Whether you are a professional woodworker, or just do it as a hobby, there is always good reason to take time to learn more about the skill. There are always new tricks that are discovered, as well as new tools to hit the market to make your work easier. If you want to learn more you need to read the article that follows.
Use stop blocks to your advantage for more accurate work. When cutting a lot of pieces the same size, no matter how carefully you measure, you often find small variations. Use a pre-cut stop block to make those measurements pinpoint accurate. Then the table saw will stop at just the right length length.
You can use tape to catch excess glue. If you want to prevent oozing glue stains along joints, try clamping pieces together without using any glue. You just put tape on your joint, and then cut along it using a sharp blade. Separate your pieces, and then apply glue. After that, clamp them to each other again. Your glue will ooze on the tape instead of the wood. You can peel off the tape before your glue dries.
Always wear safety glasses when you are doing anything that involves woodworking. If you do not take the time to put the glasses on you are taking a huge risk that is not sensible. Just think, if you lose your eye sight you will not be able to do woodworking every again.
Ask local hardware stores if they sponsor woodworking classes. You may be surprised by what you find! In fact, your local Home Depot or Lowes might have classes available monthly that’ll help you hone your skills. This is a quick way to grow as a woodworker with very little out of pocket costs.
Visualize your woodworking project from start to finish before taking any tool to the wood. Let your brain and imagination help you get used to what you’re about to do. In fact, when you visualize, you’ll be much less likely to make costly mistakes during the middle of a project.
Sometimes a little bit of glue is better than a clamp. Every woodworking shop should have a hot glue gun. Hot glue will hold small pieces better than any clamp ever could, if you could even maneuver one in place. When you are done, just gently pry loose with a putty knife.
Make sure that you are wearing the appropriate protective gear when you are working on your woodworking projects. Your safety is of primary importance. Eye protection can protect your eyes from flying wood debris. A pair of strong gloves can protect your hand from splinters. Make sure that you have these essentials before you start on any projects.
If you are going to be doing a big woodworking project on the outside of your home, check to make sure it is within the rules. Your local government may have zoning regulations or even a permit process needed for structures like garages, decks and even storage sheds. Also check with your neighborhood association if there is one.
Learn about using pilot holes. This is pretty simple to do. When driving a screw or hammering a nail into a little piece of wood or getting pretty close to the edge of a piece, it tends to split. Sometimes it’s unavoidable to put a fixing into a place like this. However, drilling a hole through the joint that’s a bit smaller than the fixing can prevent it from splitting.
As you read at the beginning of this article, there is always something new to learn about the field of woodworking, no matter how long you have been doing it. Now that you have read the article, you know that is true because you have surely learned something yourself. Now all you need to do is apply the tips so that they become part of your routine.
Leave a Reply