6 Things You Should Know If You Are a Rookie Woodworker
Woodworking as a hobby might seem easy, but before you start it, you should know certain things. Read on to find out what those are.
I believe woodworking is a less appreciated art. I am calling woodworking a form of art because here also the artist creates a masterpiece out of a simple concoction of materials. However, in the case of woodworking, the canvas for a woodworker is the wood that they turn into a piece of art with their tools.
I also believe woodworking can be a great hobby. The reason is that this is one such hobby which not only is a great way to spend your time, but it also helps you to build things that can be of great use to you. It can be anything from a simple box to a new table. Depending on your capability and imagination, you can build anything. But to build anything, you will certainly need tools, right?
So, before buying any tools to give your woodworking masterpiece the proper shape, you should definitely go through expert opinion from expert woodworkers like Tom Bradly and the others to get a better idea about the tools you should buy. However, buying tools is only a small part of becoming a woodworker; there is more to being a woodworker than just having the perfect tools for woodworking. So to all the woodworkers who are just starting out, here are some pro tips for you:
1. You Should Not Start Out with Pallet Wood
Usually Pallet wood is free. It is also a good option, but I wouldn’t recommend it for woodworkers who are beginners because it requires a lot of work to break them down and get usable boards. Therefore, I believe the best option would be to buy pine boards and plywood. Though pine is a beautiful species of wood, it’s a highly underrated one. Moreover, it’s a relatively inexpensive type of wood so you can build anything with it at a really low cost.
However, if you’re into making small things like jewelry boxes, photo frames, and other decorative things, then I would say go for lumber because then your cost would be minimal.
2. Draw Up a Plan Before You Start Working
If you draw up a 3D plan before you start doing your woodwork, it will allow you to consider proportions. Moreover, it will help you to discover problems in your design before you touch even a single tool. Not only that, by drawing up a plan before you start working you’ll be able to save a lot of wood and money.
So consider drawing up a plan before you start working on your masterpiece, it might seem like a waste of time initially, but it will help you to save a lot of time, money, wood, and sweat.
3. Don’t Get Obsessed With Your Tools
I know, I might get a little bit of heat from some of you for this point because many of you absolutely love tools. And, many of you like to collect them and call them your toys. Nowadays, you’ll even see a lot of woodworkers buying expensive tools and showing them off on social media. However, this only distracts you from your main goal which is to make nice and new things. Don’t get me wrong, I mean there’s nothing wrong if you want to collect tools, but that should not become your main goal; it should remain to build great things made of wood.
To be honest, anyone can build awesome things with a set of very modest tools. So rather than obsessing over tools, you should focus on developing your skills as a woodworker. There’s no denying that tools are essential for a woodworker, but you should buy tools that you’ll actually need and use on a regular basis, rather than buying tools that an ideal “woodworker” should have.
4. The Size Of Your Shop Does Not Matter
Most of us don’t pursue our hobby of woodworking because we believe we don’t have enough space to start our shop. But does the size of your shop actually matter? No, it does not. The passion and dedication you have for woodworking matter.
So, do you have a garage in your house? No? Got half a garage? If the answer is yes, then get started working on the woods and live your woodworking dreams. Moreover, if the weather permits, you can even work outdoors too, such as in places like your driveway and your backyard. Just keep in mind your shop doesn’t have to be big; your idea has to be.
5. Don’t Overburden Yourself With Your Mistakes
A common mistake all new woodworkers make is that they overthink their mistakes, which is a wrong thing to do, not only in the case of woodworking but in general too because it gets you nowhere and only stresses you out. Rather than being the worst critic of your work results, you should be proud of them.
Moreover, you can accept your mistakes by telling yourself this, “I could have spent my whole weekend or free time watching Netflix or playing video games. However, rather than doing that, I made something special.” Also, you can even turn your mistakes into creative masterpieces if you have the eye for it.
6. Have Faith In Your Woodworking Skills
Having faith or believing in yourself is the key to be successful in anything in your life. The same goes for woodworking skills too. No matter how low your experience in the field of woodworking is, you always should have faith in your skills. Be sure to ignore anyone who will tell you that what you are doing isn’t “real woodworking” because perspective is subjective; their perspective of “real woodworking” can be different than yours.
Lastly, you should only take up woodworking if you want a challenge as a hobby and love to build your own things, not because you want to save money. I also hope that this article will be a good starting point for all the budding woodworkers out there. Best of luck with your woodwork!
