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Thread: New to Woodworking

  1. #1

    New to Woodworking

    Hi All,

    My name is Steve. Nice to meet everyone. After moving into our new house in the Dallas area, I realized a few things while furniture shopping. 1. It's hard to find the color and the style that we want and when we find it, it's not too affordable. 2. Even if we can afford the piece, after careful inspection, the quality is just not there. 3. Finding 1 piece of furniture then trying to find another to match it is even harder. After many nights of browsing, I am starting to think building my own furniture might just be the best way to go. Instead of jumping into it I would like to know more about woodworking and learn more about it before I turn my garage into a shop and be able to give my wife good reasons why our garage will be filled with saw dust =) I understand that power tools are not a requirement but it definitely helps when it comes to woodworking. I currently have a power drill, 12" dual bevel sliding miter saw, circular saw, and a kreg jig k5 kit. It seems like I would need a table saw, planer, and/or jointer to make pieces flat and square since the lumber from either the yard or BORG are just rough cuts? My second question is that, I currently do not have a workbench. Can I make a workbench with the tools that I currently have or should I buy one to start with then make a workbench as I go? Any suggestions on books, website, and YouTube videos that I should watch before I first attempt on anything? It would be great if I can find a mentor but unfortunately I do not know anyone who is into woodworking. Any advice for a newbie like me would be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    Steve, welcome to SMC and the wonderful world of woodworking.

    You have a good start on basic tools and you've mentioned a few things to add that will insure you have the things you need to make things as you learn the ropes. Please be sure to add dust collection to your list...it's important. Really.

    I'm going to caution you on one thing, however. While your ultimate goal may be to make furniture for your home, please be realistic about the time it will take for you to learn and get comfortable with the techniques to make quality pieces. Start out with simple goals...a book case; a side table, etc., and work your way up to more involved projects. Get some successes under your belt. There are many SMC community members in your area, so hopefully, you'll start meeting some folks that you can commiserate with over donuts and coffee, too.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Silicon Valley, CA
    Posts
    1,048
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Hsu View Post
    ... I am starting to think building my own furniture might just be the best way to go. ...
    Welcome. While I'm not sure someone needing the answers you seek can fill a house with furniture in a timely manner, that's not what you ask.

    First suggestion I have is to find a class. I don't know what specifically is available in your area, but shops (e.g. many Woodcrafts), maker spaces, community colleges, and even adult ed at your local high school are possibilities. There are many specialty schools that offer courses, though again I don't know of any around Dallas.

    My other suggestion is less about your specific tools, but rather a thought about selecting tools to meet your need. E.g. a table saw is traditionally the center of a home workshop. But they are big and the goods ones are expensive. I think you can do anything a table saw can do with a track saw, though usually less conveniently. (A few things, e.g. breaking down panel goods are easier with a good track saw. So trade offs.) Another example is a home planer. Seems like most people find it a huge work saver, but some find its limits constraining and frustrating. (If you have space & money for a 20" planer and 20" joiner, go for it! I'm jealous! ) Even with a planer, you need a way to flatten your first side & square an edge. Many compromise & use hand planes. If well set up and used with skill, they can be surprising efficient and some find they enjoy planing to thickness too and stick with just planes. (See Neanderthal sub-forum.) Etc. etc.

    I'd pick a project and get anything I didn't have to complete it. (Maybe asking for more specific advice then.)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    McKinney, TX
    Posts
    2,063
    Steve, welcome to our forum and welcome to woodworking. There is a club in town called The North Texas Woodworkers Assoc. Web site I’d NTWA.Org. We meet on the third Tues of every month at 7:00 pm. Check out the website. There are usually 35-40 at every meeting. From newcomers to serious hobbyists with 30-40 years experience to pro’s with the same.
    I’m about 45 minutes north of Dallas near McKinney. You are welcome to call and come by any time.
    Steve Jenkins, McKinney, TX. 469 742-9694
    Always use the word "impossible" with extreme caution

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    Steve was actually one of the folks I was thinking about in the Dallas area. LOL And clearly, he knows where you can connect with a whole bunch of folks!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
    Posts
    28,504
    Steve,

    Welcome to the Creek and woodworking. It's like owning a boat. Woodworking will consume what ever dollars you want to contribute!

    I would highly recommend the organization that Steve recommends or others. Getting mentors to guide you in the process of gaining the precise skills to make quality furniture is, by far, the quickest way to gain those skills. Take advantage of it every chance you can!

    Again, welcome to the Creek!
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Marietta, GA
    Posts
    275
    I'd get a table saw before a track saw unless you plan on building everything out of plywood. They're just way more versatile. If you don't want to be sitting on the floor, or milk crates, for a long time you will need a jointer and planer, not hand planes. That's assuming you already have a full time job and plan to keep it and can't devote 40 hours plus a week to building furniture. I started to list some other things you'll probably want/need, but then I realized how long it would be. Probably the best thing to do is start with simple projects like Jim said and see what tools you need as you go. You can do a lot with a little, it's just going to take longer. I could easily buy a house full of high end furniture for less than what I have invested in tools. If you're not planning on keeping up the hobby or doing more for other people or on the side don't think of this as a way to save money.

