Thread: Im starting out. Top 10 mistakes?

A couple of people have mentioned always buying the best quality tools that you can afford, which is a fairly stock standard statement, and generally a good rule to stick too.

The thing is though, when you are just getting started it can be pretty hard to know what exactly is a good quality (and useful) tool, I know I sure brought a few expensive tools when I first started wood working that now do little more than gather dust.

I think there can be something said for buying a few cheap tools to get yourself started, then once you have an idea of what you want out of a tool you can worry about buying quality.

(cake on the other hand is a different kettle of fish, only ever buy quality cake)

Originally Posted by cookie48

1.Have beer in the fridge
2. Have mates that bring their own beer.
3.Try and have more than one brand of beer in the fridge.
4. Make sure the fridge is turned on.
5. If its cold have some port in the shed.
6. Do not tell your mates you have port in the shed
7.Never ever drink and work at the same time.
8.Knock off early enough to slowly sip a beer.
9.Never leave your empties laying around
10. Enjoy your shed time.

Thanks , mate -I'll open another one and try my hand at them twisted dovetails now....

Thanks so much guys for the feedback- great info! Its gonna save me some fingers and a fire in the shed. ...and I gotta start eating quality cakes I guess.

I'm definitely no expert but for me, the piece of advice I would give you is to just get out there and give it a shot.

You can spend hours here, in magazines, on websites looking at amazingly incredible work. Yes, get inspired but also get out into your workshop and try something. It's the only way to learn.

The biggest piece of advice though ... wear sunscreen ...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI]‪Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

A few people have suggested that you do not need the best quality tools. Now I would agree with that provided that the second best is still good quality. I used to teach wood work and furnishing construction to young people and I can say that it is probably more important for inexperienced people to have good tools than the reverse. But this is often not the case. The inexperienced wood worker starts off with poor quality tools and later, when skills and experience might be best able to compensate, that is when they get the better equipment. You do not have to purchase Rolls Royce but you should avoid bargain basement. If nothing else, quality lasts longer and needs less replacement. I do agree that tools are no substitute for skill. Hand cut joints are an art well worth the effort pursuing.

Agree with chook about tool quality - as an example, we're not suggesting that you need a $300 Lie-Nielson #4 plane, but I'd avoid the $18 bunnings no-name one. Something in between like a good condition second-hand Stanley (about $30-$50 from the markets) would probably be the right choice. This applies to most tool choices.

More tips

1) Cheap drill bits are terrible and make a mess of your work. I think I'd destroyed at least equal value in cheapies first before buying a set of decent bits so these may end up cheaper over time.

2) A block plane is your friend. I can't imagine a project where I didn't use it to tidy a joint, clean up end grain, add a chamfers or roundover etc.

3) The two most important parts of any project are planning and marking out. Get either of these wrong and it won't matter how good your other tools are. If you have money to spend, a good sharp pencil, a notepad and a decent combination square and tape measure would be how I'd use it.

Originally Posted by andrewr79

- be prepared for fire in the workshop. Extinguisher, fire blanket etc. And on that note - all sawdust into a metal bin not a plastic one.

Oh dear. What did you do?

I can't really add anything to what's been said above, other than to repeat the most important one. Measure twice, cut once. Actually, measure lots of times.

1. Join a wood work forum. That was one of the great things that allowed me to talk to other people on the forum.
2. think before you do anything. No need to rush as this is really a hobby.
3. More on safety follows from what others have already said.
4. Buy the best tool for the task. Hand tools that will last are always good or hand tools that are going to be fixed by you to last.
5. Learn to sharpen the tools that you have. blunt tools not alway safe.
6. Keep the space clean as possible. This may not always be easy to do but knowing who else might wondering in could be a concern.
7. Let people know that if a machine is running not to enter the space until the machine stops. If you are distracted then you might not watch what you are doing and accident happens.
8. Mention before still worth mentioning now. Measure twice and cut once.
9. Having some sort of plan or idea on what you are going to build does help.
10. Have fun at what you are doing. This might have best been set as number one.

Originally Posted by andrewr79

Agree with chook about tool quality - as an example, we're not suggesting that you need a $300 Lie-Nielson #4 plane, but I'd avoid the $18 bunnings no-name one.

possibly another good reason not to buy a Lie-Nielson plane when you are starting out is because you will fall in love with it, then wont be able to stop buying more

Originally Posted by NZStu

Oh dear. What did you do?

Nothing thankfully - I have however seen my mother set fire to her kitchen twice, and my sister once so I'm paranoid about fire. The gear also came in handy when the neighbours kids decided to emulate Bear Gryllis and set a campfire in the complex driveway!!

Originally Posted by andrewr79

... I have however seen my mother set fire to her kitchen twice, and my sister once...

Why did your mother set fire to your sister?

I'd go for measure three times and make sure you're measuring from the same end each time. Then cut.
Most expensive is not always the best, nor is best always the most useful.
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by andrewr79

Nothing thankfully - I have however seen my mother set fire to her kitchen twice, and my sister once so I'm paranoid about fire. The gear also came in handy when the neighbours kids decided to emulate Bear Gryllis and set a campfire in the complex driveway!!

Disappointed. I was expecting something more impressive

Originally Posted by andrewr79

Nothing thankfully - I have however seen my mother set fire to her kitchen twice, and my sister once !!

Is your sister called Joan?