Giving just one piece of advice, what would it be...

[Gord Graff]

Hi All,

A rookie woodworker asked me today " If you could give me just one piece of advice about woodworking, what would it be". I still haven't given him an answer yet, I can't think of a single piece of advice that stands head and shoulders above everything else...................what about you guys, what "one piece of advice" would you give this young fellow??

All the best
Gord

[Ken Salisbury]

" If you could give me just one piece of advice about woodworking, what would it be".


Of course for me it would be "Measure Twice - Cut Once"

And by the way this phrase was not coined by Norm - I heard it from my Grandfather when I was about 10 yrs old.

[Bob Oswin]

Hi All,

A rookie woodworker asked me today " If you could give me just one piece of advice about woodworking, what would it be". I still haven't given him an answer yet, I can't think of a single piece of advice that stands head and shoulders above everything else...................what about you guys, what "one piece of advice" would you give this young fellow??

All the best
Gord
Easy Gord...

Lighten up!
It's just a hobby for most of us!
You are entitled to make mistakes and create less than archival furniture.

Heck, even the pros have off days!
However, you are mandated to help your fellow woodworkers for the rest of your life!

regards
Bob

[Tony Laros]

1. Don't be too critical of your results/projects. Your family will love them. You'll get better with time. Woodworkers tend to to be there own worst critics.

2. Buy the best tools you can afford. Don't buy junk, it will continue to frustrate you.

[Gord Graff]

Hi Bob,

In 1996 I placed a plaque in my shop (picture below) and I still live by it today. I've learned not to take myself to seriously, most people have the same opinion of me and that's okay by me.

Your post is very timely and well said, thanks Bob.

All the best
Gord

[Doug Jones]

Gord,
Being a new woodworker myself, one of the biggest bits of advise someone could of givin me is;

"you get what you pay for, you don't have to go big but go big enough" more so on the majorly low cost type tools. I'm not talking Craftsman or Ryobi, Skil, Black and Decker or the likes. I am refering to the even lesser costing brands. $29 for a plunge router is NOT a bargin. $150 table saw is NOT worth it. A $9 ros is NOT worth it.

[Ace Karner]

I would say that if you think that what you are about to do seems like it may not be safe it probably isn't.

[Phil Phelps]

..Haste makes waste.


Course I always follow my advise. That 's why I have no feelin in my index finger :(

[David Peebles]

Hello Gord,

I like your sign, it says it all.:) One rule that I have always lived by as far as woodworking.....

I always listen to that little voice in my head. It will tell me without fail if I am about to do something stupid or dangerous. I listen to it 100% of the time. I'm sure that it has saved me many many times. There is usually another way to do something if we just don't get in a hurry and think things through. It may take a little longer, but I still have all ten.

Best wishes,
Dave

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

One thing I would tell him is actually 3 fold, but it IS one sentence, so I count it as one............and all 3 tie together nicely.
"Work safely, be patient, and build what YOU like."
The rest will pretty much take care of itself with experience. ;)

[Jim Young]

Never take your eye off the blade. Everything else is secondary.

[Gary Hupp]

Relax, take your time, and enjoy!!!!

[Jim Becker]

In addition to the other suggestions that have already appeard, my advise to any woodworker, regardless of experience or skill, is to make sure that every project has something to challenge you; a new technique, a new material, a new design, etc. It's the only way to grow your skills.

[Ed Falis]

Jim,

That's advice I always try to follow - it's what keeps it alive.

Thanks,

- Ed

[David Klug]

Use the best tool you have, you're brain. ;)

Dave

[Dave Arbuckle]

" If you could give me just one piece of advice about woodworking, what would it be".

It would be: If you think any one piece of advice is of overwhelming importance, you should consider a different hobby. Woodworking is much too complex to be reduced to a single aphorism.

Dave

[David Rose]

"Don't listen to Ken". Whoops! Guess his advice was good this time. :D

Enjoy yourself or come back tomorrow.

David

[Roger Turnbough]

Electric motors, even little 1/3hp ones, don't slow down a bit when cutting meat and bone. (DAMHIKT) Be mindful of where your fingers and hands are.

Roger

[Jason Roehl]

I would say this: The best woodworkers have ten fingers.

[RJ Schuff]

Think Saftey First!

[Christian Aufreiter]

" If you could give me just one piece of advice about woodworking, what would it be".


... the most wonderful occupation one can imagine!

Give him a well-sharpened handplane, a piece of wood and he'll immediately discover what it's all about. Making shavings ...ssssshhh...

Regards,

Christian


PS: Let him read some posts and show him some shop pics.

[Daniel Rabinovitz]

Have respect and regard for your power equipment,
Especially spinning blades.
Concentrate on the operation at hand and don't be distracted.
:cool:

[nic obie]

Keep the glue bottle full.