    As for a workbench, they're more a necessity for hand tools than power tools. I've been doing this professionally for almost 10 years now and don't have a traditional workbench. I do have two 4' x 8' outfeed/assembly/glue-up/finishing tables. They are reasonably flat with 3/4" MDF tops and no dog holes, vises, etc. you find on work benches. When I do need to hold a work piece I usually just clamp it to the edge of the table, and on occasion clamp a clamp to the table to hold it. Although I don't have one, a Moxon vise (google it) would be a compromise.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Phoenix AZ Area
    Posts
    2,505
    Welcome to woodworking. Lots of folks enter the hobby with the objectives you stated. I would echo what some others said.
    1) it will take you time to develop the skills to make things that rival commercial furniture
    2) if you can find what you want off the shelf, it's probably not a lot cheaper to make it yourself.
    3) if you want things that would have be be custom made, either to fit a particular space, design, finish, sytle, etc and not available off the shelf, it will be cheaper to make yourself.
    4) nothing you make will be even close to the price of anything from Ikea.
    5) If you take the hobby up, the things you make will be very special to you and you will get a bolt of joy every time you see them. 37 years ago I made a hope chest for my wife who at the time was not yet my fiance. It is very crude by my current standards but every time I walk past it I get a jolt of joy.
    6) go to a store that sells hardwood lumber and hardwood veneer plywood. You will find that quality Hardwood ply is around $100 per 4 by 8 sheet. Hardwood lumber is more per square foot. When building you will have about 30-40% waste so count that into the "savings" you are looking to achieve. Then there are drawer slides, finish, hardware, etc. I routinely spend $20 per door/drawer just on the pull, and another $20-40 per drawer on slides. Mind you this is for very premium quality furniture but this stuff adds up and the savings you want to see may not be there.

  9. #9
    Thank y'all for the encouragement and the heads up about woodworking. I am way passed the point where I would consider Ikea as a furniture store. It's more of a death trap to me if a fire would ever occur if you know what I mean. My main goal is not just make my own furnitures but it's really to have a hobby that I can focus and enjoy. Whether my work is ugly or unpolished, it will be something I am always willing to and can improve on. It's a learning process for sure and it seems that everyone here enjoy woodworking very much which leads me to believe that there is got to be a secret to the joy.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Pueblo, CO
    Posts
    328
    My first furniture project was a pair of end tables. My tool set was a skill saw, jig saw, 1/4 sheet pad sander, and a 3/8 drill (all from sears). I also had (and still have) a workmate. My shop was in a spare bedroom. The tables were made from construction grade 2x4s and were held together with lag bolts. When they were done, they could support a truck. We kept them for 20 years or so before we passed them along. I think they're still in service in a family cabin.

    After 40 some years of practice, skills and tools have improved. I can build just about anything my wife can dream up and some of my projects even win prizes. This is a hobby that can serve you well for many years to come, it just takes practice and a patient family. Anything you build will likely take much longer to get in place than if you went out and bought it, but it will be a source of pride and a chronicle of your increasing skills. I mark and date each of my pieces to help keep track. The grand kids look for the mark on the things I make them.

    The internet is a great source of information, but you can get bogged down in "best" debates to the point of not doing anything. Resist the urge to find the "best" and find what works for you. The way to figure that out is to build stuff and try the techniques. Only you can decide what is best for you. I love old tools, and have amassed quite a few over the years. I don't think any of them are "best" examples, but they all get the job done. Yes, I have a few oddities that I picked up along the way that don't work well, but I don't recall every paying more than $10 for a tool that I didn't expect to work well.

    Welcome to SMC.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Austin Texas
    Posts
    1,957
    Welcome Steve. If you are ever in the Austin area, come by my place and you can see a garage building turned completely into a woodworking shop (e.g. no lawnmower lives there). I think you have expressed some of the same thoughts concerning woodworking that many of us have had over the years and could have the advantage of taking up Steve's and the NTWA's availability to help you get where you want to be. Something like that would have made a big difference with my startup in woodworking. Advise - Take your time on tool/equipment acquisition, as your perceived needs will change as you become more experienced. A You tube/web based power-tool woodworking guy that comes to mind for some "how-to" viewing is called the Wood Whisperer. He does seem to own every power tool imaginable, but it is good to see how things come together in his shop. Just clicking on to his videos will lead you to others. Stay away from, or at least watch for "how-not-to", the guys that use pocket crews exclusively to put everything together. Pocket screws have their use, fine furniture assembly is most likely not the best use of their attributes. Build a workbench out of BORG "tuba fours" and plywood ( I use through carriage bolts on the legs and stretchers rather than nails) with a lower shelf and that will get you started. That bench, doubled as a table saw outfeed table, has been the mainstay of many, many woodshops. Someone else told you to definitely plan for dust control if you go the power tool route and I heartily second that advise. And then there is the whole "hand-tool woodworking" path.........................
    David

  12. #12
    Steve,

    Ikea is actually ok for cabinets, bookcases, builtins, etc. My brother has used their cabinets many times in kitchen remodels. I was pretty skeptical when I saw the cabs I was impressed with the quality. Cabinets are one thing, but when it comes to furniture, you, like many of us find it impossible to buy furniture, from a store. Some of it isn't even furniture IMO.

