New guy! Trying to navigate and get the lay of the land :-)

...One thing I can suggest is maybe a basic tool sharpening class. Having really sharp tools and maintaining them makes woodworking a lot more enjoyable....
I just buy sharp tools so I don't have to mess with all that sharpening hassle. (I also weld the gears on my guitar tuning keys so I never have to hassle with tuning every time I want to play Smoke On The Water or Stairway to Heaven.) :rofl:

Kidding aside, that's a great piece of advice. You're more likely to hurt yourself with dull tools than sharp ones. A few other random "rules" I've learned along the way, usually the hard way...
  1. Sandpaper is an expendable shop tool. Don't be afraid to grab a new piece if you think the one you're using is getting worn out.
  2. Same story with band saw blades.
  3. Never push or pull a sharp tool (including screwdrivers) in the direction of flesh.
  4. If you ever feel a particular operation might be a little sketchy or dangerous, figure out another way to do it. This is especially true with tools that can cut.
  5. Always stand out of the line of fire when using a table saw.
  6. Clean up your tools and shop floor at the end of every shop session. (Something I still need to do more consistently.)
  7. It's less expensive to buy good tools once instead of buying cheap tools several times. Sandpaper is included in this equation. (There are some exceptions to this rule, depending on the tool and how often you intend to use it.)
I'm sure others here can add to this list. ;)
 
The main take away I'd give from doing a lot of projects is that success is built on a mountain of failures. The more you do the more you'll understand why certain things work the way they do. Don't be afraid to jump into a project and figure out what you don't know :). I keep finding new things I was wrong about all the time.

On benches for many things (especially hand work) I've found heavier is better. There's a lot I don't like about my current bench, but the 3" thick top is still pretty decent. It's also easier to build a bench if you have one.. I found THAT out the hard way hah.

I'd second Bill's suggestion of classes if you can swing it. The skills and knowledge learned around how wood works translate marvelously between hand work and machine work.
 
The main take away I'd give from doing a lot of projects is that success is built on a mountain of failures. The more you do the more you'll understand why certain things work the way they do. Don't be afraid to jump into a project and figure out what you don't know :). I keep finding new things I was wrong about all the time.

...

#1 wife was telling me she wanted to start sewing more but was apprehensive about messing up and wasting material...

I told her "Do you know how much firewood I have made out there in that shop?" You're gonna mess up, you're gonna waste material. Do it until you get it right.

Alan
 
I don't work in the shop when I am tired.

If I make a stupid mistake, I "might" keep going. If I make another stupid mistake I STOP and close up for the day.

Do NOT work in the shop while intoxicated in whatever for that may take.

REMEMBER

Accidents do NOT just happen - they are CAUSED.
 
I don't work in the shop when I am tired.

If I make a stupid mistake, I "might" keep going. If I make another stupid mistake I STOP and close up for the day.

Do NOT work in the shop while intoxicated in whatever for that may take.

REMEMBER

Accidents do NOT just happen - they are CAUSED.

Good advice...

Best not to do anything while intoxicated... Personally, I don't do the intoxicated thing at all. I found life much easier about 30 years ago living without intoxication. Life is too precious and too short to blur any part of it, even the bad parts...

I always told my boys that no matter how tough or rough life gets or how bad a situation is, it can always be made worse by pouring a little alcohol on it....


Alan
 
I'm still kinda trying to figure this one out....

Alan
whatever "form" .. I'd include overly tired in that list.. I've made way more mistakes that were "near life changing" (not in a good way) when tired than anything else (although I'm a bit conservative in other regards.. so.. opportunity arises where it does).
 
Welcome to the family Joe! :wave:

One thing I can suggest is maybe a basic tool sharpening class. Having really sharp tools and maintaining them makes woodworking a lot more enjoyable.

As others have said, start with a project and work through how to make some of the components of it with what you have and ask questions.

We like lots of progress pics too. ;)

Good thing here, I was before (and still am) a “knife guy” so my sharpening skills are pretty on point :) This makes me happy to be able to carry a skill set from one hobby to another [emoji4]


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I've found I'm too much of a control freak to be intoxicated or high. Anything that diminishes my level of control over the universe is shunned. :rofl: Three or four beers a year shared with friends is about as far as I go. :beer:
Never been high on anything... don't think I would like the feeling.... after my friends wedding in 1970, about 2 weeks before my first... I reach a state where I could not focus both eyes simultaneously....next day the world was whirling at 100 mph.... made a pact with God if I could live over it, would never ever do it again.... I even gagged on the Champagne toast at my own wedding 2 weeks later... I like a good porter with my dinner periodically.... but to just sit and drink a beer has no appeal to me. I have a 750 ml bottle of good Canadian Mist that is about 1/3 full still... it's no less than 10 years in my liquor cabinet. Have not touched it in at least 5 years.
 
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Never been high on anything... don't think I would like the feeling.... after my friends wedding in 1970, about weeks before my first... I reach a state where I could not focus both eyes simultaneously....next day the world was whirling at 100 mph.... .
at my age I can get the same feeling just by standing up too quickly. :rofl:
 
Alcohol is not the only FORM of intoxication. An ancient intoxicant besides alcohol is a thing some people prefer. It has been illegal for a long time but is recently becoming a "little" more tolerated.

True. This can be applied to any form of distraction. When a person is pushing material through a blade it's best not to be thinking about anything except not pushing a body part through there as well...

Alan
 
Thanks to everyone for the welcome and the advice so far [emoji4] I’m very excited to be here.

Maybe a silly question but is there a forum or sub forum here where members can sell or swap tools? I’m not in dire need of much but of course I’m always open to a good deal here or there. Obviously some limitations would exist (not shipping my jointer anytime soon [emoji15]) but I didn’t know if such an area existed within the forum.

Hope to post some projects and updates here soon!


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Alcohol is not the only FORM of intoxication. An ancient intoxicant besides alcohol is a thing some people prefer. It has been illegal for a long time but is recently becoming a "little" more tolerated.
As someone who has experienced (and quit) just about every intoxicant out there that doesn't involve a needle, I can safely say I've seen a lot of fights involving drunk people, and never one involving people who were high on pot. I'm also a lot more afraid of drunk drivers than I am of stoned drivers. (Although I firmly agree no one should drive or operate machinery under the influence of any intoxicant.) My state fairly recently legalized recreational cannabis sales (although they won't have the governmental rules and regulations set up for retailers until next year), and I have no objection to the idea. We've allowed medical marijuana here for quite a while, and I know a number of people who have legitimately benefited from having access to it. (Particularly people who previously had dependancies on prescription opioids.)
 
I hear that Chuck. Makes me mad when I can't do what I want to do. Now'a days have to call in help which doesn't make me very happy. Beats the alternative. The help I have to use does give me somebody else to talk to.
David
 
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