 |
Woodworking - Creative, Relaxing and Timeless
The title reflects Woodworking as a hobby, not as a vocation.
Vocational woodworking is pretty much the opposite of the
adjectives in the title because of the intense pressure to
produce quickly in order to make it pay the bills. So we'll stick
with the hobby orientation for purposes of this article.
Many people start a project with very little thought. This is
okay if you are working from plans, material lists and cutting
lists in a woodworking magazine, but when you strike out on your
own, this lack of planning often results in a project that
becomes very difficult to manage somewhere in the middle, when
more wood needs to be added, or, more often, the final piece has
to shrink just a little to make do. The project gets less fun as
measurement adjustments keep being made to the original plan to
keep the modified parts fitting with each other. It's kind of
like playing chess with a saw, anticipating three moves ahead
what the measurements are going to have to be because of the one
deviation you made three steps ago.
What I would like to accomplish here is to lay out a sequence
of events that need to take place as you migrate from the canned
projects in the woodworking books and magazines to your own
project planning.
Recreational woodworking starts with an idea of something
functional (a shelf, a table, a bench, a box, a desk) or
something meaningful (a toy, a piece of art, a frame), or a
combination of the two. This idea can be born of inspiration from
looking through woodworking magazines, seeing something in a
model home, or a need that exists in your own home.
Most often the concept is sketched out. Traditionally, this is
done on the back of an envelope or a partially used napkin, so be
sure to have some of those lying around. Once you have the
sketch, you have to decide how big you want this thing to be.
Often, this is determined by available space or intended
function. Staying true to our adage, "measure twice, cut once", a
rough dimensioned drawing is created. If this is to be a
functional piece (desk, cabinet, etc.), be sure to stay
reasonably close to standard measurements for desk heights,
knee-hole allowances, kick spaces, cabinet heights, rail and
stile widths, file drawer dimensions, etc. You'll be glad you
did.
By now, the concept has evolved enough that the desired finish
(paint, stain, varnish, oil) has been narrowed down, and a type
of wood has been selected that is appropriate for the project,
budget and finish. With so many choices of wood and finish
conveniently available today, this can be quite an exercise.
Now that the type of wood and finish have been determined, it
is time to decide what kinds of joints you are going to make
(assuming you are not making a boomerang or hollowed-out canoe or
some other one-piece thing). Considerations are strength, the
look you are trying to achieve, your equipment and capabilities,
and the amount of time you can invest. This can be one of the
more strenuous mental exercises because of the range of choices.
The look of a bung or button, the clean lines of hidden biscuit
or dowel joints, the strength and intricacy of the dovetail, the
simplicity of nails and glue. All have their place, and you have
to decide.
Along with the joints, hardware has to be planned. Based on
the hardware, you have to adjust your dimensioned drawing to
accommodate clearances for drawer rails, those extra half inches
for lap and dado joints, hidden hinge overlaps, insert depths for
frame-and-panel door panels, etc. You also have to consider depth
of relieves and radii of router profiles to make sure your stock
is thick enough to allow your concept to mature as planned.
A final dimensioned drawing is created, allowing for all joint
and hardware considerations, and a cutting list is prepared from
this drawing. Note: This drawing does not have to be to scale, or
look professional in any way. It helps the visualization process
if it is proportional, but the real important aspect of this
drawing is documenting the measurements. Don't be concerned about
the appearance of the drawing - that is not what you will be
displaying.
Now, finally, we can go to our lumber supplier and select the
actual wood we will be working with. This is not where you want
to save time. For the parts of the project that will show,
especially for projects where the natural wood is intended to be
a design feature, extra care should be taken to select the grains
and natural attributes that will best fit your concept. If you
are saving money intending to plane "three-sides-good" lumber,
make sure the width runs far enough on the pieces selected with
enough margin to get the length needed for each piece AFTER
PLANING. Measure the finished surface to the beginning of the raw
edge. For framework, cleats and carcasses look for straight,
unknotted pieces. Warps and twists can be overcome, but they make
the whole project less fun.
With this level of preparation and with sharp tools, the
project will proceed nicely and the finished piece will bring you
satisfaction, many years of service, and can sometimes even
become a treasured family heirloom. Note: The heirloom status is
often true of a desk, a well-made toy or a rocking chair. Don't
set your expectations too high for laundry shelves.
Kent Walters is currently an amateur woodworker in Houston,
Texas. His entrance to the craft was similar to many - woodshop
in school. He continued the craft some time later as a toymaker
on a drill press, sander and spray booth. He was a furniture
maker at one time, building mostly desks, book cases, wall units,
display cases and cabinets.
As time moves on, he is "downsizing" to intarsia and toys -
panels are getting too heavy to lift, and heirlooms are becoming
more important than they once were. For more articles, resources
and a woodworker's website directory, see http://www.woodworkingcenter.com.
 MORE RESOURCES updated Wed. September / 27 / 2023
|
|
|
Related Hobbies - Crafts articles:
The Surprising
Popularity of Cigar Smoking
The practice of cigar smoking has been on the rise in the
U.S.
Sewing A Button On By
Hand
I have so many people come into my shop saying something
like - I can't even sew on a button. How sad it is that a
whole generation has lost out on learning how to do just
the basic skills of sewing.
More Than A Memory- A
Legacy
Everyone has that box of pictures either in a close or in a
garage. Even worse yet in a magnetic album.
