If you wish to get into woodworking, you’ve most likely thought about how to start. If you don’t know what you’re up against, you can’t find success. There are many different areas of pursuit in woodworking, and in this article we will discuss a few of them.
Always make safety first with a woodworking project. Use the tools correctly and wear the right equipment. Don’t take guards off a tool – they’re intended to keep you safe. You can’t complete the project if you end up hurting yourself.
If you need to stain a project you’re working on in woodworking, then you should use a stain conditioner first. This will help you to get an even finish when you stain. These conditioners will smooth out the uneven nature of the wood and allow your stain to penetrate evenly.
A great tool for setting crosscut guides is a stair gauge. Just clamp them on your carpenter’s square while making sure they match up. Be sure to mark the location of the notches. If you place the on the tongue that’s on your carpenter’s square, this means that together you can use this as a good crosscut guide for the circular saw.
Avoid using your fingers as guides while cutting narrow pieces of wood. Instead you should use a thin and long strip of wood get push it through your saw. This makes sure that you won’t chop off a finger.
Tin Snips
Tin snips can help you better trim laminate when doing your wood projects. This tool is intended to cut metal, so it easily slices through laminates, which greatly reduces the energy needed. If you can, get yourself some tin snips and then reserve them for laminate only for the best results.
Understand the features of different wood types prior to selecting it for a project that is to be stained. Paint grade wood is generally of lower quality and stain grade has better grain patterns. Also realize that veneer and particleboard are different. Particleboard will absorb too much stain, veneer might not absorb enough. The proper wood helps your project come out the way that you hoped.
You should have a small ruler on you. Make it a metal ruler and store it alongside your telescoping magnet. The magnet will keep the ruler safely in your pocket.
Add some extra spring to your grip. There may be times that your project requires a spring clamp when you only have one hand available to open it. These clamps can be difficult to open without the use of both hands. There is an easier way. Before you apply the glue, open the clamps you need and place them on scrap wood using both hands. That way, they are almost at full capacity and can be maneuvered with just one hand.
Look around for bits of recycled wood. There are several places that use wood and discard scraps that can be useful. For example, a home improvement store is a good place to check. Look for pieces of wood that you can use in your projects. You will save money doing this too.
Throwing back a couple of beers when woodworking might seem like a fun thing to do when you’re working. However, if you’re drinking and doing woodworking with tools it can be a terrible idea. Never drink alcohol while working on a project. Likewise, do not work on projects while taking medication or illegal drugs.
Keep an eye out for used furniture that you could pick up. People can be throwing away furniture that you can get wood from for free. Also, think of ways you can use the pieces from older furniture. You may be able to salvage the drawers of an unusable dresser and re-purpose them as bookshelves.
Few artistic mediums are as personally intriguing as woodworking. With any luck, the above article has given you some suggestions that you can take into the shop with you. Regardless of whether you want to build furniture or just toys, it can be a very fulfilling hobby. You won’t know your personal limits until you try to reach them.