[Bruce Page]

An old timer used to preach this to me when I was going through my machinist apprenticeship many years ago:

“There’s never enough time to do it right, but there’s always enough time to do it over.”

[Ian Barley]

Considering how many times I've had to adjust the dimensions of a product 'cos I just cut one piece 3/4" too short the mantra I always run in my head is "Everything has width"

[Paul Comi]

the advice I try to remind myself all the time when I do woodworking has to do with not trying to rush to get things done whether because I'm excited to get to work or because I'm short on time:

"Slow Down - Think Clearly"

[sascha gast]

i have to say that safety is the first, but in most cases

you will always find yourself shopping around for a tool you already own, you just outgrew the one you have already

but that's ok, 2 tablesaws(supersaw/PM66), 2 routers (ryobi/PC), 2 bandsaws(jet/laguna), 2 mortising machines(leigh FMT/jds multirouter)2 dust collectors(jet650/jet1200), 2jointers(jet 6"/oliver10") later, i have almost replaced my entire shop with the equipment i should have gotten in the first place. but what did i know then?????

sascha

[chris toomey]

safety...safety...safety...

[Frank Pellow]

Always unplug each electrically powered tool after you have used it. This applies, in particular, to large pieces of eqipment. such as table saws.

[Michael Stafford]

If you have children turn off the power at the main and lock the box when you are not in the shop.

[Harry Pye]

When you say, "That's good enough," that is as good as it will ever get!

[Donnie Raines]

While it is important to concentrate on what you are doing now....make sure you are thinking ahead. Take the time to draw things out if need be...prep work makes for an easier transition throughout the project....thus makes the entire experience enjoyable(except sanding......) and thats what it is all about!

Oh...if you see a board that you really like....buy it "now"....or somone else will..... :rolleyes:

[JayStPeter]

I'd say visit this place, sit down and read and learn from thousands of years of woodworking experience.

Jay

[larry merlau]

gord// i feel that they have pretty much said the main things that you could tell that fella. i think it could possibly be summed up by just few words// watch,listen,learn and ask questions. it has helped alot us get better, i am sure you did it with your father.

[Zahid Naqvi]

This is turning out to be a really good read for us newbies. Understandably, the electron burners have an overwhelming concern for safety. Now we need Dave Anderson, Alan Turner, Bob Smalser and some of the others to present the neander perspective.

[Chris Padilla]

If you have children turn off the power at the main and lock the box when you are not in the shop.
LOL! Yes, children LOVE to push buttons....

My advice:

There are always at least two ways to do something in woodworking:

(1) Push the tool through the wood or
(2) Push the wood through the tool

Usually one of the ways is the best choice for safety and control.

[Tyler Howell]

Missed this one. Can I add my pearls.

1) Always use sharp tools.
2Anything worth killing a tree for is worth doing right.

:cool:

[Mac McAtee]

Know where your fingers are at all times.

[Leif Hanson]

Don't think of the wood as a material... think of it as a medium.

[Shawn Battagler]

"Go jump in the Creek" (or Crick - depending on where you're from).

[Marshall Harrison]

Two simple rules:

1. In with ten out with ten.
2. Do whatever is necessary to keep from breaking rule number 1.

[Dave Right]

I would say " Safety, safety, safety ( and includes not just fingers but also eyes, ears and lungs) "

[Tom LaRussa]

Hi All,

A rookie woodworker asked me today " If you could give me just one piece of advice about woodworking, what would it be". I still haven't given him an answer yet, I can't think of a single piece of advice that stands head and shoulders above everything else...................what about you guys, what "one piece of advice" would you give this young fellow??

All the best
Gord
Learn how to sharpen and maintain your tools, and do both religiously.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I suppose I should add my $.025 (inflation you know).

It's all about safely executing your concept and plan, the wood doesn't care what brand or type of tool you use to get the result. A napped flint rock in the hands of a true craftsman can provide impressive results.

[Tom LaRussa]

Dave,

Regarding your statement that


A napped flint rock in the hands of a true craftsman can provide impressive results.
Does that hold true even if the napped flint rock is not made by Lie-Nielson? :confused:

:eek:

Just kidding folks!

:D :p

Tom

[Jerry Olexa]

!. Patience
2, Safety (Be careful)
3. Dont be critical of your results (only you generally see those mistakes)
4, Don't try to have every perfect tool A/O. Buy the BEST but only as u need them
5, Enjoy/Have Fun

[Alan Turner]

From an article on patternmakers in an old FWW:
If you see some in the shop hurring, he probably is either making a mistake, or fixing one.
Alan

[nic obie]

Hahahahhahahaa........

[Wade Samuelson]

"If somebody is going to jail at the end of the day, make sure it's your client and not you." Oh wait, that's for the office.

