Unlock Your Woodworking Potential: 30 Expert Tips and Tricks for Woodworkers

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Safety

Keep Your Tools Sharp:

Dull tools not only result in poorer quality results but also increase the risk of injury.

A Healthy Fear & Respect of Tools is Good:

Keeping a healthy fear and respect for some tools, mainly power tools, will help you develop good safe habits for using them and keep you fully attentive while operating. Another way to look at it is to remember that improvising a plan in woodworking is ok but never improvise once a power tool is on.

Garage or Workshop Setup

Keep Wax Paper On Hand for Glue-Ups:

Place wax paper under your glue-ups to prevent glue from sticking to your workbench or project.

Use Casters for Mobility:

If you have a small workshop, consider putting your tools and workbenches on casters. This will make it easier to move them around as needed.

Make a Bench Hook:

A bench hook is simple to make and can provide an easy way to add support to making crosscuts with hand saws or wood carving.

Good Lighting is Essential:

Good lighting in your workshop can help prevent mistakes and injuries. It can also help you see the true color of your wood and any stains you might be applying. It will also help with spotting imperfections in your sanding efforts.

Philosophy

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder:

If the item is for you make it the way that appeals to you. That is all that matters. There’s a lot of tradition in woodworking and that means untraditional ways are judged harshly at times. If you are making it in a safe manner then listen to your heart not others.

Don’t Strive for Perfection:

Woodworking can be the pursuit of perfection but only when we realize it’s unattainable. Remembering that this craft is the opposite of manufacturing goods. In woodworking it’s actually the slight imperfections and variables that make the work so appealing and valuable. No two crafted pieces will be identical and with that hopefully you can learn to enjoy the craft a little more.

Idea, Design, Planning

Have a Plan:

Before starting a project, make a plan. Most of the headaches are caused by not fully thinking it through. Plans can save you tons of money, time, and trips back and forth from a store. This can be as simple as a general layout with a sketch, supplies needed, and an estimated timeline. We started Hammerly so that others could outsource this portion (or grow their skillsets) and utilize the portions they you want to follow and customize everything else.

Buy Tools Based on Needs, Not Wants:

When starting out you can feel pressured to buy the coolest and best of each tool. Unless money’s no object, start out by buying only the tools you really need to build the thing you want to built. As your skills grow you can grow your collection of tools that are a priority for you. The more you get into the hobby the more tempting it will be to purchase something that has limited use but save that for a later date. A list of starter tools can be found here.

Buying or Finding Supplies

Know How to Calculate Board Feet:

Typically when buying hardwoods at mills and lumberyards the price will be represented by the board foot. This is likely different than what you are used to seeing. Though the calculation is simple it can easily lead to errors while you are shopping and sometimes at lumberyards and mills.

Board Footage = Thickness (in.) x Width (in.) x Length (in).

There are a number of free calculators online, Board Feet Easy app is a simple one I like.

Marking & Measuring

Consistent Measuring Tools:

Use the same measuring tool and measuring process throughout a project to avoid tiny discrepancies. This will help limit measuring mistakes and as you dial in your process you’ll eliminate one area of discrepancy if you are short on a cut. This is a surprisingly tough habit to start. Finding a place to attach it to you is usually the best place to start because we know those tape measurers love to walk away if you set them down.

Check Your Squares:

You bought a square so that everything will be 90 degree. Well, unfortunately your square could be off a little. It’s best to always check your tools for accuracy before using them. One way to check a speed square (aka “rafter” or “triangle”) or a framing square (aka “carpenters” or “L”) is to place paper on a table then mark a line perpendicular to that tables edge. Flip the square over to the other side but still using the table edge mark a line directly next to the other. Are they parallel? If yes, you are good.

Use a Story Stick:

When you need to make multiple marks of the same measurement, consider using a story stick instead of a tape measure to avoid errors. This is typically a piece of wood you mark the length, width, and height measurements of a piece, and any other critical dimensions. Then you use the stick to do the remaining measurements throughout the project, reducing potential errors.

