“Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice” is an old quote from Henry Ford about hard work and discipline. I really like this quote, because the same idea can be applied to woodworking. When you build your own project, you enjoy it twice.
There is nothing sweeter in this world than using something you made yourself.
Whether you make instruments, coffee tables, or wooden rings, the piece you make and use yourself gives you more satisfaction than anything you could buy in a store.
I have been making guitars for over fifteen years, and in that time I have not purchased a single guitar from an instrument store.
Before that point, I had over a dozen guitars, and really enjoyed spending my money on them. After I heard the sound of my first guitar (even though it was terrible looking by my standards now) I fell in love.
Now that I can make a guitar myself, I have absolutely no need to purchase a guitar from a store. Why spend money on something that I can do myself. Also, why pay for something that is run of the mill.
When you make a guitar from scratch, you decide on every element, and the guitar is fully custom. With the level of choice that I am used to, picking something already made doesn’t sound appealing at all.
When you make something yourself, you feel a warmth. You feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in finishing the project well. Then, when you use that project in some part of your life, it warms you again.
See Also: 50 Things I Wish I Knew When I started Making Guitars
If you surround yourself with the projects you have made, and you use those projects in your normal life, you will receive the benefits twice, and that’s definitely a good deal.
If you have any questions about Chop Your Own Wood, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer them. Also, please share this with your friends on Pinterest! Happy building.
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