Blown Glass: They Do
Still Make It Like They Used To
Blown art glass is quickly becoming one of the fastest
growing hobbies in North America..
Collecting Depression
Glass - Where to Start
Okay, so you've been bitten by the Depression Glass bug,
and those pretty patterns and pastel colors beckon you from
the shelves of an antique dealer's shop, a friend's home,
or maybe you've even discovered this special glassware on
the Internet. How ever it's come about that you've
developed a yen for Depression Glass, you need to know
where and how to start collecting it - unless you're made
of money, have oodles of time on your hands, and don't care
whether you get the real thing or not.
Photograph Mosaics and
Markers in Your Scrapbooks
An attractive technique for placing photographs into
scrapbooks is the photograph mosaic. Mosaics stretch
photographs into an artistic rendition of the original
photograph.
Step-By-Step Guide For
Creating Collages and Other Unique Picture
Frames
So you want to make a collage or perhaps you are interested
in creating a unique shadow box to hold your valuable
photographs and memorabilia. No problem! Whether you want
to create lasting memories using cheap picture frames,
discount picture frames or even wholesale picture frames,
here are some pointers for creating lasting memories right
the first time every time.
Organize That
Stash!
Do you control your stash or does it control you? I have
become the master of my stash. When my husband found out
that his sock drawer had become yet another place for cross
stitch supplies, it was either get it under control or end
up in divorce court.
Tips for Attending
Gemstone Shows
If you've been to gem shows, you know how overwhelming and
daunting they can be. Although it's difficult to narrow
down all those tempting options, your jewelry business
profit margin will be greater if you plan ahead and focus
on shopping for a particular line and color scheme of
jewelry.
Choose From A Wide
Variety Of Off Road RC Trucks To Play In The
Dirt
Are you tired of driving your cars only on the road? Are
you looking to get a little bit dirty? Or even a lot dirty?
If you need a change from RC street racing, it is time to
go off-road with the extreme off-road RC trucks. With a
large variety of RC trucks to choose from, there is
something for everybody, and every skill level.
Choosing The Correct
Comic Book Storage Box
Most Comic Book Storage Boxes are super strong and come
with sturdy well-fitting lids and handle holes that can be
left in the closed position for storing or pushed open for
carrying. They are properly sized to hold a comic in a bag
with a backing board.
Rubber Stamping: From
Maya Indians to Scrapbooking
Who would have thought that your scrapbooking and card
making had a connection to the Maya Indians? Rubber
Stamping is certainly one of the fastest growing hobbies
today, and for good reason. With its inexpensive materials
and creative versatility, rubber stamping provides millions
with hours of fun and creativity.
Save on Kids Craft
Supplies - Recycle!
Here is some information about how to collect and use
recycled objects in your crafts!You can save a lot of money
on arts and crafts supplies by saving things that you might
ordinarily throw away! If you are building up a craft
supply box for a classroom, daycare, church or school - get
the parents involved by sending out list of these items so
they can help out too!Make sure to prepare each item for
storage. Wash and dry anything that contained food or
liquids.
Woodworking Tools: Right
Selection And Care Will Save You Money, Part 4
Woodworking: Tools Of The Trade, Part 4 - Tools For
Shaping. A civilization's maturity and intelligence is
judged, in part, by the diversity and sophistication of its
tools. When it comes to woodworking, the human race is
quite advanced.
A Brief History of
Japanese Daruma Dolls
Daruma dolls are representations of the historical Indian
priest Bodhidharma, a sage who traveled throughout Japan
and China in the 5th or 6th century AD. Bodhidharma is
credited with establishing Chan Buddhism in China and Zen
Buddhism in Japan.
Choosing The Right Mat
Board color For Your Art Work
The framing industry has no books, no set theory, not hard
and fast rules on how to pick colors. There are some
personal opinions from various writers but that's all they
are.
How to Invest in
Antique, Vintage, or Modern Jewelry
As Antique Jewelry is 'Really' based on the
'Collectability' and Style of an item, it is hard for
clients to appreciate the 'Craft' involved in Handmade
work, as they only see the Gold value or Diamond Value
fluctuate over the years. If Gold goes up or the older
something gets, the value increases, right? No.
The Top Five Morgan
Silver Dollars
Why waste everyone's time? Let's skip the appetizers and
get to the meaty stuff right now: The Morgan silver dollars
poised to increase the most in value in the years ahead are
the 1895, 1892-CC, 1894, 1878-CC, and the 1883-CC. Pretty
bold prediction, eh? At this point, the reader now has
three options: (1) Stop reading and act upon this
information, (2) Stop reading and get on with life, or (3)
Continue on, evaluate the analytical approach to identify
the "Top Five" Morgan dollars, and then implement a
variation of (1) or (2) above.
Discover the Truth about
Comic Book Collection; Nerdy Geeks or Shrewd
Investors?
It is unbelievable when one says, yeah, I collect comic
books, what the general public response might be? Oh no, a
slightly off the wall geek. Here is someone who has lost
touch with reality.
Making Hemp Jewelry Is
Fun and Easy
Making our ideas come to life and creating them with our
own hands is a great source of satisfaction for many of us.
Handicrafts such as making hemp jewelry have been and
continue to be very popular among both hobbyists and
would-be entrepreneurs alike.
|
|
