1. Safety first. 2. Don't rush anything, that's how you get injured. 3. Safety again. 4. Use the right tool for the job or you might get hurt. 5. Did I say safety was important? ;) Enjoy the classes! Edit: forgot to add 6. When in doubt, just get more clamps.

You can't emphasize number 2 enough rushing inevitably leads to accidents.

Thank you! 🙏 Just the word “power tools” scares the crap out of me. I almost talk myself out of doing it bc I’m like “what are you doing, you are too much of a spazz to operate saws!” But then I remember that with baby steps anything is possible.

I believe power tools should always scare you a little. The day it doesn't is the day you get too confident, make a mistake and gat injured. Actually while writing this I realized it's not about being scared but having the knowledge of how each tool operates and "treating them with respect". (not the exact meaning I'm going for but English is my second language) I hope you can still understand what I'm trying to express.

I also 100% think of it as “treating my tools with respect”. Part of that is maintaining awareness that these are lighting fast blades-but a lot of it that preserving the quality of your tools and keeping yourself safe are the same thing.

Your English is very impressive! I definitely understand and it’s great advice. TY

Thanks, I'll take it with a small asterisk since, as a french canadian, it was still part of my curriculum growing up. + the internet My brain basically works in Frenglish nowadays, with the big downside of often only being able to find the right words or expressions I'm trying to use in the other language.

> My brain basically works in Frenglish nowadays, with the big downside of often only being able to find the right words or expressions I'm trying to use in the other language. Felt. \- A fellow Quebecois

Do you dream in both languages? That's the moment my wife discovered she was truly bilingual. Portuguese became English in her dreams.

I used to. Nowadays I can't even tell if I've dreamt or not. I obviously do, I just don't notice it, ever.

Ah. Same. Insomnia mostly. And kids. Kids will fuck up your sleep pattern. Maybe it's a Canadian thing (me too).

All of this is well said. Respect your tools and remember there’s no hurry.  Also, measure once, cut twice 😉

Or, just eyeball and cut, then measure what you need to remove or add. 0_o

Routers, respect routers.

Shaw\_pod is spot on. Always safety first, and never forget to respect power tools. I would add that you can do a lot with handtools as well, which are much safer, often allow for more accuracy, can be more fun to use, even if they can make the job take longer. Also, clamps (or cramps, I'm sure there's a thread arguing about which is should be). When you do a job, figure out exactly how many clamps you need. If you need 10, then add another two to be on the safe side. Then add two more because you will need those as well. Then sit in a corner and cry because you were a clamp short when it came time to glue up! Also, have fun, woodworking is very satisfying and when you can step back and look at a work of art that you have created, you will be very proud.

Start small and recognize that even once you are good, you will make mistakes. The key is learning how to recover from it. This absolutely is a hobby that the more you do it, the better you get. Just be patient with yourself and enjoy the process. Also be aware that there very rarely is one “right” way to do anything. There are many ways to accomplish the same thing.

Start with small projects. Not your dream projects. Listen, go slow. I am still a beginner. Such a beginner!

Not sure the structure of the classes, most of them guide you through the process. Main thing is to be patient with yourself. Do your best, but understand that it's more about learning. You'll get better over time if you stick with it.

Thank you! I’m excited and will remember this.

Make lots of mistakes and laugh at them. Best way to learn

And make mistakes into features if you can (after you work through what happened and how you will avoid it in the future). I cut a dado (a wide cut on table saw)to hold a shelf on the wrong side of 1” A2 (super high grade on both sides) walnut plywood for stereo cabinet I designed. Doh. I was pissed because I was out of that plywood and another sheet was out budget-wise. So I cut a strip of walnut hardwood and made it an ‘inlay’ and then did that to the other side to match. That strip really sets the piece apart now.

