You don’t have to be a genius to work with wood. The fact is that all you need to be able to do is lift a hammer and measure accurately, along with having a good imagination. Of course, your skills need to improve, and the tips below will help you to do just that.
You can use tape to catch excess glue. If you want to prevent oozing glue stains along joints, try clamping pieces together without using any glue. You just put tape on your joint, and then cut along it using a sharp blade. Separate your pieces, and then apply glue. After that, clamp them to each other again. Your glue will ooze on the tape instead of the wood. You can peel off the tape before your glue dries.
Use the right wood for your project. In woodworking, different types of wood handle have different levels of stress tolerance. If you don’t know how each wood type is going to handle what you’re trying to do, take a bit of time to learn about each first.
Keep the floors safe in your woodworking shop. Dust builds up on the floor, making it dangerous for walking. Coat the slippery areas of your shop with a mixture of crushed walnut shells and paint. The walnut shells are just the right consistency to keep the floor rough enough for walking, even when sawdust builds up.
Before practicing advanced woodworking techniques, make sure you’ve got the basics down. Typically those advanced techniques rely on you knowing the basics like the back of your hand. If you don’t, you’ll more than likely find learning to be a very frustrating experience. So start slow, and work up from there.
A handy tool for every woodworking shop is a stair gauge. They are used often to layout jacks for stairs, but they can also be clamped to your carpenter’s square. This can make your carpenter’s square into a guide for your circular saw. Using this square will allow you to make cuts that are straight.
When you need accurate measurements in the 3-foot range, use a drafting square. These are relatively cheap and can be found at any art supply store. They are perfectly straight and extremely accurate. They are less cumbersome than a framing square and are also longer. This will become your go-to tool in your woodworking shop.
If you find that there is rust on any of your woodworking tools there is a rather easy solution. As long as the rust is just on surface, all you need to do is use a pumice stone on the spot. Be sure to scrub gently, as being too rough can lead to you damaging the tool itself.
Look around for bits of recycled wood. Numerous places that sell or work with many types of wood will often discard the scraps which are useful to you. Many places like home improvement stores will have scrap wood. Use this to your advantage and see if they have something you can use for your project. This can save you a ton of money.
Save some money and practice your woodworking skills by building essential items for your work space. Build some counters to work on and a work bench. Get creative and you can make your work space even more organized and efficient since you have the ability to organize the area.
Quickly get rid of burn marks caused by the router. Certain woods burn easily when routered and it can be very time-consuming trying to sand the marks away. If the router template is complex, it may be nearly impossible. Try just routering down further just a small amount using the same bit. About 1/32nd of an inch should take the burn marks off.
Learn about the different type of wood and their characteristics. This will help you choose the right wood for your projects. For example, pine is a popular choice for common wood projects and furniture, but you have to be aware of the knots that can sometimes affect your cutting. A wood like maple has a smoother grain and less knots.
You can make a customized color of stain, but make sure the stains you are using are from the same manufacturer. Be sure that you use either all water-based stain, or all oil-based. Never mix the two. Finally, be certain to write down the exact amounts you used of each, so that the color can be duplicated if desired.
There are a couple of hand tools you need to buy before you get started with a woodworking project. The first tool to get is a hammer. Claw hammers are best for woodworkers. Get one that feels good when you hold it. Don’t choose a heavy hammer.
Be sure to keep all of your old cans of stain. Stain is expensive, and can come in handy if you wish to use a particular color again. Additionally, stains do not set up like finish does. If there is a skin on top, remove it, and the stain is as good as new.
Never rush through your woodworking sessions. Not only can you make mistakes in your project, you can also severely hurt yourself in the process. Take things slow, and double check your work often. Even if this means the project takes a few extra hours, your safety is worth more than that extra time.
Only use one extension cord when you are woodworking. Take time to unplug tools not in use, and plug in your tools you plan to use. A good woodworking tip such as this one can prevent problems with tripping and lessen any chance of getting electrocuted.
Once you master the basics of woodworking, these tips can help you get to the next level of skill. That will open you up to new projects you never thought you would be able to accomplish. The more you practice, the better you will become, so continue to enjoy this hobby as often as possible.