Woodworking consists of constructing or decorating something from wood. Woodworkers use a variety of tools and materials to accomplish the creation of an imagined project. Seasoned woodworkers recommend beginners to start woodworking with basic tools and then gradually add bigger equipment with the acquisition of advanced skills. There are numerous resources and organizations available to help assist with woodworking projects. Many offer various video tutorials, related articles, and projects to cover all of the essentials, including what wood to choose for certain projects, tools to select for certain projects, and how to secure a safe workplace. Once nailing down the basics, woodworkers can literally build a boat or house from scratch.

Types of Wood

Choosing the appropriate wood for a specific project will determine the beauty and strength of a piece in mind. Various wood specimens exist, each with an ideal purpose in woodworking, including soft and hardwoods. Contrary to the term, softwoods aren't weaker than hardwoods. Softwoods stem from coniferous trees, such as fir, cedar, redwood, and pine. Coniferous trees produce a yellow or reddish appearance, and grow exponentially faster than other trees. Retailers offer softwood at a cheaper price because of its wide availability. In fact, tree farmers sustainably grow softwoods to ensure an endless supply of wood without contributing to deforestation. Each of these softwoods may serve better for building, such as cedar, fir, and redwood. Others may prove ideal for furniture-making, such as western red cedar, fir, and pine. Woodworkers often use pine for carving furniture.

Most woodworkers prefer to work with hardwoods, because of the available options in color, texture, and grain pattern. The wider scope allows woodworkers to create unique furniture; however, hardwoods are generally more expensive. Woodworkers may have trouble affording or working with more exotic hardwoods, such as Brazilian rosewood. Additionally, many exotic hardwoods are facing extinction due to the exploitation of the world's forests. Woodworkers can find common hardwoods on the market, including ash, birch, cherry, mahogany, maple, oak, poplar, teak, and walnut. Each hardwood serves their own utilitarian purpose, such as weather-resistant outdoor building, furniture-making, and accents for existing projects.

• Welcome to the WWA WoodSample – An online directory exhibiting the perfect selection of woods, with specific categories listed to enhance personal choices for a project in mind.
• Identifying Common Northwest Wood Species (PDF) – A woodworkers' guide to choosing wood species for certain projects. This guide will direct beginners to correctly choosing between soft or hardwoods, and the specific species to get the job done.
• Softwoods of North America (PDF) – An informative essay providing essential profiles of 52 softwood trees native of North America.
• Wood Identification for Hardwood and Softwood Species Native to Tennessee (PDF) – A comprehensive resource to hardwood and softwood species found in Tennessee, often used in the creation of woodworking projects.
• Softwood Lumber Grades – An informative article providing competent instruction on softwood lumber grades, often used in residential, commercial, and industrial construction.

Tools

Beginning woodworkers should not invest in expensive stationary power tools, such as table saws, drill presses, band saws, or jointers until reaching proficiency in the trade. Concentrate on developing basic techniques with manual tools before investing in heavier, expensive equipment. Additionally, most woodworkers use these basic tools more often than stationary power tools. Seek retail wood outlets or professional woodworkers to complete projects requiring joints, rips, planes, and crosscut lumber at specific dimensions. While this may cost an extra few bucks, it will save a bundle on buying unnecessary tools, especially with limited workspace. Most beginner woodworkers will add onto current inventories over time and with careful budgeting.

A basic woodworker's tool kit consists of measuring, cutting, shaping, joining, and portable power tools. In addition, woodworkers must include safety equipment to avoid injury. Woodworkers need measuring tools to accurately identify cutting points in the materials used in a project, including a combination square, sliding bevel, marking gauge, framing square, steel tape of ten or twelve inches, folding ruler, compass and scratch awl. Cutting tools make it necessary to customize length and thickness of the wood used to create pieces, such as a crosscut saw, rip saw, back saw, coping saw, hacksaw, slip-joint pliers, needle-nose pliers, and diagonal cutters. Shaping tools, such as smooth plane, low-angle block plane, round rasp, and a utility knife allow the woodworker to design the aesthetics of the piece. Other tools may include claw hammers, finish hammers, nail sets, hand screws, C-clamps, routers, circular saws, twist drills, jig saws, and more.

• What is a Surface Planer? – A surface plane smooths the overall surface of lumber to a desired thickness. Surface planers correct uneven lumber surfaces.
• The Wonderful World of Wood: Woodworking Tools (PDF) – A comprehensive list of basic woodworking tools, including a complete profile and specifications of their utilitarian value.
• Fine Woodworking Tools and Materials – A comprehensive resource list of materials and tools that students often bring to woodworking classes, which can be used as a general online for amateur woodworkers.
• Woodworking Tools – A complete list of layout tools used in woodworking, including layout tools, dovetailing tools, chisels and mallets, and recommended safety equipment.
• Building Community: Tool List (PDF) – A comprehensive tool list used in woodworking, including block plane, cat’s paw, C-clamps, nail sets, pry bars, routers, saws, and square frames.

Other Supplies and Materials

Woodworking requires more than wood and the basic tools to get started. In order to complete a specific project, woodworkers gather certain materials to complete the piece to preserve, decorate, or even restore its utilitarian and aesthetic purposes. Adhesives, fasteners, and certain hardware permanently adjoin individual wood pieces. Epoxy, dyes, stains, paints, and lacquers aid in finishing the aesthetics of the project's appearance. Oils, waxes, and varnishes preserve the wood from the elements. Sheet goods enable the woodworker to build sturdier pieces with the right application.

