Beginning wood working advice

[Wubicon]

What kind of wood worker do you want to be?
what do you want to make?
big stuff? Small stuff? What?

answer those questions then pick a project.
research that project and how it it to be made
make a plan and start building.

my dad is 86 and he still get up and does stuff, he never really stopped.
i believe that one reason he is 86 and still does stuff is because he still does stuff.
working on projects is a bit like excersize, you can do it because you do it.
if you get off you by and do stuff you will be able to do more stuff

My grandfather was a lot like this. He was building bird houses, Christmas ornaments, random projects he spotted in a book etc deep into his 90s.

When he first got his scroll saw I'm certain he made 100s of little projects that hang on door jams, or on a nail or you drilled a hole and inserted a rod into to stick in the ground just to practice using it. Usually gave them all away to whoever came over.

 

[niget2002]

First thing I learned to build when I got in to woodworking was benches for the tools. A card table worked great for the first few builds, but I quickly needed something better.

With the scroll saw, you could look at learning Intarsia. It's one of the few things I haven't done yet.

There's also a ton of ornaments and kid's toys you can do with the scroll saw and bandsaw.

If you really want to dive in the deep end, you can build a kayak :-D

 

[AEAdam]

If you are in Ohio or even near Ohio look up Chris Schwarz. Highly recommend a visit.

Plenty of good advice above. One thing I didn’t read (or missed) lack of design knowledge holds woodworkers back. Executing joints in nice wood isn’t enough to make things people like. The Schwarz has done good design books or just read his blog and try to absorb some of it.

If you want an advantage, switch off your machines and learn to use a hand saw and hand plane. Learning to sharpen both is a game changer.

This is a rabbit hole you can fall into and never resurface. Stick to basics-decent western saw, old Stanley #5 plane and the old, super cheap Stanley chisels with the yellow handles.

I would take a Schwarz class in a heartbeat.

 

[BSWS]

When I started years ago I really didn't know what I didn't know about safety. Sure I knew not to touch moving blades but I didn't know much about table saw kickback. There are so many things that can cause it that I would recommend a safety class on that alone. At least a video. A few of the things I didn't know but I do now. Your table saw blade, fence and safety equipment need to be set up properly or it's an accident waiting to happen. Even the simple push stick. They really aren't a one-size-fits-all.

You mentioned that you have a table saw and a router table. To me, those are the 2 tools, out of all my power tools, that I use the most carefully, with a lot of respect. In fact, I only use those 2 if I don't have a safer tool to do the same job.

I don't mean to scare you away from it, woodworking really is a good hobby. It's a lot more fun with no injuries.

 

[AEAdam]

When I started years ago I really didn't know what I didn't know about safety. Sure I knew not to touch moving blades but I didn't know much about table saw kickback. There are so many things that can cause it that I would recommend a safety class on that alone. At least a video. A few of the things I didn't know but I do now. Your table saw blade, fence and safety equipment need to be set up properly or it's an accident waiting to happen. Even the simple push stick. They really aren't a one-size-fits-all.

You mentioned that you have a table saw and a router table. To me, those are the 2 tools, out of all my power tools, that I use the most carefully, with a lot of respect. In fact, I only use those 2 if I don't have a safer tool to do the same job.

I don't mean to scare you away from it, woodworking really is a good hobby. It's a lot more fun with no injuries.

Approx 30,000 table saw accidents result in trips to the emergency room each year in the US. 3,000 of those visits involve amputations.

As a pro woodworker/wood celebrity I met a lot of woodworkers and shook a lot of hands. A lot of guys had disfiguring hand injuries. Anecdotally, they weren’t young or inexperienced or unintelligent when they got hurt. It happens to people like us.

Our power tools just want to hurt us. They wait patiently for us to slip up. They just need a moment’s distraction.

I won’t ever own or use a table saw. Jointers are a big problem also. Very dangerous. The injury Jamie Perkins suffered was horrific. If you don’t know who he is, don’t google it.

 

[Ohio Andy]

Approx 30,000 table saw accidents result in trips to the emergency room each year in the US. 3,000 of those visits involve amputations.

As a pro woodworker/wood celebrity I met a lot of woodworkers and shook a lot of hands. A lot of guys had disfiguring hand injuries. Anecdotally, they weren’t young or inexperienced or unintelligent when they got hurt. It happens to people like us.

