what would be a nice first project...

[Patrick Melchior]

what would be a nice, first, project that will build confidence and skill? pics and drawings are welcome.

[Bill White]

Ahhhh, well, oh gosh, .....For whom?
My mentor had me build a square box. Don't laugh, just a box, but SQUARE. Try it. You might be surprised at the issues you will face. Any size, just square.
Bill

[Joe Chritz]

Depends on what you need. If there is a project you need for the house pick that and make it simple.

Garage/storage cabinets are nice since it doesn't matter if you mess them up as much.

Joe

[Ben Martin]

A workbench, so you have something to build projects on...

[Mike McCann]

the woodwhisperer's cutting boards is a great confidence builder with the table saw and planer

[Al Willits]

"""""""
Garage/storage cabinets are nice since it doesn't matter if you mess them up as much.
"""""""""

Agreed, they will help ya learn how to make things square, and doors, hinges, shelfs and drawers amoung other things can all be tried here, I did 4 before I got one I liked, but I also have 4 cabinets to store stuff in now.

Have fun.

Al

[Pat Germain]

I second the cutting board suggestion. You'd be very surprised at how much you can learn by making what is essentially a "block of wood". And, no matter how many you make, there are always people who want one. :)

Much of the skills developed from making cutting boards are in proper setup and use of tools. It's also good experience for working with hardwoods. Before I started making cutting boards, I had only worked with pine. Hardwood is a completely different story.

Many basic and essential techniques are involved with making cutting boards: ripping, crosscutting, gluing, planing, sanding, rounding over edges and finishing. It's applicable in just about any future project.

If you go to the Wood Whisperer web site, look for his "A Cut Above" segments. You'll find yourself watching them again and again as you make your cutting boards. He uses maple and purple heart in his board, but you don't have to. You could use maple and walnut, for example.

[Greg Hines, MD]

The first project we ever did in woodshop was a simple book rack. Make the ends any shape you like, and then connect them with a pair of dowels, glued into one end, and open on the other so that you can adjust it.

Sorry, no pictures, that was a long time ago.

Doc

[Russ Sears]

I'm pretty unskilled at this as well. I'm not sure if it was my first project or not but I made a simple shelving unit years ago. Nothing fancy. It suited my skills and tools at the time.
I've made a few since then which were a little more complicated and had things like routed dadoes for shelf supports and rabbets for joinery.
Shelving is always useful around the home.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
- A worksurface is a good starting project. From there, you can build a workbench, and convert the previous worksurface to storage cabinets. There's a bunch of free "workbench" plans on the net.
- Shop cabinets made of 3/4" B/C plywood let you make "cheap" mistakes.
- Sawhorses - there's more to them than the 2x4 "kits" you buy for about $10.00, minus the 2x4's.
- Crosscut sled for the table saw. (google David Marks)
- Jigs, jigs and more jigs.

[RickT Harding]

I've not hit a year since I bought my TS so I'm going through this. I started with a double door shop cabinet which has been the handiest thing and got me doing dados, rabbets, M/T doors with a panel. Made a bunch of mistakes and learned a lot. It wouldn't go inside the house, but works great.

Then I put together a rolling cart for under the TS wing. Again, so handy to have now that it's done. No drawings, just wing'd the whole thing. Learned about building drawers, dealing with slides, etc.

Finally I'm working on my first "inside" project doing a hall table which really isn't that involved. Of course, it's the first time that finishing matters so I'd suggest you actually take the finish on the first test stuff seriously instead of just foam brushing on poly to get it done quick.

[keith ouellette]

Start with a flat and square piece of wood. It doesn't sound like much but it is one thing you will always need to do. (I am assuming you haven't made one yet)

Then make a simple box with a lid and maybe a dado bottom and box joint sides, something you can use and keep.

They are great first projects. I started to build my first project before I decided to make a flat square piece of wood. I stopped my first project and then worked on making a flat square. You can't do anything with being able to make a flat square. I'm still very green though.

[Matt Schell]

adirondack chair

[Ben Cadotte]

What do you have for tools? I would start with something for the shop. Maybe a storage cabinet / workbench. Can be done with straight edge and a handsaw if thats all you have (guessing you have more). But would be a very useable space for future projects, and a place to put more tools as your going to want more. Woodworking is like illegal drugs. Once you get a taste for it. You gotta have more and more. :D

But with a cabinet bench. You will always have something to look at and be proud of, when your constantly in the shop doing other projects. Building a cabinet style bench is really not that tough for as large as it is. Be a very good confidence builder. And again don't need alot of fancy tools to do it.

[Ryan Eldridge]

It is funny I am pretty much just starting out and am going through most of the first projects they are talking about in here. My first project was a recipe holder and napkin holder, I practiced doing some resawing, and getting things flat and square used up a ton of extra wood on this just trying to get something decent.

Second project was a few cutting boards. This worked out nicely because I was able to use cutoffs from the hardwood store so it was fairly cheap for the wood and it forced me to flatten, cross cut, resaw for some splines and cut in some dados.

My next project is going to be a couple of adirondack chairs for the deck. I am getting some reclaimed cedar and will be starting this in a week or two.

My suggestion would be look at the smaller projects first because you can use a lot of scrap and cutoffs that do not cost a lot of money and you will get some good practice.

