Projects for a beginner

[billme]

I really appreciate the input.
Very good ideas.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the deal with a cutting board. I do not quite get what woodworking that employs, other than sanding and edge routing? What am I missing here?

"Sunny" Vancouver home of the 2010 "WINTER" olympics.

thank you,

Bill

[toolbelt diva]

What great advice and suggestions! This is all helpful to me too as a beginner. My ultimate project is also an entertainment center, but I know I have to start small first. I quickly put together two raised garden planters a couple of weeks ago and a couple corners were not too square, so when we discussed the much into the future entertainment center the LOML expressed a little concern whether it's corners would be square. LOL. I think it mostly had to do with the slightly non-flat boards from HD.

[Cubsfan]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the deal with a cutting board. I do not quite get what woodworking that employs, other than sanding and edge routing? What am I missing here?

Take a look at this video:

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/episode-7-a-cut-above-part-1/

As woodworking goes, that's not exactly the most difficult project ever. It did make for a very nice way to create something useful in a pretty short amount of time. For me, it was a very good confidence builder.

[Mr__Bill]

I really appreciate the input.
Very good ideas.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the deal with a cutting board. I do not quite get what woodworking that employs, other than sanding and edge routing? What am I missing here?

"Sunny" Vancouver home of the 2010 "WINTER" olympics.

thank you,

Bill

Cutting boards give you a chance to play with different woods and glues. Practice making perfect cuts, square and straight and how to fix them if they are not. Practice glue ups, it's the same procedure as for a big panel for a dresser or table. You get to perfect your ability to plane or sand things flat and if there are dips and hollows, who cares? They don't take much wood and are an inexpensive project. You can give them away to friends and family or the church bazaar. It makes you feel real productive when after a few hours of work you have a finished project. Unlike some things you make (I made) when done right they last almost for ever. I still use the first cutting board that I made back in 1974! The table however selfdistructed in a sunny breakfast nook.

Bill

[JimD]

My projects have always been something that we needed, or at least wanted, that I could figure out a way to make. Initially it was pine shelving boards, butt joints, and glues and screws. I still sanded them and clear finished them and they are mostly still in use. I built a dresser that was not square making the drawers difficult but I still have it and it holds things in the basement bedroom my son uses. The next chest I made is in the upstairs guest bedroom. It is much more square and works much better.

I don't think you have to start small but you have to decide what sort of joints you are going to use and how to make them. If you want an entertainment center, for instance, do you also need shelves in the garage? If so, I could buy some CD plywood at the home center (cheap and strong enough) and make the garage shelves using the same joints as the entertainment center. If the first one is not great, build another and I bet it will be better. They garage shelves will add to your and your wife's confidence before tackling an entertainment center made of more expensive materials and used in a way that errors are more obvious.

Jim

[Shep]

I really appreciate the input.
Very good ideas.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the deal with a cutting board. I do not quite get what woodworking that employs, other than sanding and edge routing? What am I missing here?

"Sunny" Vancouver home of the 2010 "WINTER" olympics.

thank you,

Bill

A cutting board is a great project that combines basic skills. If you're making and end grain cutting board it helps to refine your gluing, clamping, surfacing, edge routing, table saw and sanding skills. With the table saw it will give you the opportunity to setup a stop block system to make repeated cuts. It also gives you experience with finishing with a food safe finish that resembles most oil-based wipe on finishes.

There really is more than you think.

Once again pick something that you need. Some of my best projects have involved unique items around our house. I've built them because we have a need for a specific solution that can't be found at a store, or can be built for less $$. Also, by building something you will use frequently, you will learn over the years what you did well with the project and what you can improve upon. In some of my early projects that I still use I see the imperfections. It constatly reminds me to improve on certain skills.

Hope this helps.

[radhak]

My first projects (a frew years ago) were

a. A patio table :



from free plans from plansnow : http://www.plansnow.com/freeplans.html

b. An Adirondack chair :



plans by the Norm : http://www.popularwoodworking.com/ar...rondack_Chair/

c. An entry bench for shoes :



plans at : http://www.blackanddecker.com/Projec...109_16125.html

All those plans help a lot - the steps, the technique, and the safety factors.

Of course, the best thing I had was that I joined an evening community class on woodworking. I learnt so much about tools and safety there, that I can't recommend it enough.

[Mr__Bill]

Here is a Project Gutenberg book called Carpentry for Boys, don't take this as a put down, boys were a lot smarter back then, 1914. It tells you a lot about hand tools and how to make various joints. It also has plans for simple projects right up to how to build a house, I told you boys were smarter back then.

Take a look it's free!

CARPENTRY FOR BOYS

Download the book

Bill