My day job involves sitting at a desk, working at a computer. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy my work, but I wanted to find a way to do something completely different outside of my working life.

I have never considered myself to be a creative person and I’m not particularly skilled when it comes to DIY either. Over the years I’ve done the basics… hung pictures or curtains and slapped some paint on the walls as required. In doing so I’ve accrued a few screwdrivers, allen (hex) keys, hammer, saw etc. In short, the usual collection of tools that likely sits in most peoples garage or shed.

After moving house last year, and performing all the random DIY jobs that result from a move, I was trying to organise my tools that had previously been scattered everywhere. A (very wonky) wardrobe that was now surplus to requirements ended up in the garage and after reinforcing with some metal brackets it stood more-or-less square once more and became home to my DIY paraphernalia.

I then replaced the single light bulb that hung in the centre of the garage with 4 strip lights which meant I could actually see what I was doing in there.

I’d quite enjoyed this change from the norm and was drawn to trying to learn some skills that I have never had to use before… making, building and repairing. I wondered if I could carve out a corner of this (very messy) garage in which I might be able to dedicate to experimenting.

And that’s pretty much the start of this site. Apart from some better lighting and an old wardrobe in which to store a few tools I am starting from scratch which led me to my first challenge of building a workbench from which to work from.

In case it isn’t clear above… I don’t really know what I am doing and am certainly no expert. For the most part much of what you see here is me learning from books, YouTube, websites, forums and my father (who is a lot better at this stuff than I am).

As you will see, in cases such as the workbench, I am often simply following the instructions generously made available by other far more knowledgeable people than myself. When documenting the building of these, I hope it is obvious that I am in no way trying to pass this work off as my own. Instead I am really just trying to document my efforts, mostly as something to look back on myself. However with any luck others may find it useful to see the steps taken by a complete beginner and learn from my mistakes.

So from here on in feel free to join me as I build my Beginners Workshop and learn to sharpen tools, construct a workbench and learn some new skills as I experiment with making, building and whatever takes my fancy.