Our power tools just want to hurt us. They wait patiently for us to slip up. They just need a moment’s distraction.

I won’t ever own or use a table saw. Jointers are a big problem also. Very dangerous. The injury Jamie Perkins suffered was horrific. If you don’t know who he is, don’t google it.

And that is why I bought a sawstop table saw.

 

[dscheidt]

Approx 30,000 table saw accidents result in trips to the emergency room each year in the US. 3,000 of those visits involve amputations.

As a pro woodworker/wood celebrity I met a lot of woodworkers and shook a lot of hands. A lot of guys had disfiguring hand injuries. Anecdotally, they weren’t young or inexperienced or unintelligent when they got hurt. It happens to people like us.

Our power tools just want to hurt us. They wait patiently for us to slip up. They just need a moment’s distraction.

I won’t ever own or use a table saw. Jointers are a big problem also. Very dangerous. The injury Jamie Perkins suffered was horrific. If you don’t know who he is, don’t google it.

It's worth pointing out that the vast majority of table saw accidents happen to people who do something stupid, like fail to use push sticks, disable the guards, etc. They don't happen nearly as often to people who use the tool properly, and don't get complacent because the last 500 times they did the wrong thing, they got away with it.

 

[rsanter]

My grandfather was a lot like this. He was building bird houses, Christmas ornaments, random projects he spotted in a book etc deep into his 90s.

When he first got his scroll saw I'm certain he made 100s of little projects that hang on door jams, or on a nail or you drilled a hole and inserted a rod into to stick in the ground just to practice using it. Usually gave them all away to whoever came over.

Some people want to do actual projects that they want. Say make a table to entertainment center.

others are just looking to kill some time and often want quick pay back in enjoyment.

i have a wood lathe that just about the only thing i do on it is kill time. I can turn out a little project in 15-30 min that I didnt need but it helps clear my head a bit.
most of my other tools are used to get a job done that I want done and generally take hours, days! Or weeks

 

[OldDoItAll]

Lots of great info here: https://sawmillcreek.org/

 

[GrayFlattop]

I’ve seen a lot of stupid when it comes to table saw use, typically people get lucky and never give it a second thought. Once upon a time I had a boss that liked to use the rip fence as a length stop to the right of the blade with the miter gauge to the left of the blade. When I yelled at him and told him not to do that, he reminded me that I worked for him. Several times that day, offcuts would get bound up and go flying. He continued on unfazed.

Freehand cutting on a table saw is another thing that drives me nuts - particularly when you see it performed on well-known national TV shows. Having the blade raised an inch or more above the stock is another thing that makes me cringe.

Obviously, never do any of the above and if you don’t know why, you should never turn your table saw on.

I had the benefit of having expert instruction from my shop teachers in high school and beyond. Sadly, few schools offer this in our modern age.

Regarding the table saw, find a new or used copy of “Table Saw Techniques” by the late Roger Cliffe and dive in. I had the good fortune of having him as an instructor back in the 70’s while he was working on the book.

Yes, table saws, jointers and any number of power tools can cause grave injuries - no question. You have to know where to stand and where your hands should be at all times. You need to be aware of what you are cutting and know where the stock is going and how it should behave. Have a plan in your head for what to do when things go wrong. Your head has to be in the game. If you are distracted, in a hurry, tired or otherwise impaired - turn the lights off in your shop and come back when you can focus.

In 50+ years of woodworking (10 professionally) I still have all my fingers. One swollen and bruised hand from a nasty kickback (because I was stupid and in a rush).
Oddly, my worst injury was with a chisel. A VERY sharp chisel that I drove into my left index finger when I was in a rush and failed to secure my workpiece. Sure, I can hold it with my left hand…NOT. At least the bone stopped the forward motion of the chisel. Same old story - in a rush, over-tired. No mental plan for what the path of the chisel would be if something went wrong. Although my left index finger has a bit of a lean to the right, I have more or less full function decades later. If my carelessness occurred while using a table saw, most of my finger would be gone.

