Woodworking
Woodworking involves creating both decorative and functional items using wood. These can range from cabinets, fine tables, instruments, bowls, and more. Woodworking encompasses various techniques such as wood carving, joinery, and woodturning. It is relatively easy to acquire basic woodworking skills, and with each project, you will further advance your expertise.
Wood was used by early humans as one of the first materials for tools and utensils, and its usage is closely connected to the advancement of modern human existence. Ancient societies utilized wood to construct various items such as hunting tools, vessels, coffins, chairs, idols, and many others.
As civilization has made progress, woodworking as a craft has also evolved. Although the basic principles have remained mostly the same, woodworkers now utilize modern technology to construct innovative machinery and tools and undertake more intricate projects.
Types of woodworking
Certainly, woodworking offers a plethora of possibilities in terms of artistic expression despite its narrow scope as a medium. It encompasses various techniques like treating, carving, shaping, and even dyeing or burning wood, all of which can be employed to create art.
- Wood carving: Wood carving and whittling are the sculpture of wood into new shapes. You can start wood carving with nothing more than a sharp knife, or you can use a fuller set of tools — whichever you prefer. Wood carving can be a great place to start as a beginner woodworker by practicing skills like angling and shaping.
- Pyrography: Also called wood burning, this type of woodworking uses fire and heat to burn different patterns or shades into a piece of wood.
- Scroll Sawing: This refers to using a specific tool, a scroll saw, that allows you to start your cuts on the inside of a piece of wood and work outwards. This is great for making things like ornaments, where you utilize the positive space instead of the negative space.
- Intarsia and Marquetry: Also called wood mosaics, this type of woodworking can accumulate many different types of wood into the same piece, using things like wood chips or shavings to create a mosaic. This can be a great option for woodworkers who don’t want to waste their scraps.
Depending on your project vision, you can utilize any of these various woodworking techniques individually or in combination with each other.
Common woodworking terminology
To begin your journey as a woodworker, you will encounter various phrases that signify typical methods. Provided below is an index of crucial woodworking terminology to help you get started.
Jointing
Jointing is a procedure utilized to get the edges of wooden boards ready for adhesive application onto another board. It is typically employed for flat surfaces and joints that are angled.
Planing
The process of planing involves using a planer machine or hand tool to eliminate surplus material and achieve a smooth surface on wooden objects.
Routing
The process of shaping, cutting, and trimming wood is known as routing. A tool called a router is utilized in this technique to create finished edges and shapes, commonly employed for cutting grooves in cabinets and furniture.
Sawing
The first step in almost every woodworking project involves using a sawing technique to cut down wood. Various types of saws are utilized for different kinds of projects.
- Handsaws are lightweight, portable, and do not require a power source. They come in many shapes and sizes with a variety of blades.
- Circular saws are efficient, easy to use, and portable. They are particularly effective at cutting straight lines through the wood.
- Table saws are versatile, fast, and precise. The blade is exposed from below the work surface, and the material passes over the table to be cut. You can easily adjust the blade angles and depth for precise cuts.
- Chainsaws are portable saws used to cut wood using a chain, powered by gasoline, electricity, or a battery. It is best for initial rough cuts to shape a project, or for sourcing wood when felling or pruning trees for the material.
- Bandsaws are great for cutting curves, rounded edges, intricate shapes, and more. They come in many sizes, depending on the sizes of the stock you plan to cut and the intricacy of your project.
- Jigsaws are electrically powered and cut with a back and forth or up and down motion. The narrow blade makes them best used for cutting rounded shapes and curves.
Drilling
Holes are made in wood by drilling with a drill and bit. The drill driver rotates the drill bit either clockwise or counterclockwise. The choice of drill bits relies on factors like the desired hole size, the material being worked on, or the bit’s speed. There is a wide range of sizes available in standard drill bits, with 47 different sizes in total.
Gluing
When you effectively glue two or more pieces of wood together, it results in the creation of a larger piece, strengthening the glued joint to be more resilient than the individual pieces of wood.
Sanding
Woodworkers typically use sandpaper to smooth the surface of wood, employing a step-by-step approach that begins with a medium grit and progresses to a finer grit for finalizing the sanding process.
Finishing
The process of applying a penetrating or surface finish is known as finishing, which serves to refine or protect a wooden surface.
Different types of woodworking techniques
There are various types of woodworking techniques available, each intended to create unique designs, joints, and transform workpieces in diverse ways. Several examples of these techniques include:
- Planing: This technique consists of shaving the surface of wood boards to achieve a desired texture of thickness.
