Woodworking is a skill that many people desire. The many different aspects of woodworking mean there is a place for everyone, whatever their level of skill or their interest. Below are some tips to help you enhance your skills and enable you to take your woodworking to a new level.
Anytime you are working around power tools, there is an element of danger; focus on safety at all times. Always use your tools in the way they were intended to be used and wear safety equipment at all times. Safety guards are on tools for a good reason and should never be removed. You don’t want to start in your workshop and end in a hospital bed.
Gel Stains
Gel stains can be your best friend when staining furniture items. Gel stains work better on lumber because the liquid kind usually run. Also, since these gel stains have a thicker consistency, their pigment stays consistent during the whole application process which shows in the even staining on both horizontal and vertical surfaces.
When you want to cut narrower sections of wood, never use your own fingers to guide them. Use a piece of thin wood instead to help push along the piece. This will assure you keep your fingers.
When doing woodworking with laminate, a good method of trimming the material is by using a pair of tin snips. The tin snips make it easy to cut the laminate down to whatever type of shape or size that you need. Using them only for this laminate also helps keep them sharp.
Understand the properties of the wood you’re using. Each kind has different qualities. They all react differently when you apply stain. Splintering will also be different depending on the type of cuts you use. And, you will notice a plethora of grains. These will all factor in to how your project progresses.
Ear protection is important if you wish to delve into woodworking. Machinery can be very loud. You can lose your hearing if you aren’t careful. Disposable earplugs are available, or you can invest in a pair of high quality headphones. Whatever you select, make sure that they are available when you plan on operating the machines.
If you’re a new woodworker, you should read all your plans before staring a project. Be sure that no instructions are missing and that you understand the procedures. If you have incomplete plans, ask at a local hardware store for advice.
Stay in touch with friends and family. Most woodworking shops do not have access to the Internet. You may get stuck on one project. Look for other woodworkers and ask them questions. It’s likely there are others with your question too.
Woodworking has been around for centuries. There will always be some kind of a project out there for a gifted woodworking professional to work on. Whether you’re someone who has been working with wood for some time, or just a hobbyist, you can use the above advice to help you get more out of all of this.
