After about two months of building, junior Tyler Krigbaum stands proudly with the finished product of a coffee table, Feb. 21.

According to Krigbaum, his home lacked a coffee table, so he undertook the challenge of building one for the family. Although the project was daunting, he was determined to accomplish the task and began in mid-December.

“We’ve never had a coffee table in our new house,” Krigbaum said. “We have a big couch with nowhere to put drinks or anything, so I mentioned building a coffee table, and my parents loved the idea.”

When he took up the project, Krigbaum faced a detailed, ambitious design, and had to maintain concentration in the 7 a.m. class. However, with the assistance of woodshop instructor Randy Hurley, Krigbaum was able to take ownership of the table.

“Even the expert at the lumber warehouse was surprised at my idea because of how difficult the project appeared, and it certainly didn’t lack in the details department,” Krigbaum said. “It’s hard to stay focused on the task when you have to get up earlier than usual. I made mistakes, but Mr. Hurley is a great teacher and worked with me and my ideas to either fix it or make it my own.”

Despite the impediments, the completion of the coffee table was a rewarding project to strengthen his abilities, Krigbaum says.

“My favorite part was probably assembling it all and taking the picture of it stained and finished,” Krigbaum said. “It feels good to have people say they’re impressed with my work! Overall, I’m proud of my work and had a great time building this project and just becoming more confident in my ability to be creative.”

For more information, read the Nov. 29, 2010 article, Woodshop educates, offers creative outlet.