How to Learn Woodworking? Books, Courses, And Basics That Matters

Woodworking is the art of making things out of wood. It is considered one of the most useful and productive hobbies as you end up creating something that lasts long and is very useful. As a woodworking enthusiast, a question worried me about how to learn woodworking easily and successfully. If you have faced a question like this, the following answer is for you.

If you want to learn woodworking, it is just a matter of time and practice. There are many ways you can learn the techniques of wood cutting and dealing with wood. You can watch videos, read books, or learn from a professional. All you need to do is practice.

If you need guidance on where to start woodworking and all details involved, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will explain the pros and cons of learning woodwork and different methods of how to learn it.

Is Woodworking Hard to Learn? Let’s Know The points

When it comes to learning any skill, you must keep 3 things in mind. Those things are as follows:

Passion
Patience and
Perseverance.

Similarly, you need to practice your skill with patience and passion in woodworking.

Woodworking is a skill that you can learn easily if you have patience and dedicated focus. You need to know some basics. You are never born with a skill. You always need to learn and practice to get it right. If you are passionate, you will always be ready to face any hurdles that come your way.

Remember, you will never be perfect at something the minute you start learning it. You should stay motivated throughout your learning journey to make learning the task easier.

Where do I begin When it Comes to Learning Woodworking?

To initiate learning woodworking or any other skill, you need to start by gaining knowledge of the basic steps, methods, and precautions involved in learning.

Before beginning any project, read books, watch videos, or look at any resources that can help you learn about the basics of woodworking.

Before starting the practical work, this will give you a great idea of what equipment and tools you need. Learn technical terms and techniques that are used in woodworking.

Once you get a hold of the basics, start practicing by doing a small project with little difficulty or professional equipment involved.

Note: Don’t buy professional and expensive tools unless you get the hang of the craft. Start by making simple things such as a jewelry box or any small box.

Eventually, when you feel like you can move on to more significant projects, try making something more significant such as side tables, bookshelves, wall shelves, or a stool.

When you start woodworking, start with tools that are not powered because those tools need to be used with expertise that beginners don’t learn right away.

What are the Primary Tools that I Need to Have to Start Woodworking?

Remember that you should start learning woodworking without professional tools and equipment. The primary tools you will need to begin woodworking depend on your project.

Some common pieces of equipment that are a must-have when starting woodwork are as follows:

Wood planks
Hand saws or a coping saw
Wood glue
Standard chisels
Clamps and
Some speed squares.

When you move on to a higher level, you can add some special tools such as:

A Panel saw
Jack plane
1-3 chisels
Combo squares and
A back saw.

You should get involved with professional, powered tools after learning the skill from a professional instructor to understand how to use them safely. You can even take online courses to use the tools properly.

Best Woodworking Skills to Learn:

When it comes to learning woodworking skills, there are some very important skills that you cannot miss in woodwork. You must learn those skills to understand how to do your final projects neatly and successfully.

Here are some of the best woodworking skills you need to learn:

1. Understand how wood works

Before you start working with wood, you must learn its various properties and features to know how to work with it properly.

Wood grains need to be worked on with care. You need to work with smooth planks and avoid touching them in the opposite direction of the grain.

Besides that, you also need to know how to expand and contract wood in different weather conditions.

2. Make sure your saws, chisels, and planes are sharpened

Sharpening your tools is one of the initial steps before starting your work. If you use dull tools, your wood planks won’t cut as efficiently as you need them. To make your work easier, sharpen your tools before using them.

3. Use a Hand Plane

This skill requires a lot of practice. You need to learn how to use a hand plane properly. Watch this video to learn more about the use of a hand plane.

4. Polish and finish your work.

The ending is the step where you finalize your work and make it look its best. When you are done with creating your project, you need to learn how to polish it properly because, along with the quality, the presentation of your wood-crafted object matters a lot too.

How to Learn Woodworking in an Apartment?

Living in an apartment with limited space might make woodworking in it sound nearly impossible. Your neighbors might even start complaining about the noise caused by the powered tools or the smell of wood glue.

What if I tell you that even with all these problems, you can still learn and practice woodworking in your apartment? Sounds good 🙂

There are many ways you can learn woodworking comfortably in your apartment without annoying your neighbors.

