Ready to Repair your cabinets? Build a Table? Fix Everything Around Your House?
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Woodworking is a time-honored hobby and craft that you can incorporate into your routine with a little bit of patience, space, and know-how.
Is woodworking for me?
That depends! If your home goals are to:
1. Build your dream table
2. Learn something practical, interesting, and build on new skills
3. Save money from low-end repairs to making your own high-end furniture
Woodworking is a really great option. It unites creativity and design with knowledge of the tools, materials and patterns needed to get the job done.
If you want to fix your plumbing or re-tile your shower, stay tuned! This isn’t what you’re looking for, but we’ll spotlight those areas soon.
How Do I Get Started In Woodworking?
Start With A Proven Plan
So, you’re excited, motivated, and have an idea. What now?
If you’ve never tried woodworking before, the best way to start is with a tried-and-true, tested building plan. Why? Because you know that what you’re starting with will get you where you’re going.
What Makes a Good Woodworking Plan?
A good beginner woodworking plan should tell you these things:
1. What materials do I need to make this?
This needs to be specific – you should be able to take your plan and turn it into a shopping list very easily:
Good: (2) 23/32 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft Cabinet Grade Plywood Panels, 8 LF 1 in. x 3 in Poplar or Oak Board
Bad: Plywood and boards
2. What tools do I need for this project?
This should include everything, common or not (clamps, saws, etc)
3. What hardware do I need for this project?
Again, this needs to be specific enough that you could take it to Home Depot, hand it to someone and have them come back with your screws/nails/etc.
4. A cutting list – this is all of the cuts that will need to be made to your wood before assembly.
Most hardware stores will have a free/inexpensive option for helping with cuts – be careful! A lot of these are approximate – if you need something cut very specifically for your project, you’ll want to plan to do it yourself.
After you’re used to working with blueprints and plans, you’ll be able to design your own or improvise with confidence.
Where Do I Get Woodworking Plans?
Online Resources
There are a lot of online resources for woodworking – here are some of the best:
- Ted’s Woodworking – with more than 16,000 woodworking plans developed across 25 years of experience, this is the most thorough, best designed, most useful tool for making complete, professional projects.
Get your FREE Bookcase plan and check them out!
2. Youtube – Youtube has a lot of awesome channels for DIY, home repair, and furniture making. Just keep in mind that these videos are usually better for troubleshooting and finishing than for a full project.
3. User forums – forums are places where other woodworkers, from professionals to newbies, all come together to share advice, tips, and new techniques. They can be very specific or more general communities.
Books and Classes
Never forget about the power of books and in-person learning. Check your local trade schools/community college for advanced woodworking skills, and the following excellent books:
- The Complete Book of Woodworking: Step-by-Step Guide to Essential Woodworking Skills, Techniques, Tools and Tips – More than 40 projects with photos and step-by-step
- Yard and Garden Furniture, 2nd Edition: Plans and Step-by-Step Instructions to Create 20 Useful Outdoor Projects- DIY Benches, Rockers, Porch Swings, Adirondack Chairs, and more!
- Woodworking from Zero to Hero – pitched as “The Only Step-by-Step Guide You’ll Ever Need to Master Essential Skills, Boost Your Confidence from Day One, and Quickly Build Show-Stopping Wood Projects on a Budget” this is a fantastic resource for the money-conscious woodworker.
Let your creativity go!