My great-grandfather used to make toys for me and other neighborhood kids in his basement shop. I inherited his hand planes but didn’t know how to use them until I took woodworking classes at Ebanista in South Seattle in recent years.

I joined the tool library in 2014 and became a volunteer this summer. I like learning more about tools and how to use them. While volunteering I saw the nail gun and compressor and decided to try it for the old soft cedar fence boards to minimize the risk of splitting them. I was also thrilled to see a portable planer which helped make the cedar look fresh again (I was careful to remove all the nails first). I learned about the shou sugi ban woodburning technique while touring a factory in Japan where modular homes are made – it helps preserve wood from insects and is a fire retardant. I’m excited to have completed orientation to the NE Seattle shop and look forward to using it!