DIY Dad tale No. 8: Countdown to Father's Day

Kitchen tables are important. We eat on them, spill on them, discuss important daily events over them, and, occasionally, cut them down to size. DIY Dad and TOH reader Bob S. knows about the latter function firsthand.

His wife, Sandy, elaborates:

"Bob and I really wanted a different kitchen table after 20 years, rectangular instead of round to better fit the space. We picked one out and discovered we now had too much rectangle and not enough kitchen. So, ever handy, Bob cut one end of what we thought was a solid piece of wood. It certainly felt solid dragging it home from the store. It turned out to be a very odd, semi-hollow, semi-solid piece of walnut."

Undaunted, Bob made some more strategic cuts, filled in the gap, and voila! The right rectangular kitchen table, now made even more perfect for being custom-cut by Bob himself. It's now the right rectangular desk for Bob's son, Noah, who's lovingly carted the piece across state lines for use in numerous houses. 

Lesson learned: DIY Dads have the power to give furniture a second life.