My first couple of wood projects , were wood projects of a complete amateur carpenter and of course nailing and screwing into wood , was a big issue .

My first projects , which are very common woodworking projects , were a wooden stick , a wooden small table to put on my coffee – glass of wine and tablet during my noon rest hours .

A big “library – desk” something to put on clothes , books , magazines , helmets , gloves and daily stuff like that , a wooden chair made by logs , an outdoor log seat for the garden and friends and a larger table for the outdoor .

A woodworking Tip , i discovered the “hard way” .

This one so helpful tip for me i discovered with the “hard way” , while i was trying to put the wooden pieces together , to make my wooden log chair .

I like wooden chairs and that one was like the ones you see in the Game of Thrones series , or movies like that . It was more a log “throne” , than a small chair because i wanted to fit , my dimensions (!) .

I’m 1.90m and 110 kilos , so i wanted , that chair to be big and comfortable enough .

Yes i was selfish , but it would be my chair . So i began to cut log pieces , to make the front legs , the back legs and some other wood pieces , for my kind of big (!) butt seating position .

So thing were going very good and i was very excited to finish my “colossal” wooden project , except one thing .

Old Wood , is very “hard” Wood .

The log i used for my chair were from cypress tree , i found in an old and abandoned for almost 100 years(!) house near my village inside the forest .

I’ve told you that i prefere to find wood pieces for my projects , already cut and then go to cut a tree myself , always with the licence and approval of the local protection service .

So in that house which was made from stones and wood , the roof had fallen inside the house from the abandonment . So i chose the best logs used for the creation of the roof , so i could carry them to my backyard .

You know that was a great “gift” for me , the fact that i could make my chair , using wood , so old . More than a century cypress logs .

I was thrilled . It was like a time travel to the past . I was saying to myself : “You are touching a log , touched maybe from the best woodworker of those times . You should be very careful and show the appropriate respect ” .

Anyway i tried to do my best , and the chair was very good . I couldn’t stop watching it and smiling . Yes deep inside me , i was very proud for myself . I let myself to be very proud . I was a total “newbie” , in the woodworking activity , but the chair was very cool .

My hands were in lots of pain from the efford to screw the bolts , i used for the chair , but i didn’t care . I didn’t have any power tools , so i screwed every single bolt with a screwdriver .

And they were a lot(!) of screw and pins . And the 100 year old cypress was maybe harder than a concrete wall !!! Inside my palms the skin was off and in general , my two hands were in mess .

Why my two hands ?

Because after the skin went off from my right ( the “good” one ) , i used my left , with the same results .

Woodworking wisdom and advices from Friends make your life Easier .

Those “damn” bolts didn’t “want to be screwed” . After a while and with the skin in my hands , completely off i screwed 1 bolt every half an hour(!) making grimaces from pain .

Eventually an uncle who came to visit me and as i saw , he had knowledge and maybe (!) brain than me , he went to the bathroom bringing me a plate of soap , to lubricate the screws .

“Use these to your bolts and pins , you little kitten” he told me smiling and my mouth was wide open from surpise . How didn’t i thought of that man ?

I said some “bad talking” to myself and i continued the job , with so much easiness .

Soap can make your “wooden life” , way easier .

Soap my friends , soap . Rub a little soap to your screws or pins and no hard surface , would be capable to stop you . Of course you can do that , if you use power tools also .

Never stop woodworking , never stop “treating” your wooden soul with happiness .