 

[AEAdam]

I’ve seen a lot of stupid when it comes to table saw use, typically people get lucky and never give it a second thought. Once upon a time I had a boss that liked to use the rip fence as a length stop to the right of the blade with the miter gauge to the left of the blade. When I yelled at him and told him not to do that, he reminded me that I worked for him. Several times that day, offcuts would get bound up and go flying. He continued on unfazed.

Freehand cutting on a table saw is another thing that drives me nuts - particularly when you see it performed on well-known national TV shows. Having the blade raised an inch or more above the stock is another thing that makes me cringe.

Obviously, never do any of the above and if you don’t know why, you should never turn your table saw on.

I had the benefit of having expert instruction from my shop teachers in high school and beyond. Sadly, few schools offer this in our modern age.

Regarding the table saw, find a new or used copy of “Table Saw Techniques” by the late Roger Cliffe and dive in. I had the good fortune of having him as an instructor back in the 70’s while he was working on the book.

Yes, table saws, jointers and any number of power tools can cause grave injuries - no question. You have to know where to stand and where your hands should be at all times. You need to be aware of what you are cutting and know where the stock is going and how it should behave. Have a plan in your head for what to do when things go wrong. Your head has to be in the game. If you are distracted, in a hurry, tired or otherwise impaired - turn the lights off in your shop and come back when you can focus.

In 50+ years of woodworking (10 professionally) I still have all my fingers. One swollen and bruised hand from a nasty kickback (because I was stupid and in a rush).
Oddly, my worst injury was with a chisel. A VERY sharp chisel that I drove into my left index finger when I was in a rush and failed to secure my workpiece. Sure, I can hold it with my left hand…NOT. At least the bone stopped the forward motion of the chisel. Same old story - in a rush, over-tired. No mental plan for what the path of the chisel would be if something went wrong. Although my left index finger has a bit of a lean to the right, I have more or less full function decades later. If my carelessness occurred while using a table saw, most of my finger would be gone.

Good post.

It's easy to say, but really tough to be on your game all the time. Here are some stats: There are more woodworkers in the US than golfers. They tend to spend WAY more on their hobby and are generally, on average more affluent. There are A LOT of retirees who have dabbled all their lives and become much more active woodworkers in their retirement. A lot of technology workers take up woodworking. I have my theories regarding why.

Point is, there are a LOT of us, we skew older, more educated, and more affluent than golfers. These aren't stupid people who cut themselves. Its us.

For @GrayFlattop I've cut myself with nearly every hand tool I own. But none of those cuts needed (or got) stitches. No tool is really "safe". When you slice into your hand really badly with a chisel, that's terrible, but also really impressive you got it that sharp!

Sorry if I added a bunch of gloom to this post. Again, my advice is start small, start with basic hand tools like you are in middle school shop class only with better instruction and sharp tools.

 

[GrayFlattop]

A spinning blade or cutter does not care about your education or income.

 

[GrayFlattop]

Yep - there is risk in many pursuits. No question. Your advice to a novice woodworker is sound. Particularly when they are searching for direction.

I love hand tool woodworking, but it’s not a realistic option if you’re doing casework in MDF or larger sheet-goods. All things are relative, not to dismiss the risk - just to put it into perspective.

The chisel in question was one I made using a very thin ( ~1/8”) blade - 1/4” wide blade. I use it primarily for paring. One can easily shave the hair from your forearm after a proper sharpening. It’s pictured in another thread “show off your woodworking”.

 

[Jim C.]

Well, this is a topic that has no end. Responses will vary depending on the individual who is giving advice. A relatively new woodworker can’t draw on the amount of experience that a person with decades of experience may possess. I guess some things are common sense regardless of your experience level. Plan your cuts carefully. Use safety precautions. Trust your instincts. If a cut seems like it’s going to bring you trouble, come up with an alternative way to make the cut. Don’t get distracted by your surroundings. Don’t put a tv in your shop. Don’t put a radio in your shop. Keep your eye on your work at all times. If you want to watch the big game, go sit in your family room and watch it. When you’re in the shop, enjoy woodworking.

