Woodworking

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, February 2016; written by Lisa Pearson.

Despite the gloomy weather, spring is on its way and with longer, drier days comes the urge to do a little building. If you’re already making summer home renovation plans, you should know that the library has a variety of resources to help you replace the roof, build a deck, finish a garage, add a dormer, construct a tree fort, add a trellis to your garden and fix that drainage problem that cropped up over the winter.

We have beefed up our collection of woodworking and home construction books lately, spurred on by the recent opening of the Ketchikan Tool Library, a volunteer organization at 335 Main St. where members can borrow a variety of power tools to complete their home and garden projects. With their tools and our information, you can build practically anything. If you are unsure what tools you need, or how to use them safely, we have lots of books on working with power tools and shop safety, as well as current building codes. If you’re interested in creating your own woodshop, we have books with floor plans, recommendations for designing safe workspaces, and ideas for tool selection.

Information and inspiration can also be found in the pages of our magazine section, where we have titles devoted to homeowners, builders, mechanics, and tinkerers of all sorts. Fine Homebuilding, This Old House, Popular Mechanics, Family Handyman, Fine Woodworking, and Make Magazine are full of patterns and projects of all sorts, as well as tips and tricks to make the final product look truly professional. From building a bedframe to installing a water heater to wiring a skateboard with LED lights, these magazines cover a wide range of interests. All of our magazines, except for the most current issue, check out for three weeks, so you can take a stack home and browse to your heart’s content.

However, broken windows and leaky toilets don’t lend themselves to a leisurely response, so if you need help and information right now, we offer two databases with articles, videos and books about home repair and remodeling. The Home Improvement Reference Center is designed to assist homeowners with do-it-yourself repair, maintenance, and remodeling projects. The Home Improvement Collection Online has content that meets the needs of hobbyists and professionals alike, with articles about architectural techniques, tool and materials selection, structural requirements and more. These databases are available 24/7 on our website: www.ketchikanpubliclibrary.org

If your woodworking activities are more recreational in nature, we have plenty of books on woodturning, carving, pyrography, constructing birdhouses, wooden toy making and building furniture. Whether it’s a weekend bookcase project made out of pallets and 2x4s, or a marquetry cedar table that takes 6 months to craft, the library has books with patterns, instructions and advice. We also have quite a few titles on building with kids and for kids, so if you would like to work together on a project with a young person, we have ideas to match their age and skill level. We even have books with designs and cutting patterns for Cub Scout Pinewood Derby cars (and if you’ve ever had a Cub Scout, you will realize how cool that is!).

I am not an expert builder (I follow the motto “cut it big and kick it in”), but like all library staff, I know how to find information. So if you’re looking for help - be it woodworking, cooking, knitting, engine repair, hairstyling, gardening or fishing - the staff and resources at the Ketchikan Public Library are there to assist.