Today almost all furniture is mass produced to meet the broadest tastes and the lowest price. As a backlash against that trend people are taking up the tools and trying to develop the skills to create quality pieces of their own. Some of these people become accomplished hobbyists, some are able to sustain small woodworking businesses, and many just muddle along while keeping their day jobs. Cabinetry and Furniture making attracts those who share a passion for creatively producing objects from raw materials. They use imagination and problem-solving techniques, along with the skill of their hands to build, repair, and replicate custom pieces and objects that can last for generations.

An introduction to the fundamentals of wood carving including tools, techniques and the art of woodcraft. Carving can be enjoyed at many levels, from whittling a stick with a pocket knife to carving a sculpture in a fully equipped shop with chisels and power tools.

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How to Carve a Decoy Duck

To make either a decorative decoy or a true working duck decoy the following steps are followed. You may prefer working with cedar over the more popular basswood, basswood makes a better decorative decoy, but cedar adds needed buoyancy to a strictly working model.

Simple Handmade Wooden Car Plan

This toy could provide some of the happiest memories for your little ones. A homemade wooden toy car that they can put things in and push around and ride on will be a novel change from the plastic toys that they are used to. This toy car is perfect for daycare, nursery, preschool, kindergarten, or any play center.

Producing a Smooth Finished Wood Turning

One of the marks of a master craftsman is how smooth he can get his finished turnings. The extremely smooth surface is a delight to see, feel and to apply finish. By improving any of these factors the end result will improve. If you improve all of the factors the results can be quite dramatic. I was pleased to find that wet cutting and wet sanding worked so well that in some cases you can start sanding at 320 to 400 grit sandpaper if the quality of the wood is good enough.

Guide to Putting an Edge on a Carving Knife

This information refers to putting the edge back on a carving knife, but if you have dinged, nicked, or a badly damaged your blade, you need to find someone who can restore the edge of the knife to working condition. This information is intended to keep your knife edge razor sharp, you will need to know a something about steel in order to be able to sharpen properly.

Preparing your Woodwork for a High-Quality Finish

Finishing wood involves process. You can get outstanding results by taking the time to understand the processes involved in finishing, and by taking your time to perform each process with care. Great finishing depends on both mechanical and chemical processes. Mechanical processes are all about sanding and scraping wood, applying finishes with rags, brushes or spray equipment, and other techniques for finishing. Chemical processes have to do with the products you choose to use#58 Stains, dyes, oils, lacquers, varnishes, solvents, etc. Each finishing product has its own unique set of properties, which give you different effects or results, and the rules vary guiding the use of these different chemicals.

The Trick to Cutting Detailed Scroll Saw Patterns

Cutting patterns is challenging, but scroll saw patterns are designed to have enough strength and stability so that they can be cut by almost anyone with the patience and confidence to attempt it. Start in the center of the piece and work out, watch the order of your cuts and be determined to finish the piece and you will be surprised what you can accomplish. You don't need the top of the line saw, a hundred years of experience, or even divine intervention. You do need the desire to push yourself into working outside your normal comfort levels, and once again confidence.

Setting up your Ultimate Woodworking Shop

Setting up a woodworking shop can be easy. To get started, ask your woodworking friends for help or join a local woodworking club. Making the shop perfect will take years. Designing your ultimate woodworking shop layout depends on the type of woodworking you like to do. For example, wood turners might change their shop design to put the wood lathe in the shop's central work area with the best light. With different woodworking styles in mind - here are some general tips I've learned over the years that I hope will help you to get the most pleasure out of your woodworking shop, no two dream shops are exactly alike.