Can I learn woodworking at home alone?

[Henry Bibb]

I'm with Eric. I'm mostly self-taught, myself. Early on, I got a copy of John L. Fierer's "Cabinetmaking and Millwork". It's an industiral-arts text that used? to be popular in vocational school woodworking classes. Covers a lot of the basics fairly well, but is oriented toward power-tool woodworking, in a career-preparation sort of way for those who were headed into the furniture industry. Still, I find myself referring to it from time to time to refresh my memory on something.

There's a world of other books out there - Tage Frid's books are good, oriented more toward fine furniture woodworking. Spend a bit of time at a bookstore or library, glance through some books, pick the ones that speak to you at this point in time. You can always go back and get others as your skill level improves.

But, most of all, get some boards and make some sawdust! It's fun!

Henry Bibb

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Well, that's his own damned fault. He should have read the owner's manual before closing the door. Ed

[TSW632]

Medical bills aren't so much the concern for me, it's more a matter of keeping my fingers. Insurance can't bring them back. The spectre of a modified appendage might prevent it from actually coming true. No it's not rocket science, but I don't know any rocket scientist woodworkers, and I don't go to a NASA newsgroup for woodworking info. Fear for your safety with these tools is a healthy thing, and I don't see wisdom or responsibility in discouraging that.

[Tbone]

The problem that I have is that I don't know this person and neither do you. Many people are incredibly intelligent yet can't walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. The worse thing is that many of these people don't even know it. Would you want someone like this using your saw or jointer? Then there are others that are just not into reading or don't comprehend what is written all that well, especially if they have no experience in something to relate it to. Is this person like this, who knows. Do you let strangers come into your shop and play with your saws being that they are so safe and easy to use? My primary suggestion for taking a class was to get some exposure to it before dumping money into tools that he may never use or regret purchasing.

[Cape Cod Bob]

On Tue, 6 Jan 2004 18:14:56 -0500, "Mike G" wrote: SNIP

And those that are available can be worse than awful; they can be dangerous. A cabinet-making HS night course in a suburban town I had was a prime example.

On night 1, he invited those of us who wanted to could visit Home Depot with him after the class. Well, I did. He went into rapture about the fine choice of materials available especially the plywood selection for cainet-making.

On night 2, the "instructor" showed how a table saw is used. He recommended those who haven't yet bought a table saw to look at the Ryobi BT300 as it was much better designed than these old ones -- which was an early Unisaw.

Next he showed us how to rip a board. The blade and fence were askew enough to start raising the 4' board he was trying to rip. As he leaned over the saw blade and pushed hard on the board with his woefully designed push stick, he advised, "Sometimes you have to use a little force." At least, that's what I think he said. It was tough to hear from underneath the nearest work bench I used as a shelter.

Night 3 started with is helping one of us to plane a beautiful 5 foot hunk of maple. Needless to say, the planer, which hadn't had a blade change since the Taft administration, put several deep gouges down the board's length. "Oh, the blades just need to be honed," he said as he asked one of us to pass him the bastard file on the wall.

I never found out how the class ended.

[terry boivin]

On Tue, 06 Jan 2004 20:15:11 GMT, [e-mail] (Charles Krug) wrote: Too Funny Charles...My son called me on the phone not long ago and asked me how to tie a necktie...What a tough conversation that was!

TJB

[dteckie]

Very Good point Charles. I find (many memory skill training courses use visualization) that one retains information better through visualization, therefore you will remember more by seeing than by reading how to. What I mean is you will remember better and more by seeing it how it's done than reading how to. Books are great for general information and reference but you will learn more from persom to person interaction and learning.

[Silvan]

LMAO!!! This reminds me of the time I was trying to help some widow woman jump start her car, and Biff Knowzalot came by, elbowed me out of the way, and ignored all my warnings about sparks and hydrogen gas. Spark spark, spark spark... I hid behind a car two cars over.

No kaboom, lucky for the widow woman. Maybe a face full of battery acid would have taught Biff Knowzalot a thing or two though.

And FWIW on the school/no school question, I can appreciate the horror of everything you just said without ever having taken a lesson.

[Mike G]

Hi Tbone

I don't think that anyone would disagree that, should a decent course be available, classes are the best way to go. No one, including myself ever said otherwise.

True I don't know all about the guy but lets look at what we do know, he has managed to reach the age of thirty and he is smart enough to at least ask if it is possible. What else do we have to know. Contrary to what some of a political persuasion may think you can't save everyone from themselves and, in my opinion, really shouldn't try, but that is another story that I am not going to get involved in.

The basic question was simple. "Can I learn woodworking at home alone".. The answer is just as simple, of course you can. If you want to throw in, and I did, that it may be more expeditious to take a course fine but that doesn't have any bearing on the initial question and answer.

To be truthful I feel far easier replying in the affirmative to that question then I do with the posters who start out with, "what tools should I get". These are the ones that have apparently not even considered cracking a book on the subject and are looking for some instant gratification. Dilatant's These are the ones that aren't going to take time to consider options and uses, the ones that fill the classifieds with "Hardly used woodworking equipment for sale", bless their little hearts, when they find out it isn't as easy as Norm makes it look in a half hour and requires some real work..

But I digress, yes, if a course is available by all means take it. However if there isn't you can teach yourself and any medium smart and prudent person can do it.

[Eric Scantlebury]

ROFLMAO!

[Nate Perkins]

Sure you can. I've been doing this for the last year. My stuff is still not professional quality, but it's becoming reasonable amateur stuff. I'm at the stage where all of my friends and relatives want me to build them something or other :-)

My advice (for what it's worth):

1. Read a lot. Go to the library, whatever, and collect backissues of Fine Woodworking, etc, or collections of books that describe techniques. My first was the Fine Woodworking six volume set. Also look at some books on joinery (I like the ones by Rogowski and the one by Frid).

1. Never ever cut a corner on safety. Read all the safety procedures and worry about safety before anything else. You won't care if you goof and miscut a piece of wood, you just don't want to get hurt.

2. Don't buy a whole bunch of tools at first. Buy them only as you really need them. You can practice a lot of joinery just with a handplane, a set of chisels, and some marking tools, and a handsaw. Get some reasonably good ones since you'll always use them, even when you have more machines. Handwork is good practice, teaches you about the wood's properties, etc. I started practicing with handcut dovetails, and doing mortises and tenons, etc. You'll eventually want power tools for the preparation of stock -- hand-jointing and planing gets old pretty fast.

1. Start with some moderate sized hardwood projects, with something like red oak that's reasonably inexpensive. Expect to make a few goofs. Nobody else will notice your mistakes as much as you will, and most people who aren't woodworkers won't see the mistakes at all. Each time you build a piece it will be better than the last, especially when you're still in the beginning stages. After a year or so and a dozen projects, each of my projects is still much better than the last.

Good luck, Nate Perkins (Ft Collins, CO)