- Routing: Routing is when you use a router tool to produce finished edges and shapes. Routing is most often used when finishing cabinets.
- Jointing: This is simply whatever practice you’re using to join two pieces of wood together. Whether it be with nails, screws, glue, or other techniques, joining describes connecting your workpieces.
- Lathing: A lathe, similar to a potter’s wheel, allows woodworkers to carve wood along a rotating axis to create 3D shapes. It’s most often used for chair and table legs.
- Sanding: Sanding is the use of sandpaper or an electric sander to smooth wood. Unlike planing, sanding typically doesn’t take significant width off of your workpiece and is used more for texture.
- Finishing: This describes the process of staining, sanding and other finishing touches on a project.
From beginner to slightly more advanced, these techniques span a range. Whenever attempting a new technique, ensure that all safety protocols, such as wearing safety gear, are followed.
Intro to woodworking tools
When starting woodworking, you will typically utilize woodworking tools to cut, shape, join, and finish projects. Each tool category consists of various types, and the selection of a specific type will rely on the project you intend to create. Below are some commonly used tools and equipment in woodworking.
Saws
Nearly every woodworking project begins with a saw, available in various types tailored for distinct materials, tasks, and more. A handsaw, highly mobile and devoid of power, contrasts with electric saws that encompass compact circular saws and robust table saws.
Blades
When considering different saw blades, it is important to note that they differ based on the type of cutting they are intended for. Generally, saws with coarse teeth are preferred for rip cutting, which entails cutting in the same direction as the grain. In contrast, saws with finer teeth are more suitable for cross-cutting, which involves cutting across the grain at a right angle.
Drills
Depending on the size of your job, drills can be powered either by a hand crank or a motor. In cases where you have limited access to electricity for a smaller project, a battery-powered drill might be a suitable choice. However, if your job involves drilling deeper holes and requires more force, acquiring a drill press would be a worthwhile investment.
Clamps
Clamps are tools that are essential in both joinery and woodworking. They serve as effective vises or additional hands to secure your project. The choice of which clamp to use relies on the size and complexity of the task at hand.
Chisels
Chisels are commonly utilized alongside a mallet or hammer to carve and remove sections of solid wood, featuring a sharpened metal blade and a handle. There are various types of chisels specifically designed for different purposes. Paring chisels, which are lightweight, are never used with a mallet. On the other hand, mortise chisels, known for their thickness and heaviness, are perfect for extracting material from hardwood.
Planers
Planers are tools that are utilized for the purpose of smoothing and eliminating surplus material from flat surfaces. Power planers, which are powered by electricity, enable a rapid planing process on expansive surfaces, while hand planers are manually operated and primarily utilized for smaller areas at a time.
Sanders
Sanders are commonly utilized to create a smooth surface on wood by utilizing sandpaper. The sandpaper is typically applied in a specific order, starting with a coarser grit and concluding with a finer grit. Power sanders are suitable for completing tasks swiftly on extensive surfaces, while hand sanding is more suitable for smaller projects.
Woodworking as a career
Professional woodworkers are skilled in the design and construction of various wooden items, including cabinets, boxes, musical instruments, and furniture. In order to carry out their work effectively, modern woodworkers undergo technical training and employ a variety of equipment and tools.
Once you have mastered the basics of woodworking, you have the option to pursue an apprenticeship and collaborate with an experienced woodworker in order to further enhance your skills. Additionally, you can choose to participate in credential programs like the Woodworker Career Alliance, which provides educational programs and a platform for networking within the woodworking industry.
What you can do with finished woodworking projects
If you have been practicing woodworking for a while, you might find yourself with extra finished projects that either do not fit in your home or that you do not wish to keep for yourself. In such a scenario, there are multiple options available to you regarding what you can do with these completed woodworking projects.
- Gifting: Handmade crafts always make great gifts because of the extra love and care that goes into them. You can give your finished projects to family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers whenever the occasion presents itself.
- Donating: Donating your finished projects is another option. If you have made unwanted or unneeded furniture pieces you can donate them to thrift stores. While crafts and art pieces may be donated to nonprofits, schools, or community institutions like churches, where they could be used as decor, or even as raffle items.
- Selling: Selling your finished projects is another option that can lead to some supplemental income. You can sell your projects online, through platforms like Etsy, or you can sell locally through craft fairs or farmer’s markets.
