Hey all:
I’m just try’n to sitr things up a bit. I’m a complete novice to woodworking and I often feel overwhelmed by the feeling that there’s so much to learn. But I think part of my problem is that we – myself included – spend far to much time talking about tools and techniques and not about the wood. I read an interview with Krenov who said he never loses the excitement about shopping for wood.
Which leads to my next point. I think we don’t spend enough time talking about wood preparation. I beginning to think that, if I can 1) develop an accurate sense of how square, flat and straight a board needs to be, and 2) prep the wood to that standard, I will have gone a long way in the craft. Again as a novice, I get the feeling that I worry about achieving an unecessary or unattainable level of precision for my joints because I haven’t learned about the limits/nature of the wood I’m using. And many of my mistakes come from not taking the time to get to know that specific piece of wood I’m bulind with.
Just a thought that came to me.
Replies
OK, Bake, The first question is 'what are you building? The accuracy ( Length, width, thickness) and squareness of a piece of wood is directly linked to your project. A bird-house, a piece of patio furniture, a cabinet in your den and a dining room table all need to be neat, but accurate measurements and squareness increase with each of these four projects. As a beginning woodworker you should strive for perfection, but please learn to make 'small stuff' before attacking the 'big stuff'. Yes, craftsmanship should be evident, even in a birdhouse.
The most important tools are good squares (several different sizes) and good measuring tools. If you stretch out a good tape measure and an el-cheapo one to 25 feet, you will find they do not always measure the same. A good 1,2, and 3 foot STEEL rule from Lufkin or similar good tool makers will get you started. Learn how to set your table saw, drill press and jointer to give square results. If you are using hand tools (planes and saws) nothing but practice, practice practice will do. Check in several basic hand woodworking books and learn to use a set of winding sticks to help you get a piece of wood planed smooth, level and flat.
Read several books to learn which woods are appropriate for the product you are producing. Learn how to 'read' the grain of the wood so you will not have to fight the wood, and finally, learn how to properly AND efficiently sharpen your tools. Do not let the sharpening go to the point where you need to force the tool, but on the other end, do not become a slave to the sharpening process.
I hope to see you around and asking more questions, as it is the best way to avoid many of the most common beginners mistakes.
SawdustSteve
The October issue of Fine Woodworking, #165, has two articles, one on wood movement, and one on the basics of milling lumber, that together are an excellent primer on working with wood.
The Tools and Shops issue of Fine Woodworking of a year ago, issue #160 has a good article on using jointers and planers to prepare stock.
Although wood moves over time with changes in moisture content, this movement should never be used as an excuse for poorly fitting joints or cracking and joint failure. One of the primary skills of a good woodworker is an understanding of the dynamics of wood movement and how to deal with it.
John W.
Bakesale, I feel that everything you've mentioned should be an integral part of woodworking. I know so many people who dabble in woodworking by emulating Norm "Master Craftsman" Abrahms (anyone know which royal family gave him the prestigious title? The Duke of Worchester, Mass?) and listing all the furnitures they want to build for their home. They all seem to want to know "what's the quickest way?" or "the best jigs for making dovetail joints?" I tell them to take a class or read up on good woodworking books by Frid, Krenov, and Hoadley. Enjoy the process of design, crafting your work and understanding the materials and tools you're working with, and not be so focused on the end project.
Don't knock Norm just because he has a TV show and we don't. And every tool imaginable...
His methods are sound, his advice good, and he goes a long way to demystifying woodworking.
Have I found myself over my head with my kitchen remodel because I watch TOH and NYW? Almost... But because of years of watching those programs, I knew I could solve the problems that came up.
Yes, I went right out and bought a dovetail jig. Practiced with it for a couple of weekends, then set about making seven maple drawer boxes for my kitchen peninsula. The joints are not production-shop, quality-controlled A+ efforts. But they are good joints, with a little splintering here and there, and a few small gaps/flaws that no one will ever know are there (except me).
I also built the peninsula carcass, but had the guy who did the remaining cabinets supply the drawer fronts and doors so they all match.
I'm definitely an amateur, but I've used the remodel project as an excuse to put together a very nice, decently equipped, small shop in a year's time. After this, it will be jewelry boxes and a coffe table or two (for a while), while I hone my skills (after all, it has been 25+ years since jr. high woodshop classes).
I guess my point to bake sale is, don't underestimate the value of time spent absorbing information rather than making sawdust... When I think about how much time I spend in the shop versus how much time the tools are actually in use, it makes me cringe. Set up is a bitch... but when the project is done, it's all worth it.
Edited 1/8/2004 11:45:18 AM ET by Makin'Sawdust
Hi bake ,
It is easy to stress over things that may not even matter in the end . There may not be any such thing as a perfect piece of wood. In fact IMO every piece of wood needs to be treated individually . What worked fine on the first 22 boards may be a disaster on the next one .As was said earlier learning to read the board so to speak can be as important as the tools we use . Don't expect too much of yourself too soon . As far as tooling and machinery , it's not so much what you've got , as to what you KNOW , and what you do with what you have and know is what your works will show .
good luck and have fun dusty
Selecting the 'right' lumber is half the battle!
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
I've yet to find a tree in the shape of a paneled door or a dining table. In fact I've never seen straight, true, square trees either. Heck, I can't even find perfect milled lumber at a high-end suplier! The irony is that you need tools (machine or hand) to achive flat, square stock to build stuff. That is the reason that the tool forums are so active. We NEED tools and techniques to turn trees into tables. There is a lot of....opionated ...uhh...discussion on these issues because there is no one perfect tool or technique that fits all projects or woodworkers. I love argueing about biscuits vs. pocket screws, or shaper vs. router issues because it forces me to look at my techniques and tools and realise that there are better ways to do the work I do.
As far as learning about wood there is no book more usefull to the woodworker than UNDERSTANDING WOOD by Hoadley. The book is extremely in depth and covers all the issues from tree growth to rough milling. It is a super book.
Mike
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