Newbie to the forum and too Wood working

[Smeagol]

Hi all,
As a newbie to the forum, i thought i'd better introduce myself. At the age of 38, well 39 next week, i've decided to take up or at least try to my hand a wood work. Not sure if this is a mid life thing or what but determined to give it a go. I have a 10x8 shed which i'm turning into a small workshop and have a few handtools (chisels, saws, marking gear) , a coupe of hand power tools(jigsaw, circular saw) and a small workbench to get me started. The trouble i have now is i don't know where to start. Been looking through the web but there is so much info, i think i'm confusing myself. Any suggestions?

 

[DOOGYREV]

Hi Smeagol and welcome

Not sure what you mean "where to start"
Do you mean turning your shed into a workshop or woodworking in general?

 

[Charlie Woody]

Welcome to the forum and I'm sure that you will enjoy woodworking and this forum.

I suggest that you think about what you would like to make and then search for plans or magazine articles dealing with this item. Hopefully from that you will have some direction.

If you have never done any woodwork or used the tools you should consider going on a course. I did one recently with Tom Kealy and it was great, see his website http://www.tomkealy.com

Good luck and enjoy your new hobby.

 

[Smeagol]

Thanks for the welcome guys,
I guess i'm not sure where to start in general. Should i start practicing making joints in scrap pieces of wood or pick a few simple projects to get started? Also what should i be looking at in terms of equiping my workshop, what makes and types of tools and price ranges would you recommend?
Will definately look at taking a course, the trouble i havve is i'm a shift worker, so finding something that fits the work schedule is sometimes a problem.

 

[Charlie Woody]

For the moment I would not buy any more equipment until you have been on a course. This will show you what items you really need and what can wait until you have improved to more ambitious projects. By all means try some joints in scrap wood while you wait to get on a course.
You may be surprised how flexible some of the teachers can be. Tom Kealy was really helpful that way with me so if he is not too far from you give him a phone call or email him.

 

[Peter Sefton]

Hi Smeagol

This forum is a great place to start, so much information and help both from amateurs and professionals; although with so many different opinions it can be confusing.
I agree with Charlie - try not to buy too many tools to start with, I have a tool list I give to my students and advise them not to buy any tools until they have been on a course. I have sets of quality tools in my workshop for students to work with whilst they learn the fundamentals of woodworking and furniture making. I always find it rather worrying when new woodworkers have been sold stuff they don’t need, or of poor quality or at the other extreme, very expensive planes they may never get the use of.

There are a few teaching workshops around the country with different costs and course structures. I would suggest you do a beginners course that covers tool selection and sharpening and care, improving existing tools, timber selection and hand planing, marking out and joint cutting and some health and safety.

Depending on your shift pattern you may find a local college to do night classes, but they are becoming rare these days and they can take a long time to progress you on. Also some of the woodworking shows are very good with live demonstrations and advice, look on the general woodworking shows and events guide or if you’re available come and visit my school open day to kick start your new interest.

You are entering a very rewarding hobby; just a note of warning - it’s addictive :!:

Cheers Peter

 

[Richard T]

Smeagol wrote: "Should i start practicing making joints in scrap pieces of wood or pick a few simple projects to get started?"

Yes.

As for what tools, a lot of this forum is made up of "do I need one of these?" type thoughts.
It starts where you are now; you don't know what you need. Then you'll get to the stage when you think you might have what you need and finally you come to the realisation that you will never have exactly what you need.
Between now and then there will be the glorious learning curve of what tools do what and how to make them do it. Then how to make them do it better.

There's a huge, collective wealth of information hereabouts.

 

[Blister]

Hello Smeagol

Welcome to the forum

Why not start with some practice , like sawing a straight line , cutting miters , planing , marking out , cutting to length x4 pieces ( see if you can get them all the same lengths ?

Will all be good skills learn t

YouTube has lots of woodworking related links worth looking at

Have fun

PS , make sure you count your fingers when leaving the workshop :mrgreen:

 

[tekno.mage]

Welcome to the forum.

The first thing I did when I started on flat woodworking last year (as opposed to wood turning which I've been doing for a couple of years) was make a very simple wooden box for the bootfair Stanley No 5 plane I'd just acquired and fettled. I had some old wooden shelving (thought it was beech - it turned out to be poplar :?) which I used to save buying wood. The only tools I had were a couple of saws, a Stanley No 5 plane, a workmate, pencil, scribe & square, tape measure, 12" steel rule, some clamps, a hand drill, a surform rasp and some abrasive paper. I used butt joints strengthened and decorated with turned apple wood dowels. It turned out to be a nice, functional box, although I'd probabaly not make another the same. My second project was a much more complicated box in plywood and perspex for a set of long drills. I found I learned a lot making these two items and neither used much in materials nor required any really specialist tools.

 

[Sawyer]

Hello Smeagol

I second the good advice already given. Another good idea, especially if you are a shift worker, would be to get a good book. Try the Collins Complete Woodworkers Manual, for example, though there are plenty of others. For minimal outlay you will learn a lot of the basics, and have a permanent source of reference, at any hour of the day or night that suits your work pattern.

Yes, definitely practice joint making on small offcuts. It's fundamental and will begin to develop the skills you will need for virtually any project you progress too - and will cost very little.

Good luck.

 

[barkwindjammer]

Have a good look through 'Projects, workshop tours and past mistakes' - pick something you think you could make and go for it, use the PM (personal messaging) feature, everyone will be glad to help :wink:

Oh, and welcome

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

If you are the type to get board quickly then I say joint making isn't the way to tease you in. You need something out of your first effort to drive you on I say. Im just that way myself.

If you are one to be board and not that driven after making some joints in scraps then do some searching and figure out what you want to do. Turning, box making, furniture, toys, bird houses etc etc. Once you know we can suggest or you can find a project that will be fairly cheap and involves a joint or two to tease you in with something to show at the end.

Its likely in your time you have assembled some flat pack furniture, you have mastered the butt and dowel joints already

EDIT
Oh yeah, Welcome :lol:

My first project (I think) was a bread bin. The type with no bottom which you lift off over the bread (think tea cosy).

PS. You could even look at making some tools or aids like a mitre box, bench hook (very easy), open shelving for the workshop. All 3 are possible with the gear you listed.

 

[Smeagol]

Thanks for all the advice guys and girls. Tool purchasing is on hold until i can learn to use what i have and i'm determined to make this work. Tried a few hobbies in the past and gave up but really want to stick this out as i love the look and feel of wood and want to make proper solid looking furniture (eventually). I'm currently looking for beginners courses in Kent, any recommendations?

 

[brianhabby]

Hi Smeagol,

Welcome to the forum, you've certainly come to the right place.

I would certainly agree with the advice to find a simple project to start you off. It will give you some direction and you can learn the joints as you go along.

Many members on here have been inspired by some of the woodworking programmes on TV such as New Yankee Workshop & Great British Woodshop.

There's a full day of New Yankee Workshop tomorrow starting at 9:00am on Sky channel 242 if you can get it. Then on Monday starting at 1:00am

The Great British Woodshop is on Monday at 12:00 noon and 12:30

Don't be intimidated if you feel the projects are beyond you at this stage but be inspired and just enjoy them. Have a look and make up your own mind about whether they are right for you.

As mentioned above there are some useful videos on youtube (but also some rubbish)

There are also some very useful website that offer useful tips and a couple that I like are woodsmith.com and startwoodworking.com

Hope the above is of some use to you

regards

Brian