General Beginnings
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General Beginnings
I am a teenager who has almost never done any woodworking except building a book case when I was in third grade. I have renewed my interest in wood working and I need to do some projects that are at my skill level, which would be absolute novice. Any suggestions?
Projects for early woodworkers
Hey New Kid,
Good question and I'm proud of you for being able to just be honest about where you are in your woodworking skills. That's a hard thing for a lot of men to admit. Good job!! Stay honest with yourself and you'll go far!!!
I have several suggestions for you, but most of them have to do with what sorts of tools you have access to. Because you're on a Shopsmith forum, can we presume that you have access to a Shopsmith or some sort? Any accessories? Any SPTs (Special Purpose Tools, like bandsaw, jointer, beltsander, etc.?)
One of the very best "accessories" that is available to us as Shopsmith users is the owner's manual, especially when it comes with the Self-Study Guide. It says that it has 10 lessons, but each lesson has multiple projects.
Things that are practical and yet are still what I'd call "skill builders" could be great little projects for you. Jewelry boxes, or a dresser box for men, tool boxes and project boxes are good shop items. Trivets are great gifts for the home and the female relatives with cooking skills and entertaining desires in their repertoire. How 'bout picture or certificate frames? That could make you popular with the art department.
Indoor or outdoor flower boxes? Nice touches on a deck, made from a wood that doesn't rot easily. Assignment 13 in the self-study guide shows a picture frame that's about 10" across. If you put a bottom on it, it would be a nifty replacement for a basket that would hold buns or bread for dinner. And you could make it longer and narrower, with higher sides and it would also work for a loaf of bread cut up.
Bread boards, cutting boards, or cheese serving boards are kind of like trivets. They are welcome additions to kitchens or dining room tables. And they do get damages, so new ones are welcome, too. And you can decorate them and make them seasonal. Add a turkey, a Christmas tree, easter basket, a date to commemorate an occasion like a wedding or anniversary. Carve the decoration, paint it, burn it in with a pyrography set, use a scroll saw and cut it in with contrasting wood. LOTS of possibilities.
Do you like to play games? How 'bout a checker board with checkers that YOU make? Or, if you have more ambition, a nice chess set to go with your board? Does anyone play backgammon any more?? That's a lot trickier, but it would be a great project if you do that. Cribbage board if you know cribbage players.
And if you let us know what you like and what you've got, we'll add LOTS more thoughts!!! 8)
If you have a bandsaw, bandsaw boxes are fun and easy. There are a couple of books on those, and you can make 'em that will bring smiles to both adult and little kid faces. I saw one recently that looked a lot like an alligator with 3 "drawers" that was painted green with googly eyes, pink mouth, and nice white teeth.
If you learn to use the SS as a lathe, you can do little boxes that are great skill builders, and again, that are great presents for the ladies in your life, of all ages. And littler kids, too. All kids seem to be enthralled with something small that comes apart and into which they can put their "treasures". Ring boxes, change dishes for dad's dresser, all sorts of bowls and dishes can be made as you grow in skills. Some can be made with hand tools as well.
Again, presuming that you have a basic Shopsmith Mark V, and that you have this book, you can look there and find LOTS of good things that you can do "at your skill level" and that you can use to challenge yourself and help yourself grow.
Another great source is to visit your public library. There are a profusion of books available right now. If you have a decent sized library, like in a metropolitan area, plan to spend an afternoon or evening browsing the books. Find something that gets your attention, check the book out, and study. Build stuff!!
Another really great source is to visit your old high school and middle school shops and talk with the shop teachers. Tell 'em what you're interested in doing and you might just get some really good guidance.
Stay in touch with the group and tell us more about what kinds of woodwork excites your imagination and what sorts of tools you have at your disposal. And if you share with us where in the world you are, you might even find a mentor willing to work with you as you grow!
Good question and I'm proud of you for being able to just be honest about where you are in your woodworking skills. That's a hard thing for a lot of men to admit. Good job!! Stay honest with yourself and you'll go far!!!
