WoodworkingPlaneteverything related to wood and woodworking

If you are new to woodcarving, then you have two options:  you can do it the old fashioned way and figure it out for yourself, or you can get a guide to help you get started.

If you just want to do a little whittling to pass the time, then that’s cool.  But if you want to get into the real art of woodcarving then you will want to get a little bit more training, whether it is joining a woodworking site or forum, joining a woodworking club, or buying a book about woodcarving.

There are lots of different wood carving books out there for reasonable prices.  They may vary, so do a little research online first, or browse through some books at a store.  Some are just short guides, while some are complete guides with lots of project ideas, and some don’t have any training and instead focus on just giving you project patterns and ideas.

Here are some examples of things discussed in the books you can find:

-What tools you will need
-What kind of woods should you use
-Different techniques to try out
-Project patterns and more ideas

Here are a few of the best selling woodcarving books available on Amazon.com.  They all have good reviews and are pretty cheap too (under $15):

Every once in a while I like to try large complex projects, but small woodworking projects can be lots of fun too.

For one thing, you don’t have to worry about them as much.  For large projects you need to spend money on wood, and you will most likely need a large selection of tools to do everything.

But with many small projects, you don’t need much wood and you could probably just use some of the scraps sitting around in your workshop.

There are lots of small projects where you don’t need to use many tools, and even basic hand tools you keep in your garage are sufficient.  These small projects are a great way to get your family involved and it is fun building something with your kids.

For example, the puzzle cube pictured above is a fun project that is not too difficult.  Children will like playing with it, and adults are stumped trying to get the cube out of the box (but you can’t!).  There are lots of toys and puzzles you can make with your children.

If you have a lathe, then there are even more possibilities for you.  It is fairly cheap and easy to make bowls and pens if you have the right equipment.  These are quick easy projects, and lots of fun too.  Carving is another good option for small projects.

Here are a few ideas for projects:

- Household items (like a CD holder), birdhouses or feeders for outside, small toys and games for the kids, clocks, or small cases or containers (like a jewelry box).

There are hundreds of different projects you can make, but those are some good ideas if you can’t think of anything to build.  You could also check online and find lots more ideas for little projects that won’t cost much or take much time.

You can also go to this woodworking website to find lots of different woodworking projects and plans.  There are thousands of projects on the site, and there are many different small projects.

Good luck, and have fun!

If you are interested in pen making or woodturning, then you will need to buy a lathe.  But are the best lathes for woodturning?

There are many things to consider, but there are some minimum specifications you should look for in a lathe.  There is one main rule to observe: you can build a small project on a large lathe, but you can’t build a large project on a small lathe.  If possible, it is always best to buy the biggest lathe you can afford.  But here are some general guidelines for you:

Swing over bed- This is basically how wide you can make something.  For example, it is hard to make a large bowl if the swing over the bed is small.  (See diagram below, A)

Distance between centers- This is the actual working distance between the two ends of the lathe, and affects how long you can make something.  Small distance can make pens, longer distance can make chair legs and baseball bats.  (See diagram, B)

Variable speeds- The greater the span, the better.  Sometimes high speeds are best, and sometimes low speeds are best.  Optimally it should have lots of different settings, and it should be easy to change the speed.

Lathes, come with two numbers in the name that shows you the swing and distance (A x B according to the diagram).  For example, the Jet 10 x 14 has a swing over bed of 10″ and a working distance of 14″.

There are lots of lathes available, and you should look for one with at least specs close to 10″ x 14″ or bigger.  If possible, you could even buy a used lathe to save a bit of money.  If you want to buy a lathe online, here are some options:

Jet Mini Lathe 10″ x 14″ – $279, one of the most popular lathes for penturning

Jet Wood Lathe 12″ x 20″ – $539, another very popular lathe among woodturners

Rikon Mini Lathe 12″ x 16″ – $349, comes with a free stand

Delta 5-Speed Midi Lathe 12.5″ x 16.5″ – $499, a very reliable company

There are lots of outdoor furniture plans available to woodworkers.  If you spend a lot of time outback with your family, you might want to make some chairs to sit on.

Or maybe you just want something to make your yard look better, and adding some furniture would make it look more cozy.

Whatever, the reason is, I’m sure you will have fun with your woodworking projects, and I know that there are tons of outdoor furniture plans out there to help you get building.

You could always buy a book of woodworking plans and choose from there.  Or you could go online to get some plans.

Specialty stores, such as Woodcraft, have woodworking books and also sell individual plans.  There is also Woodworking 4 Home which has over 14,000 plans and includes training to help you with your projects.

Ok…so what are some ideas for projects you could do?  Well, if you do want to make your yard look nicer, there are many decorative projects you could do.  You could make an arbor, gazebo, trellis, pergola.  If you really wanted to, you could even build a small wooden bridge or a wishing well for the backyard.

These projects are fun to build and they do turn a boring yard into a nice looking one, especially the bridge and a trellis with flowers on it (just my opinion).  However, when I think of the word “furniture” I usually think of chairs and tables.

If that is what you are looking for then there are even more options.  You could make a bench for the yard.  You could make a small table and some chairs, so you can sit around and eat, or have a picnic.  You could even just go ahead and make a full picnic table.

Rocking chairs and swings on the porch are some of my personal faves, but lounge chairs and adirondack chairs are another popular choice.  Adirondack chairs are a perennial favorite because they are fairly easy to build, they have that old-fashioned “homey” feel, and they are really comfortable!

For lots of professionally designed woodworking plans, you can click here to browse through thousands of plans, such as this adirondack chair: