• Any tips on learning how to make wooden objects?
    11 replies, posted
Hi. I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips on what i would need to being making objects; small objects at first, but gradually bigger. I have a electric chisel, normal chisels, things like that. Any help on equipment/wood types/how to make things properly? i have barely any experience on woodcraft of any sort.
I'm only somewhat experienced in wood carving and whittling but I would suggest the following essentials: -Sandpaper, fine, medium, and coarse grit -Files, a bastard cut and a rat tail should do -some sort of vice or clamp to steady your work -Good sharp knife/Xacto knife -Drill -Scroll saw and wood saw -Wood chisels and mallet -Sharpie Some good woods for beginners are Poplar, Basswood (very workable), and White Pine, you can buy Poplar and Pine at most hardware stores like Home Depot. Basswood is ideal for whittling. If those aren't available then just avoid woods with coarse grain pattern.
Thank you very much, i was quite lost on what i would need for woodwork.
Woodworking what exactly? Are you making functional things or whittling small decorative things?
Well, i was hoping to do a little of both. After seeing the creative items that some users of the "DIY stuff you did that doesnt deserve its own thread...thread", i wanted to make some decorative object, and maybe even try my hand at a chair.
[QUOTE=themoses;36606503]Well, i was hoping to do a little of both. After seeing the creative items that some users of the "DIY stuff you did that doesnt deserve its own thread...thread", i wanted to make some decorative object, and maybe even try my hand at a chair.[/QUOTE] For a chair, if you're making a very clean cut chair, I suggest having a lathe, a bandsaw, a table saw, planer, hand planes, sand paper, clamps, epoxy, fasteners, etc... If you're carving things, maybe a clamp, vice, and a nice fishing knife, along with some lathe tools, and carving chisels. It also helps to have a shop. But what is it you REALLY want to make? Doing some things with minor tools is definitly possible, especially with the cheap rate at which you can buy 2x4's (About $2.50 a piece) there is definitly some creativity to take place. But again, it's better to have a garage or shop that can support your production. We do lots of stuff from small ornamental objects, to 40ft 100yr old speedboats, all out of a really small shop... The large type tools I typically keep on hand for almost any project are a machine planer, standing sander, 17ft bandaw, 8 foot bandsaw, veneer saw, skillsaw, reciprocating saw, scroll blade saw, and hand and electric (handheld) planers. Everything else is as the project calls for. It really depends on what you're making. If it's a chair, then a planer, and a skillsaw handy - you could probably make one easily enough out of white or yellow pine as practice. Let me know what you're doing, I may be able to help further. My family restores wood boats, and I currently also repair wooden roller coasters. Not that you'd need to do the latter.
I'll get back to you once i get some tools, thanks for the advice
Are you going to lathe the legs of the chair? One tip I have picked up over my scenic construction years is if you want a waxy smooth finish, once you've lathed your bit of work rub fine sawdust over it while the work is spinning. It will re-introduce the resins and oils into the wood. If you want things insanely smooth I'd also recommend getting some silicone carbide paper, (or known as wet and dry) It's also handy for smoothing down acrylics and plastics as well as softwoods. For me, I use a shinto file, rather than a normal rasp/bastard file and a pull saw or dovetail saw for cutting wood. They cut on the pull and provide a nice accurate finish when cutting.
Pull saw ( I call em draw saws) is also good for matching angles as well. If you overlap a banister, you can cut a perfect 45 degree angle into both pieces to join the two pieces. I use wet dry while the piece is still on the lathe usually. I get a pair of $1.00 gardening gloves and spray some spray on adhesive to the inside, then attach some high grit wet dry, dip my hand in water and hold my hand under the piece while it's spinning. I do not recommend if you are scared of the lathe.
The lathe is a pussycat tool compared to some other machinery. I just apply the sawdust onto the work whilst its spinning with my bare hands, it really does not hurt at all. Pullsaws are epic. I tend to use my dovetail saw more for cutting plugs off. In the industry I work in, if we are just screwing bits of wood scenery together, rather than traditional furniture making techniques (we still use mortise and tenon for longevity scenery) we cover the screwhole with a plug. The dovetail saws teeth are flush one side and on the other stick out slightly so you can get a really clean cut.
When we do boats, plugging is also necessary. I pack the back of the plug and lower edges with a dab of glue, and when they are all dry, I too cut them off with a japanese saw and then sand to finish. I have never attempted using the sawdust to reinstate a lathed project but I may try that as an experiment.
as a construction teacher i first teach my students how to cut a straight cut and a 45% angle, once you feel confident in doing so make a tool box out of pine. its a great first project to start with, find some wood dye and youll be happy with your first project
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