Things I have learned in woodworking

[Bill Huber]

Some things I have learned in woodworking.....

The dust collector will not do very good when its not turned on.

You will always have 50 times more saw dust then you thought you would

You will always be short 2 bf of wood on a given project.

When you buy a new tool within a week after your return time runs out they will bring out a new better one at a cheaper price.

You can't keep all the scrap, some of it has to go.

When you order something on-line it will always get there the day after you needed it.

When you go to buy wood and you ask for 4/4, the guys tells you, "You will have to get change at the front counter but I can get the wood, what size do you want". You know you need to leave.

Even if you have two walls of your shop covered with clamps you never have enough.

When you talk about cutting a rabbet and the kids start to cry you know your in trouble with the whole family.

Your air nailer will still make little holes even though there are no nails in it.

When you put your sacrificial fence on you have to add the width to the fence ruler.

When you blow the chips out of a mortise make sure you have your safety glasses on.

That glue you wrapped on your pants will not dry by the time you go in and set down for dinner.

When you come in the house from the shop you BETTER vacuum yourself off really good.

So what have you learned in woodworking?

[Ron Bontz]

Well, I've learned when the wood is hard to hold between your fingers Don't pull the trigger on the air nailer.

I've learned dried blood on the concrete floor is hard to remove. Evidence of stupidity.

I've learned when people ask what that loud high pitched noise was at 10:30PM at night Say "I don't know I didn't hear it" and don't run the router table that late any more.

I've learned If you think you can build it for $50.00, you better have $150.00 set aside for it.

If you think it will only take a week, Figure a month if you are lucky.

Never tell her what you can do with a tool to get her to go along with you buying it. You'll be doing just that.

I've learned if you think you can buy that Delta part for a reasonable price...Think again.

Most of all. I've learned If you feel your credit card wiggling in your back pocket...RUN, RUN, Get out of that tool store NOW!:D

[Dewey Torres]

Your shop is never "done" until you are dead or otherwise quit woodworking
What seems like a great project today may be a sour spot for months to come
Most finished pieces have mistakes but a true craftsman will have to point them out to you
If you don't absolutely have to use a measuring device ... don't!
Incra stuff is dead accurate
With tools, in most cases, you get what you pay for
Very few projects don't require building some random template (see #8)
If you don't build the template when the wood gods tell you to, you will make a mistake, waste time and material, hair loss and other things before you realize spending the time to make the template would have paid off
As expensive as woodworking is, many middle age guys don't think twice about spending $25K on a Harley (nothing against Harley). $25K will buy a few good tools! (see#10)
Never attempt to add up your total shops net worth... it may be more than your own without the shop:eek:
Almost every time I have gotten injured in the shop or came close to it, I could look back and remember that little voice saying "There is a safer way to do this".
Making a profit woodworking is not easily done
No one will ever be as critical of your work as you
Once you find a "go-to" finish for a given situation ...stick with it!
Turning is way more fun than it looks
Projects that require deadlines are not fun
No book or video will ever replace the skills that are developed by the handling of tools
When you do what makes you happy (vs others), those projects are always more rewarding and easier
The Creek is addictive
The Creek is the best!

[Rick Fisher]

(1) Installing an 18ga brad into your body is not as painful as removing it, yet leaving it in doesnt seem like the right solution either.
(2) Buy the biggest and best tool you can afford first..
(3) If you do add up the value of your shop.. dont tell your wife.. ever..
(4) Clamps and routers are like rabbits.. they reproduce in their own..
(5) Buy the most expensive sandpaper you can afford.
(6) As soon as you get mad.. take a break.
(7) You are the only person who knows of that little scratch or that the a tennon wasn't a perfect fit..
(8) If you want to be left alone.. turn the DC on and wear your hearing protection all day..
(9) Women dont think tools are neat.. even if they are the absolute coolest tool ever.. they dont care.
(10) If you build something the wife likes.. she will start making lists..
(11) Woodworking for money is a terrible thing to do to a good hobby.
(12) Nobody ever regretted getting a bandsaw one size too big.

[Robert Chapman]

Things I've learned in woodworking

Here's my short list -
1. Wood doesn't talk back.
2. Good tools don't make mistakes.
3. Well built projects will last longer than you will.
4. Nothing [well almost nothing] is more fun than building something well, giving it to someone who really wants it and having them enjoy it.

[Charlie Jones]

1. Any part dropped on the floor will land in just the right way to ruin it.
2. Projects take twice as much time to complete as you have estimated.
3. Women love the result but hate the process.
4. Treat brad nailers like you do your 45.
5. Never stand behind a board going thu the tablesaw.
6. Your shop will never be big enough or efficent enough.
7. Doing jobs for pay are never as satisfying as gifts.

[Russ Boyd]

I need more tools cause "He who dies with the most tools wins" and NEVER use chapstick when sanding.

