If you consider yourself to be great with your hands, woodworking should be something you try. Using woodworking is a skill that many people have done throughout all of time. This article will give you ideas on how to get better at woodworking.
Before staining your project, test the stain in a hard to see area, or, better yet, on a piece of scrap wood of the same type. This can prevent surprises if the shade of the stain is different after it has been applied. This will go a long way in preventing disappointment.
Your workbench’s height is more important than you realize. It should hit at your midline. Your bench will be at the perfect height at this measurement.
Look around for free wood in your area. Some businesses get pallets they don’t want to keep, and they might give them to you if you’re willing to haul them away. Before you start tearing them up you can find examples of pallets that are recycled into furniture online.
Use more than just tape measures. Story sticks can help you out and it’s wise to slowly work up to the cut you want. Making your cuts first on scrap wood will help you try out a fitting before you move to that final cut. This also helps stretch your imagination and develop good woodworking techniques.
Recycled wood is often cheap and good for the environment. There are a lot of places that have scraps for you to use. Home improvement centers and flooring stores often discard unused wood. Use this to your advantage to find great pieces of wood to use. This will also be a great way to save some money.
If woodworking is new to you, a good practice is to read and understand your project plans before you begin. Review them to make sure there isn’t any information missing. If there is anything that you don’t understand, see if anyone at your local home improvement store can help you.
Try a woodworking kit or two. The wood is already cut for you. This will help you get started and teach you a few things about the fundamentals of woodworking. This will save money too because you won’t make as many mistakes.
Several hand tools should be a part of your arsenal. A hammer is obviously a must-have item. Claw hammers are best for woodworking. Try out a few and pick the one that you’re most comfortable with. Don’t choose a heavy hammer.
Don’t apply a ton of pressure when sanding. When you sand with a lot of pressure, you’ll gauge into the wood and cause the surface to be uneven. Choose a sand paper that has the right grit, because you aren’t going to have to use excessive force to use it. Use a circular motion to lightly sand.
A great circular guide is a stair gauge. Usually they are used for matching up the notches and the run and rise of stair jacks. However, stair gauges can also be used as circular saw guides.
Check your wood stain on an inconspicuous spot. It helps you prevent any problems in case you don’t apply the stain well, or it doesn’t look the way you wanted it to. Checking it on a hidden spot will help you make any changes you need to make. This will reduce your work down the line.
Drafting Square
For small cuts, use a drafting square. When cutting wood from afar (two to three feet in range), it may be very tough to be accurate. Drywall sections are often inaccurate, but carpenter type squares must be attached to an edge, so they are difficult as well. Try stopping into your friendly neighborhood art supply store to pick up a drafting square. These are made for smaller measurements, making them very accurate and easy to use.
If you plan a large project, consider at least researching other people’s plans online. Though you might divert from theirs somewhat, they can serve as a great place to begin. This can lead to a more efficient project and help with planning everything out so it all runs much smoother.
Working with your hands is achieved through the art of woodworking. Now that you’ve gone over some woodworking tips, you should be able to get yourself started on whatever you want to build. Take what you learned here to better your skills and soon you will see great projects being created.