WOODWORKING: Have Fun! (When it ceases to be fun, you'll cease doing it).

[Carole Valentine]

Always put safety at the forefront. Go thru your checklist before hitting that power switch. After that...SQUARE! Square squares. Square tools. Square fences. Square stock. (Unless of course, he's one of those roly-poly guys!:D )

[Dennis Peacock]

(Unless of course, he's one of those roly-poly guys!:D )

Hey....hang on there Carole.....I resemble that remark!!! :D :p :p

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I agree with Jim and Ken's advice...those two have served me well! Ace good to see you on the forum, I'll be bringing you my manifold to bead blast & powdercoat clear soon!!

[Charlie Plesums]

I'm with Carole. A beginner has heard Norm talk about safety repeatedly, and probably won't practice it until they have a close call (hopefully only close). But the beginner probably doesn't pay nearly enough attention to flat and square - when they discover really flat and really really square a few years later, they will be amazed how much their work suddenly improves.

[Jim Becker]

But the beginner probably doesn't pay nearly enough attention to flat and square - when they discover really flat and really really square a few years later, they will be amazed how much their work suddenly improves.
Amen!! There are some folks out there in forum-land that are not happy with me due to my constant rants about how important a jointer is. This is the reason.

[Gary Sutherland]

Charge lots.

Get very rich.

Just kidding... Take 1 second before each power tool operation to ask yourself "Is this safe?" You will almost always know the answer, IF YOU ASK!

gary

[Tom LaRussa]

Go thru your checklist before hitting that power switch.
Yeah, like be sure to tighten the collet before you switch on the table-mounted router.

I had a "duck and cover" drill in my shop a couple weeks ago because I neglected that one. I was part way through the cut when I noticed that the big 3/4" (straight) plywood bit seemed to be getting taller. (I was trimming the edge of a piece of UHMW, so there was nothing above the bit to keep it from taking off.

I know, where in the world was the blade guard?

Not installed yet at that time. :o

Worst thing was I couldn't turn it off without putting my face near it, so I hit the floor and yanked the cord out of the wall.

:o Yikes. :o

[Dino Makropoulos]

LOL! Yes, children LOVE to push buttons....

My advice:

There are always at least two ways to do something in woodworking:

(1) Push the tool through the wood or
(2) Push the wood through the tool

Usually one of the ways is the best choice for safety and control.

Hi Chris. I will add ....
(1) Push the RIGHT tool thru the wood or
(2) Push the Right wood thru the right tool.
And remember that wood is ALIVE. And if you have to force (tool or wood)
something (1) or (2) (or both) is wrong.
YCF Dino

[Dino Makropoulos]

If you have children turn off the power at the main and lock the box when you are not in the shop.
Best advice so far.
Few thousand kids year after year.
I think a dead switch should be mandatory in all home shops.
And keep the kids out of the shop at all times.
YCF Dino

[Michael Stafford]

Hey Dino, Daddy's tools are just as dangerous as Daddy's gun... and just as interesting...

[Mark J Bachler]

Never take your eye off the blade. Everything else is secondary.


Exactly


(I don't know why they have a minimum word limit on posts? Makes it tough on us quiet guys)

There

[Ed Hardin]

When you get tired, QUIT! When you get tired you quit thinking, you hurry and you either foul up or hurt yourself.

[Jerry Ingraham]

I have a poster which is a print of a Norman Rockwell painting in which he is shown with his back to you at his easel looking around the canvas at another view of him from the back at his easel. He is painting the same view on his canvas. At the bottom it says "Every picture is a self portrait of the person who drew it". Whenever I am tempted to cut a corner, use a lesser material or hurry through something, I try to focus on that print and do the right thing.

[Kevin Hewitt]

Hey there Gord,

To quote 'Al the plumber' yet again,

"Use your head boy!"

Life becomes much easier once you know how to think.


Cheers,

Gump

[Mike Minto]

Wear your eye protection all the time, and any other gear appropriate to the task at hand. It's hard to function properly with missing pieces. Mike

[Derek Tuchscherer]

To quote a couple of coaches i've had...

"Anything worth doing, is worth doing properly."

"Practice does not make perfect....PERFECT practice makes perfect."

"If you aren't happy with the outcome, time to examine the execution"

[Rob Bodenschatz]

I love when these old threads come back. Makes me think of two guys sitting on the front porch, pausing in the middle of a sentence for, oh, about four years, and then continuing their conversation as if they never stopped.

Sorry. Anyway, I just saw this as a sig line on someone's post here. Can't remember who & too lazy to look it up. Sorry again. Goes something like this:

"If you don't have time to do it right, how are you going to have time to do it again?"

[Peter Quinn]

Is this a review or is this thread alive again?

