Easy woodworking projects can be done by almost anyone

Whenever you look around your home you cannot help but notice the large number of  items that are made from wood. There are chairs, tables, cabinets, storage boxes and a whole multitude of  other items. Virtually all of them have been purchased by you and will have no doubt cost you a substantial amount of money. You have come to accept that you must purchase these things and just accept it as a fact of life.

There there are however other choices available to you. Many of the items can in fact be hand-crafted!

Woodworking is a fascinating and absorbing pastime and it is surprising how cheaply you can build many of the everyday items you would  usually purchase. Inexperience is not necessarily a problem. A  significant number of the minor projects need only the most basic of carpentry skills and can be carried out by anyone with only rudimentary carpentry skills.

You will of course require woodworking tools but initially you will only need the basics such as screw driver, hammer, measuring tape, tri square, saw, spitit level and maybe a smoothing plane. It is also recommended that you purchase clamps of some description to hold the timber securely when you are fastening them together. The size and style of the clamps you need will be determined by the type of project you are undertaking.

You will undoubtedly want to buy further items as you progress and your skill level increases. Remember that once you have bought your tools they will last for many years providing you look after them correctly.

Before you start your first proper woodworking project it is essential that  you become familiar with all of the tools you will be using.  Probably the most difficult hand tool to use is the hand saw. A number of individuals  have difficulty achieving a good straight vertical cut to begin with. The  more practice you get the more proficient you will become. It is sensible to practice on waste timber before you start to cut up the wood you have bought.

Do not be too adventurous to begin with. If you start out by making simple items (such as shelving) you will find that, in many cases, it is simply a matter of cutting your timber to the right length and then joining them together in some  way. As a rule simple carpentry projects will be either glued together or screwed. On no account attempt complicated joints (dovetails etc) until you have become proficient as they do take a considerable amount of time to master.