Woodworking Projects for the DIY Home Handyman
DIY woodworking at home is one of the longstanding pasttimes of handymen, schoolboys and DIY experts around the world. Nothing quite compares to the great feeling you get when you say, “I helped to build that,” to your friends and family. In our modern, fast paced, busy lifestyle, woodworking is one of those time intensive pasttimes that still holds a special fascination in the hearts of home handymen and teenagers alike. Woodworking teaches patience and care in a world where all too often those things are shunned.
Working with wood builds personal integrity and provides rich experience.
Ask any former carpenter what they enjoyed most about their working life and most probably they will tell you all about the incredible experience they had when working with fine lumber. Wood has a special feel to it that no other kind of material has. The look, feel and even the smell of freshly milled or sawn timber gives the carpenter a sense that they are really working with something special. This special nature of wood is often enhanced through the use of paints, varnishes and polyurethane resins which preserve the fresh look of the timber and protect against weathering.
Woodworking is for the whole family.
It is important to remember that woodworking is not just for boys and men, as many thousands of american women have become fine woodworkers in their own right down through the generations. Some people would swear that the dexterity and fine motor skills that most women have gives them an unfair advantage over males when it comes to creating projects from timber. In reality, right across the globe, families work together on their woodworking and DIY projects and become tighter as a bonded unit as they strive towards their goal. Of course one of the joys of working on a project together is getting to enjoy being together while doing something a bit different from everyday life.
Woodworking as a hobby to learn new skills.
The accuracy and patience required to produce quality woodworking projects are developed with practise, and it is always advisable to get started with some beginner level projects before undertaking those that need more highly developed skills. Many beginner projects can be built without any specialist tools and at miminal cost. Be patient and soon enough you will find you can build some valuable products which you will be able to sell to recover your costs. Infact, there is actually a high demand for unique, handcrafted wooden goods, as can be seen on eBay.
So, the question is not whether woodworking at home is a worthwhile endeavor, it obviously has a number of benefits which go beyond the opportunity to produce nice items you can sell. The key is that woodworking gives people the chance to develop new skills, create nice, practical things for around the home, and give family members something in common to do together.
Great projects begin with great plans.
As any good builder will tell you, a top job begins with a good plan. Actually a great project initially starts with a great idea. Sometimes a top project can be inspired by taking a fairly basic existing idea and approaching it in a fresh way. An example of this in the building world would be the cavity sliding door.
However, from time to time coming up with ideas for good projects can be tricky, especially if you are unfamiliar with the capabilities and possibilities available to you. In the same way a new apprentice would understandably have little or no idea of how to build an office block from the ground up, the new DIY woodworker needs to start with some easy ideas before starting on more demanding projects. So the best way to get started in woodworking at home is to get some ideas from someone experienced in the craft, set yourself up with some good quality plans, and set to it with patience and care, getting pointers from someone with more developed skills from time to time along the way as you need it.
If you or someone you love has a desire to begin woodworking at home or just wants to try your hand at this time honored pasttime, then do them and yourself a huge favor by checking out the new Woodworking4Home 14,000 Project Plan Package for beginners to advanced woodworkers, by John Metz.
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