I have several suggestions for you, but most of them have to do with what sorts of tools you have access to. Because you're on a Shopsmith forum, can we presume that you have access to a Shopsmith or some sort? Any accessories? Any SPTs (Special Purpose Tools, like bandsaw, jointer, beltsander, etc.?)
One of the very best "accessories" that is available to us as Shopsmith users is the owner's manual, especially when it comes with the Self-Study Guide. It says that it has 10 lessons, but each lesson has multiple projects.
Things that are practical and yet are still what I'd call "skill builders" could be great little projects for you. Jewelry boxes, or a dresser box for men, tool boxes and project boxes are good shop items. Trivets are great gifts for the home and the female relatives with cooking skills and entertaining desires in their repertoire. How 'bout picture or certificate frames? That could make you popular with the art department.
Indoor or outdoor flower boxes? Nice touches on a deck, made from a wood that doesn't rot easily. Assignment 13 in the self-study guide shows a picture frame that's about 10" across. If you put a bottom on it, it would be a nifty replacement for a basket that would hold buns or bread for dinner. And you could make it longer and narrower, with higher sides and it would also work for a loaf of bread cut up.
Bread boards, cutting boards, or cheese serving boards are kind of like trivets. They are welcome additions to kitchens or dining room tables. And they do get damages, so new ones are welcome, too. And you can decorate them and make them seasonal. Add a turkey, a Christmas tree, easter basket, a date to commemorate an occasion like a wedding or anniversary. Carve the decoration, paint it, burn it in with a pyrography set, use a scroll saw and cut it in with contrasting wood. LOTS of possibilities.
Do you like to play games? How 'bout a checker board with checkers that YOU make? Or, if you have more ambition, a nice chess set to go with your board? Does anyone play backgammon any more?? That's a lot trickier, but it would be a great project if you do that. Cribbage board if you know cribbage players.
And if you let us know what you like and what you've got, we'll add LOTS more thoughts!!! 8)
If you have a bandsaw, bandsaw boxes are fun and easy. There are a couple of books on those, and you can make 'em that will bring smiles to both adult and little kid faces. I saw one recently that looked a lot like an alligator with 3 "drawers" that was painted green with googly eyes, pink mouth, and nice white teeth.
If you learn to use the SS as a lathe, you can do little boxes that are great skill builders, and again, that are great presents for the ladies in your life, of all ages. And littler kids, too. All kids seem to be enthralled with something small that comes apart and into which they can put their "treasures". Ring boxes, change dishes for dad's dresser, all sorts of bowls and dishes can be made as you grow in skills. Some can be made with hand tools as well.
Again, presuming that you have a basic Shopsmith Mark V, and that you have this book, you can look there and find LOTS of good things that you can do "at your skill level" and that you can use to challenge yourself and help yourself grow.
Another great source is to visit your public library. There are a profusion of books available right now. If you have a decent sized library, like in a metropolitan area, plan to spend an afternoon or evening browsing the books. Find something that gets your attention, check the book out, and study. Build stuff!!
Another really great source is to visit your old high school and middle school shops and talk with the shop teachers. Tell 'em what you're interested in doing and you might just get some really good guidance.
Stay in touch with the group and tell us more about what kinds of woodwork excites your imagination and what sorts of tools you have at your disposal. And if you share with us where in the world you are, you might even find a mentor willing to work with you as you grow!
Dean Thomas
KCMO
520, jointer, bandsaw, stripsander
KCMO
520, jointer, bandsaw, stripsander
Thanks for the long and detailed response dean. I do not have a Shop Master or Smith (whichever one they are called.) but I do have pretty much all of the hand tools and some basic power tools (jig saw, sander, power drill, but not much else. Not table saws or band saws.) that I can loan from my dad.
I am mostly interested in making gifts for my family, storage for my garage and maybe a go-cart. Also stuff like small trebuchets and catapults. If you suggest any projects, please make them very simple, as I have no experience reading plans, or constructing much of anything.
I got to this forum because I googled beginning woodworking projects, but I do not have a shopsmith.
Thanks,
Max
I am mostly interested in making gifts for my family, storage for my garage and maybe a go-cart. Also stuff like small trebuchets and catapults. If you suggest any projects, please make them very simple, as I have no experience reading plans, or constructing much of anything.
