Setting the Stage for Woodworking Craftsmen can smelt metal to mold it, melt plastic to shape it, and make marks on stone and marble to free the sculpture within. But how do they prepare wood for woodworking? Woodworking is the crafting of taking wood and making furniture or art. It involves the use of a variety of tools, all of them meant to measure, sharpen, carve, shape, cut, and finish the wood.

Calculating Board Feet

Determining how much lumber to procure for a project can be a bit tricky. This is especially true if you are purchasing hardwood lumber, which is often sold in random widths and lengths. This lesson will provide a woodworker with the tools needed to confidently source and purchase lumber.

Select Proper Wood for Wood Turning

In some ways, selecting wood for turning is like choosing lumber for any woodworking project. Stock should be free from defects, such as knots, splits, checks, and shakes. Blanks for spindle turning should be straight-grained; for bowls and other face plate work, grain is less of a concern. In fact, a wildly figured piece of wood can yield a stunning bowl.

Selecting the Right Lumber Makes Woodworking a Joy

Selecting the best lumber for a woodworking project can have a profound impact on its final outcome. If you start with the right material, you're more likely to wind up with a piece that is interesting to the eye, stable in its construction and true and square.

Calculating Board Feet

Being able to calculate board feet is helpful when ordering or buying wood so you know what you are paying, or should be paying for a given amount of material. It can also be helpful when figuring out how much of a specific type or size of wood is needed for a project. Keep in mind that most sellers round up at least the actual thickness.

Lumber Dimensions and Sizes

Interpreting lumber dimensions is one of the first challenges that amateur woodworkers face. Lumber dimensions may seem like an accurate estimate of lumber size, but in fact they are frequently quite a bit different from the actual size of the lumber used. This discrepancy in lumber dimensions can make planning projects a nightmare for people unfamiliar with the intricacies of lumber dimensions. A brief look at how lumber dimensions are calculated will help to decipher the mysteries of lumber size.

The Difference in Wood Sizes

On a trip to your local home depot or woodworking supplier you might notice the different wood sizes on display, and be scratching your head wondering what it all means. There are a couple important things to remember when purchasing stock. An important thing to remember about softwood and hardwood sizes is that they aren’t the same; softwood sizes are a lot more direct or as direct as you’d expect with the information you know now concerning 2x4’s.