Woodworking can be a great hobby for people from all walks of life. Whether you are an expert, or are just getting started, there is always something new for you to learn about the woodworking skill. If you like to learn more about this hobby you should read the article that follows below for some great advice.
You can make your crosscut guides using stair gauges. Clamp them on the carpenter’s square and be sure they match up. Then use a pencil to mark the notches. Putting them on the carpenter’s square tongue makes for a great guide for a circular saw.
Test the color of a stain before doing the complete stain on more visible areas. Wood is never predictable, so a stain may not look the way you expect or need it to when applied to the wood you are using. When you test the stain in a spot that’s not easily visible, you prevent having a project turn out badly.
You should add a bit of extra spring when you are gripping. There are times when you may need to use a spring clamp, but you might only have the use of one hand. They are very difficult to open with just one hand. There are ways to make this more simple. Before you apply the glue, open the clamps you need and place them on scrap wood using both hands. This will put them close to the jaw size for your piece, so you will not fumble around as much.
Stumped on a good woodworking project? Take a walk around your home. There are always things around your home that need fixing. Or you may see an area that could use something new that can be created with your skills. Let your house become the inspiration for what you really need.
Always clean up sanding dust thoroughly before staining or applying a topcoat. If you want a smooth finish, dust is your enemy. Use a vacuum over blowing dust into the air because it settles back onto the wood, and use a damp cloth to ensure all dust is removed from the wood in your final cleanup prior to staining or applying a top coat.
Use a socket when drawing an arc. Most shop owners have a variety of sockets that can be used for a variety of radii. For example, if you are wanting a radius of 10 millimeters, reach into your toolbox and grab a metric socket that size. You will get a perfect arc each time using this technique.
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.
If you are new to woodworking, stick with a cheap and effective tool bag. Many of the tools to start with are under a couple hundred dollars and very easy to find and use for basic projects. These tools include a benchtop tablesaw, a jigsaw or sabre saw, a circular saw, a random orbit sander, a corded or cordless drill, a fixed-base or plunge router, and a pipe and small bar clamps.
As you read at the beginning of this article, there is so much that you can learn about woodworking that you will never know everything. However, even though that is a fact, there is no reason to not try. Now that you read this article you know a little more, and continuing to learn will only lead you to being a better woodworker.