[Tony Bilello]

1). You have to know when to call your project 'complete' otherwise it never will be. Perfectionists never complete anything.
2). Buy the very best tools you can afford. A lesser amount of good tools are more valuable and useful than a large amount of inferior tools.
3). Don't over analyze. Woodworking is not rocket science. Use the easiest joint you can that will be sufficient to get the job done.
4). You will learn more by making 10 tables in 10 weeks than one 'perfect' table in ten weeks.
5). Read less and build more. Reading and education are great things but you must actually do it to learn.

[Ben Galluzzo]

- If it's late, and you're getting tired, it's best to stop working with anything powered and anything sharp unless you like getting injured.
- If you lend out a tool that you think couldn't possibly get broken, you're wrong.
- Good tools don't necessarily make a good craftsman, but bad tools can make you a frustrated craftsman
- A lot of times, you can break something learning how to fix it, then be happier with the results after fixing it right than if you had someone else do it.
- You can plan plan plan, but sometimes you just have to do it.

[mike holden]

For me, these are the two biggest things I learned about woodworking:

1) Its okay to make mistakes, just fix them - because of #2

2) It DOES grow on trees!

Mike

[Greg Deakins]

1. If you are building a prototype of something, use the cheapest close match to the material intended for the actual project, because the design will always change and it is depressing to take out a chunk of material in a part that routed perfectly as a test piece.

2. don't waste time engineering jigs or templates for a design that hasn't been perfected yet, but once it is right, make the helpful contraptions ASAP.

3. Don't quit the day job too soon, land the plane, dont crash it into the mountain.

[GERALD HARGROVE]

I have learned:
1. If you try to make money at it, your freinds will think they deserve it at cost.

2. Every profitable project will equal you building the same for your wife.

3. It is so addictive!!!!

4. I have to be careful, because my wife gets jelous of how excited I get over wood and tools.

5. My biggest dream would to have an endless amount of money for wood and tools.

[Brad Tallis]

I have learned no matter how well I sweep up the shop, the cat will find enough sawdust to scrape together to use as a litter box, even though he has a fresh litter box in the corner... :(

[Neal Clayton]

I've learned if you think you can buy that Delta part for a reasonable price...Think again.


i was just about to post that one, after putting a 400 dollar motor in a 450 dollar radial arm saw.

also...

1) despite adjusting it thousands of times, i will still always turn the adjustment knob on a tenon jig the wrong way first

2) there's racket then there's racket. some is annoying, the sniped end of a 5.5" casing coming out of a molder is no joke

3) there are no 'great deals' on retail lumber. if you got a 'great deal', you got stock that is somehow flawed, you'll find out how later

4) even when the splinter goes under your fingernail and out the front of the finger, don't let go, or you'll wind up wearing the rest of the board too

5) a tenth of an inch matters quite a bit, actually

[Rod Sheridan]

1) Very few friends understand why you won't let them plane their reclaimed decking in your planer.

2) Sometimes you are fortunate enough to have a shop cat that loves woodworking, even if you're using noisy machinery.

3) Wood is addictive, I have some real finds that have been in the rack for twenty years, yet I still look for more every time I'm at the sawmill. My kids will probably sell them as firewood some day at an estate auction.

4) My 60 year old slightly damaged handplane may not be much to look at, however it's like holding hands with my deceased father whenever I use it. Same for some worn socket chisels he left me.

Regards, Rod.

[Darius Ferlas]

My experience is still humble, but I already know these rules:

1. Measure twice before you measure the third time.
2. If it's too short then no amount of cutting will make it any longer.
3. If woodworking is just your hobby, and if you think you can slip to the garage just for 5 minutes at midnight to do that tiny bit of sanding, think again, especially if you have to get up early for work the next day.
4. When you work with some of the wood finishes it is better to wear the breathing protection BEFORE you start feeling a strange taste in your mouth.
5. The best way to get funds for new tools is to make a small "sacrificial project" for the wife.
6. Jigs are indispensable.
7. Freehand cuts in a table saw can be painfully unsatisfying.
8. Goggles make you look less silly than eye medication and gauze after a visit to an eye doctor
9. If in doubt look for the answer on SMC.

[Josh Gerber]

4) My 60 year old slightly damaged handplane may not be much to look at, however it's like holding hands with my deceased father whenever I use it. Same for some worn socket chisels he left me.

Regards, Rod.

Thats a very neat way of putting it. I hope to make those memories with my son.

[David DeCristoforo]

Lot's of funny stuff in this thread and some good points too. I might add that when it comes to "becoming a woodworker" this could be a case of "Be careful what you ask for... you might get it".

[Ben Galluzzo]

8. Goggles make you look less silly than eye medication and gauze after a visit to an eye doctor


That's hilarious. Sadly, I know this by experience.

