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IMHO, If one would like to acquire good woodworking skills, it is essential to work/study under the supervision of an expert who is looking over your shoulder to examine what you are doing wrong and demonstrating techniques. I tried learning through YouTube but for me it just doesn’t work. Moreover, there is always a good chance that I will adopt wrong techniques, as there is no one to correct me on real time. These wrong techniques might become habits that will accompany me for a long time. For centuries, the best method of studying a skill or profession was as an apprentice coupled to an expert. Not only in woodworking or other crafts, but also in science and medicine - areas much closer to me.

I have started to build a Roubo-style workbench in a workshop without any guidance, I just had to pay the owner for the use of machines. I followed movies of The Wood Whisperer and in addition used Guido Henn's notes for building this workbench. Still, I found myself stuck at some point; For some reasons, I could not replicate exactly the technique used by the instructors, and there was no one to help with advice or alternative solution. Needless to say that I had very little hands on experience (although I watched many YouTube woodworking movies) and it was very frustrating.

With regards to hand tools – I have quite a few, some of very good quality. I will purchase more in the future, when I would truly need.