I got to this forum because I googled beginning woodworking projects, but I do not have a shopsmith.
Thanks,
Max
Awright, Max!! We can help!
If you have hand saws and basic hand tools, you can do a lot. And knowing that we're talking about gifts for your family, we can again make LOTS of suggestions.
Shopsmith is the tool that's manufactured by the owners and managers of this site. Most of the folks here own and/or use one. It's a nifty power tool that is actually at least five tools that use one motor. Pretty cool tool. You can go to http://www.shopsmith.com to have a look at it, if you want.
Your public library is still your friend, when it comes to finding projects that you can handle. If you let me know by private message where you are (or put your city and state in your profile, if you're comfortable with that), I'll do a bit of online research to find out what your local library has that will help you. I've done this for lots of folks across the country.
In my last post, I suggested cutting boards, bread boards, and serving boards for things like cheese. And I suggested simple boxes that could be used for serving bread, too.
I hear you about being a little unsure about reading plans. I'm betting that you can do a lot better than you think you can, so long as the plans are well drawn and well conceived. Incomplete plans make every woodworker crazy! Don't think you're alone in that.
Things you'll have to practice are cutting straight lines and square lines. I'm sure you understand straight. Square has to do with making a reasonably close 90º cut. When you buy a quality board that is surfaced on all sides, the ends and edges are all at 90º to the surfaces. Every surface you look at is a perfect rectangle or square. If you can cut them square, that's a good thing. If you've got lousy saw skills, practice! NONE of us started out being able to draw or cut a straight line, even with the help of guides and jigs!! Some of us STILL have troubles with that!! Carefully cut a piece of scrap wood, after drawing a line that's square to the edge. Practice following the line (straight) and making sure to practice making that newly cut surface at 90º to the surface you've started with. Does that make sense to you?
Once you've got a cut pretty straight and pretty square, you can tidy it up with a wood plane or even files, rasps, and sandpaper. And until you're comfortable, you can do some creative things with surfaces that you already know to be good 90º angles that you can use as a guide.
Then, you can use those skills to start your projects. You can still make trivets by cutting grooves with hand tools. You can use saws and files and planes to shape a board to use as cutting, serving, or bread boards. You might even want to talk with your mom or grandmom and ask what a "good size" is for a cutting board. Once you know that, you want to look for a piece of maple for cutting boards or most any board for serving boards.
Those skills are also the beginning of shelves and boxes and most everything else, Max!
If you have more questions or want specifics, stay in touch!
If you have hand saws and basic hand tools, you can do a lot. And knowing that we're talking about gifts for your family, we can again make LOTS of suggestions.
Shopsmith is the tool that's manufactured by the owners and managers of this site. Most of the folks here own and/or use one. It's a nifty power tool that is actually at least five tools that use one motor. Pretty cool tool. You can go to http://www.shopsmith.com to have a look at it, if you want.
Your public library is still your friend, when it comes to finding projects that you can handle. If you let me know by private message where you are (or put your city and state in your profile, if you're comfortable with that), I'll do a bit of online research to find out what your local library has that will help you. I've done this for lots of folks across the country.
In my last post, I suggested cutting boards, bread boards, and serving boards for things like cheese. And I suggested simple boxes that could be used for serving bread, too.
I hear you about being a little unsure about reading plans. I'm betting that you can do a lot better than you think you can, so long as the plans are well drawn and well conceived. Incomplete plans make every woodworker crazy! Don't think you're alone in that.
Things you'll have to practice are cutting straight lines and square lines. I'm sure you understand straight. Square has to do with making a reasonably close 90º cut. When you buy a quality board that is surfaced on all sides, the ends and edges are all at 90º to the surfaces. Every surface you look at is a perfect rectangle or square. If you can cut them square, that's a good thing. If you've got lousy saw skills, practice! NONE of us started out being able to draw or cut a straight line, even with the help of guides and jigs!! Some of us STILL have troubles with that!!
