Practical tips for beginners.

[John Brown]

Why can't we agree that there is more than one way to skin a cat, and stop focussing on how to prepare the implements used in that task. Otherwise, the "tips for beginners" will get lost in the noise.

OK. I posted this while the controversy was being deleted...

 

[nev]

How about I just delete the whole topic?

If you have a post removed it was with the intention of trying to maintain the thread as originally intended by the OP.
A simple list of practical tips.

This is not a thread to repeatedly bang on about how you are right and everyone else is wrong.

Please do not repost repeating what has already been removed.

Apologies to those contributors that had their posts removed amongst the handbags.

 

[Jacob]

You are entitled to an opinion Nev but you shouldn't be just deleting things you don't agree with. This is appalling.
I've been working as a builder, joiner and woodworker for 50 years and I do know some things.

 

[nev]

You are entitled to an opinion Nev but you shouldn't be just deleting things you don't agree with. This is appalling.
I've been working as a builder, joiner and woodworker for 50 years and I do know some things.

Yes we know you know things, boy do we know.
you will note that I left your initial relevant post about learning to sharpen ones tools as it is relevant and helpful. What is not helpful is you and the rest of the world arguing about who is right.
Go start a thread of your own and you can repeat as often as you like "I am right- they are wrong" "I am right- they are wrong" "I am right- they are wrong" and the naysayers can join you. Then your supporters and the oppositions supporters can just repeatedly bounce back and forth all year long. Here I've kicked it off for you...
the-ultimate-sharping-thread-unmoderated-t107684.html

now can we just get back on topic please.

 

[kevinlightfoot]

Please don't finish this topic,I have also been a woodworker for over 50 years and I probably do know a lot,but someone always knows more and I am still keen to learn.Every tip has its value to someone.

 

[Rob B]

An over the top reaction as I see it, I learned about "scary sharp" and may not have except for this thread. Discussions about different ideas and practices are healthy, maybe you've heard them before but I, and probably others are gleaning information from discussions but I'll make sure I don't put my differing views in case I get moderated. :roll:
Rob

 

[kevinlightfoot]

Remember to use ear protection when using machines.I failed to do this when I was young and boy do I
suffer now.Whats that you say!
Remember........doh!

 

[kevinlightfoot]

Keep asking questions,it's how you learn.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Keep a mirror in your workshop for WHEN you get something in your eye.

 

[Bm101]

Keep a mirror in your workshop for WHEN you get something in your eye.

And probably a bottle of eyewash.

Few years back, me and the lads were at Haitch Q and one of the managers said we were due to go on an 2 day IOSH course the following week.
Robin: "Eye wash! Bleedin' Eyewash! How can there be a whole bloody course for eyewash! You just hold your head back and pour it in your eye! Why do we have to go on a bloody 2 day course for it?"
You couldn't make it up. Window cleaners. I'd write a book but no one would believe it. Genetic Risk Assessments. What colour is Red Oxide Paint then mate? Rats Eggs (Don't even ask.) The Coriolis effect on water going down plug holes is a particular favourite and still ongoing.

Beginner's tip for Very Beginners by a Beginner. Stop measuring where possible and mark instead. Use a jig, a story stick, a bit of scrap wood, dividers. Probably more to it than that but it's a good start.

Can I have two more for me when I first started?

1) Expensive tools can't buy skill no matter what you believe, might make it easier but not so much they justify their price tag for a beginner which only comes with doing. Make do, get the basics right, sharp and lean. Avoid the tool slope till you know what you need and why you need it. Spend the money you saved on wood.
2) Be structured.

I've managed to completely disregard 2) lol. I'm happy, I enjoy my hobby. Would I be a better woodworker if I was more organised. No doubt. Would I have learnt such varied stuff. Hmmm, dunno. I'd have learnt more about woodwork no doubt. I see it as a step by step journey. If you have a distinct aim or target then maybe yeh. Organisation and structure and diligence is key. Want to enjoy learning lots of stuff in the few hours you have off. Who knows. :wink:

 

[Nelsun]

Look up the species of wood you have on one of the online wood databases and pay attention to irritant information. MDF is pretty well known to be nasty but so are ones like Iroko. I've read tales of folk becoming sensitised to particular species and it doesn't sound nice at all.

