Basics of Woodworking

Introduction

Anyone who enjoys making things can learn to work with wood. There is nothing mysterious or especially difficult about woodworking - you don't have to be born into a family of cabinet makers or start learning at an early age to become competent as a woodworker. The most important thing is that you like wood as a material, like the way it looks, feels, smells and finishes and that you want to know more about using it. Understanding the material you are using is an important part of being successful in working with it.

For most small projects, you don't have to worry about expansion and contraction, and many of the other unpredictable qualities of wood. But as you get further involved in making new things and repairing old things you will become totally fascinated with all the various types of wood and their characteristics, history and folklore. You only understand wood by experience, by working with it and feeling how hard it is to cut, how it smells and most of all, how it behaves once the piece of furniture is finished.

A softwood, such as pine for example, which is the least expensive and most easily available timber is very easy to saw, drill and cut with a chisel, because it is so soft. But the fact that it is soft also means that it won't give as smooth or as hard a finish as a hardwood, which is more difficult to work.

Working with wood is an immensely satisfying pastime whether you are making a simple pine spice shelf or fashioning a piece of fine furniture in an exotic hardwood. You will probably get just as much satisfaction when cutting your first halving joint as you will later when doing dovetails.

Most people want to know how to cut a halving joint not for its own sake, but in order to make something which they need. There is just as much emphasis in the book on nails, screw and modern fasteners as on traditional joints to show that woodworking doesn't necessarily

Once you have started working with wood, even on this modest scale, each completed project will inspire you to go on to greater accomplishments. So don't be afraid to make mistakes. Your appreciation of woodworking will grow in proportion to your effort. The more familiar your tools become, the better the effects you achieve with them will be.

The scope of these pages is basic woodworking but the basic techniques, when mastered, will enable you to make almost anything and you will be able to use these techniques to plan your own projects. The hints, advice and information you need to set you firmly on your way to becoming a capable woodworker: all you need to add is your interest. You are provided with the fundamentals that will enable you to get the most out of your tools and to produce good and careful work while enjoying what you are learning.

Becoming a really good woodworker requires time and practice. Good tools are essential - the basic tool kit described will help you choose. Learn to handle your tools correctly and safely and discover how to use your hands and the raw materials to best advantage; this can only be learnt by trial and error at your workbench. As always, it is really very simple, once you know how to do it, and you get to know how to do it only with practice.