Woodworking Takes Planks of Wood & Makes Them Beautiful
Fine furniture building, like surgery, requires acquiring a set of skills, using meticulous technique, patience, and life-long learning.
I have had many hobbies in my life. I collected coins when I was a teenager, I ran marathons in college, when I have the time I ski or ride my road bike, and I’ve always been an avid reader. However, the hobby that I have practiced the longest, and that gives me the most pleasure, is furniture building.
I first became interested in woodworking when I volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. A friend of mine had become involved with this organization through his father, and he invited me along for one of their projects in the summer of 1984. I found that I enjoyed working with wood and volunteered for other projects throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
At one of these events, I met a woodworker by the name of Norm Abram, a cast member of This Old House. He also had his own show called The New Yankee Workshop, where each week he would take the viewer step by step through building a different piece of furniture.
Norm had a knack for demystifying what at first appeared to be complex projects, and I was immediately hooked. I purchased each of the three books he had published, as they contained measured drawings and plain English instructions for all of the projects he built on his weekly show.
As a surgical resident, I had neither the space to house nor the funds to purchase fancy woodworking tools, but I was able to cobble together some yard sale power tools and inexpensive hand tools. In what free time I had, I began to build small tables, a desk, a bookshelf, and other items from pine and poplar.
What I love about furniture building, and woodworking in general, is the ability to take a plank of wood and turn it into something functional and, as my skills improved, beautiful.
Now that I have a home and a decent income, I do have some fancy power tools, and I am able to afford pricier types of wood such as sapele, walnut, and cherry. This has allowed me to build many of the pieces of furniture we currently use in our home, and I’ve been able to teach my sons some of the basics.
Fine furniture building, like surgery, requires acquiring a set of skills, using meticulous technique, patience, and life-long learning.
Few things outside the operating room give me as much satisfaction and pleasure as walking by a table or desk I built and I running my hand over the surface, knowing I made this. It is truly one of the best feelings in the world, and I hope I will be able to continue this work for the rest of my life and pass the passion down to my sons.
About James Goydos, M.D.
James Goydos is an expert in melanoma research and specialist in surgical oncology with an M.D. from Rutgers University. With over 20 years of experience as a Professor, Surgeon, and Clinical Trial Lead, he is a leading expert in his field.
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