• Adhesive Bonding of Wood (PDF) – An informative essay explaining how adhesives bond with wood, and why it's important in woodworking.
• Homemade and Alternative Stains and Colorant – An informative article providing expert woodworking advice about the use of alternative stains and colorants when finishing furniture and other pieces.
• Wood Glues – The National Institute of Building Sciences provides a brief introduction and description to various types of adhesives used in woodworking and their individual applications for certain projects.
• Paints & Woodworking Supplies (PDF) – A comprehensive guide to the various types of paints to use on each of the individual wood species.
• Wood Finishing with Oil – An all-purpose article for teaching beginners how to finish woodworking projects with oils.

Woodworking Techniques

Amateur woodworkers may find the plethora of available techniques overwhelming at first. Beginners should get acquainted with just a few basic woodworking techniques before diving into the trade. For instance, a mitered joint refers to two pieces of wood cut at opposing angles in order to adjoin the pieces without a gap. Coping refers to cutting wood along its own profile, often used on inside corners. A rip refers to cutting in the same direction as the grain of the wood. Crosscutting cuts across the grain of the wood, usually with toothed blades. Mortise refers to the removal of wood in order to occupy a certain space, most commonly used indoors. Lastly, planing wood reduces the overall thickness of a flat surface, either with a manual or powered planer.

• Recycling Wood – An article addressing the importance of recycling wood to get the most of scrap materials.
• Woodworking Techniques- Selecting and Using Routers and Router Tables (PDF) – An audio presentation of a woodworking seminar introducing various techniques used in the trade, including the proper steps to take in selecting and using routers and router tables.
• Woodworking Techniques – A comprehensive guide to woodworking and metalworking techniques, including software to help assist in building plans, how to make springs, making accurate edges, and how to correctly use hand tools.
• Woodsmith eTips – This wood smith offers advice in regards to 266 specific tips and techniques when undertaking certain projects.
• Woodshop Tips – A comprehensive resource offering over 279 woodworking tips ranging from frame and raised panel construction to jointing veneers.

Home Woodworking Projects

Many publications and resources offer woodworking projects for hobbyists and professionals. Some plans require more materials and stationary power tools. In addition, some may also require a spacious work environment to accomplish the task at hand, which may mean a private garage will not be well suited for larger do-it-yourself projects. The easiest home woodworking projects will likely consist of small projects, such as a wooden jewelry box, built-in wall shelving units, cutting boards, dining room tables, chairs, towel racks, and outdoor picnic tables. Advanced woodworkers can literally build houses, boats, and patio decks.

• Wood Projects – A collection of free woodworking plans, including hundreds of furniture-making projects.
• Woodworking Furniture Projects – Dozens of furniture woodworking projects, including instructions on building a table, bed, bed frame, daybed, queen size bed, desks, tables, stools, dressers, bookcases, storage drawers, and lawn chairs.
• Do-It-Yourself Woodworking Plans, Projects and Patterns – A vast collection of woodworking plans, projects, and patterns for the beginner and seasoned woodworker. Each plan provides detailed instructions to aid beginners in producing professional work.
• Woodworking Plans and Patterns for Porch Swings, Glider Swings and More – A website dedicated to providing do-it-yourself wood projects and woodworking plans for around the house and home.
• DIY Woodworking Projects: Step-by-Step Plans with 3D Animations – Popular Mechanics offers do-it-yourself projects with step-by-step instructions and 3D imagery to help aid woodworkers in creating wooden objects.
• Woodworking Plans – A simple collection of woodworking plans with the use of minimal tools and materials.
• Woodworking Projects, Plans, and Patterns – An amazing collection of woodworking projects, plans, and patterns ranging from quilted racks to outdoor sheds.
• Free Woodworking Plans – Furniture Plans shares three free woodworking plans, including built-in wood shelves, step stools, and wine caddy’s.
• Woodworking Plans Making the Cut Level 2 (PDF) – Purdue University provides woodworking plans at skill level two, which includes small knick knacks.
• Kansas 4-HWoodworking Plans (PDF) – A Kansas State University woodworking plans document providing amateur and professional projects, such as a swing seat, broom holder, door stop, kitchen cutting board, and a book rack.
• Some Woodworking Projects – Dale Austin provides some woodworking projects, including clean bathroom benches, display cases, blanket trunks, dinghy and oars, etc.
• Woodworking Plans (PDF) – A syllabus to helping students create their own woodworking plans.
• Paper Towel Holder – Amateur Woodworker provides instructions for building a wooden towel holder for the bathroom.
• Minwax® Project Plans – Minwax provides woodworking project plans, including furnishings, outdoor construction, storage units, accessories, and kid-friendly wooden objects.
• Furniture Projects – An array of no-cost woodworking furniture-making projects, including a bombe vitre, book caddy, doll bed, small end table, and nesting table.

Woodworking Associations

Beginners would benefit from joining woodworking associations. Not only do these organizations provide guidance into the trade leading to expertise, it may also lead to suppliers and other networking leads. Woodworking associations will build beginners into professionals with enough dedication and energy spent in the trade. Oftentimes these organizations will provide the necessary training and education at little to no cost; however, membership may be required for admittance into certain workshops.

• Wood Industry ED – An online portal providing amateur and seasoned woodworkers the education and training needed to become accomplished woodworkers.
• Western Woodworkers Organizations – A magazine providing a comprehensive list of woodworkers organizations located in the Western United States, including Alaska, California, Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, etc.
• The Engineered Wood Association – The APA is dedicated to providing engineered wood to many companies and independent woodworkers.
• Woodworking Machinery Industry Association – The WMIA connects professional woodworkers with importers and distributors, including the highest technology and software to create plans and unique furnishings.
• The Italian Woodworking Machinery and Tools Manufacturers Association – An organization representing European manufacturers of technology, 3D imagery, wood processing, and other wood-based products for the professional woodworker.