Firstly, if your neighbors complain about the noise of your tools, or if there is a great chance that they will, use simple tools. You don’t need to use powered tools to learn woodwork anyways! Why waste the power and energy to make those tools work? Just simply use hand tools. You can also try to make your place noise-insulating so you can continue your work without disturbing anyone.
Secondly, if you have limited space in your apartment and want to practice your skills, there are things you can do. You can invest in a knockdown or folding workbench. If you need to place your workbench against a wall, ensure it doesn’t scratch or damage your apartment walls.
Lastly, one of the most important things you need to take care of is the wood shavings that fall on the floors of your apartment. If you can, lay newspaper or a mat to keep the sawdust and wood shavings from spreading around and creating a mess in your apartment.

I’m 17; Can I Start to Learn Woodworking?

When you want to learn a skill, passion is one of the main keys to success. In such a scenario, age is just a number. You can learn woodwork at any age! It is, however, a skill that requires a lot of practice and safety precautions.

You can start learning woodwork at the age of 17. You might not be able to learn it in an organized manner, which is why you will probably need an instructor or a guide to help you learn woodwork.

If you can’t afford to go for professional woodwork courses, it doesn’t matter! YouTube can be your best friend. You can easily look for channels where they teach woodworking for beginners. Watching a video to understand how things are done and managed is easier.

If you start learning woodwork at a young age, it is better; the more you practice, the better you become at that skill. This means that when you get older, with regular learning, you can be a professional woodworker at a very young age! Read more.

Which Medium do you Prefer to Gain Woodworking Knowledge: Apprenticeship, Classes, YouTube, or Trial?

Nowadays, if you want to learn something, many resources are available to help you gain knowledge about your desired skill. You will find so many options to choose from.

The internet is one of the most widely used platforms to attain knowledge about various skills. The Internet is full of articles, YouTube videos, and pdf books that have all the information you need to learn woodworking.

You can find several people on youtube who are professional woodworkers and extremely skilled. They have some of the best tutorials online.

If youtube isn’t an option for you, you can attend practical classes or sessions for woodworking. It’s better when you work in front of an instructor and they guide you along the way. Learning virtually doesn’t allow you to learn from your mistakes which is an essential part of learning.

Another thing you could do is, arrange books from the library or find pdf versions online so you can understand and learn the basic things. Some books might even have a step-by-step guide to make some of your first projects. Once you practice from there, you will definitely know how to deal with woodwork projects.

All the resources can be found easily and do not cost that much either. It is your decision what you want to do to learn skills. Whatever seems most feasible to you can be your source of knowledge.

Online Courses to Learn Woodworking:

I’ve got your back if you’re looking for online courses to learn woodworking but can’t find any. Here are some of the best online courses that you can take to become a professional woodworker:

These are some of the best resources to learn woodwork from online. Make sure to check them out and see which one suits you best.

Best Books or Resources to Learn Woodworking:

I have a suggestion if you don’t want to use an online course to learn woodworking skills.

These are some of the books that you can use instead of using an online course to gain knowledge and understanding of woodworking:

These sources can be very helpful to you if you are looking for help in learning woodworking but don’t know how to learn at home.

How Long Does it Take to Learn Woodworking?

Any skill that you are looking forward to learning will take time. Everything that requires perfection takes time. You can’t just learn something right away. It will take time, patience, and passion.

Woodworking is also such a skill that requires all these things. If you’re good at it, the basic woodworking skill techniques can be at your fingertips in just a matter of days or weeks!

If woodworking is a skill that you will pursue in your future as well, then in a few years, you can reach a professional level of woodworking. Your effort and practice do affect the length of the learning process.

If you make things out of wood every day of your life, you will always learn something new every day.

People learn from their mistakes, and when it comes to learning woodwork or any skill, there is no specific time limit. You get better at such skills every day with practice.

My Final Opinion:

Learning woodworking isn’t rocket science. In my sense, anyone can achieve this skill with proper guidance, passion, and dedication.

You can make bookshelves, tables and so much more! You can get creative with the design as well. There are many ways you can learn woodwork at your house or apartment or wherever you are.

You just need to have the right knowledge, understanding, and tools. Besides, I also shared above some of the best online courses and books that can be a plus for woodworking enthusiasts.

I hope all your questions about how to learn woodworking have been answered in the article. If you still have questions, please feel free to comment below.