Okay, with the safety stuff out of the way……….. You get better at woodworking with practice. The more you do it, the better your joints will become. This doesn’t happen over night. It takes years. Experience comes from time. Practice. When you’ve gotten good at something, try to incorporate something new into your next project. Instead of a straight line, add a curve. Practice. Don‘t be afraid to make a mistake, because you’re going to make them. It’s how you fix them that matters. And the “fix” will come from experience. Practice. Don’t get caught up in expensive jigs and gimmicks. None of these things will make you a better woodworker. The basic tools that woodworkers have used for decades, a dovetail saw, a few different hand planes, chisels, etc. will serve you well once you start using them and understanding how to use them and when to use them. Keep the tools sharp. Practice. Love the process, take your time and practice. Who knows, if you stay with it, one of your projects might just end up in Fine Woodworking Magazine!

Jim C.

 

[Milton Shaw]

Look for a source of pallets. They are usually made of hardwood and mostly free are a good source of scrap wood that you only have a little money and time invested in them. Most of the wood by the time it has been shipped and has time to dry and are just right for small projects, just make sure you remove all the steel as it can make a mess of sharp edges. At one time I had made most of the furniture in my house, chairs, tables, footstools, shelves and cabinets and even kitchen organizers. I promised my wife when we got rich I would buy her some Tupperware. Never have gotten to that stage. Enjoy it, try going slow and invest into power tools if the scale of what you want to do encourages it , shop used and save some money, look at Grizzly as they have some bargains, and even Shopsmith for a multitool stationary tool. Make something nice for your wife and get her involved in planning and the money comes easier, trust me on that.

 

[AEAdam]

A spinning blade or cutter does not care about your education or income.

You got the point right? People think it happens to someone else, kids or dummies, newbies, foolish people etc. It doesn’t.

 

[niget2002]

The one time I had kick back, I knew going in to the cut that it "felt weird".

If you're uncomfortable using a setup, step back and rethink it.

 

[jar944]

I won’t ever own or use a table saw. Jointers are a big problem also. Very dangerous.

That's a bit alarmist.

Any power tool can get you if you are not paying attention.

 

[Ohio Andy]

You got the point right? People think it happens to someone else, kids or dummies, newbies, foolish people etc. It doesn’t.

That's why I own a sawstop.

So I'm curious how you break down her to stop such as plywood if you're building a cabinet? Or do you just choose to not do that at all?

I mean I also want a track saw... Track saws more difficult to do repeatable cuts.

 

[GrayFlattop]

You got the point right? People think it happens to someone else, kids or dummies, newbies, foolish people etc. It doesn’t.

Believe me, I got the point long before the existence of garage journal or of the internet.

There is risk in all the things we do - from driving a car / truck to being a pedestrian. There are risks in our dietary and lifestyle choices. As adults, all we can hope for is awareness of the risk and that folks take steps to mitigate that risk to the extent possible. Beyond that, it’s up to personal responsibility and personal choice outside the sphere of employment. There is no “one size fits all” answer.

 

[AEAdam]

That's a bit alarmist.

Any power tool can get you if you are not paying attention.

It’s a combination of particularly objectively unsafe coupled with, I can live without it. There are reasonable alternatives.

 

[AEAdam]

That's why I own a sawstop.

So I'm curious how you break down. Would like say if you're building a cabinet? Or do you just choose to not do that at all?

I mean I also want a track saw... Track saws more difficult to do repeatable cuts.

More difficult but not impossible. I set up stop blocks (fences) on my bench that both the track and the work bank against.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Doing home improvements and repairs yourself will help with buying tools. I learned quickly what I needed and tool qualities, IMO buy the best you can afford. It helps if you enjoy the work.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Approx 30,000 table saw accidents result in trips to the emergency room each year in the US. 3,000 of those visits involve amputations.

As a pro woodworker/wood celebrity I met a lot of woodworkers and shook a lot of hands. A lot of guys had disfiguring hand injuries. Anecdotally, they weren’t young or inexperienced or unintelligent when they got hurt. It happens to people like us.

Our power tools just want to hurt us. They wait patiently for us to slip up. They just need a moment’s distraction.

I won’t ever own or use a table saw. Jointers are a big problem also. Very dangerous. The injury Jamie Perkins suffered was horrific. If you don’t know who he is, don’t google it.

Agree I am not a pro table saws are dangerous. Safety, safety, safety. I use table saws but not nearly as often as circular saws, most versatile cutting tool IMO. May upgrade to SawStop® Jobsite Saw Pro.