Total beginner advice

[user 22896]

Hi Guys, please forgive me if this is the wrong place for this or if its been done a million times but I couldn't see anything.

I've been really interested in getting into woodworking for a while. Watching videos and seeing the progress toward a final product which is nearly always better than commercially produced items is truly fascinating and looks to bring so much satisfaction.

Now I come from a background where I have virtually zero knowledge of any manual skill trade so will literally be starting from scratch so I'm looking at some pointers on how best to get started. A question, which I thought would be really obvious but where do I buy timber supplies? I assume places like B&Q/Homebase are really expensive with limited variety; do I need to look for some sort of timber supplier/building merchant? What about online? (I live in N. Ireland). I'm initially looking to start with some small projects like chopping board, wine rack etc with beech & oak.

I aslo have no real tools beyond a saw/hammer etc so will need to buy some essentials. I figure a small set of quality hand tools with maybe a drill is the best way to go?

Finally, I'm pretty limited space wise at home with only an 8x6 shed and no garage. I'm a bit concerned that this will really impede me but I guess where there is a will there is a way. I plan on clearing out the shed as best I can to see what I can fit in it and considering buying a slightly larger one.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

 

[heatherw]

If you really have no idea the best way to start out (in my opinion) is to go to an evening class - if they still exist.......Invent a project that you want to make and then you will be led through the processes necessary to accomplish it. The first thing I ever made, at an evening class, was a 2 shelf spice rack. We were led through marking out, cutting to size, making a housing joint, gluing up, all by hand except for using a disc sander to round off the tops of the uprights. It was magic. Had a good teacher, though.

 

[Benchwayze]

One day a newbie will live near me, and I can invite them to come into my shop and help me. I ain't no super-expert, but I'm sure I could show someone a few things in return for a little assist! :mrgreen:

But Heatherw is offering sound advice. At least you will probably learn some basic hand-skills, that will set you in good stead, over the coming years.

You can do basic handwork in an 8 x 6 shed, providing :-

The Missus doesn't want to store stuff in there like bikes, garden furniture and tools.
You don't intend to make huge things like shop-fronts and staircases.
and you don't fall in love with big, posh benches. Just yet that is. :lol:

Best of luck. and welcome aboard.

HTH

 

[custard]

Robert Wearing taught woodwork to complete beginners for many years. His books are classics and still totally relevant today. Paul Sellers is his modern You Tube equivalent. Be prepared to receive loads of conflicting advice on line, which is why you need to appoint one main "mentor", such as Robert Wearing or Paul Sellers, to arbitrate between all the disparate web advice! Here's the thing, working wood successfully is often a system based process, which means it's sometimes difficult to graft one person's techniques in one area with another person's techniques in a different area. It's like mixing up two separate sets of directions from A to B, taken individually and in entirety they'll both get you to your destination in the end, but blending the two will just get you lost.

You're on the right track thinking about small, simple starter projects. But you've made a mistake with Beech and Oak. They're too hard for a complete beginner, especially Beech which has the additional drawback of not being particularly stable. Hunt around your local DIY shed for the most knot free, straightest pine you can find. Or go for one of the easier hardwoods like Alder, Sycamore, American Cherry, or Poplar (Tulipwood), in the early days always look for straight grain...boring wood is your friend!

 

[user 22896]

Hi Guys thanks for the responses

heatherw - I had been thinking of this and have found a beginners course at my local college, however it doesn't seem to start until January! I will take another look to see if there's any community courses run by the local council.

Benchwayze - the other half has agreed that I can do whatever I want with the shed and also try to fit a bigger one in, space is a bit limited and it would have to remain quite narrow but I reckon a 14x6 shed would go in no problem. I also have a large deck area with electrical outlets where I could set up on a dry day.

custard - excellent and interesting advice not something I would have considered. I will definitely look up those guys however I love seeing the work so the YouTube guy might win out! Also interesting regarding Beech/Oak. The reason I mentioned them is I purchased Woodwork by Colin Eden-Eadon and the first few projects (chopping board/shelf/wine rack) use these woods. I guess it is an easy substitute for pine though?

 

[custard]

Hi Guys thanks for the responses

heatherw - I had been thinking of this and have found a beginners course at my local college, however it doesn't seem to start until January! I will take another look to see if there's any community courses run by the local council.

Benchwayze - the other half has agreed that I can do whatever I want with the shed and also try to fit a bigger one in, space is a bit limited and it would have to remain quite narrow but I reckon a 14x6 shed would go in no problem. I also have a large deck area with electrical outlets where I could set up on a dry day.

custard - excellent and interesting advice not something I would have considered. I will definitely look up those guys however I love seeing the work so the YouTube guy might win out! Also interesting regarding Beech/Oak. The reason I mentioned them is I purchased Woodwork by Colin Eden-Eadon and the first few projects (chopping board/shelf/wine rack) use these woods. I guess it is an easy substitute for pine though?

Colin Eden-Eadon and I trained at the same workshop. It's an old school hardwoods only workshop and you chiefly apprentice in oak.

I still think for most newcomers Oak and Beech are a mistake. When you first start working wood you'll face a sea of frustratingly intractable problems. It's one thing to tackle those obstacles with an experienced man at your shoulder. Alone in your shed you need as much as possible to go right early on. The more even tempered woods I suggested don't stress your tools or sharpening techniques quite as much, so they improve the odds of you sticking with it to stage two rather than throwing down your tools in disgust.

