Molly Bagby

February Poll: How Did You First Learn About Woodworking?

Feb 032020
 

I have been in the woodworking “business” since I was born. My parents, Chris and Sharon Bagby, had already owned Highland Hardware (now of course known as Highland Woodworking) for 8 years. My mom began bringing me into work shortly after I was born (and did the same with my sister Kelley 10 years prior). Both of us were exposed to woodworking at a very early age having grown up in the store.

Sharon Bagby with daughter Kelley in 1976, shortly after Kelley was born

This month’s poll asks “How did YOU first learn about woodworking?” Did you go into your parent or grandparent’s shop at a young age and watch what they were making? Did you make your own projects in scouts? Did you take shop class in school? Did you just recently retire and want to learn something new in your spare time? Or is it your career? Answer below, and please be sure to add your own answer in the comments if yours is not listed!

Molly Bagby is an employee at Highland Woodworking. She grew up at Highland Woodworking from a mere 1 week old and now does a variety of jobs to help keep her parents’ business running. You can follow her on Instagram @HighlandWoodwoman.

January 2020 Woodworking Poll: Woodworking Resolutions

Jan 032020
 

With the New Year comes resolutions and what better way to start off 2020 than by making some resolutions specifically related to your woodworking goals.

2.5 years ago I started a step stool project while attending the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Coastal Maine and while many people in the class finished their project, I was a bit further behind and had to bring my project back home to Atlanta, still in 3 different pieces. 2.5 years later, I have yet to finish my project and so this year, my resolution is to finish this project I have been “working on.”

While I did add dovetails to each of these 3 pieces, I still have quite a bit of work to do…and the project is still in 3 pieces…

What about you? What are your woodworking resolutions for 2020? Answer in this month’s poll.

Molly Bagby is an employee at Highland Woodworking. She grew up at Highland Woodworking from a mere 1 week old and now does a variety of jobs to help keep her parents’ business running. You can follow her on Instagram @HighlandWoodwoman.

December Poll: Making Woodworking Gifts for the Holidays

Dec 062019
 

As woodworkers, we have a talent in making things, which comes in handy right about now during the holidays. Sometimes we make one big project for that really special someone in our life. Other times we mass produce a bunch of smaller projects so we can share them with more friends and loved ones.

This month we’re wondering what kind of projects do you make for the holidays? Answer in our poll below and feel free to comment with anything that isn’t listed as one of the poll answers!

Atlanta Woodcarvers Club Carving Day at Highland

Sep 262019
 

This past Saturday, September 21st, five members of the Atlanta Woodcarvers Club came to Highland Woodworking to show off their carving skills.

Atlanta Woodcarvers Club members from left to right: Nelson, Sidney, Deb, Les, Lamar

They set up in the Highland Woodworking carving tool section and spent about 3 hours working on a variety of projects including small dog figurines, several relief carving designs, and comfort birds. The comfort birds are a big project the group has been working on to send down to children in Haiti. It’s a carved out bird that has a long back/tail which the person holding it can run their thumb across when they’re worried or anxious. They key is to sand the bird down to a smooth enough finish.

The group meets weekly at the Tucker Recreation Center in Tucker, GA. You can find their full schedule including upcoming events by clicking here. One of their biggest demonstration events will be coming up next month at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, GA from October 3-13, 2019.

View a gallery of photos from Saturday’s event by clicking here.

Lamar Holland works on a dog carving

Anne of All Trades Visits Highland Woodworking

Apr 172019
 

On Monday, April 15th, we got a surprise visit from Anne Briggs (@anneofalltrades) along with several other well-known woodworkers including Adam Beasley (@lazyguydiy), Tamar Hannah (@3x3custom), Rick LaFaver (@thewoodworklife) and Huy Huynh (@alabamawoodworker).

Touring the Highland Woodworking classroom

We first connected with Anne back at Handworks in Amana, Iowa in May of 2015 when she was helping out at the Sterling Tool Works booth. She then started our Women in Woodworking column for Wood News Online back in 2015, which created the foundation for future column authors Andrea Ramsay and Char Miller-King.

This was the first time Anne had visited our Atlanta store since she was in town for another meeting and she was excited to see where all of the tools that we ship out on a day to day basis actually come from.

Similar to Anne, a lot of our customers who shop with us online often try to include a stop at Highland when they are in town and if you’re reading this, we invite you to do the same if you’re ever in the neighborhood!

Atlantic Fine Woods on Local NPR Station

Apr 052019
 

Here at our retail store in Atlanta we carry a variety of locally sourced slabs from Atlantic Fine Woods just one town over in Decatur, GA. Similar to Highland, Atlantic Fine Woods is also family-owned, specifically by a brother/sister team made up of Joe and Laura Sissoko.

The two of them and their sawmill were recently featured in an interview on WABE, Atlanta’s local NPR station, which you can listen to by clicking here.

Unfortunately, we’re unable to ship the wooden slabs that we carry in-store, but if you’re ever in the Atlanta area, be sure to stop by Atlantic Fine Woods or Highland to see these beautiful slabs in person!

Women in Woodworking

Mar 082019
 

In honor of International Women’s Day, we’re sharing our Women in Woodworking Archives. This is a compilation of all of the past women we have featured in our Women in Woodworking column from Wood News Online, our monthly woodworking newsletter.

This column was started by Anne Briggs, also known as Anne of All Trades. She passed the column along to Andrea Ramsay who interviewed a variety of woodworkers all over the country who have been making their mark in the woodworking world.

We’re excited to be restarting this column in our upcoming April 2019 issue of Wood News Online. If you or someone you know would like to be featured in this column, please email Molly Bagby at mbagby@highlandwodoworking.com.