I am Scott (a.k.a. DustyNewt), a stay-at-home woodworker. Along with my wife Julie, we bring you this Substack about our mission to work from home on our own terms, becoming self-reliant and balancing time to suit us..
We currently create and sell personalized wooden chopsticks, keychains and desk names online under the brand of DustyNewt (one word). We mail them worldwide from our home in Central Florida, U.S.A.
Our Blog…
Although our talents and products are currently focused on our woodstuffs, our “Blog” section is NOT a tutorial on basic woodworking skills. Rather, I intend to focus on how we have come to this point in live our lives.. on how we pay our bills and choose to live without the stress of commuting and dealing with petty tyrants (bosses) in our daily life. It may also help enlighten family and friends who don't quite "get" us.
We post a new blog every week. It is FREE to all for 7 days then it goes into my paid “Archives” section.
On the Craft…
Woodworking is a vast subject and you can specialize in what interests you. There are an endless supply of how-to tutorials online, either in blog or video form. It is inherently dangerous, with lots of sharp spinning things. Please follow safe practices with whatever tools you choose to use. If it feels unsafe, it probably is. Find another way to to it.
Our new “Learning Center” is a paid section that shows you how we freehand carve names for our products. It is for;
Makers that just want to attempt a batch for Christmas gifts or a family reunion
Budding entrepreneurs that want to add carved names to their business. I welcome the competition.
People that are looking for a fun “side-gig” to supplement their income with minimal investment.
…and all makers in between these.
I am NOT a tech wizard. Any suggestions on navigating and using the internet for business are purely my opinion and should be fully investigated on you own, before implementing. Do your own research.
All in a Name
I feel that by sharing our path along the way, there may be some experiences that could be helpful to many "would-be" or struggling home-based entrepreneurs. My meager workshop, a 100 year old shed of about 200 square feet, is just a 17 Step Commute from the back door of our home, hence the name of this blog.
Our shop’s name, DustyNewt, comes from the myriad of lizardy creatures that call our sub-tropical slice of paradise home. There are so many varieties that I just call them all “Newts”. They are a curious and social lot that love the relative safety of our dusty workshop and keep the insecty pests at bay.
New Beginning
We began this Substack at the end of the Chinese year of the Rabbit (January 22, 2023 to February 9, 2024), which according to my Julie, was my year to start something new. It was my New Year's resolution to get this blog launched on January 1, 2024. So far so good. Almost two years later, we have managed to keep up with weekly posts and are currently followed by over 400 individuals.
Since I am now 62 years old, with no offspring or apprentice to pass my knowledge onto, my intentions for these writings are to help others to find their peace and earn a rewarding living with their hands and by their own wits. If you find my scribblings helpful or enjoyable, please subscribe and share the love.
DISCLAIMER: While AI (artificial intelligence) is rapidly gaining popularity throughout the web, I am choosing to write this blog the old school way.
WARNING: In this blog, I may wander onto subjects that stray from my original subject, but still need to get out of my head. I promise, they will at least be "safe for the office". Please bear with me...
Peace in Wood ~ Scott (a.k.a. DustyNewt)
