Can you teach woodworking?

[uncletater]

All I can say is WOW. This thread is great. OP posting a pic of a thrown together table and bashing a friends first attempt. Expecting praise and getting pissed off when others tell him his looks like **** as well. Then showing basic cutting boards similar to the one my son made when he was 11 or 12.

My suggestion is to stay in college and don't expect praise for your "skills" in wood.

 

[Kaizen]

Different person, other guy did get the boot. Believe me, things never get old here...

You're cutting boards aren't bad imo. not complicated but your joints and finish milling look good. challenge yourself to make a 3d cutting board and you will learn a little humility. Keep at it. You and your friend are young still. He especially is as still in high school.

 

[shoot summ]

I'm not sure, I have a hard time reading him sometimes. Your right about the materials. However, he never seems to have any money. I did help him get some black locust at a sale once, but you need more than one type for cutting boards. Here is a couple that I just completed. The dark wood is IPE, which is $60 per board, and it doesn't last that long. Not sure if he would be willing to spend that on wood. Even other woods aren't cheap. Maple is $40 per board at the lumber yard. Might give him a few bum pieces and tell him to give it a try.

I think I'm going to start on a new table, and see what everyone thinks of the new one. Thinking about maybe basswood.

That's a better representation of your work, decent looking boards!

Here's a couple to try...

I haven't put one together with this in it yet, was just playing around one day and wanted to try this.

 

[bczygan]

I'm not sure, I have a hard time reading him sometimes. Your right about the materials. However, he never seems to have any money. I did help him get some black locust at a sale once, but you need more than one type for cutting boards. Here is a couple that I just completed. The dark wood is IPE, which is $60 per board, and it doesn't last that long. Not sure if he would be willing to spend that on wood. Even other woods aren't cheap. Maple is $40 per board at the lumber yard. Might give him a few bum pieces and tell him to give it a try.

I think I'm going to start on a new table, and see what everyone thinks of the new one. Thinking about maybe basswood.

Those are some beautiful cutting boards. It's no wonder they sell well.

I was thinking this morning about making a sawing bench or two, like Roy Underhill has. Then I found Chris Schwarz's version. I was going to make it out of rough 2x's and some plywood, but Chris gets out the hand planes and marking gauge and router plane. He's making a work of art. Me, I just want a bench. But then I'm thinking how mine will look so rough, I should at least plane the boards to get rid of imperfections. Then I'm thinking how putting all that effort into HD lumber is a shame, and I should get something better like southern yellow pine. And then I am right back there with Chris's perfect bench.

Aaaaaarrrrrg!

Do I want a quick and dirty bench I can use, or a bench I will be proud to own forever?

Bill

 

[pmiranda]

It was a lost-art skill that I was not willing to learn. I'm sure that I could have eventually figured it out (after melting a dozen or two pounds of lead onto the shop floor), but I didn't want to take the time.

The beauty of lead is you can just melt down your screwups and start over, right? With the plastic fillers you end up with a big mess all over the place that just goes in the trash.
Not that I have attempted either!

BTW, some of those cutting boards are too pretty to use! We just have plastic ones in our kitchen we can scrub mercilessly with bleach... but a smaller decorative one would be nice for cheese and crackers and stuff like that.

 

[ddawg16]

It's one of those things where you have a few **** ups, then suddenly it clicks & you're doing it. Kinda like welding or painting a car etc.

I would agree.

Funny thing....during HS I worked at a body shop. I was the mechanic and 'gofer'....and tried really hard to learn body work. I could get a spot smooth....but never could do a good contour.....at least not like some of the other guys...one could get it right the first pass.

But woodworking? I got that one....

I made my own kitchen cabinets...





One of several 'in progress' projects....



This one is fun.....the bar for my pub....solid Mahogany....**** is expensive...but easy to work with. Very forgiving with the stain

I'm going to start building the bar top next week



Must have tools besides table saw, router and radial arm saw....
Kreg pocket hole kit and biscuit cutter.

 

[stafford]

I tried teaching it for 21 years, along with carpentry, a few get it and most don't. They have to have a real desire to learn it or they won't. That really goes for just about anything on the table.
Stafford

 

[turbowoodworker]

Those cutting boards are clunky at best. A good example of being able to put wood together without the design, process in place.
BTW, don't use basswood for a table. I'll let you figure out why on your own.

 

[Junkmanryan]

Keep it coming guys, make me never want to do woodworking again.

 

[Junkmanryan]

Those cutting boards are clunky at best. A good example of being able to put wood together without the design, process in place.
BTW, don't use basswood for a table. I'll let you figure out why on your own.

Absolutely right, firewood would be to good for them.

 

[kv501]

Those are some beautiful cutting boards. It's no wonder they sell well.

I was thinking this morning about making a sawing bench or two, like Roy Underhill has. Then I found Chris Schwarz's version. I was going to make it out of rough 2x's and some plywood, but Chris gets out the hand planes and marking gauge and router plane. He's making a work of art. Me, I just want a bench. But then I'm thinking how mine will look so rough, I should at least plane the boards to get rid of imperfections. Then I'm thinking how putting all that effort into HD lumber is a shame, and I should get something better like southern yellow pine. And then I am right back there with Chris's perfect bench.

Aaaaaarrrrrg!

Do I want a quick and dirty bench I can use, or a bench I will be proud to own forever?

