Absolute beginner questions

[Craigus]

Hello,

I have recenlty decided to start doing some woodworking again. I say again, I did it in school for my GCSE's 10 years ago, and have done some work with a friend who is a carpenter, so I'm not completely useless. Maybe. I'm an Architect so I'm not doing anything related to woodworking for work, but remember some of the stuff I made at school, and really want to have a go at it again. I love using timber in my projects at work, and think it would be a nice hobby to get into.

I've compiled some more woodworking/joinery specific tools to the general household items I already have, and have a small outbuilding/shed that is suitable for a workshop with a bench and power.

My main question which may sound quite stupid to you guys... Where do you get the timber for your projects? Do you go to the builders merchants, local timber yard, B&Q? I know it will depend on what you are making, my first small project is just a simple box with a lid, not very big at all, then looking to make a storage chest for the living room (If it doens't look rubbish). I don't think the DIY stores sell what I'm after...

Any other tips for a copmplete beginner?

Thanks

 

[Alexam]

Hi Craigus,

welcome to the forum and pleased to hear you are getting started again.

You have an excellent timber yard at Yandle & So, Hurst Works, Martock, Somerset, TA12 6JU. They have en enormous suppy of lots of woods and are very helpful with anyone wanting help. Just give them a call and have a chat - 01935 822207.

They also sell lots of lovely equipment and have great shows there from time to time. Their web site will give you details. http://www.yandles.co.uk/

Hope you find what yo are looking for.

Al the best
Alex

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Unless you are Wellington New Zealand (which would be a long drive) I second Yandles in Martock which seems to take a good part of any of my spare cash.

Their range of "proper wood" rather than often overpriced warped and cupped softwood will be an eyeopener to one who has only browsed the DIY sheds. Note though that most of what they sell is sawn rather than planed so will need some finishing.

Good luck

Terry

 

[Deejay]

Morning Craigus

Another proper timber yard ...

http://www.interestingtimbers.co.uk/

About fifty miles away, but worth a visit.

Cheers

Dave

 

[Jacob]

Doesn't have to be "good" stuff. Use any old rubbish which comes your way; old pallets, firewood, bits of old furniture. It's good for getting hands-on practice and it doesn't matter if it ends up as firewood again.

 

[doorframe]

Agree with Jacob. Start with any old scrap you can get. No point practicing with expensive/quality wood. If you can get a half decent finish on cheap softwood you'll then find it a doddle to do the same on hardwood.

You might want to ask Jacob for some tips on sharpening, as he is the guru. Sharp tools make more of a difference than expensive tools.

 

[Paul Chapman]

You might want to ask Jacob for some tips on sharpening, as he is the guru.

:shock: :shock:

 

[Jamesc]

Yandles is great - my brother in-law lives in the village so I get to visit often.
As others have said a good source of material is secondhanf furniture. Make sure it is real wood not chipboard. HAve a look in charity shops. Around here we have ones that sell nothing but furniture, look on freecycle and you locak waste recycling centre.

James

 

[Craigus]

Thanks for all the tips guys.

Great idea to look in second hand places. Hadn't even considered that till it was mentioned. There is one place I can think of that always has super cheap pine furniture for sale, would be ideal for cutting up and experimenting with different joints.

I'll do some searching for sharpening info. To be honest I have bought pretty cheap tools at the moment as I'm not sure I'll stick with it, Chisels are cheapo B&Q ones for example, and I can buy better ones if I get on okay and enjoy it.

One other thing, bearing in mind I am pretty much a complete novice and don't want to spend a fortune on anything (yet) and I'm happy to do most things by hand, but what power tools would you reccomend that would really make things more enjoyable and a bit easier? I've got a decent drill and can borrow bits from friends if I need to like sanders etc.

 

[JJ1]

but what power tools would you reccomend that would really make things more enjoyable and a bit easier?

Hi,


I was in a similar situation a couple of years ago with regard to building up a tool collection. I've been having the occasional dabble in woodworking over the years but still considered myself very much a novice. I knew it was something I wanted to stick with so decided to start building up a power tool collection almost from scratch. Finances were, and are, very limited, so my intention was to try and spend a little more on tools that I thought would be most useful and the most often used and try and cut costs by buying less used tools more cheaply. To help stretch the budget further, almost all hand tools were sourced very cheaply from car boot sales and then 'tuned' up by learning tips and tricks from Youtube videos.

With regards to power tools, I've ended up with the following so far:

1) I realized a decent cordless drill would be one of the first investments and one of the most frequently used tools. I ended up with a Dewalt 18v model for about £130 new. Two years on and I'm very happy with the purchase.

2) A circular saw was next on the list and a very inexpensive 10 year old Bosch (green) was purchased. Does the job just fine but being an older model various blades were a bit hard to find.

3) An electric sander was the next item and I ended up with an orbital sander and a detail sander from Lidl, along with a few inexpensive packets of sanding sheets. The sander's were about £15 each and I've been very happy with them and for the money they cost and the lengthy guarantee they come with, feel that it was money well spent.

4) The next item purchased was a jigsaw. I anticipated using it regularly so decided not to buy too cheap, but waited until I could afford a decent quality one. Shopping around revealed a decent price on a Bosch (blue) GST 135 model. Two years on and again it was money well spent.

5) Having now discovered the amount of sanding that every project required and discovering what a Random Orbit sander was I decided that would be an essential purchase. Funds definitely wouldn't stretch to a Festool or Mirka so it seemed the next best option was a Metabo SXE 450 Turbo Tec. Still not cheap at about £180 but a purchase I'm extremely happy with and two years on it's probably my most used tool.

