25% off all series throughout December!

 Use code  XMAS2023  at checkout.

Browse the projects here.

Woodworking For Beginners

Learn Your Basic Hand Tool Skills

The best approach to woodworking for beginners, is to keep your tools to a minimum.
Before diving in to your first project, you’ll want to build up confidence at some basic skills with your hand tools. Keeping your kit minimal means you’ll have better focus, and learn more quickly as a result.

The posts on this page are from Helen, written from a beginners perspective.
This is her journey as she gets started in woodworking with hand tools.

Learning Through Limitation

Learning Through Limitation

I'm in a unusual position for a learner. I can observe Richard working, then pick up his tools and try for myself. I know the tools work well, and you could envy that. But the thing is, it takes away the one excuse that all novices need. I can't blame my tools. When...

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Hand Tools For Beginners

Hand Tools For Beginners

Spider-Man Senses Learning to woodwork with hand tools brings you a whole new awareness of your own senses. I feel like I'm a fairly co-ordinated person, used to doing tasks which require good control over your hands. But whenever I learn something new in woodworking...

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Stepping Up

Stepping Up

I promised myself this year, I would find time to learn how to make things from wood. It's been hectic, but I've managed to get myself addicted to picking up Richard's tools and making a few shavings and saw cuts. The only thing I have successfully made so far is a...

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Trying My Hand

Trying My Hand

Over the past couple of weeks I've had to remind myself that's it's January. A few bright and mild days and a little chipping up in the trees had put that unmistakable hint of Spring in the air around here so I was almost pleased to see a thick blanket of frost...

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25% off all series throughout December!

 Use code  XMAS2023  at checkout.

Browse the projects here.

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Learning Through Limitation

I'm in a unusual position for a learner. I can observe Richard working, then pick up his tools and try for myself. I know the tools work well, and you could envy that. But the thing is, it takes away the one excuse that all novices need. I can't blame my tools. When...

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When I decided to start woodworking I chose do it with wooden planes. Perhaps this was heavily influenced by what Richard felt would be a good route to take, but also because I've always felt a great attraction towards them. Setting up a wooden hand plane is...