Latest news with #woodworking
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Bristol boy, 11, starts business to fund koi pond dream
An 11-year-old boy has handmade and sold dozens of wooden planters and benches to fund his dream of having a koi pond. When James approached his parents for a bigger pond in their Emersons Green garden he was told "yes - if he could save up his pocket money to fund it". But what parents Hannah and Mike did not expect was that he would get to work immediately in their garage, leading to his own business. "There was a lot of banging around, and then he came back out with what resembled a planter," Mike said. He added: "All of our children have always been taught you need to work for your money. You appreciate it more if you've earned it." James' first effort "wasn't amazing", Mike added, "but with a little bit of doctoring it looked alright" and soon James was going door to door asking if anyone would like to buy his planter. Word of his creations travelled fast, and as more people began asking for planters his mum set up a Facebook page to advertise his work, while Mike helped James learn how to safely use the tools he needed. All of a sudden he was "overwhelmed" with requests coming in not just for planters but bin stores, bug houses, benches and even hedgehog houses. "People just tell us what they want, and we see if we can make it or not," James said, adding that he settled on the idea of planters because "a lot of people like wooden stuff, and we've already got the tools for it".Now inundated with dozens of orders, James spends most of his time after school and at weekends shaping his creations. "I always felt confident I could do it," he said. Koi ponds do not come cheap, with the cost of parts often reaching into thousands of pounds. So far James has been able to buy a new net to cover his existing pond, build a waterfall and, of course, buy more wood to build planters. He discovered the "really expensive" hobby of keeping the fish through his favourite YouTuber James the Koi Whisperer."When I first got them I didn't know any of the names of them, and now I've got them I know so much more about fishes," James said. "He really surprised us," Mike added."He knows how to test the water, he knows names and breeds of the koi." But while James dreams of one day going to Japan to see his beloved koi, as well as building a huge raised pond himself, his parents said they were "incredibly proud" of everything he has already achieved.
CBC
7 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Meet an N.B. man who found his way out of addiction by helping others
Tim Durling's path to recovery has led to a woodworking business and a support group for teens, where he offers what was missing in his own life.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
High Point principal's home ‘sanctuary' is the perfect escape
HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — The sign on the wall is supposed to set the tone. 'Welcome to the patio where memories are made and worries are few,' it says. Triad teachers struggle with students bringing phones to class Just below it is a new machine that is one of the few things that take Mike Hettenbach's mind off of work. Hettenbach is the principal of High Point Central High School — something that seems like a 25/8/366 job, if you know what I mean. 'For me, it's hard to shake the weight off my shoulder, so doing these things, sitting in here, watching the game. I've got neighbors driving by saying hi or come in,' Hettenbach said about the setup he has in his garage. He has a fridge with sodas, beer and other drinks, pennants for various sports teams, a TV and his beloved wood carving machine. 'This is a CNC machine. I bought this about two years ago,' Hettenbach said. 'I've done a lot things with wood, scrap wood, junk wood, building that furniture over there, but I was just looking to piddle-paddle. My younger brother is a master craftsman of cabinets.' Hettenbach uses mostly pre-coded programs on a computer that's connected to his wood cutter. One of the favorite things he makes are wall-sized plaques with the High Point Central bison logo that he gives to teachers as awards. 'One of my goals was for my staff and to kind of do a monthly Heart of the Herd, instead of doing just a certificate, making it a little bit more personal,' Hettenbach said. The hobby has done what he wasn't sure was possible. 'I've never been one who was good a relaxing, but I've done a great job the last six months,' he said. 'This is kind of my sanctuary in here. You get back from work. You have a lot of weight on your shoulders and whatnot. You just decompress, get your mind focused on all the weight you take back.' See the machine in action in this Saved By the Bell edition of The Buckley Report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
People in Thompson hone trades skills at free Skills Shop
Skills Shop North offers people in Thompson, Man., opportunities to upskill in a variety of trades, including woodworking and welding, while also giving them a space to work on their own projects on their own time, free of charge.
CBC
06-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Boards to beauty: Free Skills Shop helps people in Thompson upskill in trades
In a small, former warehouse in Thompson, Payton Chuckrey and others learn how to make cutting boards out of a plain plank of rough wood — for free. "My aunt asked if I wanted to come and build some stuff with her. I went, 'Heck yes I do,'" Chuckrey told CBC News. Skills Shop North offers Thompson residents the chance to upskill in a variety of trades, including woodworking and welding, and hosts a variety of free workshops while also giving people the opportunity to come in on their own time and work on their own projects for free. The new educational facility, a not-for-profit funded through federal and provincial government grants, opened in late 2024 after the closure of Thompson FabLab, a similar organization that provided workshops in the same space but made the space available with a paid membership. Skills Shop North is free, which is a key difference, said Jordan Ilott, a manager and volunteer instructor at Skills Shop North, who also creates his own projects and used to volunteer for Thompson FabLab. Chuckrey said the workshop she did was also an opportunity to bond with her aunt, Patricia Preston, who had never worked on wood before. Participants started with rough planks of wood, cut them down and processed them into wood cutting boards with customized designs over the span of a weekend. "I love skulls. I have skulls everywhere, and so I decided to go with a skull to represent my husband and a skull to represent myself. And so now we have the Chuckrey's Kitchen cutting board," Chuckrey said. Fellow participant Heather Hildebrandt's design came from her furry friend. "I am sort of a crazy dog person and I have an Irish wolfhound at home, and he's my baby. So I put his name on, I put him on there, so I'll have something of him," she said. Hildebrandt had some woodworking experience going into the program, but she was waiting for the opportunity to practice and refine her skills. "My father was into woodworking since I was a little kid, and he kind of dragged me into it, because I was a tomboy," she said. "So I've been interested in this stuff forever, and we haven't had any opportunity to do any of this in Thompson. And when I heard about this, I just jumped at the chance." Ilott said once participants are certified on the machinery after a workshop, they are allowed to work on their own projects at Skills Shop whenever it's open, and the possibilities are endless. "In this facility, we have the enormous potential to make just about anything you can imagine, because we have a fully fledged woodworking and furniture cabinetry workshop," he said. For Ilott, the place is also an opportunity to socialize and meet people from Thompson. Classes are currently not regularly scheduled, but Ilott hopes they'll be able to get funding and grants for more, which would let more people use the space for their own creative endeavours, including opportunities to start businesses.
