I'm a computer programmer by day. I fell into the woodworking hobby in 2017 when my wife asked for a growth chart to track our kids' heights over the years. It was a pretty simple project, but it seemed to unlock a part of my brain that wanted to do something more practical with my hands.
Not long after that first project, I found myself making cornhole boards and minecraft weapons, and from there I was off to the races. My next large project was a sofa table, and then I made some beer caddies to give as gifts to some friends that help me out with a charity event every year. By then I was starting to have enough of a tool collection to consider my work area a workshop, and that's when I started thinking about making a profit from my hobby.
My first project that I was truly proud of was these beer caddies. The caddies I make these days are a little more refined, but have the same design sense.
So, clearly I enjoy making stuff out of wood... But why call myself Alter Ego Woodworks? Well, I have some other interesting hobbies too.
My all time favorite hobby is skydiving. As of the start of 2021 I have around 500 skydives, and counting. I am a skydiving coach and an FAA certified rigger, and I have fun in every aspect of the sport, including teaching. When I'm not jumping from aircraft or making things from wood, I also like to snowboard, camp, and hike.
In a way, mild mannered me, tinkering away in my basement woodshop, is my alter ego.