So you are interested in woodworking, but don’t quite know how to get started? This multi-part series will help you to choose the right equipment and will show you how to get the skills you’ll need to be successful in this fun and exciting hobby.
Miter saws allow you to make what are known as angled cross cuts. Picture in your mind an ordinary picture frame. When building a picture frame, you start with a length of wood, which you then cut into four pieces that will join together to form the frame. In some cases, the pieces of wood might be joined straight up and down at ninety degrees, but more typically, they are joined at a slanting angle. This is called a miter joint and it is considered a more attractive joint than the ninety degree type. Not only are miter joints considered more desirable for their appearance, but with some woodworking projects, they are the only possible option.
In part 1 of our series, we’ll cover the basic tools you need to have before you can begin your first project. While there are many types of tools available at all different price points, this article will help you to understand the essential tools that you must have to get started. Later, as your skills improve, you may want to expand your inventory of tools, but these are the ones that you’ll definitely need to begin with.
Have you ever wondered what exactly are overhead expenses? Think ‘what is over your head’. Do you pay rent or mortgage on the facility where you will be conducting your home woodworking business? Don’t overlook that overhead costs still must be accounted for even if you are not working on your projects.
You can go to Utube and find hundred or thousands of videos giving you ideas, tips and tricks, from how to sharpen a chisel to making tapered table legs. Nowadays, the woodworker has more equipment and information available than ever before. No more dull books and manuals. It can make a woodworkers head spin! There is enough information out there to turn any DIY into a true woodworking professional.
When you shop for a powered miter saw, you will discover many models to choose among. Perhaps the most basic of these is the sliding saw. Since this tool can slide along a rail, it can cut pieces that are larger than its own diameter.
Remember, you really don’t want your tools losing their edge quickly, otherwise you’ll be sharpening more than you are working. Getting supplies means that you’ll have to take your time and put a little thought into all the factors you need to take into consideration such as what you want to get out of woodworking be it hobby or commercial. Despite this, sourcing your materials and tools is as fun and enjoyable as the actual woodworking itself.
Before we start describing tools that you’ll need, let’s discuss the best place to find tools. For the most part, the best place to get tools is the place that you have access to. If you are lucky enough to live in an area where there are many home improvement stores, hardware stores and/or woodworking supply shops, then you’ll want to choose the one that provides the most help for you. If your local home improvement center is staffed with knowledgeable and helpful people, then that is a great place to start with your tool selection. While you may pay a little more for a tool at a specialty woodworking store, the staff there are usually woodworking experts and the knowledge they provide can more than make up for any additional cost of the equipment.
It is not just an absorbing hobby as it is also surprising how it can be fun and cheap to make most of the items you usually purchase. You need not to be experienced in woodworking. Various minor projects will only require basic woodworking skills that any beginner or novice can carry out.
