Woodworking During the Pandemic by Patrick Waters

Woodworking During the Pandemic

by Patrick Waters

Makers find a way. No matter what is going on outside the workshop, inside the workshop, creativity remains. Woodworking doesn’t have to stop just because the workshop is closed. Here are four ways to woodwork ona small scale.

The Hand Tool Shop and Mini-Corner

When the zombies come for us, it will be the handtool woodworkers that remake civilization. Hand tools allow for precise work and quality results.

Japan has a long tradition of woodworking in small shops. A set of low sawhorses help us break down large materials while not taking up much space. Japanese saws, with their pull motion, are built to take advantage of the size and shape of low sawhorses like these.

Instead of a full-sized workbench, try a minibench like Laura Kampf’s. Modifying the design to use nuts and bolts or screws make this project approachable without a major bench. A small power drill (or a brace with bits and a hand drill), a set of chisels, a jack plane, hand plane and router plane round out the hand tool shop. Let’s see what you can come up with!

Video: https://youtu.be/ybvuuVRlSWc

The Scrollsaw

The humble scrollsaw is one of the first (and safest) tools I teach students to use. A well-set up scrollsaw will cut smooth, precise curves from many materials. In fact, with a proper blade choice, a scrollsaw can cut metals, plywoods, woods, plastic and composite materials up to ½” thick with minimal noise and dust.

Video: https://youtu.be/ryvuhzAmVpg

The scrollsaw has a robust online community of enthusiasts, patterns and projects to keep you entertained and busy. Make lamps, art pieces, napkin holders, forks, and more.

Scrollsaws themselves are compact machines and cheap ones can be had for $50 to $100 new. Really nice scroll saws sell for $500 or more. Be on the lookout for “pinless” scroll saws - these saws can utilize a wider variety of blades than “pinned” scroll saws. Old Deltas and DeWalts are the most common type of mid-grade used scroll saws, and well worth the money. Materials can be bought on Amazon or local craft stores.

The Mini Lathe

Woodturning is a fantastic corner of the woodworking hobby. It doesn’t need a ton of equipment either - just a lathe, a small selection of chucks, and a few tools.

Mini-lathes are small, bench-top sized lathes, usually with a 8” to 10” swing, 12” to 16” between centers and a small motor. While limited in size, these lathes are still capable of creating beautiful objects and allow the maker to concentrate on form and technique rather than size. In order to eliminate the need for buying an enormous number of chisels and sharpening equipment, carbide scrapers cut longer and sharper than HSS tools. The best part is when they dull, you can simply turn the cutter over to a new edge.

Lastly, companies like Penn State Industries and The Woodturning Store provide lots of kits and blanks pre-cut and sized for smaller projects. While more expensive (and I know, we hate that) than a DIY solution, the convenience is addictive and might be necessary in these times.

The bird mouth bowl is one of my favorite scrapwood projects that utilizes a small number of tools and accessories to create lovely pieces of art.

Video: https://youtu.be/V39Chjc-nGQ

Wood Art

Lastly, let’s talk about three types of wood-based art forms. The first is carving. Hand carving can be addictive and electrifying to discover as a woodworker. All of a sudden, the wood can be embellished and decorated in any form you can think of or draw. Carving, just like drawing or any fine art, isn’t only about talent — it’s about craft and technique. And anybody can learn a craft or technique. While great tools make carving a pleasure, cheap tool sets are out there for the curious (and some even work). My son loves carving, so we picked up a cheapest clone set we could find and tried it out. It mostly works, although I did need to use my grinder to get the blades sharpened correctly. Rotary tools, such as a Dremel, can also be put to work as a carving tool with the right bits. A rasp set can help you carve any shape into wood and don’t break the bank. This has been my son’s great entry into the fine arts.

Woodburning isn’t just for fireplaces. Pyrography is the creation of images by burning wood. It can create fantastically detailed images… and not cost a lot to get started. Woodburning kits come with a variety of wood-burning bits and accessories. They are like little pens that burn! Or soldering irons for artists! Also one of my son’s favorite art activities, woodburning provides a safe, portable way of doing a little woodworking in the pandemic.

Find me on Nova Labs Slack: @woodshopcowboy