What is a serious beginner?

[Matt Stiegler]

Browsing woodworking books the other day, I came across one called Woodworking for Serious Beginners (http://www.amazon.com/Woodworking-Serious-Beginners-Pamela-Philpott-Jones/dp/096439992X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251924997&sr=8-1). I haven’t read it, but the title got me thinking about what a “serious beginner” is and whether I’m one.

I happened to be spending the week visiting the inlaws (and if you’re visiting Portland, Oregon, I recommend The Joinery (http://www.thejoinery.com/) for inspiration), so I had some time to navel-gaze about it. Anyway, I took a stab at defining what it means to be a serious beginner hobbyist woodworker. I think it’s a person who:


is relatively new to woodworking (probably not someone who has thought of woodworking as a hobby for many years);
doesn’t sell their work and doesn’t plan to do woodworking professionally;
anticipates making things, sooner rather than later, that are substantially more advanced than what s/he’s capable of making now; and
is taking concrete steps towards that improvement, including (1) gaining experience by actually making things, (2) adequately equipping a workshop or getting access to one; and (3) seeking out instruction, books, woodworking websites, and/or other sources of expertise.

Sound basically right? Maybe all too vague, but it wouldn’t make sense to me just to say you’re a serious beginner if you own this tool but not that one, or can do this joint but not that one, or have been doing at least this many years but not that many, or whatever.

A part of my reason for wanting to post this, I guess, was curiosity about how many other SMCer’s are at a similar stage. It’s not always easy to tell just by reading what someone says or how often they post.

[Jimmy Powell]

I would say you hit the nail right on the head. My approach has been to read, watch videos for a while, make a few small items to gain some experience. Now I have tools on order to take my hobby to a new level and make some small items (cutting boards, jewelry boxes) that i can give away and be proud of.

Good luck on your journey.

[Brian Kent]

Sounds Right to me. I am one.

Sometimes I wish for a set of classes to take (or maybe merit badges:rolleyes:) so we could say "On a 1 - 10 scale of amateur woodworking, I have now officially advanced to a 1.2, based on amount of projects tried and number of quality mistakes."

[Jason Strauss]

I, too, agree with your assesment, Matt. I think I currently fall squarely in this category. Collecting necessary tools, practicing basic and more advanced skills, setting up shop, and generally absorbing as much as I can from books, magazines, and this forum:).

I've recently found myself slowing down a project so that I may garner longer periods of enjoyment whilst building it. I used to rush to get to the final product, but now it seems that it's becoming more about the process (or as my daughter tells me, quoting Miley Cyrus, "it's the climb, daddy").

The most interesting/strange thing I've found through this hobby, and don't ask me why, is the need to find deals on things: tools, wood, beer, you name it. This has spilled into my everyday life and caused me to be much more willing to wait for a deal. Maybe this phenominon comes with age, but for me it coincided with the taking up of woodworking!

[Chris Tsutsui]

I consider myself a serious beginner.

I think that if you have a contractors license then you are definitely not a beginner. Even if you have worked 4 years professionally under a licensed contractor then you are not a beginner in that field.

It doesn't matter what tools you have though I admit, having nicer tools can make certain tasks easier. :) With money you can buy tools galore, but you can't buy experience. That stuff has to be earned with training and practice.

My goal as a serious beginner is to some day be able to make work that is not just professional, but considered fine woodworking piece of art. Right now everything I make has something that I could improve upon if I did it again. :o

[Joe Jensen]

My first thought was more of a funny one. Serious beginner was someone who was totally greeen with a shop full of large expensive custom tools/

A few months ago on Craig's List here in Phx was a shop full of truely industrial tools. $20K Unipoint RAS, 14" TS, 24" planer, 20" jointer, maybe $200K of tools. Never powered up. The tools were in the toy barn of a house that was reposessed. The new owner was trying to sell them as a single lot. They didn't even have power run to them.

So, the funny side of me thought of that as a "serious beginner" :)

[Brad Wood]

My first thought was more of a funny one. Serious beginner was someone who was totally greeen with a shop full of large expensive custom tools/

A few months ago on Craig's List here in Phx was a shop full of truely industrial tools. $20K Unipoint RAS, 14" TS, 24" planer, 20" jointer, maybe $200K of tools. Never powered up. The tools were in the toy barn of a house that was reposessed. The new owner was trying to sell them as a single lot. They didn't even have power run to them.

So, the funny side of me thought of that as a "serious beginner" :)

I remember that CL listing.

Anyway, I think I was a beginner, and then now am a serious beginner. There was a few years where I would make something small for the house or whatever and had grand ideas of getting into woodworking, but never did.
I can't recall specifically what made me turn the corner and start taking the hobby seriously. I think it was two fold.. for one, I have always needed to do something creative with my hands, specially since I work in tech for a living, I need that balance. And I *think* I stumbled upon the David Marks show on DIY and started watching that regularly... then next thing I knew, I was "in deep" so to speak.

[Wes Grass]

A serious beginner is someone who's more of a beginner than an average beginner.

[David DeCristoforo]

Lots of good answers. But you could take it another way and say that a "serious beginner" is someone who is serious about beginning. Many people spend years "working up" to doing some woodwork. Buying tools, setting up the shop. Reading books and blogs and forums. But never actually "beginning". So, for me a "serious beginner" is someone who is not afraid to begin to make things. The first step on a path can be the most important one.

[Charles Krieger]

David, I like your answer. I am working on the serious part. Beginner I am indeed.

[Phillip Bogle]

A serious beginner spends! Serious dollars, on some serious quality tools. I can not think that the guy that tries to do woodworking with nothing and does not commit some space to the work is not serious. Even if he has a goal and saving cash for the first tool will make the cut with me. We might consider that person a beginner if the catalogs of every woodworking supplier are in his privy. However, "serious" requires $$$$'s

Just my opinions of course.:)

[John Pratt]

Ok, so we have established a reasonable explaination for Beginner and "serious" Beginner. Given these definitions, how big is the jump to "Serious" woodworker or Professional?

[Brad Wood]

Ok, so we have established a reasonable explaination for Beginner and "serious" Beginner. Given these definitions, how big is the jump to "Serious" woodworker or Professional?

Well, I think the "pro" comes from selling enough product to pay the bills.

The "woodworker" to me is someone that is consistently producing product that he/she is willing to show others. Someone that has gotten the tools, has some sort of dedicated space to work, is willing to try new things, learns, produces, creates, thinks about the work while falling asleep, etc.

[J.R. Rutter]

Zen and the art of woodworking?

I know a lot of professionals that are beginners: Some are serious, some could care less as long as the bills are paid. "Serious" to me suggests mindfulness and some degree of caring. The beginner's mind is something to strive for your whole life, regardless of experience.