 

[Mr T]

Life's too short to get involved in interminable sharpening threads! The best advice I can give give beginners is that you know when to stop sharpening when you can feel a burr on the back of the blade, that's when you move on to the next grit (whatever it is, diamond, oil or water stones, wet and dry or the back door step). The burr may appear after the first stroke or may take many. I usually try groups of three strokes feeling for the burr between each. At the end of the process flip over and rub off the burr flat on the finest grit.

It's all about the burr.

Chris

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Don't pile tools on top of one another. Especially saws. It's hard to saw straight with a bent saw.

 

[graduate_owner]

As a very unaccomplished woodworker, my tip is - don't give up if ( when?) you cut some wood too short, after measuring twice and then checking. It just seems to happen to me a bit too often.

My second tip is - try making something which is not very challenging, or something which is still acceptable if there are mistakes in it. Something like garden furniture, planters, bird boxes etc. Then you have a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction despite the little gaps or wonky edges.

K.

 

[Adam9453]

Invest in the best quality measuring tools you can afford because if you can't mark it right then you can't make it right!
Buy one good chisel rather than a set of poor quality chisels.
Spend time working through your design on paper or CAD and produce a cutting list, this will force you to think through your design and spot issues that may cause problems down the line.
Don't be afraid to make a mistake or to fail completely, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, just try to learn from them.
If you're not enjoying it, take a break and come back to it later. Same advice for when you can't figure out why it's just not working.
Most important HAVE FUN

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Spend time working through your design on paper or CAD and produce a cutting list, this will force you to think through your design and spot issues that may cause problems down the line.

Reminds me of being at school - we weren't allowed to make anything we couldn't draw properly.

 

[Lons]

Just my twopennerth.

I think it's a great idea Chris, providing the thread isn't allowed to deviate too much so good on yer Nev for at least trying to keep it on track. Maybe after it's run for a while the tips could be listed separately minus all the dross?

A couple I wholeheartedly agree with are:
Definitely drop centimetres which are the cause of much miscommunication and errors, they are not needed - use millimetres.
Good quality tape, rule and square and don't drop the bloody things especially the square.

If you intend to make a project in hardwood and a bit unsure, in addition to drawing and planning why not mock it up first in cheap softwood as by doing so you will learn before making expensive mistakes and often will modify your existing plan to suit. Time spent as a hobbyist can be well worth it

 

[will1983]

My tip for anyone starting out is to look into the 5S Lean Theory when you are planning and setting up your workshop.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5S_(methodology)

In principle it involves only buying/keeping tools you actually use, managing waste, sorting through everything and organising it properly and making sure you keep on top of your organisation by regularly tidying up. I know from experience there is nothing more frustrating than spending an hour looking through endless boxes for that tool you know you have but can't remember where you put it.

By applying some of the 5S principles you'll make your whole woodworking experience more enjoyable and hugely more productive.

 

[Mr T]

That's a good one Will. Anyone seeing my wood store would agree I need to apply lean theory!

Here's another one. Many beginners try to use sand paper as a cutting tool, to ease a joint or reshape a shoulder for instance. This doesn't usually work, sand paper is not an efficient or accurate cutting tool. It's better to use a sharp chisel or plane as appropriate. They cut cleaner and, hopefully, are more accurate.

Chris

 

[Jacob]

Spend time working through your design on paper or CAD and produce a cutting list, this will force you to think through your design and spot issues that may cause problems down the line.

Reminds me of being at school - we weren't allowed to make anything we couldn't draw properly.

I think it's absolutely essential, not just an extra.
First kit any aspiring woodworker should get is drawing board, T and set square, pencils, paper, rubbers.
Rubber is the key - it's easier to rub out a pencil line rather than re-making a component which wasn't thought through and rubbed out at the design stage.
I don't particularly rate CAD for beginners, or for simple projects, because you are going to have to take up the pencil eventually for your rods and marking out. Might as well start with a pencil - cheaper and a much shorter learning curve.