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.
https://youtu.be/NBTqW5t3HGs In our latest series we learn how to build a chair. Chapter One is already live. This series can be purchased by Clicking Here. If you're already a Member then you may need to Login First. Chair building can require specialist tools...
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...
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...
Yesterday I made my first hand cut dovetails. I've watched Richard cut dovetail joints over and over, and I've practiced cutting to my saw lines over even more. But I knew if I was left on my own, with just a few pointers, then I would still be about to make a mess of...
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...
Wooden planes can be quick and easy to restore compared with metal ones, as material can be removed quickly with sand paper and chisels, unlike the relatively slow material removal when working with metal. By the same nature though, wooden hand planes can often be...
All I'm missing now are a few chisels, apparently. I had expected Richard to find me a little saw, and perhaps a plane to show willing. But between conversations at Mr Arnold's recent charity sale, he filtered through boxes and tables and kept adding to his stash. By...
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...
Seeing all the variety of work that Richard does I had almost certainly overlooked the technicalities of simply sawing to a line. I've been pottering now and then as mentioned in my post earlier this year and I'd finally found the time this past weekend and persuaded...
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...
Related Posts:
https://youtu.be/NBTqW5t3HGs In our latest series we learn how to build a chair. Chapter One is already live. This series can be purchased by Clicking Here. If you're already a Member then you may need to Login First. Chair building can require specialist tools...
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...
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...