3 Easy Tips for DIY Woodwork
#1. Well-equipped workspace
The first tip for you has nothing to do with making sawdust or pounding nails. In fact, this tip might even prove to be the inspiration for your first DIY woodwork project if you are a beginner.
To make sure your projects come together successfully (and safely) you need to start with an efficient and well-equipped workspace. Whether you set up in your basement, garage, or are lucky enough to have a dedicated workshop, the essentials remain the same.
Most important is your work surface. There is really no substitute for a good workbench, and in fact, can make an excellent first DIY woodwork project for the beginner.
Equally important are your lighting and adequate ventilation. Besides contributing to a better finished product, these two areas are safety concerns as well; your hobby shouldn't be detrimental to your health (or number of fingers).
By giving yourself room to work, enough light to see your work (and read your plans), and clean air to breathe, you will find that you can focus more clearly on the task at hand and work more efficiently.
#2. Which Wood?
Think about the wood you are going to use for your project. You will save yourself time, and money, down the road if you work out how much timber you are going to need for your project and decide which timber to use. If you draw your own plans then you will have to work out a materials list. It's even easier if you find a quality set of plans and have a materials list ready to use.
Then, before you rush down to the lumber yard you should also think about what type of timber you want. Your wood selection for your DIY woodwork project will hinge on whether or not you are going to paint the project, or are going to stain it instead.
If the desired result is a natural wood finish then Red Cedar is a good choice. If you want a painted finish then pine is generally going to fit the bill. Both varieties are readily available and generally easy to work with.
Bonus tip - in order to get the best results for your DIY woodwork project you should source and purchase your materials at least two or three weeks before you are ready to start making cuts. Stack it in a dry location with spacers between the boards, making sure to allow for plenty of air circulation so the material will dry out. You'll get less warping and splitting this way, and the wood will be much easier to work with.
#3. Plan to Succeed
Finally, the key to having a DIY woodwork project that you want to show off instead of use for kindling is starting off with a good idea of what you want to make. In short, you need some sort of plan.
When it comes to woodworking there are generally two choices, draw your own or buy a set of plans. You can combine the two options with a bit of creativity, and have a third choice; you can buy a set of plans that are close to what you want and modify them to suit your needs for your DIY woodwork project. For example you might want a longer or shorter bench or a different size table.
Woodworking plans and patterns -- why use one? A woodworking plan is going to save you time, money, and frustration. Whether you're an expert woodworker or a beginner, a good woodworking plan will help you to build successfully and have more fun. Build indoor furniture like gun cabinets, outdoor furniture like Adirondack lawn chairs and picnic tables, toys and rocking horses for the kids, Christmas decorations like Nativity scenes, yard shadow silhouettes, windmills, and more.
Woodworking plans are unbeaten when it comes to making your woodworking project easier, less expensive, and most importantly... more enjoyable. Even the pros use a woodworking plan from time to time! Sure, you could build a roll top desk from scratch, and you still will be when you use a plan -- but you'll save yourself countless headaches and troubles when you build from a blueprint in which a professional woodworker has worked out all of the problems.
You can join 3800+ (and counting) other hobbyists, beginners, craftsmen and professionals by getting the blueprints, plans and step-by-step directions to create stunning, professional woodworking projects, effortlessly and on time. Check out this woodwork project with 16,000 step to step plans for you to choose from.
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