The Maker
Kris, the Maker in The Basement Woodshop, is focused on creating pieces that are beautiful, well-constructed and practical.
I build things, make stuff, and come up with creative ways to fix anything broken -- My skills in a nutshell. As far back as I remember I’ve always loved building things, taking things apart to see how they work, and putting them back together. I started building with Construx, K-Nex and Legos as a child and that interest continued into my teens. I still enjoy playing with Legos with my sons from time to time.
For years I was interested in working with wood, but did not want to spend the money for the tools. I think my wife got tired of hearing me talk about wanting to build stuff, so she encouraged me to do it. My first purchases were a compound miter saw, a random orbital sander, a few small hand tools, and some lumber from a big box store. After that, I started building and haven’t stopped.
My first major project came about when we needed a bunk bed for our children (see image). I searched the web to find a build plan that would fit our requirements. I saw that Jay Bates of Jayscustomcreations.com did a video on the bunk beds he made. From his website, I purchased the plan for the bunk beds, and started building. After about a week of working on the project - almost every day after work - the bunks were complete. I realized during that week of building that woodworking was something that I not only enjoyed but loved. I wanted to woodwork every day. I wanted to teach it to my sons and share the things I’ve made with others.
Since making the bunk bed, I have made plenty of other items: side tables, pot rack, bookshelves, television stand, bar stools, chairs, picture frames, spoons, paper towel holders, pantry cabinets, cutting/serving boards, pizza peels, boxes, dominoes, monster trucks, etc. Being a self-taught woodworker, I enjoy learning and developing my craft and overcoming the challenges each new project brings.
Circa 2016, The Basement Woodshop was born in our Phoenixville, Pennsylvania basement which has since been transformed into a fully-equipped wood shop. In the shop I use various types of wood - apple, canary, cherry, maple, purpleheart, padauk, red oak, and black walnut - which are handpicked from local lumberyards.