A very special thanks to  Paul Moore at Woodworkboss.com for submitting this great guest posting for the Jack Bench Blog!!

How To Start Woodworking From Your Home Garage

You want to take up woodworking in your home garage, but you don’t know where to start?

Whether you intend to do woodworking as a weekend hobby, or whether you intend to take on a series of do-it-yourself projects around the house, this guide will give you some important tips to get you started.

Choose your work-space

Before you get started, you will want to make sure that you have a clean and sufficient space to work in.

A simple, well-lit, workbench or desk should be fine for small projects. You may also want to be sure that you have sufficient power outlets, if you intend on using power tools, in your work-space.

Safety First

Once you’ve decided on your work-space, you’ll want to make sure that you have the gear to help you minimize accidents while you are working and creating.

A pair of safety glasses or goggles and some work gloves should be fine, to get you started.

Depending on the size of your projects, and what they may entail, you may also consider wearing sturdy work shoes or boots, to protect your feet and an apron to protect your clothes.

 

You might consider wearing some old clothes you don’t mind getting a bit mussed up, instead.

Tools of the Craft

Before starting any craft project, it’s always a good idea to make sure you have all the tools you are likely to use, on hand, before you begin.

The following is a list of tools and their purposes, to help you get started:

Marking & measuring tools:
“Measure twice. Cut once.” Before you start cutting on any piece of wood, you want to make sure you have a tape measure, a carpenter’s pencil for marking and a combination square to make sure your marks line up, properly.

Cutting tools:
There are a lot of tools to choose from, but if you are just getting started you’ll want to consider getting yourself a circular saw, for straight cuts and a jigsaw for round cuts. (*Note: you will definitely want to be sure you have safety gear when handling these power tools.)

If you don’t feel you’re quite ready for power tools or you need something less expensive and/or quiet, for cutting, a handheld back-saw is a good alternative.

Shaping tools:
To smooth out the rough spots and rough edges on your work and for details, such as beveling, carvings, and moldings, you will want to make sure you have the appropriate shaping tools.

For simple projects, some sandpaper and a small chisel kit should suffice. Sandpaper comes in a multitude of textures, so you’ll want to be sure you have the right grit for the job you’re crafting.

For bigger jobs, you’ll want to be sure to have a block plane.

For more intricate tasks, you’ll want a router that comes with a variety of bits for you to choose from.

Tools to hold it all together:
You probably already have the following items in your toolbox, but it doesn’t hurt to make sure you have a hammer, a flat-head screwdriver, and a Philips head, at the ready.

You’ll also want a cordless drill for making holes. Besides a variety of drill-bit sizes, these usually come with screwdriver bits, to save you time from using a manual tool.

Make sure that you have enough nails and screws to finish your project.

For more intricate projects, you’ll want to make sure that you have wood glue and clamps, to hold your wood pieces together, while the glue dries, if necessary.

As you can see, it’s not difficult to get started woodworking in your home garage. Once you have prepared your work-space and made a trip to your local hardware store, all that’s left is to pick your project, and purchase the wood.