People around the globe have learned that woodworking is an enjoyable pastime. Woodworkers make all kinds of creative pieces like chairs, tables, and bookshelves. However, you must understand how to be a good woodworker. Read on to gain better insight to boost your woodworking enjoyment.
Use a pre-stain wood conditioner before applying a stain. The conditioner will make it more difficult to notice irregularities in the wood. These conditioners help the stain penetrate evenly and keep the wood smooth.
Test your stains on scraps of wood or inconspicuous areas of the piece you’re using. This will give you an idea of what it will look like on the finished project. This will go a long way in preventing disappointment.
Stir stains and finishes instead of shaking them to mix. Some ingredients in these products may settle over time. Shaking too much can cause bubbling to occur, and also prevent it from mixing well. Stir thoroughly until it is even.
Ask the rental company for a speedy tutorial when renting a tool you aren’t completely familiar with. Specialists will often be able to teach you about the tool. Also ask if there are handouts available with tips for tool usage.
Do not use your fingers to guide a narrow strip of wood into the saw. Use a strip of wood instead to maximize safety. This will help ensure you keep all of your fingers, making woodworking much easier.
Before sawing, ensure that the blade is in top condition. A dull blade will not be able to saw the way you need. Dull blades can also create expensive mistakes.
Footwear is an important component of your safety equipment. There could be nails on the floor, pieces of wood and other debris that could hurt you. You must protect your feet. Injuries like kicking something heavy or stepping on nails are quite common. You want your shoes to also keep you comfortable while you’re walking around the shop.
Search at estate sales, garage sales or even online if you wish to get a good deal on equipment that you need for woodworking. By buying used, you can save yourself a lot of money. Your wallet will be happy if you shop around a little bit.
Exercise proper safety precautions when using a table saw. When you are crosscutting, be sure to set the length of the cut using a block that is clamped onto the fence. This is preferred over just using the fence alone, because it prevents your board from springing back. Clamps leave the end of the board free to cut.
Keep your eyes peeled for furniture going to the trash. These pieces will often have useful pieces of wood you can use yourself. Think of what you can do with these pieces in your shop before you dismiss buying them. You may be able to salvage the drawers of an unusable dresser and re-purpose them as bookshelves.
Stair Gauges
You can use a stair gauge to guide circular saws. Typically, stair gauges are used to make sure the run and the rise match up on a stair jack. However, they can aid you when using a circular saw by using stair gauges on tongues of carpenter squares.
Save your scrap wood because it may come in handy in other projects. You might have a situation when you want to get a smaller piece of wood into a small spot, or you may need two glued wood pieces clamped together. Little scraps of wood also can serve as the guinea-pig for new cut styles.
Always think about changes you might want to make in the future when you begin a large project. An example of this is when in the future you might need to put in electricity to a project. If this is the case, you have to make sure there is a lot of room for switches and wiring to get installed. You also will need some space for lighting up in the ceiling.
Always practice with new tools or techniques before using them on a new project. Grab some scrap wood that is not slated for a project, then get to work. If that does not work, use another piece over and over until you understand how it works.
Videos Online
Learn by watching videos online about woodworking. There are a lot of tutorial videos online that will allow you to learn what certain tools are capable of doing. It is possible to watch entire projects in such videos.
Most people cannot look at a piece of wood and imagine all the different things that can be produced from it. Folks that can, however, can benefit greatly from this article. Enjoy what you do with woodworking, and let the tips you read here guide you.