No doubt someone will be along soon to say softwoods actually need even sharper tools. I'll pre-empt that by referring you to the "conflicting web advice" comment I made earlier! The fact is neither Colin Eden-Eadon, nor myself, nor anyone else on this forum will be guiding you through all your training. So you need one mentor who has put out a sufficiently comprehensive body of work to take on that role, it could be Bob Wearing, it could be Paul Sellers. Pick one and stick with them, listen to what others have to say but when the inevitable contradictions appear default back to the one authority you've chosen.

Good luck.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Colin Eden-Eadon and I trained at the same workshop. It's an old school hardwoods only workshop and you chiefly apprentice in oak.

Interesting custard. I presume you're referring to Barnsley's workshop, which is where I believe Colin went to after leaving the furniture course at Shrewsbury College? He was in the year below me, so I didn't know him very well. But the tenuous connection came in useful when I submitted some unsolicited articles to F&C, and he, as editor, recognised my name, leading to a few being published. I haven't written an article for years, but I have cobbled together a book on a woodworking subject that I've recently signed a publishing contract for, which in itself isn't a guarantee of it actually being published, believe it or not! Slainte.

 

[user 22896]

Custard thanks for that advice I will definitely be taking it onboard as I start out. Totally agree that something a bit more forgiving will hopefully avoid me too getting too frustrated early on! Really appreciate it.

 

[Jacob]

I agree - no to beech and oak except for chopping boards, yes to softwoods - anything will do to get your hand in and there's some very fine stuff made with softwoods. Yes to Sellers - much more practical and wider ranging than Wearing.
Absolutely the best source of info is old furniture itself especially if it is wrecked and you can pull it apart. Worth picking stuff up from auctions - big old pieces go for a fiver and the timber may be re-usable.
What you find with old furniture of whatever quality high to low, is that the professionals didn't read all the books and mags which we new-boys do and they did things differently - efficiently and better as a rule. It's another world altogether and very interesting. Cheap furniture (pine chests, tables etc) is informative as although the techniques were the same they didn't cover their tracks and you can see all the signs of the struggle, as it were.

 

[BearTricks]

As someone who's been woodworking for a year or so I can say don't try to cut corners. If you need something for a job and you can afford it then get it because trying to force tools that aren't built for a certain job to do that job is going to cost you time and effort that you don't need to expend; doubly so with cheap tools.

Some cheap tools are pretty good. Lidl and Aldi power tools and chisels have a good track record and some of Screwfix's Titan line are good but they all have their fair share of duds so research as much as possible. i bought a blue Bosch jigsaw recently and a Makita router and the difference in quality and ease of use between them and budget models is incredible.

Also, buy as many clamps as you can. Get more than you think you will need then get some more. Don't pay out the nose for them though. £15 for a 6" plastic clamp at B&Q is ridiculous.

 

[dzj]

"heatherw - I had been thinking of this and have found a beginners course at my local college, however it doesn't seem to start until January! I will take another look to see if there's any community courses run by the local council."

In the meantime, maybe there's someone in your area who could show you some sharpening method.
Dull tools are probably the no. 1 reason beginners give up.

 

[custard]

I haven't written an article for years, but I have cobbled together a book on a woodworking subject that I've recently signed a publishing contract for, which in itself isn't a guarantee of it actually being published, believe it or not! Slainte.

Congratulations!

Yes I can believe that a contract isn't a guarantee of publication (I'm from a woodworking family, but I actually worked in media for many years before becoming a full time furniture maker). At least you've now crossed the key hurdle that defeats most aspiring authors, so the very best of luck that your publisher follows through to paper and ink!

Can you tell us any more about your book, in particular what's the unique content that will providet a distinctive position in a crowded market?

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Can you tell us any more about your book, in particular what's the unique content that will providet a distinctive position in a crowded market?

The subject is timber technology. You may have seen snippets of it here in some responses I've posted in threads - abridged chunks of text and the like. Most books on the subject are written by timber technologists for other timber technologists, or students of the subject. Mine is written from the point of view of a woodworker for other woodworkers, although also academically formatted (Harvard referenced). That's the 'unique' content element, although I haven't shirked tackling some tricky science. Where this has happened I've tried to find ways to explain the science for the 'general reader', which describes many woodworkers, both professional and amateur. Slainte.

 

[custard]

Sounds excellent. I'll be first in the queue when it's released!

 

[jamesevenlode]

I'm fairly new to woodworking- about 5 years now but it has been a concentrated 5 years.
A beginners course is definitely useful.
Learning how to sharpen is key.

Many people trawl car boot sales to find used tools- it can be good if you know what you are looking for but you can just as likely end up with something that you don't know how to return to good working order.

I started with good quality tools- I decided to spend the money once and spend more time working.
It is the slower path, unless you have an unlimited budget, as you have to buy it one tool at a time.

 

[user 22896]

Thanks guys really appreciate all the advice. Ok so I think I have a bit of a plan

Build small set of quality tools.
Learn how to sharpen tools correctly.
Initially stick to one mentor, think I'm going with Paul Sellers.
Get enrolled on a beginners course.
Start out practising with soft woods.

I also need to ask around and identify a builders merchant/lumber yard where I can get some supplies (also great tip on buying some second had furniture!).

I just watched Paul Sellers series on building a workbench. Amazing what a skilled guy can do with such a limited set of hand tools.

 

[beganasatree]

Sounds like a plan,I wish you LUCK and have fun learning.

Peter.

 

[John15]

I find Paul Sellers' Masterclass online tutorial very good and may suit you - hand tools only.

John

 

[Benchwayze]

Apollo;

Seems like your thinking is straight. I'm sure you'll have fun learning and probably earning.

Best of luck.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Sounds excellent. I'll be first in the queue when it's released!

If it's released! I'm hopeful it will be. Anyway, I imagine I'll let you (the forum) know if, and when, it comes out. Slainte.