He may not be the roundest, best porpotioned knob... But he will do just fine!

I posted a few months back asking for input on a plan shelf design. I finally finished the project this past weekend and wanted to share how it came out. Super happy with it and it seems sturdy enough for starters...hopefully it holds up. If not, it was still a fun project to pull together.

Went in to buy a router bit for a project I’m working on, and saw that this guy was listed for $149 in one location and $279 in another location. Took it to the front, and asked if they would honor the $149 price and they did!

I picked up a pocket hole jig and I was itching to try it out on something. Had some spare 2x4 laying around, so I took a shot at a simple firewood rack for a porch or covered area. I stained it with a pecan stain, but haven’t sealed it.

Next step, fill er up with wood!

I made this book stand from 2 mdf boards i found at a stationary store and a stick that i found at home (for the hinges) it's foldable, and it has elastic bands inserted to hold the book more securely, also page holders. it wasn't a easy project as i have had no tools except for a kitchen knife, some glue (i have used wood glue and fast drying glue), and some sandpaper. can't wait to read with this. I have no experience doing something like this before and it was fun, and figuring out how to make hinges and trying to cut small parts out of mdf was frustrating but it was worth it at the end. my only complain is that i inserted the elastics like 2 mm higher than it should be so the book isn't really resting on the bottom, but i will definitely fix it. i also might add some more cutouts to the mechanism at the back, so i can have more angles that i can read my book in. I know it's not the best looking thing here, but still very happy about it.

Home Depot sells the TS1346 Ryobi 10" Compound Miter Saw new for $179, I bough the exact same version from the official Ryobi Outlet store, Direct Tools Factory Outlet, for only $99.99. It is factory reconditioned and comes with a one-year Ryobi warranty. I'm taking a chance on this.

As a beginner, I'm always looking for quality, refurbished or reconditioned tools to build out my shop on a budget.

I tried linking to the product, but it seems to break the forum rules. 🤷‍♂️

The furniture flipper videos on Instagram gave me the confidence but those severely underestimate the time and materials cost! This took me about 7 weeks, 80+ hours, at least $250, and no less than 4 trips to Home Depot.

This dresser belonged to my husband’s grandma and we originally painted it in 2016 (just painted right over the other paint - thanks 20 year old self!) and I thought it was ready for a face lift.

It’s not perfect but I sure learned a lot including:
- paint brushes are expensive
- prep is the name of the game
- pine is hard to stain
- I prefer parking in the garage to the street

Where should I start with woodworking as a complete beginner?

I'm interested in learning woodworking from scratch, but I don't know where to begin.

What basic skills should I learn first? Which tools should I buy, and what simple projects would you recommend for a complete beginner?

I'd also like to learn how to work with hand tools before investing in expensive power tools.

If you were starting over today, what learning path would you follow?

Thanks for your advice!

I’m improving upon my first iteration using flash tape and card board with 2 filters. This one will have 4 easily swapped filters for a more permanent install. The top is where the fan will eventually go

I think I may ditch the little tabs and put an extra layer of plywood that borders the filter + 1” so that it’s a sliding mechanism. I think it’ll provide a better seal. I’ll be caulking as well as some gaskets maybe.

hey, haven’t got too much experience in woodworking. basically took a cutting board class and that was it. I joined a maker space in ct and I wanted to try making a knife rack like the negative design or sticks and boards type thing

got a lot of help but struggled with finger joints, rabbit joints, making slots. accurate cuts lol it was longer and taller originally but one bad chisel cut and at an awkward spot and bam. had to make it smaller . I was basically on the struggle bus but I’m glad I kept trying. that being said patience seems to be challenging to remember

that being said here it is! thanks

Never made one before, but I'm sitting on a bunch of extra walnut from the last project so I figured I'd give it a go.

And yes, I realize it's simple but it came out pretty clean with no gaps.

I have started an 18+ month woodworking program and this was the 3nd project we made. I really like how it came out and can see improvements in my skill with each project.

I found an old pine chest in an antique store, the kind people use (or used to use) in their living rooms to store blankets and/or act as a coffee table.

Unfortunately, it looks like someone before me tried to refurbish it rather unsuccessfully. It looked like they tried using an oil-based stain. Of course it turned out splotchy, so I’m stripping it down to bare wood to see if I can give it some new life.

I would like to return it to its original walnut/nussbaum color, but don’t want to repeat the previous owner’s mistake. I’m thinking of using a walnut-colored hard wax oil.

So a couple of questions: If I go the hard wax route, should I condition it before? Or should I use a different product instead of hard wax oil. I’d like it to have some water-resistance. I’m open to any and all suggestions related to my project.

Note: I know I should remove the hardware, but it’s riveted so I’m just not messing with it. This photo is also mid-sanding, so this is not the final look before finishing.

I’m in the beginning planning phase to build a tree bookshelf similar to the one in the attached picture (IA mock up as the room is currently down to the studs and subfloor) for future kid’s room and would appreciate advice on the best construction method.

I have several woodworking tools, including a table saw, track saw, and other general tools, so I’m comfortable building it myself.

For mounting, I’m considering installing 2x2 supports along the wall studs and building the tree bookshelf as a separate assembly. Similar to mounting a fireplace mantel or those faux wood beams , I would set the tree onto the supports and secure it in place with brad nails.

For the material, I’m considering 1x6 oak boards (or birch?) My plan is to miter-cut the pieces and join them so the grain flows consistently around the trunk and branches. I’d prefer to keep the natural wood look rather than paint it.

Would 1x6 oak boards work well, or would you recommend a different material or construction approach?

Is a 2x2 support framework secured to the studs a good mounting method?

Is there any other tips or points that I am overlooking, my woodworking experience is just making cabinets, a toriose cage, and shelf’s and closets, so only boxes.