If its alive, the best advice I was given was about measurement. Forget measure twice cut once, that's good advice for framers and masons.

Calculate sizes for accurate work from actual work pieces and story poles. Ever try to measure dovetails to lay out pins? Ever try to measure a mortise with a ruler to cut tenons? These are extreme examples to illustrate that a ruler is a crude and mostly arbitrary device, so use it as such and sparingly so. Rulers and pencils are the quick road mistakes.

That keep your eye on the blade and mind your hands concept is a close second, but I started with hand tools which tend to be marginally less dangerous. Not impossible but more difficult to severe a digit with a coping saw!:D

[Greg Cole]

I love when these old threads come back. Makes me think of two guys sitting on the front porch, pausing in the middle of a sentence for, oh, about four years, and then continuing their conversation as if they never stopped.
"If you don't have time to do it right, how are you going to have time to do it again?"

Rob,
I too seemingly spend more time on these threads that many of the current ones. As I read here in the last few months about the size of the SMC community seemingly diluting the sense of the friends on the porch feeling.... if that makes sense. The creek has evolved to something akin to the Mighty Miss. Many posts seemingly fall off the face of the earth in minutes with the volume of information coming in by the minute. The kind of discourse & discussion from this old post is seemingly rare here now, there is less real communication of substance and more about specific tools, which brand etc etc etc.... there is less and less exchange & discourse of ideas, approaches and skills. Ya know, the kind that ya have when you have a group of guys sitting around having a beer at the end of a day or shift... ya solve the price of oil, the globalized ecomonic issues and and tell eachother how you'd do this, that & everything else. You and a buddy disagree about Ford being better than Chevy, there's some info following to debate the points and some playful banter to go with (or in my redneck family a couple of fully grown men wind up hooking up truck to truck and having a truck pull to see which one is "better". True story).
I am not saying anything derogatory, just there is a different feel even since I've been around going on 2 years now.
The old post about drum sanders someone dug up got me thinking about this, and this post got me to the point where I have to speak up or I'll have the "conversation" in my head for a few more days.

Cheers.
Greg

[David Giles]

Quit asking questions and go cut some wood!

[Matt Hutchinson]

1: Never sacrifice quality in your workmanship.

2: Be intentional about developing your skills with hand tools. You can never have too much skill with hand tools.

Hutch

P.S. Yes, I know this is an old thread.

[Matt Ocel]

Spend your money wisely!

As tempting as it is sometimes, unless you really need it, don't buy it.
If I need a new tool, I don't buy it until I am litterally at that stage in the project that I need it.
i.e. - Bad tool purchases (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=61338&highlight=purchases)

P.S. Take your time and enjoy the process.(I still have a hard time with the take your time part.)

[Ronald Kellison]

"Stupidity can be very painful!"

You can always buy more wood, etc. but it's impossible to replace an eye or a finger. Blood is not generally regarded as an acceptable stain for wood!

Ron

[Prashun Patel]

Focus on measurement and safety and the rest will follow.

[John Thompson]

Pretty much everything has been covered so.. I will add this......

The difference between a wood-worker and a craftsman is not the fact the craftsman doesn't make mistakes... it it simply the craftsman knows how to fix them when made so the viewing eye will never know there was one....

Now.. go learn to be a craftsman and that doesn't happen by just talking about it. :)

Enjoy.. be patient.. think things through.. measure twice and think safety always... always think safety.....

Sarge..

[Cody Colston]

If you are scared of getting hurt, find another hobby.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I would tell them:

When you buy quality tools, regardless of price, you only cry once.

Doc

[Billy Chambless]

I would tell them:

When you buy quality tools, regardless of price, you only cry once.

Doc

Unless your ex-wife gets them in the settlement.

[Alan Schaffter]

Who dug up this old thread?

Woodworking can be an enjoyable lifelong hobby.

It is not about buying the biggest, baddest, most expensive tools or machines!

It is about learning about yourself, about wood, and how to use tools to translate your vision (any vision) into something made from wood. Remember that, and you won't need to sell your tools in a few years when you get bored with WWing.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

don't ruin it by making a business out of it.

[Tom Veatch]

... what "one piece of advice" would you give this young fellow??

Eschew impatience!

Never, never allow yourself to become impatient to finish a project.

[Richard McComas]

No time to read all the responses so if this is a repeat I apologize.


I would say, learn the capability and limitations of you tools and put safety first, the rest will come with time and practice.

[Jim King 200]

One piece of advice to always keep them happy.....

'THE MINOR IMPERFECTIONS, ADDS BEAUTY TO THE WORK'.

(at least it kept me from tossing a few projects on the bonfire) ;-)

[Billy Chambless]

Eschew impatience!

Never, never allow yourself to become impatient to finish a project.

Amen to that.

99% of the flaws in projects I've done can be traced back to impatience.