New to wood, hoping to learn.

[mossberg]

Thanks for welcoming me to your forum. I am new to working with wood but I am keen learn.

I started my working life doing a sheet metal apprenticeship in the army. Since then I have worked my way through life either on the shop floor and then onto the design and project side. So not new to manufacturing, but wood is so much different to steel.

I am keen to learn so no doubt I will be asking some basic questions. I am keen to be safe so understanding the dangers of equipment will be top priority - power saws etc has to be first on the list there. I have grown to understand how steel reacts but wood is a different beast.

I have nothing in particular I want to make, but understanding what is achievable with what tools will hopefully let me be able to pick a project.

As I say, lots to ask and projects you folks are on with to watch.

Thanks again for letting me join in.

ATB

Mick

 

[sawtooth-9]

We

Thanks for welcoming me to your forum. I am new to working with wood but I am keen learn.

I started my working life doing a sheet metal apprenticeship in the army. Since then I have worked my way through life either on the shop floor and then onto the design and project side. So not new to manufacturing, but wood is so much different to steel.

I am keen to learn so no doubt I will be asking some basic questions. I am keen to be safe so understanding the dangers of equipment will be top priority - power saws etc has to be first on the list there. I have grown to understand how steel reacts but wood is a different beast.

I have nothing in particular I want to make, but understanding what is achievable with what tools will hopefully let me be able to pick a project.

As I say, lots to ask and projects you folks are on with to watch.

Thanks again for letting me join in.

ATB

Mick

Welcome
I have worked with metal and wood and it is so interesting to transfer some of the approaches of working metal, to wood.
Whether it's metal or wood, you still have to cut it, shape it, join it etc
Likewise, you have to use different techniques to machine different metals, so to with different woods.
The machinery may differ, but what it does is very similar ( metal lathe / wood lathe, milling machine / planer, / hacksaws / rib saws etc )
So I am sure you will slip into woodworking with not trouble.
Good luck

 

[mossberg]

We

Welcome
I have worked with metal and wood and it is so interesting to transfer some of the approaches of working metal, to wood.
Whether it's metal or wood, you still have to cut it, shape it, join it etc
Likewise, you have to use different techniques to machine different metals, so to with different woods.
The machinery may differ, but what it does is very similar ( metal lathe / wood lathe, milling machine / planer, / hacksaws / rib saws etc )
So I am sure you will slip into woodworking with not trouble.
Good luck

I have done little or no work with lathes/Mills. The vast majority has been with box sections welded into frames or joining with plates/flanges. Panels have been folded and riveted or sometimes bolted.

I worked in the finishing industry making and designing spray booth's and ovens before moving onto more general fabrication work.

I am keen to understand the different wood types and different methods of joining it. Are there any download pdfs that would be good to look at, or alternatively any books that I could get to help. Any books I have had before gave been the very basic "project in a day" types.

 

[sawtooth-9]

I have done little or no work with lathes/Mills. The vast majority has been with box sections welded into frames or joining with plates/flanges. Panels have been folded and riveted or sometimes bolted.

I worked in the finishing industry making and designing spray booth's and ovens before moving onto more general fabrication work.

I am keen to understand the different wood types and different methods of joining it. Are there any download pdfs that would be good to look at, or alternatively any books that I could get to help. Any books I have had before gave been the very basic "project in a day" types.

Not really sure how to reply.
I am sure there are plenty on this site ( far more qualified than me ) that could point you in the direction of books etc.
And there are lots of options for creating beautiful joints in wood.
Just pick wood that is worthy of the end result you want.
There seems to be a divide between those that work wood and metal, and that has always seemed strange to me. After all, we are all dealing with the "transformation" of materials..
Like I have said before, it's all about cut, shape and join - whether it's metal, wood or plastics.
There is a huge difference between machining cast iron and aluminium
There is a huge difference between machining spruce and oak
Metals may generate much heat during machining ( and sometimes work harden ) yet timber may well just burn.
Metals, generally, cut slower than wood.
Metals you grind, wood you sand
Metal you may weld or bolt, wood you may glue or screw.
And so it goes on.
I am sure you will enjoy the learning curve.

 

[mossberg]

Not really sure how to reply.
I am sure there are plenty on this site ( far more qualified than me ) that could point you in the direction of books etc.
And there are lots of options for creating beautiful joints in wood.
Just pick wood that is worthy of the end result you want.
There seems to be a divide between those that work wood and metal, and that has always seemed strange to me. After all, we are all dealing with the "transformation" of materials..
Like I have said before, it's all about cut, shape and join - whether it's metal, wood or plastics.
There is a huge difference between machining cast iron and aluminium
There is a huge difference between machining spruce and oak
Metals may generate much heat during machining ( and sometimes work harden ) yet timber may well just burn.
Metals, generally, cut slower than wood.
Metals you grind, wood you sand
Metal you may weld or bolt, wood you may glue or screw.
And so it goes on.
I am sure you will enjoy the learning curve.

Thanks Sawtooth,

I am not sure how much "fine" work I will do compared to practical or "fit for purpose", but time will tell how I move forward.

I have a garage that I don't use to store cars in, but unfortunately I don't use for a workshop either. I tend to use it to store those "one day I might need that, and if I store it in here I can spend three hours looking for it before I go and buy another because I can't find it" type items.

I once used the anecdote that the value of the garage is far greater than the value of its contents. This made me decide to clear out all the "useful but unlikely to be used" items, but unfortunately my reluctance to dispose of "useful items" fights me every time I do it.

Doing the metal tinkering I do is not great in a garage due to the sparks/fire risk, but for wood it would be far more useful.