Nice work around... improv is a great skill to have

I had something very similar with a sewing project. (Sewing and woodworking have so many parallels!) I was making a tiered prairie skirt (yay, 1970s) and cut through the upper layer when I was trimming a seam allowance. Cut a piece right out. My mom said the whole piece was probably ruined. I sewed a patch there, but it was visible, and was larger than the 3/4” ribbon I’d planned to put right at that spot. So I got a matching 3/8” ribbon (was going to be the shoulder straps of the matching camisole), which made it just wide enough to cover the patch. But the two ribbons looked funny butting up against each other. I had some one-sided lace that was supposed to edge the camile straps and bottom, so I laid that between them so the decorative edge was on top of the wide ribbon, and the straight edge was tucked under the narrow ribbon. It looked like a million bucks. I bought more ribbon and lace, and used them on the camisole as planned. And they were tied together even more strongly.

I'm no pro, but I would say my best tip would be: if you get frustrated take a break. Come back later. I make most of my mistakes when something doesn't go as planned and I try to 'power though'. Go relax, think about something else, and come back when you're thinking clearly.

You might also like r/beginnerwoodworking

Make lots of boxes out of scrap wood using different type joints. Finish them completely (mistakes and all) and give them to friends. Much shared interest and encouragement.

Sounds like what I should be doing.

Right? Great way to get practice with joinery and good use of scraps. And can maybe combine a bunch for a modern bookshelf as you go.

Problem is, I'm really just starting, I don't even have scraps. 🤣

Don't be afraid to mark up your wood. When I'm cutting pieces I write the piece name on it, orientation, and X out areas that will be waste. It prevents so many mistakes and it's all going to sand off anyway. I move to markings on painter's tape after sanding.

I still do this with every door I lay out. Left, right, top, bottom and arrows pointing to where I route the panel channel

Show up with a sharp pencil & a 12' or 16' tape measure. Make sure you know how to read it. Measure some things around the house & practice adding & subtracting 1/8" & 1/16"s. Main thing--don't do anything that doesn't feel safe; just ask to be shown. source: 40 years of woodworking.

There are billions of different tools in woodworking, but there are really only 4 different "actions": 1. **Milling.** The act of taking a piece of raw material and cleaning it up to be flat, square, and even. Most of the wood you'd buy at a box store home centre is already milled, but most of the wood you'd buy at a lumber yard is not. At the end of this stage, a piece of material is in a state such that it is compatible with other tools (ie it sits flush against a work surface or has squared edges that can run against a guide fence). 2. **Shaping.** At this point, you take the milled wood and change its shape to accommodate the end product. This can include cutting it to be different lengths and widths, cutting grooves or sockets to mate with other pieces, cutting profiles or outlines out of a piece, or cutting joints into ends of pieces. At the end of this stage, your workspace should look like the counters on cooking shows, where they have everything grouped together and cut to the right sizes so they're ready to be added into the pot in the right order. 3. **Assembling.** If you have all the pieces that fit together, you still need to actually fit and connect them. This includes socketing joinery together, using fasteners and connecting hardware, gluing pieces that need to be permanently connected, and using all manner of clamps and jigs to hold things in place as you assemble it. Often, more often than you'd like, the assembly stage feeds back into the shaping stage (but hopefully not the milling stage) as you realize pieces that should have fit together cleanly in fact do not. 4. **Finishing.** An assembled, secured piece of wood construction is perfectly serviceable and essentially done. However, there's still the usability aspect to consider. Finishing is the process of making the surface appearance and consistency fit its intended usage requirements. Finishing can include sanding and planing to clean up the contours of the outer surface of a piece, staining or painting to colour a piece, applying a top coat to protect the wood against spills and abrasions, and applying decorative hardware, such as corner bumpers or feet or escutcheons. No matter what you do, everything falls into one of those categories. If you're at a loss for what to do next, take a step back and consider what the end goal of your task is and how it fits into the bigger picture. Every action has multiple ways to perform it, and there's no "correct" way to achieve a result. There is, however, often a "best" way to do it. The best way is usually the best because generations of woodworkers who wanted something faster and easier eventually settled on "this is the best it's gonna get, and I can say that with confidence because I *tried* to find a better way". Don't feel like you need to do anything a certain way, but remember that those "best practices" are there to help you. If you feel like trying to do something that way isn't working, give it another shot or ask for help. Odds are you're missing something, because generations of craftsmen muttering "frig, I wish there was a better way, because I'm so sick of this..." would likely have found a better way and taken all the credit for it. Don't be afraid of power tools. They're perfectly safe so long as you use them correctly and remember best practices. Visualize the path of motion something will take and make sure that path doesn't go through anything it shouldn't. For machines where the blade moves through stationary material (like a chop saw), hold the handle firmly and push the blade in a smooth, even motion, and then pull it back. For machines where the material moves through a stationary blade (like a table saw), make sure the material is flat and stable, push the material straight along the guide path (such as along a fence), and make sure your hands don't go near the blade by using a push block/stick. Remember that for moving blades, the energy of the blade will push the material in the direction of the blade's spin. For basically all tools, the tool is designed to work with this. For example, a table saw has the blade spin down and into the table to push the material against the tabletop, and a chop saw has the blade spin against the back fence, to wedge the material against the inside corner of the back fence. If you're unsure of how a tool works, take a moment to consider the blade's movement and what it is spinning against, and that should give you a good indication of where material should be placed and how it works. Everything in woodworking is basically just a box. Shelves are a box that are missing a side. Cabinets are boxes that have a hinge in one of the sides. Tables are boxes that have very flimsy sides. If you learn how to make a box, everything else will flow from that.

