David J. Wetzel

Hello,

Please visit my new blog @ the following link

www.davidwetzel.tumblr.com

This is a gardening table I designed/ built for Steffi while she was visiting her parents in Germany. It’s made entirely out of 2x4s, a design concept my neighbor Percy inspired me with. The legs can be removed for relocation or for repairs in the shop. Yeah, it’s not a very intricate piece but it was fun to build and much needed for our yard.

This was the very first Geodesic Dome I modeled after learning of the different techniques from reading Geodesic Math and How To Use It. Geodesics is a topic I can't get enough of so I'm sure I'll be posting more models in the future. Maybe someday I'll have the ability to produce a real life structure in my backyard or something.

Any way, this gives you an idea of where my head is during my free time.

I visited Columbus Ohio to attend a wedding and take on the job of building a good friends deck. Jared and Laura hired me as a contractor to complete the structure with a team of other good friends. The structural framing was done within a day of work with the full 6 person crew. All the other work such as decking, rail posts and balusters were done with only a couple people.

I love being invited on projects like this. You get to help out good friends, work with a dedicated team, and learn about building.

You can find more images of the building process, crew photos, and other images on my personal work page. You'll get a good sense of how much fun I had while working on this project. It was a great experience and I'm proud to say that I was part of it!

As you may have seen from my resume page, I've had an apprenticeship with UM Projects since late January. The experience has helped me learn a lot about building and the furniture industry.
This past weekend, UM presented classic and new pieces at Brooklyn Designs 2010. The image to the left shows the booth right after spending all day constructing it. The only thing that was left to do at that point was position the lighting which required scaffolding.
The event turned out to be a big success for UM Projects. They were awarded with Editor's Choice Award from Inhabitat.

This is more evidence of my hard work in Anchorage. As a designer, nothing beats hands on experience! I still have a lot to learn when it comes to construction methods, but I think I'm on a good path. In this image I was still working on the laminate floor.
In the future I hope to get more construction work with friend or family.

Installing the laminate flooring at my aunt and uncle's house in Anchorage was my main task while working there. My cousin Demian and I were able to complete the task in good time. For more images please see my Personal Work page.