Tools, Safety, and Woodworking Projects: Become a Woodworking Craftsman Today! When it comes to woodworking as a hobby, for someone who is new to the trade, it can seem like a daunting adventure into a world filled with convoluted woodworking projects, expensive woodworking tools, and a lot of guesswork as to what wood type to use, what angles are appropriate, and what materials are needed on a project to project basis. It doesn’t help that there are specialty woodworking tools and numerous types of wood properties to understand. It’s safe to say that a lot goes into woodworking and regardless of your ambition or drive, you have to understand the basics to get started on the right path. In this article, we will take a look at a basic tools list, what to look for in a good set of plans, and where you can get some woodworking plans that make even the most complicated projects, a breeze.
The Ins and Outs of Woodworking Tools: Hand & Power Tool Options There is this common misconception that in order to get into woodworking, you need a lot of tools. Although some more ambitious woodworking projects do require more woodworking tools than others, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get away with fewer tools on the smaller projects. In addition to this, a dedicated workshop is not required to enjoy woodworking or to be successful in your projects. You can use just about any garage, cellar, basement, or backyard (on sunny days) as your work area. With this said, let’s break down what tools you will need by category, hand tools, power tools, and furniture focused tools.
Hand Tools: these are the most basic and essential types of woodworking tools that you will need regardless of the project you are taking on. These include the following, a hammer, a layout square, a tape measure, a utility knife, a level, a few chisels, some nail sets, a block plane, a sliding bevel, and some screwdrivers. You should already have most of these at home but if you do not, they are easily picked up at any hardware store and are relatively inexpensive when compared to other woodworking tools like jigsaws and drills.
Power Tools: if you have the capital to invest into some power tools and want to get some without completely breaking the bank, focus on getting the following first. A circular saw, jigsaw, a power drill, random orbital sander, a table saw, compound miter saw, and a router. If you are unsure of which saw type to go with, take a look at the woodworking projects you are aiming to complete and see what they call for and go for the one that you’ll get the most use out of.
Furniture Focused: if you are planning on building a lot of furniture projects then you may want to go with the following. A jigsaw for cutting curves, a circular saw for rough dimensioning, a thickness planner, a power jointer for flattening rough and reclaimed wood, a handsaw or router for cross-cutting and straightening edges, a combination square and tape measure for marking, and either a block plane or random orbital sander for smoothing out all the surfaces. You will also want a hammer, some screwdrivers, a wooden mallet, clamps, and a chisel or two.
Now that we have gone over what woodworking tools are good to have, let’s take a look at what makes up a good set of woodworking plans. After all, having the right materials, dimensions, and wood is paramount to a project’s success. What To Look For in a Good Set of Woodworking Plans When looking for woodworking projects online, you want to make sure that the plans that come with these projects are high in quality, are very detailed, and tell you exactly what you need to know in a step-by-step process. Keep an eye out for:
A Cut List: the cut list will tell you the amount of lumber you will need for the entirety of the project and what dimensions it needs to be cut in. If you are using high-quality cut lists, you will have very little scrap lumber left over as it will have you maximizing the amount of wood you have bought.
What Tools Are Needed: the plan will outline every tool and accessory you will need to complete the project. If you are using a high-quality plan, it will also provide you with an alternative tool list.
What Materials Are Needed: the plan will list off all materials needed including glue, screws, and other hardware components.
Diagrams: pay attention to whether 3-dimensional diagrams are included with the woodworking project plan as these are incredibly helpful to learn from when you get stuck.
Visual Elements: are great for walking you through a project on a step-by-step basis. You will want both schematics, photographs, and possibly video.
Time and Difficulty Level: in knowing the amount of time it will take to complete the project and the difficulty level, you can evaluate whether or not you have the necessary skills and tools to get the project done.
Where To Get Detailed Woodworking Project Plans for All Skill Levels? Although a simple Google search will pull up hundreds of results of some great woodworking projects, a lot of these either come with vague instructions, no instructions at all, or the diagrams that are included are wrong or so vague that you can’t make out the steps. Instead, Teds Woodwork Plans is a great option for both amateurs and professionals as it comes with 16,000 plans with step-by-step instructions, cutting and materials lists, detailed schematics, and multiple angle views. With Ted’s woodworking projects, there’s no need for guesswork as you are able to see how the build should look regardless of what corner, joint, or angle you are working on.