Wood working.

[marksiwel]

How does that work? How do you learn? Are there like good starter projects?
I've wanted to make one of these


Or one day one these

[7075-T7]

Be ready to buy lots of expensive tools...

You could start with a birdhouse.

[Oldgringo]

How does that work? How do you learn? Are there like good starter projects?
I've wanted to make one of these


Or one day one these

Look at all of the Woodworking Magazines on the rack in Borders and/or Barnes & Noble. Pick up a few, study them and decide how you want to start. After that, go to your source of finances and spend a great deal of money on tools with sharp edges.

If you have the proper tools and stick with it, you'll be making architectural grade sawdust in no time. You may also learn how many fingers are actually redundant.

[ninemm]

You could probably get by with an outlay of $4000-$5000 for tools. Things like table saws, miter saws, routers and bits, shapers and bits, planers, biscuit joiners, air compressors, pneumatic nailers, drills and bits, all kinds of clamps, belt sanders, random orbit sanders, pad sanders, detail sanders, saber saws, and a few others. I have multiples of all of those (except the table saw) and a lot of other things but no real place to do it. That is, until I build this (my dream shop):

Whis is exactly what I hope to start by fall 2010.

P.S. I probably have a lot more than $5000 invested in shop tools but fortunately, I've lost track of how much.

[Oldgringo]

You could probably get by with an outlay of $4000-$5000 for tools. Things like table saws, miter saws, routers and bits, shapers and bits, planers, biscuit joiners, air compressors, pneumatic nailers, drills and bits, all kinds of clamps, belt sanders, random orbit sanders, pad sanders, detail sanders, saber saws, and a few others. I have multiples of all of those (except the table saw) and a lot of other things but no real place to do it. That is, until I build this (my dream shop):

Craftsman RV Office Plan.JPG

Whis is exactly what I hope to start by fall 2010.

P.S. I probably have a lot more than $5000 invested in shop tools but fortunately, I've lost track of how much.

One can't have too many clamps. Er, uh...ninemm, did you forget to mention your jointer and band saw?

[ninemm]

Yep. Forgot those, and some others such as a pocket hole machine, dedicated mortiser and some other stuff I'm sure I'm overlooking. And that's only including what I consider cabinet making tools.

[A-R]

don't know where you live, but most of the wood-working supply store have classes on the weekends. Two in Houston, one on the south beltway, and one up on 290.

You don't really need all of the fancy equipment, it just makes things faster. Chippendale did some good work with some homemade planes, a frame saw and some chisels.

An advantage to hand tools is it takes longer to mess up a nice piece of wood.

Mark you're in Austin area right? I know of a woodworking store on 183 roughly near Burnet on right-hand side as you're going into Austin from north/Cedar Park area. Don't know anything about it, but sold a few houses in that general area and used to pass by it all the time.

[A-R]

That is, until I build this (my dream shop):

Craftsman RV Office Plan.JPG

Whis is exactly what I hope to start by fall 2010.

So the 15-lane shooting range will be off the back porch then?

[ninemm]

No, it's kinda like what Noah kept telling the rabbits, "Only two."

[particle]

By far, the absolute most helpful thing for me was religiously watching the New Yankee workshop every time it came on. A lot of people discount his show because he has such a well equipped shop with just about every tool imaginable - "Yeah, I could build that too if I had all those tools!". However, if you watch long enough and catch enough of his shows, you'll see him do the same thing multiple ways with different tools and techniques. The various woodworking magazines are good too - you'll find that if you take a subscription for a year or two, you'll pick up lots more tips, but after that, it's usually the same information regurgitated in new projects that sorta all start to look the same. One magazine will do an issue on Finishes - then all 12 of the other magazines will too. One will do a table saw roundup, the rest follow.

From the beginning of every episode...

"Before we use any power tools, let's take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand, and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools properly will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury. And remember this: there is no more important safety rule than to wear these — safety glasses."

[ninemm]

By far, the absolute most helpful thing for me was religiously watching the New Yankee workshop every time it came on. A lot of people discount his show because he has such a well equipped shop with just about every tool imaginable - "Yeah, I could build that too if I had all those tools!". However, if you watch long enough and catch enough of his shows, you'll see him do the same thing multiple ways with different tools and techniques. The various woodworking magazines are good too - you'll find that if you take a subscription for a year or two, you'll pick up lots more tips, but after that, it's usually the same information regurgitated in new projects that sorta all start to look the same. One magazine will do an issue on Finishes - then all 12 of the other magazines will too. One will do a table saw roundup, the rest follow.

From the beginning of every episode...

"Before we use any power tools, let's take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand, and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools properly will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury. And remember this: there is no more important safety rule than to wear these — safety glasses."

Excellent post. Norm has always been one of my favorites. And although I'm pretty sure I have every tool that's ever been on his show (with one exception being a drum sander) most projects come down to a table saw, miter saw, jointer, router, brad nailer and some sort of joinery (dovetail jig, biscuits, dowel, pocket screw or mortise and tenon - and generally you need just one of those).

[KD5NRH]

How does that work? How do you learn? Are there like good starter projects?
I've wanted to make one of these

Get several of these:


Cut away the parts that don't belong, and stick the rest together.

That's all there is to it.

[stevie_d_64]

Every home should have a trebochet' (sp?)...

Thats what they call those catapult things, right???

Thats what I git for tryin' to sound smart an stuff!!!

[Oldgringo]

By far, the absolute most helpful thing for me was religiously watching the New Yankee workshop every time it came on. A lot of people discount his show because he has such a well equipped shop with just about every tool imaginable - "Yeah, I could build that too if I had all those tools!". However, if you watch long enough and catch enough of his shows, you'll see him do the same thing multiple ways with different tools and techniques. The various woodworking magazines are good too - you'll find that if you take a subscription for a year or two, you'll pick up lots more tips, but after that, it's usually the same information regurgitated in new projects that sorta all start to look the same. One magazine will do an issue on Finishes - then all 12 of the other magazines will too. One will do a table saw roundup, the rest follow.

From the beginning of every episode...

"Before we use any power tools, let's take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand, and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools properly will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury. And remember this: there is no more important safety rule than to wear these — safety glasses."

Excellent post. Norm has always been one of my favorites. And although I'm pretty sure I have every tool that's ever been on his show (with one exception being a drum sander) most projects come down to a table saw, miter saw, jointer, router, brad nailer and some sort of joinery (dovetail jig, biscuits, dowel, pocket screw or mortise and tenon - and generally you need just one of those).

plus "measure twice, cut once". You'll be totally amazed to find out wide a pencil line/mark really is.