Basic Tips For The Successful New Carpenter

Making the decision to begin a career as a carpenter is a simple one, however, getting set up is quite complex.

Whether your in it for a hobby, or to become a successful carpenter, there are various practical factors that must be taken into consideration.

Here’s some basics to getting started …

Tip #1: Gathering The Basic Tools

If your thinking about taking up woodworking it’s essential that you have basic woodworking tools.

The most common tools to acquire:

• circular saw
• cordless drill
• hammer
• router table
• drivers and wrenches
• palm sander
• level, set square, and straight edge
• Tape measure and pencils
• work table
• miter saw or jig saw
• carious clamps
• brushed and finishing tools
• chisels, rasps and planes

It should be noted that upgrading to a table saw is beneficial as it can save time compared to setting up straight guides with clamps for circular saw cuts.

Most of these tools can be researched and puchased online via official hardware websites.

If you are on a restricted budget, the possibility of purchasing equipment via auction sites, such as eBay, is also available.

Tip #2: Gathering High Quality Materials

Once you have the right tools for the job, it’s time to gather some base building materials.

Always get enough materials make up for potential mistakes that may occur. It is better to have “back up wood” to repair a mistake or begin the project again. You’ll only end up trying to hide something in haste to finish because you hadn’t planned ahead. Most will agree what a pain it is to have to jump in the truck a half a dozen times and go to the hardware store to pick up this or that, in the middle of a project. On the other hand, you shouldn’t purchase too much materials as you may not have room to store it which may result in the ‘scrap pile’ problem. My scrap wood pile seems to keep growing and i seldom dig through it to find that special stick.

Wood can be purchased at hardware stores or via warehouse supply stores. These stores, however, often tend to have a limited range of wood.

If you’re searching for materials other than the typical pine or plywood option, it is recommended you search online or utilize auction websites as well.

Tip #3: Using Woodwork Plans

As a beginner carpenter, try to find some basic woodworking plans to get you started.

While it is tempting to “go your own way”, it is only with experience using materials and equipment that you will be skilled enough to complete projects without too much damage to the wood. Ideal woodworking plans will provide information on the resources required for the project, as well as instructional diagrams.

The ideal site to purchase plans will be via specialized woodwork websites. You can get a lot of idea’s for projects online and various woodworking plans on Pinterest too.