 

[Yojevol]

Hi Mick, welcome.
Do you have any thoughts on how your new hobby will progress? Do you aspire to getting job satisfaction by maximising use of hand tools or are you the sort who will want to get to the end product in the most efficient way. I'm of the latter persuasion, I enjoy my machinery but I also realise that hand skills are very important, so important in fact, that I would recommend concentrating at that end of the hand/machine spectrum right from the start. Have you got the basics, ie, bench, saws (rip and cross cut), plane, chisels (and something to hit them with)?
Have you considered the use of CAD. I can certainly recommend it. It goes hand-in-hand with woodwork. If you're starting in woodwork, starting to learn 3D CAD at the same time will be very beneficial later on. Designing in 3D encourages you to think about the production process up front. Even if it's just a practice mortice and tenon joint, draw it first in CAD. There are plenty of basic CAD packages available, free to download, to get you started.
Timber - Have a tour round your local suppliers, they often have bin ends. Similarly with local woodworking companies, A good source of local info are the supplier delivery drivers if you can get into conversation with them.
It's a wonderful, satisfying pastime once you get stuck in, so good luck.
Brian

 

[Andy's Shed]

Welcome Mick, a fellow new woodworker here too.

 

[mossberg]

Hi Mick, welcome.
Do you have any thoughts on how your new hobby will progress? Do you aspire to getting job satisfaction by maximising use of hand tools or are you the sort who will want to get to the end product in the most efficient way. I'm of the latter persuasion, I enjoy my machinery but I also realise that hand skills are very important, so important in fact, that I would recommend concentrating at that end of the hand/machine spectrum right from the start. Have you got the basics, ie, bench, saws (rip and cross cut), plane, chisels (and something to hit them with)?
Have you considered the use of CAD. I can certainly recommend it. It goes hand-in-hand with woodwork. If you're starting in woodwork, starting to learn 3D CAD at the same time will be very beneficial later on. Designing in 3D encourages you to think about the production process up front. Even if it's just a practice mortice and tenon joint, draw it first in CAD. There are plenty of basic CAD packages available, free to download, to get you started.
Timber - Have a tour round your local suppliers, they often have bin ends. Similarly with local woodworking companies, A good source of local info are the supplier delivery drivers if you can get into conversation with them.
It's a wonderful, satisfying pastime once you get stuck in, so good luck.
Brian

Hi Brian,
Getting the end product more efficiently, cost effectively and perhaps designed more to my needs than I can buy/can't afford will be my main aims!

One of the things I find frustrating with sheet steel is manufacturing often takes industrial rated machines. During the latter years of my working life I designed things from sheet metal utilising lasers and press break machines- but I ain't never going to have them in my garage

Machinery wise, everything is based around steel (welders, plasma, grinders, chop saw, pillar drill + hand tools). Woodwork wise I do have a sliding mitre saw and hand tools such as jig saw, router, orbital sander + I have been getting some of the Parkside battery range - circular saw, recip saw, drill, impact driver, impact wrench and grinder. I know these are cheap but they have been sufficient for my needs and I would find it difficult to buy better quality as I could not justify the cost (I ain't a wealthy man!). I was considering the Parkside track saw - are these worth the £80?

Hand tool wise I am limited on the woodwork front. I do have some old cheap chisels plus a number of G clamps, F clamps, etc. I have some old planes but used them very little. I have an Irwin Jack(?) saw and potentially some older saws (with the wooden handles) that would need some TLC. I have some vintage wooden planes but only because we rescued them when Michele's dad passed away and it seemed disrespectful to take them to the tip!

To be honest, most of my kit is cheaper end as I have not had the justification to buy more expensive gear. However I would prefer to buy good second hand than poor quality if it is something that I will utilise and its possible to look after. Tool wise I would class myself as more practical than purist.

I have an 8ft length of kitchen worktop I want to fit to one wall in the garage to use as a bench. I have space in front of a window and I want to be able to fit my chopsaws in there (wood and steel) and also have my vice on it.

I really don't understand wood. I would not be able to tell you about the different types and what is available, what is affordable or what to avoid. I could not tell you what wood has what qualities. I only have a common sense understanding of knots and grain etc. I don't understand jointing methods or their uses.

I don't understand the different wood treatments other than to say I prefer creosote over creokote(?), and I can't stand fence paint! I would like to understand the different oils etc as any items I make are more likely to be for the garden.

I have a 30 year old land rover which I have spent more time making good (I won't say restoring as it will be a practical rather than show truck) than driving. I am certainly no mechanic but I have tinkered with it over the last couple of years. I have swapped both axle cases, rebuilt the front swivels, replaced brake calipers/discs/brake lines and replaced the wheel bearing all round. I have replaced the rear outriggers and one of the bulkhead outriggers. I have another bulkhead outrigger and the rear crossmember to change in the next couple of weeks. As with most land rovers, this will be an ongoing thing. I have also learnt electrolysis rust removal which had been good. It has been a bit of a baptism of fire really!

So that is a bit of who I am and what I have - well done if you have managed to read to this point (I can tend to waffle on!).

It would be nice to slowly start some woodworking projects over the winter - though clearing the garage must be a priority.

I am looking forward to seeing some of other people's projects going on and getting advice from you folks where I can.

Mick

 

[Yojevol]

That's a great write-up Mick. We now know exactly where you're coming from.
When you've made some space get that bench built and decide on something simple to make. But before you start make sure you have a decent sharpening setup to get those chisels and plane up to scratch (perhaps that's not quite the right word)
Brian

 

[recipio]

Woodworking is more forgiving than metalwork but if you want to produce quality items it demands just as much attention to detail.
Learn to measure with good tools, take your time and be methodical. Avoid accumulating a lot of Chinese tools as they are unreliable.
It's a long learning curve but that's the fun of it. Good luck. !