It’s never too late to learn some basic woodworking skills. They can be valuable for those simple DIY fixes around your home. Although mastering the art of woodworking takes a lot of time, practice, and patience, basic skills can be easily learned and practiced at your home.
If you find yourself struggling with the simplest of the woodworking tools and want to learn the basics, you have landed at the right place. Here is a brief guide for you.
Safety First
This isn’t necessarily a skill but imperative for almost any woodworking project you can handle. Avoiding accidents, splinters, and cutting yourself instead of the wood comes pretty handy for anyone working with wood. Woodworking sites have quite horrific injuries so keep yourself safe first.
Stop lying to yourself that an eye squint can protect you from everything around you. Get protective gloves, dust masks, earplugs, goggles, and steel toe-cap safety boots. Keep the work area tidy to avoid trip and fall accidents on the worksite.
Taking Accurate Measurements
Measuring up accurately is the most important woodworking skill. There is an adage that goes like “measure twice, cut once”. Keep it up to your sleeve and you will rarely regret making any cuts to the wood.
When you are a newbie, you may need to take measurements more than twice. Do whatever it takes not to cut the wood short. Reading the tape measure accurately is what makes the difference between a flawless job and a lousy DIY attempt.
Making Perfect Cut
Making the razor-sharp cut takes more than accurate measurements. You must learn and practice transferring these measurements on the workpiece at the stage of setting out. Use the best carpentry pencil for making the initial marks. Learn the basic carpentry formulas like how to square. Once you have transferred with great accuracy, you need to pick the right tool to get that perfect cut.
A handsaw is one of the most commonly used woodworking tools. Whether you need to make that straight, curved, or mustard cut, place the handsaw at the lines drawn already. Keep the handsaw stable by pointing your finger down the length of the blade and apply the minimum amount of pressure for a smooth finish. If your hands and wrists are sore after cutting a piece of wood with a handsaw, you are using it in the wrong way.
Wood Scribing
Mastering all the above-mentioned skills still does not guarantee that final finish to your woodworking project. Don’t be disappointed because scribing is something you can easily learn and master. This essential skill is required to give a neater finish to wood pieces before they can be fixed together for life. Scribing the timber in is a must for creating those tight joints in rough framing and fine finish carpentry.
Use Of Basic Carpentry Tools
Familiarize yourself with the carpentry tools. Whether you can purchase it at this stage or not, go visit the stores and check what each tool can be used for. Most of these tools have more than one use and can double up your efficiency as a craftsperson. Learn how to perform several time-saving tasks with the common woodworking tools. You should know when to call on each of these tools for any task at hand.
Modern wood carpenters rely on power tools for their efficiency and accuracy. They can help you save a lot of time when used for the right projects. Learn how to use them and take care of them. Power tools can help you make an endless number of amazing things out of wood.
Hammering Of Nails and Removing Them
Other than the handsaw, the hammer is one of the most recognizable woodworking tools. Spend time practicing hammering nails. It may appear a simple task that requires only power but it is a lot more than that. Lighter and consistent blows are more effective provided that your aim is perfect.
You must practice accuracy and precision when it comes to nail hammering. Hammer is also used for removing nails, levering timber into position, and blunting the end of nails. Explore all the possible uses of it and you will soon be making the best wood crafts.
