If you are looking to get your feet wet in the field of woodworking you have found the perfect article for you. There are many suggestions in the following article to help you along your way to becoming a woodworker as either a hobby or your job. Continue reading into the following paragraphs to find out more.

Avoid using your fingers as guides while cutting narrow pieces of wood. Use a strip of wood instead to maximize safety. This will prevent you from inadvertently whacking off your fingers.

TIP! Test stain in an area that will not be seen or on a scrap piece of wood. This makes sure that you won’t run into any surprises.

Choose correctly-sized nails. Nails that are too large can cause the wood to split. However, very small nails do not penetrate the wood well; therefore, it won’t hold the wood properly. You have to figure out what the right size is for the job you are doing.

Add some springiness 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 may be difficult to open with one hand. You can make it easier. It’s a good idea to get all of your clamps assembled on a piece of scrap wood before beginning a glue-up project. This allows you to use one hand because it will put them close to their maximum capacity.

Keep an eye out for recycled wood. Scraps can be discarded which are a boon for your projects. Home improvement centers and flooring stores often discard unused wood. Use this to your advantage when looking for wood for projects. This can save you a ton of money.

TIP! Stair gauges can be used as crosscut guides. Clamp them to carpenter’s squares and be sure they match the runs and rises of the stair jacks.

Having a few beers while you build a few things may seems like an ideal way to spend your weekend. This is not a good idea and can impair your judgement. Never drink any alcohol while you are working a project. Illegal and prescription drugs should also be avoided when working with woods.

You should make sure you use the right species of wood for the project you are working on. Soft woods can scratch easily and shouldn’t be used for a table. Remember that different woods turn different colors when finished.

Exercise proper safety precautions when using a table saw. If you are making a crosscut, set the length for the cut by clamping a block to the fence. This is a great tactic to help prevent the board from jumping back at you. Clamping can leave the end of your board free for cutting.

TIP! Were you aware that your workbench height makes a difference in your quality of work? Measure where your waist is from the floor. This will give you the optimum height for a perfect workbench.

Don’t apply excess pressure when sanding. This will create an uneven appearance, which will ruin the aesthetics of your creation. It’s important to learn which sandpaper grit should be used because this will allow you to sand easily without needing to be forceful. Also, try to use a circular motion to create a smooth texture.

A good circular saw guide is a stair gauge. Typically, stair gauges are used to make sure the run and the rise match up on a stair jack. This is a good guide to use with a circular saw.

There’s much to learn when it comes to woodworking. Thankfully, these tips will help you achieve that. Now you have to explore a bit and put this advice to good use.