    Suggestions and a word of caution:

    --Build a workbench before you do anything. There are many designs that employ sheet goods that work just fine. Later on, when you build your 'once for life' workbench, use it as an assembly table.

    --Your first machine purchase will be a tablesaw. It is the core of a ww'ing shop. I suggest looking for a used contractor saw with a good name like Powermatic, Delta or Rockwell (old Delta). Pay close attention to the fence. I would stay away from the older craftsman machines especially the ones with the grip fence handle you tighten they are dangerous machines.

    --Buy surfaced lumber at a hardwood supplier. This will delay the need for a jointer or planer, which are big expenses.

    --Educate yourself. Surrounding yourself with ww'ers is a very good thing so if there are any clubs absolutely join up!! There are tons of very good videos on UYT (Univerist of You Tube) as well as websites. Paul Sellers will teach you a lot about layout, marking and measuring as well as joinery and hand tools. Fine Woodworking has an excellent library of information and videos that are well worth the membership fee.

    Last but not least, don't make the mistake I did and start out with cheap tools. I had the mindset that since I'm not very skilled I should buy cheap tools to learn on. BIG mistake!! I can promise you inferior quality tools will hinder your skill development and lead to frustration and self-doubt. Sometimes that's what the budget dictates but its so important I would work with a few quality handtools until I could afford a quality machine.

    Which leads to my final point: concentrate on developing hand tool skills before you get into a lot of machine work. Use simple projects to practice joinery skills and be prepared to chuck a bunch of stuff in the burn pile.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Jenkins View Post
    Steve, welcome to our forum and welcome to woodworking. There is a club in town called The North Texas Woodworkers Assoc. Web site I’d NTWA.Org. We meet on the third Tues of every month at 7:00 pm. Check out the website. There are usually 35-40 at every meeting. From newcomers to serious hobbyists with 30-40 years experience to pro’s with the same.
    I’m about 45 minutes north of Dallas near McKinney. You are welcome to call and come by any time.
    Steve sure is a great name! I used to live in McKinney and recently moved to The Colony so I do know the McKinney area quite well. I will definitely give you a call to set a time for a good chat.

    Thank everyone for the warm welcome and replies so far. I was thinking my first project would be a coffee table and two side tables but after the suggestions, I believe building a workbench would be my first project. I have seen work bench that's very elaborate to something very simple but useful. Any plans that you guys recommend? Hoping for one that I can do with a sliding miter saw and a drill.

    As far as saw table is concerned, I am considering either the Delta 36-6020 or the DeWalt DWE7490 RS - Opinion on those picks?

    I have a 3 car garage with 2 cars parked so my space is limited to that one car garage unfortunately. Dust collection is a must but I think a shop vac would be all I can fit at the moment =\

  14. #14
    Steve,

    I'll make the assumption that you're married since you said "our house". If you have plans on getting into woodworking to save money by furnishing an entire house, you're going to be in for a disappointing ride. If you were young and single, you could probably pull it off, because... well... young guys can go for years using cardboard boxes as bedside tables next to a mattress on the floor. It's going to take years to get set up with tools, learn how to use them, how to work wood, how to design furniture, how to finish furniture, and then actually build the furniture that you want. They'll be countless mistakes and learning experiences along the way. As you advance, you'll decide that you want different tools and may regret buying some of the earlier ones. Going years without furniture will put a lot of stress on your marriage. You'll find that the time and money invested in tools, setting up a shop and building the furniture will not save you nearly as much money (if any) as you think.

    My suggestion would be to buy furniture. Maybe cheaper furniture than you would like to have eventually, or maybe even used furniture off Craigslist. Make your home comfortable. Happy wife = happy life. Once you get your home in order, then you can decide to take on woodworking. Start small, make something simple. Buy a new tool for every project. You'll get a good feel for what YOU need and want in tools (never go out and buy all the tools that someone else tells you that you need) . Build a workbench. Always make sure that you spend time with your family. Eventually, you'll gain the skills to build high quality furniture and you can add to the furniture that you have, or even replace some of the things that you don't like.

    If the hobby hooks you, it will be a very rewarding and satisfying part of your life that you will enjoy for many years. If you go in full tilt to build a house full of furniture with time pressures, you are not going to have the same happy outcome. Not trying to bum you out, just trying to put some perspective into what you're trying to accomplish. Welcome to the forum! Lots of experienced woodworkers here to help you when you get stuck or don't understand something.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Upland CA
    Posts
    5,548
    One step at a time.

    You need a workbench to do anything, so go to your local Habitat Restore and buy a SOLID CORE used door, for $10-20. Put it across two sawhorses, and you have your first workbench.

    Then, make your first project, building some drawer cabinets to replace the sawhorses. This will be a learning experience, so make them out of ply, or even particle board.

    It's all practice, for when you do a real project for the house. A good starter would be a bookcase.
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
    FWW wannabe.
    AKA Village Idiot.

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