Thread: Do You Practise Stuff

You can put a poll in as well, by going to thread tools and selecting ad poll.
And to answer that i take time to practice the one thing until i have learned how to do it properly.

Yeah, I practise. I can't afford to waste good wood stuffing things up so I practise the tricky bits. Makes projects very slow, but saves on wood and frustration. And if I can't do it, I don't reach for "mechanical help", I try again.

Originally Posted by Mini

To take the dovetail jig thread a bit further do you practise new techniques such as cutting dovetails by hand or do you just try a new joinery technique, decide you can't do it and reach for mechanical help? In days gone by apprentices learned by practising the important techniques, I suspect these days we are too impatient to do that.

Yes I practice until I get it right, but its important to analyze what went wrong (or could be improved) after every try, otherwise you risk locking in a bad technique. I did dozens of dovetails on scraps wood before I tackled a real drawer - and then I threw a few bits away before I was happy.

Right now I'm trying to teach myself to weld and I've got a heap of very ugly offcuts of steel and the floor is littered with welding rod stubs. But I'll get there.

Yes.
Marking Out, and the use of various mark out tools.
Cutting to a line, cutting just shy of a line, cutting square in both directions.
Various joints. DTs of various forms, basic joints
https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...939-small-.jpg
in fact...
I don't seem to make much ...but I am learning a fair bit along the way.
One day,...at some stage, I may be able to do justice to the lovely tools I have purchased, been given or made.
Until then I just keep plugin away. One little project or exercise at a time.
All the best
Kevin

Thanks for the response fellas. Woodworking to me is all about confidence and that comes from the ability that basic skills give you and that comes from practise. There is a video floating around advocating that every time you walk into the workshop you should practise some joinery for five minutes to get the brain into gear. Applicable to dummies like me I suspect, the more skilled amongst need not apply.

Originally Posted by Mini

To take the dovetail jig thread a bit further do you practise new techniques such as cutting dovetails by hand or do you just try a new joinery technique, decide you can't do it and reach for mechanical help? In days gone by apprentices learned by practising the important techniques, I suspect these days we are too impatient to do that.

A couple of years ago one of the guys demonstrating at the Hobart Woodwork Show - I think it was Chris Vesper - are you there Chris? made the point that all sportsman practiced and warmed up before every game. He suggested that woodworkers should do the same to get the mind and muscles properly aligned.

Sounded like good advice, but I do not always follow good advice.

Cheers

Graeme

Originally Posted by Mini

Thanks for the response fellas. Woodworking to me is all about confidence and that comes from the ability that basic skills give you and that comes from practise. There is a video floating around advocating that every time you walk into the workshop you should practise some joinery for five minutes to get the brain into gear. Applicable to dummies like me I suspect, the more skilled amongst need not apply.

I am not sure that practicing some joinery for 5 minutes get the brain into gear as such. It may be more appropriate to say practice what you are about to do first before hitting that all important piece.

I definitely do some test pieces before I start on the final piece. Seriously doing a dash of 5 mins of dovetails when you are really going to a mortise and tenon seems a bit out.



Mini: I see you are from "The Burgh". Is the pit still closed or did it get linked in to one of the other local ones like Appin?
Cheers Old Metropolitan Miner.

I can't say that I do much hands-on practice of joinery. However I do a lot of visualisation of what I plan to do, and this is a very powerful technique that is every bit as educational as physical practice.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Every thing I do is a learning curve. I usualy do a test before a tricky joint,some times lots of them.

I like to do a fairly detailed drawing before I start a tricky or large project.

I find it gives me a clearer idear of the problems that lie ahead.

Steve

Originally Posted by cultana

I am not sure that practicing some joinery for 5 minutes get the brain into gear as such. It may be more appropriate to say practice what you are about to do first before hitting that all important piece.

I definitely do some test pieces before I start on the final piece. Seriously doing a dash of 5 mins of dovetails when you are really going to a mortise and tenon seems a bit out.

That's the reverse of what Chris said. He said that he frequently cut a couple of dovetails before as warm-up before starting that days work. He then demonstrated cutting a set of dovetails by hand in about 90 seconds flat. Joins and alignment were perfect.

Cheers

Graeme

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

That's the reverse of what Chris said. He said that he frequently cut a couple of dovetails before as warm-up before starting that days work. He then demonstrated cutting a set of dovetails by hand in about 90 seconds flat. Joins and alignment were perfect.

Cheers

Graeme

I think we have got our comms crossed here. What you posted is what I see as appropriate, ie practice what you are about to do.

I am new to woodworking. I try to either practice chiseling mortises, cutting tenons, sharpening my chisels, or cutting dovetails every day. I am much more focused on practicing now, than building much. I am really enjoying it. I am also seeing improvement, so it is encouraging. Are they perfect, no, not even close, but they are better than they were 2 weeks ago.

Good post question.

Brian Meeks
Extremely Average