What table saws would folks recommend to a hobbyist furniture woodworker? I've been eyeing the PCS but not only is it expensive but given I still rent having to move it seems daunting.

On the other hand job site saws probably make a lot of sense financially but the fiddliness and motor noise put me off (I've used both in workshops and classes). Marketplace saws can look nice but they generally are older models missing basic safety features.

What would folks suggest for someone who wants somewhat of a saw that I won't feel too bad replacing with an "end game saw", selling when I move, but may be solid enough to use for a while if I find I don't really miss having a full blown cabinet saw in terms of ease of use, consistency, and build quality?

Or perhaps folks will say moving a PCS with an industrial base actually isn't too bad.

I found a lightly used DW735 planer on Facebook and got them down to $300, but I just got a jointer and wonder if I should be spending on all these tools.

Is a planer worth it?

Thanks

I’m just about ready to start sanding this bowl, I’m using 80 grit sandpaper by hand, is the answer to just keep at it? The first bowl I did I sanded quite a bit but it never got as smooth as I wanted. Thank you

Hi all! As the title mentions, I’m looking for hobbies to help my dad get into, or at least try out. I figured woodworking would be an easy one for him to explore since he already does major home updates, and I think I’d only need to get him a few tools and accessories to make beginner projects possible.

He’s an engineer who’s about to retire in the next few years. My parents have had some rough years in caregiving mode and haven’t exactly had the time to explore their own personal projects, so this idea might be a shot in the dark. Still, I think he would, at the very least, give it a try.

For someone who already has just about every tool in the toolbox for fixing cars and tackling large wooden and metal exterior home projects, where would you start when looking for woodworking accessories? Is there anything you wish you had as a beginner but didn't think of?

I’m thinking he’d probably be interested in furniture-making, especially since he’s dabbled in turning found slabs into tables. However, starting him off with smaller, creative projects isn’t out of the question either.

Are there any books you’d recommend for inspiration, project ideas, and practical woodworking tips? Woodworking bibles you swear on? I know YouTube is a great resource for this kind of information, but the gold standard for him would be a resource he can have on him.

Thank you in advance!

Trying to make a wavy checkerboard shelf, similar to this cutting board I saw on IG. The technique is done using a band saw, cutting two pieces of wood that are the same size and placed on top of each other and secured with tape. Then, alternating the wood and gluing them.

I did a first pass on the band saw, and my pieces don’t quite line up. I think my problem was the tension on the blade wasn’t high enough, so the blade bent as I cut, giving the top piece of wood and bottom a little different cut.

So now I have $100 worth of lumber I want to try and save. The last pic is how mine is looking - the different wood pieces don’t fit together very well, you can see a bit of a gap.

Any ideas for how to salvage this project and hide the gap between the pieces?

Thank you a lot, appreciate any help.

I’m attempting my first real relief carving. It’s a work in progress. This is a jewelry box I’m hoping to give as a gift if it turns out okay. I’ve read a lot about how staining a basswood carving generally isn’t the best idea, and I’m curious as to what the best way to finish/seal this carving would be once it’s done? Also, the lighting in the picture is convenient, but in person, I feel like I’m really struggling to gain the contrast I want (hence looking into staining). Any help/advice is much appreciated because I really don’t know what I’m doing! TIA!

I made these 2 bird feeders out of some cedar pickets. What do we think?

Showing off the new trim on my kitchen island!

I managed to transform our old ugly brown island into something that looks much better! Though it was just going to be adding trim and painting it, it ended up initiating an entire kitchen update.

I learned a BOATLOAD doing this and can confidently say that I would do this entirely differently if I did it again.

Inaccurate cuts, bad mitres, erring in router bit sizes, poor measurements, stupidly not thinking of how 'square' works, not using standard size trim pieces... I did this so wrong. However, with hours upon hours of sanding, I think it looks superb now! Super happy with it.

I attached some shots of my initial island and then the finished, plus some shots of my super rough joints that needed some major fixes.

One thing that I am super proud of is my solution to creating stiles on the long stretch of the island. All of my pieces have rounded edges to them. I believe that it was 1/4" roundover edges to match my existing cabinet doors (which, I'm not convinced now are actually 1/4").

As the rails and stiles needed to both be routered, I wasn't sure if I should just create additional boxes and mitre the joints together or use a chisel to cut from the rail where the stiles would go. After doing some thinking on it, I ended up using a straight router bit to cut into the wood (or mdf) a bit and then used a cove bit to make it rounded to fit over the rail's rounded edge. It wasn't perfect, so again I'm not convinced that I had the right size bit, but it ended up fitting really well over the rail's rounded edge. Very happy with it.

Looking back at the photos that I posted, there are a ton of errors. But after all of the work, it actually looks really decent, I'd say.

One of the easier projects I’ve done but still hard trying to make everything square and the same size Bought some nice corner clamps to make the box easy. Had a kreg for the holes for the shelves and for the pocket squares

I'll start by saying I'm experienced working with wood and tools, just not "nice" wood. I've built plenty of things out of 2x4s, plywood, etc but never anything where the finished project should look decorative and nice. Like where the grain of the wood is visible and part of the design.

So the project I have in mind is a slat wall divider wall that would separate an area of a room and look decorative. It would be about 8.5ft long and the slats would be about 7.5ft tall.

What wood I should use for this? I don't want to spend too much per board and would love if they were S4S but I wouldn't mind milling them down a bit to make them nice. Needs to be decently resistant to warping and maybe take a stain or finish well.

I hear poplar is a good option? But select pine is better for staining?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Why are router sleds and not planer sleds commonly used to plane boards which are too large to go through a thickness planer? Very similar to the way a router sled is made, a sled using an electric planer too could be constructed. However, everywhere, it seems, people prefer using a router sled over a planer sled. Why?