Use Sticks for Precise Measurements Inside Areas:

Are you bending a tape measure to find the width inside cabinets? You can use a ruler in combination with tape measure. Or, you can take two sticks that are smaller that the width but more than half the width. Start one on one end and another on the other. Clamp them together in the middle. Pull them out and measure the length.

Cutting & Drilling

Pre-drill Holes:

When screwing or nailing into close edges or ends of a piece of wood, always pre-drill the hole to avoid splitting.

Prevent Over-Drilling:

Use painter’s tape on your drill bit to mark the depth of the hole you want to drill. This will prevent you from drilling too deep.

Drilling Without Tear Out:

When drilling holes, you can prevent the bottom side of the hole from blowing out by drilling from one side until the tip of the drill bit just starts coming through, then flip it over and drill from the other side. This will give you clean holes every time.

Use Toothpicks, Match Stick Bottoms, or Wooden Q-Tips to Fix Misdrilled Holes:

If you drill a hole in the wrong place and need to move it slightly, you can use a these small wood items to fill the hole you created. Cut the end off the Q-tip or matchstick, put some glue on the end, and insert it into the hole. Then you can drill your next hole right next to it.

Create a Blade-Height Gauge:

Own a table saw? Create a simple gauge block that speeds up the time to set your blade height. They are easy to make, just grab a scrap end piece of 4×4 of about 3-5 inches. Measure out some of your most used heights and mark those, turning sides with the next height. Cut off these measurements to create notches to then be placed next to your blade when adjusting your height from one cut to the next.

Make a Zero Clearance Miter Saw Fence Before Cutting Small Stock:

The safest way to cut small stock on the miter saw is to make a zero clearance miter saw fence. This is an auxiliary removable mobile fence that you can put on your miter saw, and it helps you cut small stock and make cleaner cuts because you won’t get all the blowout that you get on the normal miter saw. Different designs on these jigs can be found online.

Jointing & Gluing

Pocket Holes for Beginners:

Pocket holes are extremely strong way to join pieces and easy for beginners to get started with. They can help you build confidence and generate sales for your business. It’s okay to use pocket holes in your projects.

Use a Plug Cutter:

This tool allows you to create plugs from the same material as your project, which can be used to cover up screw holes. Glue in the wood inserts created then use a flush cutting saw to trim off the excess and sand smooth. Are these holes going to be showing? Upgrade your project by using a plug cutter on a starkly different color wood to make a beautiful contrast to your piece.

Dry-Fit Before Gluing:

Always dry-fit your piece before applying glue to ensure they fit together properly.

Sanding & Planing

Avoid Cheap Sandpaper:

Going cheap on sandpaper is one of those areas that’s just not worth it. This increases the likelihood of scratches and swirls. There are ways to save money on projects and this one is not recommended.

Sand With the Grain:

When sanding, always move the sandpaper in the same direction as the wood grain for a smoother finish.

Add a Headlight to Your Sander:

Lighting helps a ton with seeing how well you’ve been doing with your sanding. Figuring out how to get proper lighting to where you’ll be doing your sanding can be tough at times. It looks like a joke but a good solution is to wrap a headlamp around your sander to give it a headlight.

Finishing

Use a Damp Cloth:

Before applying a finish, wipe the project with a damp cloth to raise the grain and then lightly sand for a smoother finish.

Test Stains and Finishes:

Always test stains and finishes on a scrap piece of the same wood before applying it to your project. This will give you a better idea of the final color. Make sure you follow the same process you’ll use on your final piece, like applying a wood conditioner.

Avoid Brushes When Applying Wood Conditioner and Stains:

Using brushes while applying stains or wood conditioner will cause you to fling the liquid at the end of your brush stroke. This might get on walls, tables, or tools. It’s common to tell yourself you’ll just go slow/smooth through a portion of a project but only to get impatient while doing. Get in the habit of using foam brushes or rags.

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