DIY Network

DIY Women: Sarah Miller

Growing up, woodworker Sarah Miller was more interested in her brother's toys than in her own. Miller had an affinity for her parents' home workshop and a healthy curiosity about how things worked. She even selected her college dorm at Cornell University because of the woodshop it featured. Years later, this same curiosity would lead her away from her MBA-in-progress and a stock market career to the smell of freshly planed wood and the buzz of saws.

(Sarah's story is continued below.)

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Sarah Miller: A woodworker who left a full-time finance career to build furniture.

Today, Miller's passion leaves her in anticipation of her next woodworking session at home. "I never get bored or tired of working," Miller says, "and I count the minutes until I'm back in the shop."

Miller started by repairing her own antiques with an inexpensive table saw and router. After what she calls a 10-year "informal" woodworking apprenticeship, she now builds furniture on commission.

"It's really nice when a 'hobby' turns into an income" Miller enthuses.

To date, Miller's most challenging project has been a set of matched Chippendale camelback sofas she made for her own home.

"Due to all of the angles, chairs and sofas are the most complicated pieces one can build. And to support a lot of weight, everything must be perfect. I saved about $12,000 doing something I love, so my husband no longer complains about all of the tools and machinery I purchase!"

Here, Miller shares some of her tips for women who want to undertake woodworking as a hobby or profession:

• Read books, visit some web sites. Your first stop should the library. Look for a book on table saw and router techniques, and maybe a book on jigs (jigs will allow you to make power tools safer, help build faster and with more accuracy). DIYnetwork.com and Woodworking for Women (magazine) are other good sources.

• Be patient. Projects often take on a life of their own -- even hit snags -- so be flexible an creative. One nice aspect of wood is that it can be patched -- there are very few mistakes that can't be corrected. Try not to get frustrated -- much of the fun of woodworking comes from the creativity used when trying to perform an advanced function with limited machinery.

• Try something new. Once you've mastered something, moved to an advanced project or technique.

• Cheat a little. A great way to make beautiful projects with limited tools is to purchase table or chair kits, or use prefabricated pieces. Or go to a thrift store, use parts you like, and remake the ones you don't!

• Bring an apple for the teacher! Try to find a class that will help you try woodworking or even improve your skills. Often woodworking supply stores sponsor classes, or you might try learning from a cabinet- or furniture-maker in exchange for helping around the shop.

• Stock your shop. The most important thing to own is an electrical saw -- whether a circular saw or table saw. The new purchases should be a drill and router. A router can replace other expensive tools, such as cut mortises and dadoes, make tennons and create decorative edges and designs. It's amazing what can be done with less than $200 in tools.

"For most of my woodworking career, I've been self-educated," Miller says. "I read a lot, studied how pieces were constructed and designed, and spent a lot of time learning through trial-and-error. Because furniture-making is an art, I think I will continue to learn for most or all of my life."

Inspired by Sarah Miller's story? Want to try your hand at woodworking? Check out these projects from DIYnetwork.com:

Mahogany End Table

Arts and Crafts Dining Table

Woodworking Repair and Fixes

Magazine Storage Box

Contemporary Cherry Wall Mirror

COULD YOU BE NEXT?
Are you saw-savvy? The self-proclaimed queen of crafts? If you're a woman with a do-it-yourself project you'd like to show off, then we want to hear about it. You might see yourself featured in an upcoming article as part of our new monthly series, DIY Women!

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