[Mike Cutler]

Ahhhh, well, oh gosh, .....For whom?
My mentor had me build a square box. Don't laugh, just a box, but SQUARE. Try it. You might be surprised at the issues you will face. Any size, just square.
Bill

Did you have to use a different joint on each side? In school we did.:eek:,:mad:,:rolleyes:
This is actually a pretty tough project/test. One that I'm willing to bet would give even a seasoned woodworker a fairly good challenge.;)

[Patrick Melchior]

I have ts ridgid 3650, makita 10" sliding compound saw, hitachi router (fixed and plunge), benchtop drill press, palm sanders, 1/2 sheet sanders, and two belt sanders. I am hoping to pick up a chisel set for my bday (mar 11).

[Bill Huber]

So do you have a place to put everything.....??

I guess one of the first things that I did was to build my shop cabinets, a place to everything and everything in its place as they say.

You can build them cheap and they are not hard to build.

http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/image/80076089

http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/image/81503098

Then there is always a sled for the TS and a table and fence for the drill press.

[Ed Jolin]

A lot depends on what you're interested in, and what sort of projects you find satisfying. Some folks like improving their shop - a workbench, zero clearance inserts for your ts, push sticks, feather boards, tablesaw sled, storage cabinets, taper jig, simple router table. Or utility furniture for inside - sitting benches, step stools, cutting boards (mentioned), simple end table (four legs+apron+top), low bookcase on a base. Or gift type things - small boxes w/ lid (I find these can be deceptively challenging, as was mentioned before; one of my least favorite projects!), checker/chess board, bird house/feeder. One of my first projects was actually a picnic table and benches; which I subsequently used as a workbench for awhile before moving it outside.

I think with the tools you listed, you could probably build any of those things. Without a planer, you'll be mostly working with dimensioned lumber, which isn't so bad, but something to consider as you're planning.

Personally, when I'm looking for some low stress, satisfying shop time, I like building benches and stools because they are simple, have only a few parts, doesn't require a lot of tooling or complicated setups/jigs, are forgiving of mistakes, and usually I have something useful after only one or two half days in the shop.

Work safe -
ed

[glenn bradley]

Ahhhh, well, oh gosh, .....For whom?
My mentor had me build a square box. Don't laugh, just a box, but SQUARE. Try it. You might be surprised at the issues you will face. Any size, just square.
Bill

Yes Grasshopper . . . then build one square and exactly 6" on a side . . . (listen for the distant sound of Tibetan bells). All kidding (or semi-kidding) aside, those are excellent excersises. I made a rolling worktable with drawers as my first and last project to be built on the shop floor.

82025

Many other shop fixtures followed and I used construction techniques and styles that were completely unnecessary on a shop cabinet but, helped me build my skills.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39951&d=1149293260

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=79075&d=1200153815

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=54206&d=1167872154

If quick completion and simple construction is the goal:
- Cutting board (not an end grain version)
- Serving tray
- Shallow wall shelf or mirror with shelf
- Small boxes

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=70971&d=1188662295

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=81820&d=1203199627

- Small wall mounted unit

82026

The reason I keep saying small is that it will eliminate the need to glue up panels or use any "more developed" joinery techniques. HTH

P.s. FWW magazine online (and probably others) have a bunch-o-stuff if you do a search on "small projects".

[Tom Henderson2]

Hi Glenn-

I noticed you built one of the pivot-top units for your planer & chop saw. Do you find that it is rigid enough?

Did you provide some sort of angle bracing to reduce racking? I've always wondered how a cabinet like that could be rigid enough to support some very heavy tools with neither a front nor a back... clearly they work since many folks have built them, but I just wondered how you handled that issue.

Thanks. Nice work and nice looking shop.

-Tom H.

[Danny Thompson]

How about a simple sitting bench.

Milling stock to size, cutting square and true. mortise and tenon joinery (option: wedged, through-tenons), rough planing (or smoothing, if you prefer).

Here is a simple one:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=70868&d=1188503149

Close-up of "hand-scraped" (actually, a cambered blade on a block plane) finish:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=70869&d=1188503163

Here is a link to a similar thread:

$100.00 and 8 days what would you make (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=64500)

Good luck.

[glenn bradley]

Hi Glenn-

I noticed you built one of the pivot-top units for your planer & chop saw. Do you find that it is rigid enough?

Did you provide some sort of angle bracing to reduce racking? I've always wondered how a cabinet like that could be rigid enough to support some very heavy tools with neither a front nor a back... clearly they work since many folks have built them, but I just wondered how you handled that issue.

Thanks. Nice work and nice looking shop.

-Tom H.

I was skeptical at first as well and built mine stouter than the ones I borrowed the ideas from. The base is a 2-1/2" toe kick that is structural. The top provides a 2-1/2" x 24" surface on each side for support. The pivot is a 1" oak dowel with an additional pivot support that you can see in the pic. All this combined with the four 5/16" screw down corner locks makes a surprisingly ridgid structure. Once I lock the wheels, if the stand is not quite in the right position I can lift one end and pivot it to correct without any sign of racking. Just got lucky I guess.

The stand currently houses the planer and a combo sander. I found that I needed the CMS a little more handy. I generally use infeed and outfeed roller stands with the planer (especially for my planer sled as I still have no large jointer). Changing the setup to make a couple quick cuts with the CMS became unreasonable. This of course, has to do with my methods of work and may not apply to you at all.

I did a bunch-o-pics for another member once upon a time showing more detail. PM me with an email that will accept attachments and I will send them to you if you are interested. Maybe I should re-size them and post them here(?).