I have always been more drawn to build something that filled a need or a given purpose. For me it has been a sense of solving a problem or creating something that filled that need. The techniques, tools, and material were selected to best suit the solution. Now what if you lock in one of those options, but can completely decide what to make, with whatever tools you have available, in whatever manner you so choose… but you must make it with only a 2 x 4 x 8!?!? Have you ever wondered what you could come up with by using just one wall stud? Isn’t it about time you find out?
Oh, and I did just mean one (1) of those precious little wall studs! So that is where Brian Gidney comes into our story. This is the third year Brian has hosted the Creative 2 x 4 competition. This yearly event is aimed to get people out and design and build a project with just a standard 2 x 4 and share with the rest of the community by way of a short video displaying the build and completed project. I have watched the videos from the last two years and let me tell you that you would be completely surprised at all the great ideas these guys and gals come up with. Brian has worked with quite a few sponsors to donate prizes for the event but most people who participate do it purely for the fun of it and sense of community. Yeah there might be a little trash talking from time to time but even that is all in good fun. Hopefully I will be able to join the fun and enter into the competition myself this year. So go over to http://www.summerswoodworking.co/contest.html for all the details and contest rules and then go to https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxM80GreuyOFR0p4uYlnWGKMzd2oD7-tC to see the entries from the previous years competitions.