Woodworking
Woodworking involves creating decorative and practical items using wood, such as cabinets, high-quality tables, musical instruments, bowls, and others. It encompasses various techniques including wood carving, joinery, and woodturning. Acquiring basic woodworking skills is relatively easy, and with each project, you enhance your expertise.
Wood, which was one of the initial materials utilized by ancient humans for tools and utensils, played a crucial role in the advancement of various aspects of modern human life. Wood was prominently employed by early civilizations for crafting hunting tools, vessels, coffins, chairs, idols, and other items.
Woodworking as a craft has progressed along with civilization, with woodworkers utilizing contemporary technology to fabricate innovative machinery and tools, and undertake more intricate projects, albeit maintaining the fundamental techniques intact.
Common woodworking terminology
To begin with woodworking, you will come across various phrases that signify popular techniques. Provided below is a glossary of fundamental woodworking terminology to initiate your journey.
Jointing
Jointing is a procedure that involves preparing the edges of wooden boards in order to glue them to another board. It is frequently employed for both flat surfaces and angled joints.
Planing
Planing serves the purpose of utilizing a planer machine or hand tool to eliminate excess material and create a smooth surface on wooden objects.
Routing
The process of shaping, cutting, and trimming wood is known as routing. This technique utilizes a tool called a router, commonly used for cutting grooves in cabinets and furniture, to produce finished edges and shapes.
Sawing
The initial step in almost every woodworking project involves the use of a sawing technique to cut wood. Various types of saws are employed, each designed for specific project requirements.
- 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
The process of drilling involves using a drill and bit to create holes in wood. The drill driver can rotate the drill bit either clockwise or counterclockwise. The choice of drill bits depends on factors such as the desired hole size, the material being worked on, and the speed. There is a wide variety of standard drill bit sizes available, totaling to 47 different options.
Gluing
By gluing wood, it is possible to combine multiple pieces and form a larger piece. If the gluing process is done correctly, the resulting joint will possess more strength than the wood on its own.
Sanding
Sanding is a finishing technique that smooths the surface of the wood using sandpaper. Woodworkers often start sanding with a medium grit, and work their way to a finer grit to finish.
Finishing
The process of applying a penetrating finish or a surface finish is known as finishing. This process is used to refine or protect a wooden surface.
Intro to woodworking tools
When starting woodworking, you will commonly use various types of woodworking tools and equipment to cut, shape, join, and finish projects. The type of tool you select will be determined by the specific project you wish to create.
Saws
Almost all woodworking projects begin with a saw. There are various types available for different purposes, materials, and more. A handsaw is convenient and doesn’t need electricity. Electric saws range from easily portable circular saws to robust table saws.
Blades
When considering saw blades, it is important to note the difference lies in the kind of cutting they are meant for. Saw blades with coarse teeth are typically best for rip cutting, or cutting in the same direction as the grain. On the other hand, saws with finer teeth are used for cross-cutting, which involves cutting across the grain.
Drills
Depending on the size of your job, drills can be either hand-cranked or motorized. For projects with limited power supply, a battery-powered drill can be chosen. To tackle more demanding tasks that involve drilling deeper holes or necessitate greater force, a drill press can be purchased.
Clamps
Clamps are an indispensable tool in the woodshop and are essential for joinery. They function effectively as vises or as additional support for securing your project. The choice of clamp depends on the size and magnitude of the task being undertaken.
Chisels
Chisels, equipped with a sharp metal blade and a handle, are commonly employed together with a mallet or hammer to shape and remove solid wood. Varieties of chisels serve varying purposes: lightweight paring chisels are never struck with a mallet, whereas thick and heavy mortise chisels are excellent for extracting material from hardwood.
Planers
Planers are employed to achieve smoothness and eliminate surplus material from level surfaces. Electrical power planers enable rapid planing of extensive surface areas, whereas hand planers are manually operated and concentrate on smaller sections.
Sanders
Sanders, specifically power sanders, prove effective for quickly smoothing larger wood surfaces using sandpaper. The process typically involves applying different grits of sandpaper in a progressive sequence, starting with a coarser grit and concluding with a finer one. Conversely, hand sanding is more suitable for smaller wood projects.
Types of woodworking
Although the medium may have limitations, there is a wide range of artistic possibilities that can be explored through woodworking. Various techniques such as treating, carving, shaping, dyeing, or even burning wood can be employed to create art.
Wood carving involves sculpting wood into different shapes and can be done using just a sharp knife or a more extensive set of tools based on personal preference. It serves as an excellent introduction for beginner woodworkers, as it allows them to practice skills such as angling and shaping.
Pyrography, which is also known as wood burning, involves the use of fire and heat to create various patterns or shades on a piece of wood.
The term “scroll sawing” pertains to the utilization of a specialized tool called a scroll saw, which enables you to initiate your cuts from within a piece of wood and progress towards the outer edges. This technique is particularly advantageous for creating items such as ornaments, as it makes effective use of the visible areas instead of the empty spaces.
Intarsia and Marquetry, also referred to as wood mosaics, involve combining various types of wood in a single piece. Wood chips or shavings are utilized to create a mosaic effect. This technique is particularly advantageous for woodworkers looking to avoid wastage of their leftovers.
Different types of woodworking techniques
Several woodworking techniques exist with the purpose of creating various designs, joints, and transforming workpieces in different ways. A few examples of these techniques are as follows:
Planning: This method involves the process of removing thin layers from the surface of wooden boards in order to achieve the desired texture and thickness.
Routing refers to the process of utilizing a router tool for creating finished shapes and edges. This technique is primarily employed in the completion of cabinets.
Joining: The act of connecting two pieces of wood together can be achieved through various methods such as using nails, screws, glue, or other techniques. This process is commonly referred to as jointing.
Lathing is a process that involves using a lathe, which resembles a potter’s wheel, to carve wood in three-dimensional shapes by rotating it along an axis. This technique is primarily utilized in crafting chair and table legs.
Sanding involves the utilization of sandpaper or an electric sander to achieve a smooth surface on wood. In contrast to planing, sanding usually does not remove a considerable amount of width from the workpiece and is primarily used to enhance its texture.
Finishing refers to the process of applying stain, sanding, and incorporating other final details to a project.
What you can do with finished woodworking projects
If you have been practicing woodworking for a period of time, you might acquire some extra completed projects that either do not fit your home or you simply do not wish to keep them. In such situations, there are a few options available for dealing with finished woodworking projects.
Handmade crafts are always excellent gifts due to the additional love and attention invested in their creation. Whenever the opportunity arises, you can distribute your completed projects to family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.
Another option to consider is donating your completed projects. If you have furniture pieces that you do not want or need, you can donate them to thrift stores. Similarly, crafts and art pieces can be donated to nonprofits, schools, or community institutions such as churches, where they can be used as decor or even as raffle items.
Selling: An alternative option to generate additional income is to sell your completed projects. You have the choice to sell them online through platforms like Etsy or locally at craft fairs or farmer’s markets.
