Beginner section

[Maj]

Being new to the forum (and all things woodworking), feel free to tel me this isn't a good idea but I was thinking it would be good if there was a "new to DIY" or "beginners" section.
I have no idea what I'm doing or even to where to begin in my shed. Even what I should be getting as beginner tools and so forth. Even some help on basic skills to start learning (ie dovetails). I have a million questions but don't want to be the annoying guy that everyone thinks "Not this bloody noob again"!!
I've read a great number of posts and see abbreviations and stuff that I have no ide what it means. Whilst I understand that most of you know what you are doing and talking about, this would not be needed or appropriate but I've seen a few posts that have had people saying they were glad somebody had used long form instead of an abbreviation because they were too embarrassed to ask what it was.
Perhaps this forum isn't aimed at noobs like me and if not, that is perfectly fine but I figured while I am here I may as well ask.

Chris

[rogerjenkins]

Everyone here was a beginner at one stage or the other in their life.
There's no such thing as," Instant success, " with whatever one chooses to do, whether it be woodworking, or bookkeeping, shopkeeping, or whatever,- and everyone learns by their mistakes, stuff-ups, and by reading or asking info from those who have been there before them,- that's what this site is all about,- Learners like yourself, asking us experienced woodies heaps of questions, and learning about things along the way.
I have been into woodworking for a good 25 years,- self-taught I may add, although I did work with an elderly cabinetmaker for several years after I left school,- and he was in his 70's in those days. He knew all the old tricks of the trade too,- much of which has been long forgoten by me, ( unfortunately ).

Best advice for tool selection is to start off S-L-O-W-L-Y,- ask heaps of questions, or join in with a local woodworking club / menshed, or similar, and see they they have, & use to make items, or, IF are within reasonable distance of where I live, and you get the chance, come for the day's drive to Port Vincent, and, " Pick my brains," see what types of woodworking gear I have, and use. ( or spend a couple of days here ), Whatever you do,- don't go on a big buying spree, for the chances are you'll only end up with heaps of things you will never, ever use.
Another option,- Ask a Specialist Woodworking Tool Shop such as Carba-tec; MacWood, or even your local Thrifty-link / Tru-value / Mitre-10, etc. I don't recommend Bunnings, as have discovered some of their Adelaide staff have absolutely no idea as to what one is talking about,- went looking for some doweling once at Bunnings, Parafield, - After about half a dozen different staff, I finally found someone who knew exactly what I was looking for,- AND pointed me in the right direction
Roger

[Maj]

Thanks Roger,
My wife has bought me a subscription to Woodsmith Australia magazine and those evil people are planting grand ideas into my mind!
I did look at the woodworking groups in Adelaide and the nearest (for me and a mate who is also keen to get started) was actually a woodturning group and it looked like that was their sole focus.
Our plan (a little outside the box perhaps) was to go through these mags and see what we thought we could do and then go on youtube and watch a how-to lesson on there and then go outside and have a crack at the methods the magazine suggested.
The main problem I have found with those magazines was that they say just glue things together but don't actually mention how. A little annoying but I'll ask more specific questions as needed.
Haven't gone nuts on tools too much. I have a jigsaw, sander, chiseling tool and a router table. I was looking to get a table saw for xmas but after reading the instructions (I was bored!) I found I could connect my jigsaw to the bottom of the router table which could help me cut straight (straighter than a hand saw anyway).
Thanks again for your help.

Chris

[munruben]

Connecting a jigsaw to the underside of a router table is no match for a table saw or a band saw. It will get you out of trouble for a while and depending on what you intend to make, will have its limitations.
A table saw or a band saw is pretty much essential to a woodworker if you intend to rip or resaw your own timber and are serious about woodworking.
A table saw, even a cheaper model will set you back around $1000. but all is not lost if you decide you are not really cut out for the craft, they are easy to sell here on the forum or on ebay. There is always someone waiting to buy such a tool. Good luck with your new woodworking addiction.

As for asking questions, the guys and gals on here thrive on giving advice and we are all here to help each other out. so don't be shy just step up and ask away.

[thebicyclist]

Hi Chris;

Welcome to the forum!

Have a read of"Groggy's Woodworkers Startup Links" (Follow the forum library link on the right of the site) The learning pages listed there are pretty good.

My first WW book was Woodwork in Theory and Practice by John A. Walton. It's an old technical manual which walks you through making almost every joint you'll ever need, and some you won't! Has any one here used a slot screw widening joint?, how to use glue, power tool and machinery basics. You will probably find a copy of this in you local library or second hand book shop.

If like me you're a read the manual first kinda guy this is a great book, I spent a couple of happy weekends working my way through the joint cutting exercises in this book.

If you're looking for a first project, make yourself a nice hardwood cutting board, you get to learn flattening stock, cutting to size, jointing an edge, glueing, sanding, and finishing!

And, importantly, you can do (almost) all of this with the tools you mentioned in your previous post, grab yourself a second hand stanley no 4 or 5 hand plane and you're good to go.

An other good thing to do is read the Safety forum on this site, take the opportunity to learn from the mistakes others have been generous to share with us.


That all said, I like your idea for a dedicated beginners section.

Cheers
Joel

[Sturdee]

With the plethora of forums and sub forums you run the risk of that people don't look at all forums, I myself have limited the number of forums that are included in the new post or today's post searches.

So with a beginners forum you may not get answers from more experienced forumnites.


Peter.

[Avery]

I really don't see the point of a beginners forum - we would need a beginners forum for woodturning, a sub forum for pen turning, a beginners forum for general woodwork, one for metalwork,one for photography, and so on.


If you have a beginners question, post it in the appropriate forum. I am sure that you will have the question answered and you will be treated well.

Every forum is for beginners. At least that is what I have found.

[Robson Valley]

Maj and anybody else:
I started wood carving in 1985 or thereabouts. At $35 - 70/tool, I am not about to buy new stuff. Largely by trial and error + advice from full-time professional carvers (which I paid for), I can sharpen the edges of hand tools like planes, gouges, chisels and knives. Would you like a 'good' edge on that new single-edge razor blade? I can and do repair edges on carving tools and badly mistreated lathe tools.

There are a whole bunch of unwritten tricks to flatten/lap old oil stones and simply to clean decades of swarf off them.

The first step is to read Leonard Lee's Practical Guide to Sharpening, Forstner bits and all. Learn it. Believe it. He's the grand old man from Lee Valley.

The second step is to ask. Questions come from curiosity and ignorance, not stupidity.

If you ask me, then troll for other advice, the day will come when you can settle down and make screaming sharp edges on more tools than you imagined.