6) Next purchase was a decent 1/2" router. I knew just how useful this tool would, and has become, so opted to spend on a decent model. A Triton TRA 001 was bought and once again it was money well spent and a good choice.

7) Next came the almost essential need for a dust extractor. A £60 model from Lidl was bought and again, it's does all I ask of it and was money well spent.

8.) A belt sander was on sale at Lidl for about £20. Money was tight so this budget model was chosen. Used many times but only infrequently so didn't want to spend too much. Works a treat.

9) The next tool bought was very much an indulgence and perhaps overkill for a relative beginner but one I would never want to be without and probably my most used tool. A Festool TS 55 track saw. I tend to make lots of stuff out of MDF whilst still 'learning' and 'practicing' and this saw is an absolute godsend and worth every penny.

10) A Festool MFT top and a set of Parf dogs came very shortly afterwards. Invaluable and worth every penny.

11) Finally, a couple of items that I couldn't be without and now totally essential are a router table and a proper woodworking bench. Both homemade, made for very, very little cost and from tips picked up from this forum and Youtube videos.


Rambled on a bit there, but hopefully that list may give a few ideas. All items were bought after reading as many reviews as possible, mostly from the forum members here, and to try and spend any limited funds wisely and carefully, whilst at the same time hopefully buying equipment that is reliable, durable and a pleasure to use, which thankfully it has been. A fair few items to get started with but all bought over the course of two or three years.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Jacob]

...
You might want to ask Jacob for some tips on sharpening, as he is the guru. ...

Not me squire - unless you count several million other woodworkers past and present as gurus. I merely support the simple, cheap, old fashioned ways - especially for beginners; stick to double sided oil stone for the first few years until you have got the hang of it.

 

[lurker]

You might want to ask Jacob for some tips on sharpening, as he is the guru. Sharp tools make more of a difference than expensive tools.

:mrgreen: =D>

 

[lurker]

I never walk past a skip with taking a look :x

 

[JJ1]

I merely support the simple, cheap, old fashioned ways - especially for beginners; stick to double sided oil stone for the first few years until you have got the hang of it.

Absolutely, which reminds me of another tool to add to the list. One of those, nice, shiny, posh Veritas honing guides :wink: :mrgreen:

 

[Graham Orm]

Doesn't have to be "good" stuff. Use any old rubbish which comes your way; old pallets, firewood, bits of old furniture. It's good for getting hands-on practice and it doesn't matter if it ends up as firewood again.

+1 It will be a while before you feel confident enough to make something to put in your home, practice on whatever is cheapest to hand.

What sort of tools do you have?

 

[Craigus]

Thanks guys, and thanks to JJ1 for that long post.

Currently I have the following:
General hand saw
Tenon saw
Cheap set of chisels 9,12,18mm
Couple of files
Combi square
Sliding bevel
Huge socket/spanner set
Few screwdrivers and multi screwdriver
Knife
Various other non woodwork specific tools

Only power tool is a corded drill and various bits.

I know I need some clamps, but they are so expensive... also do I need a wooden mallet or will my claw hammer do?

 

[Graham Orm]

Missing from your list that is obvious to me:
Decent tape and a rule as well.
Check that your square is square.
A plane is required for most stuff. Have a look on ebay for a second hand one or car boot sales DON'T buy a new one until you know what you're doing. Old is good as far as most planes are concerned. Budget £10-£25 for a #4 or #5
Double sided oil stone and some patience.
Heavy bench with a vice. (Make your own bench and get a second hand vice from ebay).

How old/sharp are your saws? A blunt saw will give poor results and damage your confidence. Modern hard points aren't expensive and are razor sharp. (Hard points have toughened teeth...they are blued, they last well for the money but can't be resharpened).

I'd say clamps are further down the list.

Check out Graham Haydon (who frequents this forum or Paul Sellers on You Tube. Lots of small projects with hand tools, showing how to sharpen and care for your kit. You won't see a sparkly new shiny thing anywhere.

Use this forum. It's full of experienced folk keen to pass on knowledge. Don't be afraid to ask anything.

 

[Bodgers]

I know I need some clamps, but they are so expensive... also do I need a wooden mallet or will my claw hammer do?

What clamps are you looking at?

They aren't too expensive at all. I have a set of budget Silver line heavy duty F-Clamps and they very cheap. They are also pretty robust. About £4 will buy you a 300mm (70mm reach) clamp.

Depends what you are hitting with your claw hammer...

 

[cusimar9]

Welcome Craigus,

Good for you, I hope you enjoy getting into woodworking again. I know I have, I started about 10 months ago after 'dabbling' a little over the years and haven't looked back yet.

It's a very expensive hobby for sure, I know I've invested quite a bit into it since I setup my workshop but then I knew it would be money well spent.

My first proper piece of furniture (a 6ft cabinet) was made using just a jigsaw and drill. I remember it was hard work but incredibly rewarding and clearly possible with only minimal tools.

The fancy tools can speed the process up which in turn make you more keen to start new projects, because they are easier and less time consuming to complete. But they are certainly not essential to get started.

Good luck and my advice would be to look things up on YouTube, there's a great community on there with a wealth of information available from seasoned pros and beginners alike.

 

[Froggy]

Hi Craigus and welcome to the forum. I'm sure you'll get lots of useful help from the knowledgeable guys on here, I know I did when I started out. Regarding the tools I would start by thinking about what you need to make box and storage chest and buy those tools first and then add what you need for the next job etc. As regards make, model and price range of specific tools there is a buying advice section on this forum which is very useful and worth a look before you start spending your cash. Definitely a mallet instead of the claw hammer they're not too expensive and will be kinder to your chisels.
Good luck, Froggy.