Woodworking is an excellent hobby to get into. Aside from letting yourself explore your creativity, woodworking also helps you relax and unwind. If you are just getting into the art of woodworking, then you might just be getting used to how things work but worry not, things will feel smoother and more enjoyable eventually.
The textbook definition of woodworking is that it’s a craft that sees you working with wood to create furniture, fixtures, and everything in between. It takes time and a lot of devotion to master the hobby but what’s important is that you enjoy the process through and through.
As early as possible, you should look for ways on how you can improve your woodworking experience. Here are a few tips we’ve gotten from the pros.
Think Small
Every expert woodworker that you see online started from the bottom. It might be tempting to work on more complex and bigger projects while you are just starting up, but you are only setting yourself up to fail by doing so.
It’s a must that you stay patient and start with small projects. Such projects include everyday household items such as laptop tables, smartphone holders, and even tiny dressers for your daughter. By starting small, you get to familiarize yourself with the basics of woodworking, thus setting yourself up for larger projects in the future.
Invest In The Right Tools
Beginner woodworkers have a limited number of tools at their disposal. Common tools you’ll find lying around in their workbenches include mallets, sanding paper, saws, and pencils just to name a few. Once you step up from being a beginner to a full-fledged hobbyist, it’s time to invest in the right tools.
Electronic equipment such as buzz saws, nail guns, and automatic sanders allow you to work faster and more efficiently. There are some heavy tools that need to be checked out by newcomers as well. This article, for instance, shows us some of the best starter table saws for beginners. These electronic equipment aren’t just for efficiency, they are also for your safety. Like any other hobby, it takes a lot of investment to devote yourself to woodworking. Investing in the right tools maximizes your potential so don’t be afraid to spoil yourself a bit.
Let The Internet Be Your Friend
It’s fairly common to run out of ideas for your next project. This is even more common if you are used to making something on a weekly basis. The best way to get over this “woodworker’s” block is to make your way through the internet to find ideas for your next project.
YouTube is filled with channels about woodworking. There are channels that focus on tutorials and there are also channels that focus on showcasing what else you can do with wood. Making the internet your friend greatly expands your idea of the hobby. Furthermore, it helps you learn new tricks and techniques you won’t usually find elsewhere.
Familiarize Yourself With The Types Of Wood
There’s not one “wood” that every person uses for crafting inside their garage. Part of improving your experience as a woodworker means having to familiarize yourself with the types of wood that you can work with. Here are some common types of wood that people use.
- Pine – possibly the easiest type of wood to work with. It’s a softwood that’s easy to carve and drill. Due to its light hue, it’s also perfect for making interior furniture.
- Cedar – like pine, cedar is also softwood, so it’s easy to work with. It’s distinguished by its darker hue. Aside from being soft, cedar is also resilient to outside elements which make it the right choice of material exterior furniture.
- Redwood – it’s harder than pine and cedar, but it’s still relatively soft for hardwood. It has a nice color that makes it perfect for lawn furniture.
- Cherry – it’s one of the harder types of wood to work with, and it’s often experts that use it. Due to its durability, however, it’s perfect for projects that need to be sturdy.
Softwood is generally easier to work with which makes them perfect for beginners. On the other hand, hardwood’s difficulty is well compensated by the fact that it’s sturdier than other types of wood.
Find Your Own Workspace
There are a few downsides to woodworking though. Two of which are that the projects can get messy and the process itself can get loud.Â
As you work your way through the wood, you’ll be piling up wood chips and dust around you. As for the process itself, you’d be wrong to think that no one else can hear you banging on that piece of wood. This is why it’s very important that you have your own workspace.
A workspace should be somewhere no one can bother you and where you can’t bother anyone else. People often make their garage or their basement their own workspace, but you are free to work anywhere so long as it’s far from where people usually stay.
It’s not just for your and their comfort though. It’s also about a matter of safety. You wouldn’t want someone suddenly coming into the room and surprising you as you are handling heavy tools.
Always Mind Your Safety
Even veteran woodworkers experience minor accidents while woodworking. You should always mind your safety when doing a project. One way to do this is by investing in the right protective gear such as goggles and work gloves. You need to buy these before you even think about your first project.
It’s also important that you have a first aid kit nearby at all times. The kit should include bandages, sutures, disinfectants, and medical cloths. You never know when accidents happen, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Woodworking is an excellent hobby, but it does take a lot of work to get completely comfortable with it. These tips we shared above will greatly improve your woodworking experience, but this is just the beginning. As you become better at the hobby, you’ll be able to discover more ways on how you can improve your output.
