Working with One’s Hands: Tips for Fledgling Woodworkers
For years, you’ve had a fascination with woodworking. Being able to create cabinets, shelves and other resilient furnishings with your own two hands has always been an attractive prospect to you. In addition to saving a tremendous amount of money on the aforementioned items, you’ll get to savor the satisfaction of a job well done. Now that you’ve managed to carve out some much-needed flex time, you have the perfect opportunity to dive head-first into the world of woodworking. However, before breaking out the tools and getting to work, there are a number of helpful tips you’ll need to consider.
Prioritize Personal Safety
As any experienced woodworker can confirm, this hobby is synonymous with a fair number of safety risks. When working with power saws, sanders and other potentially dangerous equipment, a moment of negligence can result in serious injury. With this in mind, make a point of equipping yourself with work gloves, safety goggles and ear-protectors before beginning work on a new project. While it’s still possible to incur construction-related injuries while wearing these safety aids, they’ll dramatically diminish your risk of personal harm.
Choose the Right Router Bits
A reliable wood router is an invaluable ally to woodworkers who enjoy building shelves and cabinetry. However, even the best wood router is nothing without high-quality router bits. The absence of good router bits ensures that any cuts made into the wood will be subpar and uneven. To prevent this from happening, equip your wood router with solid carbide compression bits. Although they may be a tad pricier than low-end bits, the money they’ll save you on wasted wood is sure to make up for the additional cost.
Become Familiar with the Various Types of Wood
As you’ll quickly learn, different projects call for different types of wood. By familiarizing yourself with the various types of lumber used by woodworking enthusiasts, you can ensure that your creations are durable and long-lasting. For example, teak works particularly well for outdoor furnishings, while oak is ideal for cabinetry and indoor furniture.
Although woodworking can be an immensely challenging hobby, it’s one of the most rewarding leisure activities you can engage in. Furthermore, possessing the ability to create a plethora of wood-based wonders is sure to make you a popular individual among friends, neighbors and family members. By putting the previously discussed tips into practice, you’ll be able to produce high-quality creations while keeping yourself safe.