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We’re interviewing makers from all 50 states. Today we’re that includes Nadia Dugger, a woodworker and small enterprise proprietor from Oklahoma.
How did you get began woodworking? Who have been your mentors?
A little bit background about me: I grew up in Kharkiv, Ukraine. At 10 (in 1999) my dad and mom moved our household to Vancouver Canada, and in 2006 we made the journey to Oklahoma to comply with my father’s University educator profession. That’s the place I went to school and obtained my Bachelor’s and Master’s levels in Environmental Science.
I grew up a tomboy and actually linked with my Dad by engaged on initiatives collectively. At 12, we constructed a easy bench seat for my Dad to sit down on whereas tying his footwear. In highschool the woodshop rotation taught me the perform and security elements of heavy woodworking instruments and equipment – I felt proper at house with hand-on studying. Ten years later my husband and I made a decision to construct an arbor and an a-frame dessert stand for our marriage ceremony. They turned out nice and we have been in a position to promote them to a different couple. We just lately constructed a house, which required many customized parts that we took on making ourselves. I constructed an outsized fashionable barn door (50”x 100”), made white oak stair treads, and lower and put in our kitchen cupboard trim.
What do you assume is your greatest or favourite work? What sort of work do you do probably the most?
My favourite work is the minimalist white Ash espresso desk, or a easy counter stool wooden topper. The Coffee desk is scalable from 3’ to six’ and is impressed by Restoration Hardware. It’s satisfying to ship high quality luxurious items to purchasers for much less. These items are so central in individuals’s houses and it’s neat to consider the life that occurs round them. Every time I construct one, I enhance my tabletop glue-ups or hone in my seamless nook joinery on the bottom. As far because the counter stool toppers – though it’s solely a component of the steel and wooden furnishings piece – I get to collaborate with my husband who does the steel fabrication. We work collectively on varied designs and I get to showcase lovely 2” thick slab cuts with distinctive grain, colour variation, and glossy chamfered edges.
What recommendation would you give to somebody that desires to begin woodworking or pursue it as a career?
I’d suggest beginning by mimicking an current design or studying use varied instruments to chop and prep the components for meeting. There are methods to switch an current design to check out varied joinery kinds relying on the instruments readily available. By beginning right here, you can begin making use of what you realized to unique concepts.
I’ve to say, YouTube has been my greatest buddy in studying new woodworking suggestions and methods and feeling impressed and empowered. There are a number of girls woodworkers who actually maintain their very own and share not solely the guidelines and directions, but additionally share their errors and the way they get previous them.
It’s so essential to not let a mistake cease your progress. You ought to count on to make errors at each step of your woodworking journey.
What’s your greatest hands-on tip or woodworking method?
Using high quality measuring and marking instruments is a MUST! It’s essential to have the ability to consider the accuracy of the cuts your instruments make and tune them to get the specified consequence.
Hand saws and chisels are one other tip for reaching clear cuts and seamless joinery. Once I bought a few Japanese pull saws, I lastly understood what all of the hype was about! Correcting miter noticed cuts or flush trimming a bow joint is really easy and satisfying.
Is there anybody you’d wish to shout-out or suggest we comply with? Who conjures up you? (Doesn’t need to be woodworking associated, both.)
I’d like to ask individuals to comply with my journey on our store account @Dugger_Steel_Co the place we share our wooden and metal initiatives.
I religiously comply with Tamar @3x3Custom and Jason @bourbonmoth for studying and inspiration. Their video content material may be very inventive and I really like that they don’t take themselves too significantly.
Kelly Wearster (@Kellywearster) is an unbelievable inside designer whose imaginative and prescient blends decor with structure.
See extra of Nadia’s work on her website or Instagram @nadia.olivia.wood.
This interview was calmly edited for readability.
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