Making Birdhouses With Ted McGrath Woodworking Plans

My father had given me some Ted McGrath woodworking plans a few years back and I've since been very happy with his creation. He had purchased these plans from an Internet website that specialized in woodworking in addition to a magazine. The website had a huge range of designs for just about everything you could imagine with woodworking, and he was able to provide some really beautiful designs. My dad would get the plans, make a couple of them by hand and then set off to the store to purchase them. What a time saver!

He was a busy man, however, and he never got around to purchasing any of these plans. One day while he and my mom were sitting in the living room, she noticed that one of his plans had a list of supplies that was included with the timber she'd bought from him. She asked him why he didn't buy these items himself. He told her it wasn't necessary because the project would take so long and he would have to pay someone to supply these items, thus, he could save money.

That's when my mom got a bright idea. She gathered up all the materials she needed from his garage and set to work. Her dad would probably be proud of her. She purchased the timber, drilled pilot holes, assembled the pieces and moved on to the next project. It wasn't long before Ted decided he too wanted to start a woodworking project. But this time he picked a much simpler plan - just a larger one.

After that first project, Ted was hooked. He bought more woodworking plans - some for beginners and some for experienced makers. He bought some brochures as well and learned a thing or two about making plans. He took a new plan to my dad's place and showed him how easy they could be made. Within a few days, Ted had turned his first piece of timber into a beautiful birdhouse.

Now he didn't just make birdhouses. He started a woodworking group and invited other woodworkers to share in his enthusiasm. By using the skills he learned in his woodworking class at school, Ted started several new projects including a table, chair and even a playhouse. Many of these projects were done in his spare time and on nights when his family was at home.

Ted began teaching others the beauty of timber and how to build such beautiful projects with simple plans. He had no intention of stopping. He wanted to pass on his love of timber building to others and pass on the joy of creating.