For the last two years, we've been toying around with wooden windowsills. We'd talking about finding a beautiful oak table to cut up. Even cutting up laminate wood effect worktop which in truth, sounds dreadful.
But it's worth noting that this time last year, I didn't think I was capable. And by taking on the smaller jobs here and there, it's made me think differently and feel more confident.
I do have a saying though and that's if I make a mistake, it's no big deal. Just start again. And obviously take your time. I try not to beat myself up about things as it's all a learning process.
I've been surrounded by umpteen tools and timber all my life and spent probably a 5th of my childhood at my parents' family woodyard business. I was mostly in the office or being a nuisance with to my Dad and his lads.
But could I tell you what these tools actually looked like or did? Absolutely not.
Now that I own my first home, I've been offended by tradesmen's quotes and that's ultimately what inspires me. How can I do it myself for a fraction of the price?
When we were renting, I saw no point in investing in someone else's house that I was temporarily living in. And it was only a couple of weeks ago when I had a light bulb moment. What about using scaffold boards?
I didn't totally know if I'd be able to pull it off as I saw very little on the internet, but couldn't see why it wouldn't and followed my instincts.
Sourcing them was initially difficult as they were too long to fit in my Mercedes Vito van. Most places wanted to charge around £30 delivery, which in theory is still rather cheap. But then I remembered that my Travis Perkins free account (not on credit) offered free delivery. Get in!
All I needed were the right tools and this is where thankfully, my Dad was able to pass some things on to me. This meant I used my first ever mitre chop saw (scary but handy), an electric planer and sand everything as smooth as a baby's bum.
I did ponder for quite some time on what was the best glue to use as I'd be sticking to plasterboard in my conservatory. I really should've asked my Dad sooner as he gave me some Norbord D4 glue straightaway that worked perfectly.
And to give it some colour, I used some leftover Ronseal decking stain in country oak that would withstand heat, sunlight and moisture. As my Dad told me, if it's unseasoned wood, it's more likely to warp, so treating it was important to me.
So if you do want to take a stab at this yourself, here's a list of the things I used:
- Lazer measure
- 3 x 3.9m lengths scaffold boards
- JCB Electric Planer (mine's like this one)
- Makita Belt Sander (mine's like this one)
- Toolpak Cloth Sanding Belts
- Black + Decker Jigsaw
- Energer Sheet Sander
- Black + Decker Mouse Sander
- Norbord Caberfix D4 Glue
- Dewalt Mitre Saw (Mine's like this one)
- Right angle roofing square
- Leftover Decking Stain I Had
Also, here's my YouTube video on how I did it:
*This post contains some affiliate links which are of no extra cost to you. Affiliate links do not sway my choice with the products I use.
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