Several things I wish I had known when I started woodworking:
- Plastic gloves are great for glue ups and finishing
- Respirators and filters are mandatory
- Start sanding with a coarser grade of sandpaper than you think
- Clamps and vises beat using your knees to hold down work
- Cross cut sleds are worth their weight in gold
- Hand tools are the better choice in some circumstances
- Milling shortcuts aren't
- Dust collection, dust collection, dust collection
- Plywood is good
- Finishing is a necessary evil (for me)
- Save your jigs
- Stop blocks are good
- All power tools require setup/calibration
- Blue tape helps in setup
- You need a good hand saw
These would have made my early attempts at woodworking easier