Stepping Up Your Woodworking Technique

Stepping up your woodworking technique only seems daunting. If you have the right tools and the right game plan, you can start creating like a pro in much less time than you think.

Practice

Want to improve your woodworking technique? Start experimenting and practicing. Buy a few pieces of various types of wood, and use them for small, tester woodworking projects. Try something simple, such as making shelves or cabinet doors, to see how the wood feels. Make small jewelry boxes or trays. Work the wood, and you'll begin to get a feel for it and for how the wood responds to you. Knowing how different woods behave and which ones you like to work with will help you make the transition into pro woodworking techniques.

Play it Safe

The most essential part of your woodworking technique is your safety habits. Wear the right gear and practice good habits to keep yourself safe while you work because the most skilled woodworkers are the ones who can work without injuring themselves. Always wear work gloves to protect your skin and fingers from damage when you’re using power tools and cutting tools. Use safety glasses every time you work with wood to avoid getting sawdust and splinters in your eyes. Stay safe when you’re woodworking or doing any DIY task around the house because the end result is only worth it when you get there uninjured.

Get a Workbench

If you want to work on big woodworking projects, get yourself a workbench. A few flat boards and a couple of sawhorses will give you a raised work space that allows you to get a number of tasks completed. Make your own workbench as one of your first woodworking projects, and you'll already be moving toward more advanced woodworking techniques.

Pro Tools

Step up your woodworking skills by getting the right tools for any project. Use the tools the pros use, and you’ll find your technique getting better and better.

Jigsaw: With a jigsaw, you can cut curved and circular patterns into wood. This allows you to create intricate designs and embellishments to make your projects look professional.

Circular Saw: Get a circular saw to be able to address big woodworking projects. With a circular saw, you can cut down larger boards and pieces of wood to create furniture, framing pieces, or anything else you want.

Chisel: They're used for a lot more than opening paint cans. Get a few chisels in different sizes for fine detail work. If you keep your chisels sharp, they are excellent tools for cutting joints and working on small areas of the wood.

Hand Plane: This is definitely a pro woodworking tool. Once used to reduce the thickness of boards, hand planes today are the perfect sanding tool for all your projects. A plane will quickly smooth out a board in minutes, saving you a ton of sanding time.

Veneer: Complete any woodworking project with a coat of veneer. The veneer will bring out the luster and shine of any piece of wood, and make any project look more finished. Take the time to apply the veneer correctly and evenly, and give your project a great finished look.

Clamps: Get some good clamps on your workbench and there's no woodworking project you can't take on. Clamps hold pieces of wood in place, allowing you to work on them with multiple tools. The clamps keep your project steady, preventing slipping and sliding while you work the wood.

Miter Saw: Use a miter saw to give your woodworking projects the finished edges you want to see, such as bevels and combination cuts.