Carefully cut a piece of scrap wood, after drawing a line that's square to the edge. Practice following the line (straight) and making sure to practice making that newly cut surface at 90º to the surface you've started with. Does that make sense to you?Once you've got a cut pretty straight and pretty square, you can tidy it up with a wood plane or even files, rasps, and sandpaper. And until you're comfortable, you can do some creative things with surfaces that you already know to be good 90º angles that you can use as a guide.
Then, you can use those skills to start your projects. You can still make trivets by cutting grooves with hand tools. You can use saws and files and planes to shape a board to use as cutting, serving, or bread boards. You might even want to talk with your mom or grandmom and ask what a "good size" is for a cutting board. Once you know that, you want to look for a piece of maple for cutting boards or most any board for serving boards.
Those skills are also the beginning of shelves and boxes and most everything else, Max!
If you have more questions or want specifics, stay in touch!
Dean Thomas
KCMO
520, jointer, bandsaw, stripsander
KCMO
520, jointer, bandsaw, stripsander
And don't forget, find your local woodshop teacher!! He or she will be THRILLED to talk with you. They absolutely live for the day that the woodworking bug bites one of their students and will go out of their way to help you learn and help provide projects that will satisfy you and will stretch you juuuuuust enough to help you grow.
Keep in touch and let us know what you're working on, and the paths you end up on, Max.
Keep in touch and let us know what you're working on, and the paths you end up on, Max.
Dean Thomas
KCMO
520, jointer, bandsaw, stripsander
KCMO
520, jointer, bandsaw, stripsander
Hi,
My vote would be for making something you are really interested in, say the trebuchet. You could make a desk-top version such as the ones shown at:
http://www.trebuchet.com
They even have kits so you could always get a kit to see how they make them and then see how you can use the tools you have access to as a way of making a couple more of them. You could always find a couple of people in the family who would think them interesting right?
I would see if you can find someone in your family or one of your friends familys who wouldn't mind working with you on a few small projects and who can make sure you do them with safety in mind. If that fails then look to a local community college/trade school who might offer some beginner classes. (I know some experenced wood workers who took the classes to have access to the shop tools.......) A few hours of working with someone who knows what they are doing and someone who you can go back to for questions that come up will save you a lot of time and $$ as you get started.
Picking out a few additional tools might be helpful too. You don't have to send a lot to have some things that really help out. For example my daughter use to help me out on projects and I soon learned she had no idea how to read a ruler... so I picked up one that had the fractions marked on it 1/16, 1/8, etc. it made all the difference to her. She's 27 now and I bet she still has the ruler even though she doesn't need it anymore..... maybe she will even pass it on to one of her kids....
Anyway a few idea from me.
Ed
My vote would be for making something you are really interested in, say the trebuchet. You could make a desk-top version such as the ones shown at:
http://www.trebuchet.com
They even have kits so you could always get a kit to see how they make them and then see how you can use the tools you have access to as a way of making a couple more of them. You could always find a couple of people in the family who would think them interesting right?
I would see if you can find someone in your family or one of your friends familys who wouldn't mind working with you on a few small projects and who can make sure you do them with safety in mind. If that fails then look to a local community college/trade school who might offer some beginner classes. (I know some experenced wood workers who took the classes to have access to the shop tools.......) A few hours of working with someone who knows what they are doing and someone who you can go back to for questions that come up will save you a lot of time and $$ as you get started.
Picking out a few additional tools might be helpful too. You don't have to send a lot to have some things that really help out. For example my daughter use to help me out on projects and I soon learned she had no idea how to read a ruler... so I picked up one that had the fractions marked on it 1/16, 1/8, etc. it made all the difference to her. She's 27 now and I bet she still has the ruler even though she doesn't need it anymore..... maybe she will even pass it on to one of her kids....
Anyway a few idea from me.
Ed
If you tell me your country and state, I'll tell you where to look. Deal?new_kid1 wrote:thanks again dean. Unfortunately, I do not have a shop teacher. I will e-mail you where I am located, but I think that is not necessary as I can look from my own computer. Where do you need to go?
Dean Thomas
KCMO
520, jointer, bandsaw, stripsander
KCMO
520, jointer, bandsaw, stripsander