Woodworking Beginners
By Ferhat Gul, Fri Dec 9th

Woodworking: Where To Start - Tips From Experienced Woodworkers

Woodworking encompasses a broad area of skills, specialties, andapplications. Some beginners take on too much too soon or blowtheir savings on expensive woodworking tools and machines thatthey don't know how to use and might not ever need. And evensome basic techniques can be confusing or easy to doincorrectly. Experienced woodworkers have some simple, butinsightful tips to help you get off to a good start.

Do Your Research Initiative, courage, a sense of adventure,these are all good things, and many fine woodworkers learnedtheir skills by just jumping in and trying to build something.Chances are whatever they chose for their first project, it cameout better than they thought, but not really nice enough to useor display. Even those brave souls that start from scratch withno preparation often end up seeking out some books, magazines,or experienced woodworkers to figure out how to do it right.

The woodworkers we talked to stressed that a person can savethemselves some time and frustration by learning about thedifferent aspects of woodworking before starting a firstproject. Many suggested finding some good books or magazines,either at the library for free or at the bookstore. Start withthe basics and learn about different forms of woodworking, typesof trees and woods and how they are used, various tools, etc. -just the kind of information presented here in this article.

"I have an entire corner of my garage filled with books andmagazines," shared Paul Johnson, who has been woodworking sincehe was a young boy. "I subscribe to a couple and keep those thathave projects or techniques that I would like to try. I also buya couple new books every year. When I first started woodworking,I bought them left and right; whenever I came across one thatwas recommended or had information I wanted to learn. They helpgive me ideas for projects," he added. "I especially like thosethat come with patterns."

After learning about the basics, you should have an idea of whattype of woodworking interests you, and you can move on to booksor even classes that teach hands on skills in that particulararea.

Take Some Classes In fact taking classes was recommended byseveral of our experts. Whether it's a beginning class throughthe local college or something taught by an experiencedwoodworker, it will typically give you a good overview ofdifferent tools and woodworking safety. Some building centersand lumberyards also offer classes on basics or teach you how tomake a specific project.

If you aren't big on classes, but you know a person who isskilled in woodworking, ask if they would let you assist themwith a project, or perhaps just sit and observe. Mostwoodworkers are pleased to talk about their art and share itwith others. Chances are they will be happy to oblige.

Keep It Simple The answer, "Keep it simple," came up over andover, when asked for advice for new woodworkers. Start withsimple projects, preferably those that use only hand tools. Thisway, you will learn how to do the important things like measure,cut, shape and join. Getting good at those basic skills isextremely important.

If you are brand new to woodworking and haven't used tools muchbefore, you might want to consider starting with a precut kit.Most kits consist of wood that is already cut in the appropriateshapes and sizes. It is up to you to follow the directions andput the pieces together. These kits typically require nailing,screwing, gluing, sanding, and finishing. You can makebirdhouses and feeders, benches, plant holders, and many otherfun items to get you started.

Even as you advance to more complex projects, don't worry aboutplanning and sizing your own lumber until you feel comfortableand confident. You can buy lumber already prepped and cut inmany different widths. And table legs, chair spindles, and otherturned pieces are also readily available pre-made. Ease intosome of those more difficult projects over time, adding greaterlevels of difficulty to each project.

Tool Tips The suggestions to keep it simple applied towoodworking tools as well. Most people interviewed recommendedbuying tools as you need them and adding to your selection asrequired for new



projects. If a project is purchased as a kit,or with printed instructions, the list of tools needed isincluded. Depending on what type of projects you choose to startwith, you will typically need hammers, tape measure, clamps, asquare, saws, hand drills, and a set of chisels. These willprobably cost you around $200-$300 dollars.

Some woodworkers said that investing in a good table saw earlyon was important, but only if you will be doing projects withmany cuts, especially those with different types of angles. Formost beginner projects, a handsaw, or perhaps a circular sawwill suffice.

It is strongly suggested that you begin by buying good tools,but not top grade until you decide for certain that you want tostick with woodworking. If it becomes clear that this will be anongoing interest, then consider buying the best quality toolsyou can afford. Best quality doesn't always mean the mostexpensive, and you will have to do your research.

Kevin Warner, who has been teaching high school shop for overtwenty years, had this to say about woodworking tools. "Atschool, I have a limited budget for tools, but I would ratherbuy a few high quality tools and have the kids share them thanspend my money on cheap equipment. There's nothing that willturn a young beginner away from woodworking quicker than acrappy tool that doesn't do what it should."

The same is true for home woodworking. Our experts recommendedspending as much as you could afford on the basic tools likehammers, saws, screwdrivers, drills and bits. "These are toolsyou will need around the house even if you don't pursuewoodworking," Sarah Greeley pointed out. "If you spend the moneyup front, and care for them correctly, these tools will last youa lifetime because you bought quality to begin with."

If you have a tight budget, consider purchasing tools at anestate sale, auction or garage sale. Some may have worn handlesor look like they are rusty or dirty, but if they are qualitytools and generally sound, you can clean and repair them forless than it would cost to purchase new.

In general, you get what you pay for with woodworking tools, butsometimes you pay for the name, or for features that you may notuse in your particular type of woodworking. So again, you willneed to refer to books, magazines, Web sites, and otherwoodworkers to learn more about different types and brands oftools. And so you see, the tips have brought you full circle,back to the research and learning, which is what so manywoodworkers stressed the most.

There is much to learn and, as has been said, it is an ongoingprocess. But thanks to the wealth of information out there aboutdifferent aspects of woodworking, and the many Web sites andInternet resources, it is easy to research your questions. Youjust have to take the time.

About the author:Copyright © 2005 by Ferhat Gul. All rights reserved. Ferhat Gulis the publisher of the brand-new "WoodworkingBeginner's Guide - Tips From Experienced Woodworkers to Help YouGet Started". This comprehensive, yet compactwoodworking introduction for beginners is easy to read and helpsto save time, money and effort.