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A DIY hobbyist writing on notoriousbfg.com has documented two woodworking projects: a custom dog gate for an awkward stairway and a raised patio bed built from railway sleepers. The account, published after a decades-long break from woodworking following a discouraging school experience, details tools, techniques and mistakes for other beginners.
A hobbyist woodworker has published a detailed first-person account of two completed DIY projects — a custom-built dog gate for an awkward stairway and a raised patio bed made from railway sleepers — on the personal website notoriousbfg.com. The account marks the writer’s return to woodworking after abandoning the craft as a teenager, and documents the tools, techniques and mistakes involved for readers attempting similar beginner builds.
The first project, a gate to stop the writer’s dog Fern from climbing the stairs, took most of a weekend to build. The stairway’s awkward vertical space between the trim and the railing ruled out standard baby gates, so the writer followed a YouTube tutorial and built a custom version using a Black & Decker Workmate workbench, handsaws, a square, a drill, screws and wood glue, with timber sourced from the builder’s merchant Sydenhams.
The writer reports being “fairly pleased” with the gate’s straightforward, functional design, while acknowledging that cuts were “not consistently straight”, visible at the tops of each vertical. Mounting involved drilling into masonry with rawlplugs; after the dog repeatedly rested her paws on the gate and it dropped a few millimetres at the bolt end, the writer added two further screws to the original three. The improvised bolt fixing, made of two perpendicular pieces, is described as “the least secure” part of the build. The gate was finished in white Dulux satinwood — without primer, which the writer says should probably have been used, unlike the finishes recommended in the best tools for DIY painting projects.
The second project, a raised bed in a space left during a June patio renovation, was built from 200mm by 100mm by 2400mm railway sleepers bought from Bradford’s, a builders merchant near the writer’s home in Somerset. The writer credits Stuart of the YouTube channel “Proper DIY” for the design approach, including folding waterproof lining over trim for clean edges. Some sleepers arrived twisted, which the writer says made later stages trickier. The design was simplified during the build from three stacked sleepers to two, with 100mm by 100mm fence posts also purchased for the structure.
Why Beginner Build Accounts Matter
The account is a useful data point for the growing number of first-time DIYers learning from YouTube rather than formal training. The writer credits video tutorials with making each project feel achievable — “the creator made it seem so easy” — and the write-up candidly documents the gap between tutorial and reality: uneven cuts, twisted timber, an under-secured bolt and a rushed paint finish.
The piece also offers practical, specific guidance for anyone weighing tool purchases. The writer bought a Bosch cordless UniversalCirc circular saw for the raised bed and reports it cut sleepers “reasonably well”, but found its batteries overheated after full days working in the sun, and notes in hindsight that Bosch’s professional range — whose battery system is incompatible with the DIY range — would have been the stronger investment. A larger 4Ah 18V battery was bought to extend working time.
The safety angle is also addressed: the writer describes initial nervousness about the circular saw’s blade but says its guard made injury unlikely, and notes a corded saw with an extension cable would have been a workable cheaper alternative for outdoor work.
A Return After a Failed School Project
According to the account, the writer’s only prior woodworking experience was a Design & Technology GCSE in Resistant Materials at age fifteen, which included a practical woodworking section. An ambitious desk project using mortise-and-tenon joints foundered when the joints proved too weak; a friend later told the writer that a teacher had laughed about the project with colleagues. The writer scrapped the build, focused on the exam, and passed — but did not attempt woodworking again until the dog gate project, decades later.
The dog gate arose from a practical household need: the writer’s partner Jenny and their dog Fern, described as “mischievous”, needed a stair barrier where conventional baby gates would not fit. The raised bed followed the June patio renovation, with a small space deliberately left for planting.
“I knew it highly unlikely that I’d end up with nothing; if all went to plan I’d have a working gate.”
— The writer, notoriousbfg.com
More Projects on the Horizon
The writer signals that further projects are likely, noting the “recurring theme” across “my other projects” of rushing decorative finishes — implying additional builds are underway or planned. The Black & Workmate workbench is described as still in regular use, and the writer’s reflection on upgrading toward Bosch’s professional tool range suggests future purchases are being considered. Readers can follow subsequent posts on notoriousbfg.com, though no publication schedule for follow-up project write-ups has been given.
Key Questions
What tools did a first-time woodworker actually need for these projects?
For the dog gate: a workbench (Black & Decker Workmate), handsaws, a square, a drill, screws and wood glue. For the raised bed, a Bosch cordless circular saw with a 4Ah 18V battery was added. The writer notes a corded saw plus extension cable would have been a viable cheaper alternative.
Were the projects successful?
By the writer’s own evaluation, yes — the gate is functional and in daily use, though cuts are visibly uneven and the bolt fixing is the weakest point. The raised bed was completed with a simplified two-sleeper design instead of three, after some sleepers arrived twisted.
Is a YouTube tutorial enough to learn woodworking as a beginner?
The writer’s experience suggests it can be for simple functional builds: tutorials provided the designs and confidence for both projects. However, the account documents a gap between video instruction and execution — measurement and cutting accuracy, timber selection and finishing quality all proved harder in practice.
What mistakes should other beginners avoid?
The writer identifies several: skipping primer before painting, rushing the finishing stage out of excitement, initially under-fixing the gate with too few screws, and buying into Bosch’s DIY battery range, which is incompatible with the more powerful professional range.
Should DIYers attempt masonry mounting like the gate installation?
The writer drilled into masonry using the drill’s masonry setting, larger holes and rawlplugs, marking positions first through a wooden template. Anyone unsure about drilling into walls, or working near electrical wiring or pipework, should verify what lies behind the wall or consult a qualified professional before drilling.
Source: hn
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