc’s brain about how to be a woodworking “star”.
What did you like most about the experience? What I liked most was getting to meet Marc and say “thank you” in person for what the guild has done for me. I look around my house at some of the pieces I have built and I almost can’t believe that I built them. I have learned so much from my participation in the Guild and I know I have found a hobby that I will enjoy for the rest of my life.
People always say learning in person is better than learning online. After your experience with the Guild both virtually and now in person, how would you say the two compare? While I would say that it is more fun to learn in person, I realize that I learn best visually and through repetition so the online learning is best suited to my needs. I frequently refer to Guild videos on how to do specific techniques even if I am not building a Guild project.
Did you learn anything unexpectedly? Yes, regarding all the different joinery, watching (in real time) the steps Marc would take to “sneak up” on and refine the fits to achieve the best results made me realize that I need to SLOW DOWN and enjoy the details.
Do you have a favorite moment? Yes, earning my “gold stars”. There was a couple of times during the month that I made suggestions about the project that Marc liked so much that he adopted them and added them to the project. Holy cow, that was so cool!
Thank you David for taking the time to drive from Kansas City to spend the month of April with us! It was an absolute pleasure getting to know you!
Here are just a few shots of Marc and David in the shop together!
We have many perks in The Wood Whisperer Guild and one of our newest offerings is a chance to work side by side with Marc as an apprentice on a future Guild project. Curious how you can become a future apprentice? Below is an interview with our 1st TWW Guild apprentice, David Nichols. He helped Marc build the Barrister Bookcase and graciously shared his experience and advice for any future apprentices!
If you are a Guild member and would like to apply to be the next Guild apprentice for the Tall-Case Grandfather Clock, you have until May 31st to fill out the application! If you get the “job” you would work with Marc side by side for 2 weeks (7 days a week) starting Monday, August 15th and lasting until Sunday, August 28th. The pay you would receive would be a hands on woodworking experience directly from Marc. Ideally you would want to be local, but if you aren’t you would be responsible for your own lodging and transportation (We can help you locate affordable lodging if you need).
What advice would you give to your fellow Guild members looking to do the apprenticeship? I would tell anyone applying for the position not to have a hidden agenda. They are being given a great opportunity to meet Marc and Nicole and to be a part of something beyond their day to day woodworking. The Guild videos that come out of my time with Marc will be a lasting souvenir of the experience. I would caution anyone that this experience should not see this as an opportunity to picks Marc’s brain about how to be a woodworking “star”.
What did you like most about the experience? What I liked most was getting to meet Marc and say “thank you” in person for what the guild has done for me. I look around my house at some of the pieces I have built and I almost can’t believe that I built them. I have learned so much from my participation in the Guild and I know I have found a hobby that I will enjoy for the rest of my life.
People always say learning in person is better than learning online. After your experience with the Guild both virtually and now in person, how would you say the two compare? While I would say that it is more fun to learn in person, I realize that I learn best visually and through repetition so the online learning is best suited to my needs. I frequently refer to Guild videos on how to do specific techniques even if I am not building a Guild project.
Did you learn anything unexpectedly? Yes, regarding all the different joinery, watching (in real time) the steps Marc would take to “sneak up” on and refine the fits to achieve the best results made me realize that I need to SLOW DOWN and enjoy the details.
Do you have a favorite moment? Yes, earning my “gold stars”. There was a couple of times during the month that I made suggestions about the project that Marc liked so much that he adopted them and added them to the project. Holy cow, that was so cool!
Thank you David for taking the time to drive from Kansas City to spend the month of April with us! It was an absolute pleasure getting to know you!
Here are just a few shots of Marc and David in the shop together!