[Kirk Smith]

I am new to woodworking but learn few things so far:
- Never enter the hardware store for just to look at things. You will end up with something taking home with you.
- Buy a cheap tool today and spend days dreamming about better tools.
- Better tools work really well, but do not help much your skills.
- Spend days thinking about a project does not help if you don't draw it out.
- Measure 4 times before you cut, and it's still not right.
- Lee Valley and your wallet seem to like each other very much. You are the one to hold the bag.
- Spend time on woodworking is never is enough, that's is why your wife seems to have dinner too early. It's only 9 PM...!

I am sure I will learn more, much more.

[Tom Leasure]

I have found that;

1. you never stop learning
2. when buying tools - look for what you want then buy the next size up
3. NEVER take your wife tool shopping
4. ALWAYS know where your fingers are

[Don L Johnson]

Always let your wife buy that dress, or whatever. You never know when you will come across a good deal on wood, tools, etc.

[Chris Ricker]

"It's like holding hands with my deceased father whenever I use it"

or Grandpa.

well said.

[Joe Hardesty]

The most important thing I've learned is the secret sentence:

"Yes I would love to make one of those for you, if I only had a ________."

[Jim Rimmer]

I need more tools cause "He who dies with the most tools wins" and NEVER use chapstick when sanding.

I LOL'd at the chapstick comment. :p

[Scott Schwake]

1. SketchUp is cool.
2. I always miss the good Craig's List deals.
3. I have a lot to learn.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The more you paid for a piece of wood, the better the odds you'll screw it up! :o

I just relearned that 2 nights ago. Haven't gone to the shop since.:o

[Brian Kincaid]

1) Wood dust is bad for you. Especially MDF...Especially MDF.
2) Real wood moves after you get it, while you're working on it, and after you finish it.
3) Hand planes / shaves are not defunct tools lost in time. I consider them required for some types of projects.
4) Jointer... I had no idea how much one machine could change the world.
5) Joiner... amazing timesaver.
6) When you think you need to start over on the project: relax, you are almost finished.

:D Brian

[Gene Howe]

Great thread, Bill. Thanks.
It made me laugh a lot and, reflect a good bit, too.
Great way to start this day.
Gene

[Brent Ring]

What a wonderful thread! As a relative newb to the hobby, I still stick by my tag line "Sawdust is some of the best learning material". And all of the things mentioned here continue to prove it to me!

Thanks for "everything" in this thread!

[Jeff Dege]

When you're getting towards the end of an extended project, and in a moment of inattention you make a mistake that will cost you hours of rework, put down your tools, walk away, and go watch TV, read a book, or take your dog for a walk. Whatever you do, don't try to fix the problem. In your current state of impatience and frustration, the odds of your making things worse approaches unity.

[Ron Kellison]

It's interesting that I opened this thread the day after I nailed my left index finger to a piece of baltic birch while nailing a butt joint. The brad took a 45-degree turn going through and came out through the fingernail. The poster who said "Installing an 18ga brad into your body is not as painful as removing it, yet leaving it in doesn't seem like the right solution either" hit the nail on the head. Ouch!!

My grandfather had a good all-round saying that has a ring of truth to it: Stupidity should be painful!

Regards,


Ron

[Al Willits]

Hard to come in this late with new stuff but I'll try...:)

You never have enough band aids or neosporen.

Never promise the wife you'll build them something if you can buy new tools, they will not forget.

Never let the dust colletor bag get so full it fills past the bag and into the top bag.

Cheap plywood works great untill you make something that takes time and needs to be good...then it splits and warps.

You are not faster than power tools, no matter who you are.

If you like excitement in your life, do not prefit all 37 pieces your gonna glue together, find out as you go if they'll work or not.

Do not borrow your router to the neighbor who thinks wood chisels are great gasket scrappers for his small block chevy.

Last but prob not least, you will never have a complete woodshop, there will always be something you can use.

Al

[Lee DeRaud]

You will always be short 2 bf of wood on a given project.Note that this is true even if the finished project requires substantially less than 2bf of wood. In fact, activities that don't require any wood at all (e.g. cleaning the living room carpet) will usually go a lot smoother if you just go ahead and buy 2bf of something expensive and leave it out in the back yard for the dog to play with. DAMHIKT

(4) Clamps...are like rabbits: they reproduce in their own.Don't I wish that were true. In the real world they breed only in the presence of cold hard cash. There's a legal term for this kind of activity but discussing it violates the TOS.
(Another theory is that clamps breed in reverse: leave N of them in one place for any length of time and there will be N-1 of them available when you actually need them.)

[Lee Schierer]

1. Always quit after two mistakes, even if you just got started.
2. No one will want any wood projects for Christmas until the week before.
3. 9 times out of 10 running all your remaining pieces and all raw materials back through sheet layout will save you a trip to the lumber yard.
4. Never go out in the shop right before it is time to leave for church unless you want to change clothes..
6. Stain and new tee shirts have an attraction stronger than large rare earth magnets.
7. Any piece of wood that vibrates off your work bench while sanding will be the most visible piece on the project and will hit the only pointy object on the floor.
8. The screw you drop into the sawdust on the floor will be the only one of its kind left in the world.