About the name Twin Civet
This blog is named after my twin, mischievous daughters.
In the popular culture of Kerala, India, where I grew up, civet, a small animal commonly found looking for food in people’s backyards at night, is associated with mischief.
So the name Twin Civet for the blog.
About me
I am a husband, a father of 3 children, and a software engineer.
Ever since I can remember, I have loved building and fixing things.
My interest in woodworking began in 2017, when we had just moved into our first home.
Instead of buying furniture for our home and play structures for our backyard, I decided to save money and have fun by building them.
But when I turned to online resources for plans, I often found them to need too many tools too expensive for my frugal wallet, or to be too complicated for an absolute beginner, or both.
So I began making my own plans for my projects, keeping in mind my limited tool set and skills.
In fact for my first 2 projects, an ironing table, and a sandbox, the only tools I had were my elbow grease, a hand saw, and a 7V Black & Decker drill! The drill was so old and weak that it couldn’t drive a 2.5″ screw all the way. 😅
Years and numerous projects later, I still only have 4 power tools that cost a total of less than $300:
- A 10″ miter saw (Metabo)
- A 20V cordless drill (DEWALT)
- A 5″ orbital sander (Black & Decker)
- and a 6.7A jig saw (HYCHIKA)
Most (over 90%) of my projects are designed to use only the first 3 of these 4 power tools.
Over the years of making our woodworking pieces, I have
- saved 1000s of dollars
- learned a new skill I never thought I would have
- gotten lots of workout from the manual labor involved
- derived lots of fun from building my own things
- gotten lots of satisfaction from seeing those things used by my family and friends.
I also realized along the way that I enjoy talking (and bragging) about my projects with anyone interested in listening! 😏
That, combined with my desire to inspire and empower beginner woodworkers with frugal plans, has given birth to this blog, a YouTube channel, and numerous Pinterest boards.
Hope you find these resources helpful and inspiring.
Drop me a note with questions, comments, and suggestions for improvement.
