3 Steps That Guarantee Woodworking Success
It’s fun to look at a newly varnished piece of furniture in a shop and imagine yourself building it. It’s also easy to just go out there and buy expensive saws, planes, nails, the works.
But as you look at the freshly cut log and your arsenal of new tools in front of you, you realize that you have an awful lot to do to make it work! Don’t be discouraged. All experienced, award-winning woodworkers have been there.
The fact that they are now where they are means that there is a way to pull it off. In this article, we talk about the three (only!) steps that guarantee woodworking success.
Step 1: Combine research with some hands-on work right away.
There is nothing wrong with buying books and magazines or watching videos and reading online articles to learn about woodworking. In fact, we even recommend those. However, sitting on a couch all day while poring over your materials won’t do you much good.
Work as you learn and learn as you work. Download straightforward and small woodworking plans and projects first. Give yourself freedom and plenty of room for mistakes. That way, you can see what style suits you and what your strengths and weaknesses are. It doesn’t have to be a major or useful project each time. You can even practice by making toys!
Step 2: Make sure your tools are in order.
Invest in high-quality and durable multifunctional tools, as they are the ones that will be with you every step of the way. When shopping for tools especially online, pay attention to specs, prices, and most importantly, customer reviews.
Tool performance is not only a function of their brand, price, and material, though. What is more important is care and maintenance. Blades have to be sharpened and eventually changed. Tool parts need to be oiled. Things will have to be replaced now and then. As you go up regarding project difficulty, you will realize how each nut and bolt and a quarter of an inch are a big deal.
Step 3: Build, build, and build.
We all tend to overthink, especially when we are doing something that’s new to us. Now and then, you will overthink the aesthetic quality of what you are making, its cost, how you can build it the quickest or most efficient way, and more.
Relax, forget about those worries for a moment, and start making something. Clear your head as you work on your wood, and just enjoy the process. Most of the time, the less you calculate, the better the product you produce. At the end of the day, it’s just a matter of experience.
A Final Word
Woodworking is difficult if you don’t set your heart and mind to it. It is not something that just happens. You have to work hard on it. If you focus on the 3 steps that guarantee woodworking success, you should be building project after project soon.
