The Essentials of Woodworking

Everyone needs to have at least one hobby, something that takes passion while also giving countless hours of enjoyment, and one of the most rewarding and somewhat challenging hobbies out there is woodworking. When you are working with wood, you not only give yourself a creative outlet, you are also relieving a lot of pent up tension and stress.

The things that you can make out of wood are practically endless, as it is a very versatile building material. You can make small items like mailboxes and birdhouses, or maybe something big like an armoire or a dining room table; the main thing that you have to remember is to start small and only try bigger projects once your skills improve. Another thing you need to keep in mind is that you will need a good set of plans for every project, and you should always follow the instructions written on them. There are literally thousands of resources where you can get detailed plans for your next project so you need not worry about running out of projects.

Now, regarding the tools that you will need for woodworking since you are just a beginner, it is best that you just keep it simple. You will only need a good claw hammer, a hand drill, some clamps and vise, sandpaper, screwdrivers, a set of chisels, a couple of hand saws, a level, and measuring tape. You should also get yourself a pair of safety goggles and work gloves; safety first!

And once you have the necessary tools, you should familiarize yourself with them before you even start on a project. For instance, do some practice cuts using your hand saws on a couple pieces of scrap lumber, this way you can get a feel on how to create straight and clean cuts.

As for the size of your workshop, again seeing as you are just a novice woodworker and it is highly unlikely that you will be undertaking huge projects, putting a small workbench in one corner of your garage or basement will be sufficient enough. Just start small for now and expand your workshop once you have ample skills and experience, only then should you even think of getting the larger power tools like a table saw.

These are just the bare essentials when it comes to woodworking as a hobby, once your skills have improved and you feel they are not up to snuff anymore, then upgrade to better tools and a bigger workshop.