Beginning Woodworking? Here's How To Get Started
So you’re interested in beginning woodworking? Awesome!
You’re probably wondering where to begin.
How should you break into this incredibly fun and rewarding hobby?
Well, you need to find out what kind of projects really inspire you.
When beginning woodworking, most people draw inspiration just from seeing what’s possible from other woodworkers’ projects.
Plus, the fact that some of these projects are really basic, especially with the new popular styles like rustic, modern, industrial, and farmhouse.
This makes it much easier to break into this hobby and build things people really want.
Here’s my story… (You can probably relate)
I was getting fed up with the cheap furniture you get nowadays from the big box stores.
It’s mostly garbage. They build these pieces to last maybe a year before they start breaking?
So before starting woodworking, my options were to buy replacement furniture all the time, or get something expensive from the furniture store…
But that sucks equally! I hate spending a lot of money on basic everyday-use furniture.
Soooo,,, I wanted to make my own stuff… With real wood!
That way, I’d have furniture that would actually last.
That’s when I found myself beginning woodworking, and never looked back. I bought my first couple of power tools and got to work.
It wasn’t long after that I had built my own platform bed with tons of storage space (which we needed for our small bedroom). Then I made some of my shop projects (work benches and jigs), and even tackled a really nice entry table.
One thing led to another and eventually I found myself working on some sort of woodworking project every chance I had.
I even got into toy making, which is a lot of fun by the way. My kids sure loved it!
My first tip is this – when you’re getting started with woodworking, learn as much as you can from the wealth of knowledge available to you on the web.
But at some point, you gotta turn off all the noise!
Don’t let the big-name, popular, professional woodworking masters intimidate you.
You really don’t need a huge shop full of expensive tools to build really cool projects.
If you don’t have the right power tool for the next step in a project, find another way.
Hint >> Just about anything can be done with the right jig.
But remember this – You’ll learn mostly by doing.
That means at a certain point, you need to actually stop trying to learn, and take on a project or two.
If you have a table saw and basically want to start there, I suggest you read my article So You Got A Table Saw… Now What?
If you need a few beginner project ideas, you can check out my Beginner Woodworking Projects article.
If you’re still looking for a good table saw, check out How To Choose a Table Saw.
You can also subscribe at the bottom of this page to get projects, tips, and free plans sent directly to your inbox.
For more extensive details on beginner woodworking, with everything from basic essential tools and jigs, to the various types of joinery, cuts, and finishing techniques you should be focusing on, check out Beginner Woodworking.
But back to my point…
What Inspires You?
When beginning woodworking, maybe you’re thinking of a stationary hobby that churns out many small, beautiful projects.
If that’s you, then you might be into learning scroll work. I did that for awhile, making portraits and kids toys.
Maybe you’re like me and just want to start replacing the furniture in your house.
The main thing you should be focused on then is learning and mastering your table saw, and building up your collection of shop jigs for all the various cuts and joinery methods you’ll be using.
Or do you want to make home decor and other small crafts that sell. Maybe woodworking can be a money maker for you.
You may need a small crosscut sled, and then maybe invest in more shaping and sanding tools, like a disc sander, spindle sander, and a scroll saw.
What about turning? Or carving? Log furniture? All these woodworking topics require a different focus from the woodworker, and different tools and jigs.
So find out what it is that inspires you, and then find out who does that kind of woodworking really well.
Then follow that person. But not in the creepy, illegal way.
Just read all their material, subscribe to their blog, and try out their beginner projects.
Basically, here’s what you do when beginning woodworking:
Take time initially to learn some basics. And I mean just enough to get you started and that’s it.
Get yourself tooled up. Don’t spend a ton. Just get a few essentials. (see my tool list here for ideas)
Learn enough so you can safely make the cuts you need to make, in order to build something.
And then choose a project, and just go for it.
If you do all that now, then you’re going to learn so much more than you will from reading, and watching youtube all day.
So keep your research time to a minimum. Research a specific topic, and do it when you need that specific answer while your working on your project.
Don’t get caught up in 20 minute videos.
You follow what I’m saying?
Get to work. Don’t expect greatness starting out, but start anyway.
You may or may not end up with something functional and square.
But that beats being stuck in the ‘research’ phase indefinitely.
Spend some time browsing around on my site, but find a project and get to it!
If your desire is to build furniture and basic crafts, I strongly suggest subscribing below.
I’ll send you tips and free plans from time to time. My content is geared very much towards beginner woodworkers.
Good Luck!
Related:
Beginner Woodworking Projects and Techniques
Woodworking 101 Articles
Wood Shop Projects
How To Choose A Table Saw
Scroll Saw vs Band Saw – Which Should You Start With?