Bill

Bill,

You have a crippling mental illness which you refuse to seek any help for, no heat, no running water, no usable tools or shop space because of your hoarding disorder, and you're on public assistance. Building a sawing bench that you have 1) no ability to make, and 2) zero use for is literally the stupidest thing you could possibly do.

The list of things you'd have to do just to be able to cut boards for a bench at your residence is hundreds of items long, and even if you had such a bench you would have absolutely no use for it.

I am not being condescending to you Bill; I am being brutally honest. Everything I've mentioned can be verified in your two ridiculous pity threads. Please do everyone here a favor and spare us wasting time responding to things that should never and will never materialize. Yours is a very simple situation to remedy (which you have made the conscious decision not to), and the majority of posters have grown weary of listening to it and trying fruitlessly to help you. At the very least you could stop patronizing posters here who don't know your story with your false intentions.

Please.

 

[CTyankee]

I'll gladly build a coffin if somebody will kill this thread.

 

[Junkmanryan]

I'll gladly build a coffin if somebody will kill this thread.

Nah, this is getting good. Here, somebody insult my car next.

 

[Junkmanryan]

Bill,

You have a crippling mental illness which you refuse to seek any help for, no heat, no running water, no usable tools or shop space because of your hoarding disorder, and you're on public assistance. Building a sawing bench that you have 1) no ability to make, and 2) zero use for is literally the stupidest thing you could possibly do.

The list of things you'd have to do just to be able to cut boards for a bench at your residence is hundreds of items long, and even if you had such a bench you would have absolutely no use for it.

I am not being condescending to you Bill; I am being brutally honest. Everything I've mentioned can be verified in your two ridiculous pity threads. Please do everyone here a favor and spare us wasting time responding to things that should never and will never materialize. Yours is a very simple situation to remedy (which you have made the conscious decision not to), and the majority of posters have grown weary of listening to it and trying fruitlessly to help you. At the very least you could stop patronizing posters here who don't know your story with your false intentions.

Please.

I think we now have a new motto: Build it unless you ****. It's too bad, I thought the point of this forum was to encourage shop work.

Bill gave me some good constructive criticism and ideas. Can't say the same for some.

 

[PassnThru]

Nah, this is getting good. Here, somebody insult my car next.

You built THAT table and bought THAT car?

I think everyone owes you an apology - you didn't mention you were blind.


Kidding man, kidding. You never know what direction a thread will head in. You're holding up well - don't let the bastards wear you down

 

[txvwnut]

That's a better representation of your work, decent looking boards!

Here's a couple to try...

I haven't put one together with this in it yet, was just playing around one day and wanted to try this.

How the hell do you glue those up without getting dizzy?

 

[ZRX61]

when I used to hangout on the woodnet forums (which when it was popular it made this site tame when it comes to tool frenzy buying and comparing hand tools to power tools), lots of guys treated you like a caveman for using biscuit joiners, others say you have to master hand cut dove tails and hand planes...no router templates or morticing machines...but as long as the project looks good, I say use whatever joinery method you are comfortable with...to each his own.

In the UK we started woodshop in HS at age 11. In my case it was all morning (9am-12.30pm) on alternate Fridays. We were hand cutting dovetails, mortices, tenons etc before we were 12yo.
The other Fridays were metalshop. We were running lathes & the shop forge at 11yo. By 14 we were making working cannons, the biggest one I made fired billiard balls.

 

[ZRX61]

Do I want a quick and dirty bench I can use, or a bench I will be proud to own forever?

Bill

you use the first one to make the second one

 

[ZRX61]

How the hell do you glue those up without getting dizzy?

No ****, I could feel the beginnings of vertigo kicking in.

 

[bczygan]

I think we now have a new motto: Build it unless you ****. It's too bad, I thought the point of this forum was to encourage shop work.

Bill gave me some good constructive criticism and ideas. Can't say the same for some.

Don't let the haters drag you down. There is a difference between constructive criticism and just being mean.

I have some small experience in this area.

Make your own path. It's your life to live.

Bill

 

[Junkmanryan]

Sold the two cutting boards today for $70. Just thought a couple of you would like to know.

 

[ssdave]

No problem with your woodworking, if it makes you happy doing it. You don't have to compare to the artwork boards that were posted above, or meet some minimum level of satisfaction of this board.

What you have to recognize is what your market is, what your skill level is, what your interest level is, and how much is reasonable to charge for the level of quality you can or choose to produce.

I personally wouldn't put in the time it takes to make boards of the quality level you are making to sell them for $70. I would choose to create things much better designed and executed, and charge more for them. That is what rewards me, and what pays me enough to make it worth my time. However, it obviously is worthwhile to you to do so, and you are somewhat proud of them, so it's great for you. As long as you can find buyers, continue to do it and try to improve and explore work that causes you to increase your design and execution skills.

To answer your original question, Yes, you can probably teach your friend to make stuff of the level that you make it, if you have the teaching skills, desire, and patience it takes. Your unasked question is "should I try to teach him". Only you can answer that; if you get satisfaction from passing on the knowledge you have to someone else, go for it. If your ego can stand having a student get better at the craft than you are, would be a help. That is always my wish for the people I try to assist with learning, I would very much like them to quickly surpass me in skill and talent, and go on to do great things.