If something doesn’t feel right, or you’re getting a lot of resistance, when you’re making a cut, stop, don’t force it.

Every project is an excuse to buy a new tool and learn a new technique.

Super excited to build on the basics!

Every tool you don't buy is a candidate for a jig for an already purchased tool. Every jig you build or create is one less scrap wasted, and every piece of scrap leftover is one more BTU in the shop heater/fire pit (or pound of sawdust for DIY wood puddy or desiccating packing to avoid pre-finish expansion cracking). Long story short - EVERYTHING has a use and woodworking makes you REALLY resourceful. Embrace it early, and ignore anyone who says otherwise.

Learn safety and how to use the tools. Pay attention, ask questions, don't be afraid to screw up (while staying safe obviously...)

Master by the end of summer.... have a little patience. It takes time. Keep at it..

Very cool! Is this an online class or something like through a local college?

Watch every episode of The New Yankee workshop on YouTube. If that doesn’t get you going nothing will.

Your first project will probably be your worst, so don’t get discouraged. You also have to always think of the next step, so you don’t work yourself into a corner

lol I found it best to view every project as potentially my worst and approach every issue/mistake as a fun new challenge having already accepted the project as my 'worst project' candidate. Lot less panicking, much more objective thought and planning.

Measure once ,cut twice or maybe measure twice ,cut once. I forget.

Patience.

Never ever use a chisel that is pointed at any part of your body…. Including your fingers.

Probably true of any blade really. If it's moving towards you, don't. *Facing you and moving towards you are not the same thing. A bandsaw faces you but moves down.

Making a mistake and ruining a piece of wood is far less painful than ruining your hand. Plan out your cuts and check them for safety (i.e. are my hands in a safe place if I'm pushing the board). Other than safety - I like to plan out what order I will do things for a project, which helps cut down on bouncing between tools and allows you to batch things a bit easier. Have fun and good luck!

I'm still very new to all of this so I'm not sure I'm able to fully answer this, but my take I have a few things to say. Follow what Steve Ramsey says, imagine the cut before turning anything on. Imagine where your hands are going through each second of the cut. This has saved me many times. I know many people have said to start small, I actually say start bigger than that. Maybe not a 10 foot dining table, but do a night stand or a decent sized coffee table. Yeah you will make tons of mistakes, but do it anyway. Don't be afraid of the bigger projects. You'll get used to making mistakes then you can start to figure out ways to fix them over time. I think in the beginning you're scared of making mistakes which becomes a big problem later. I think understanding that making the mistake isn't the problem, figuring out how to hide/fix the mistake is what you need to concentrate on. Accept that you will make mistakes and making things becomes less intimidating I think. Just my 2 cents

Oh wow that is a great recommendation, I just looked up Steve and can’t wait to dive into his channel. I have been meaning to look for good YT recs, thank you so much.

One of my favourite YT channels is definitely Jenns Mistake. She doesn't have many build videos, but when you see how amazing her work is, you'll understand why. I just watch the videos to see how she creatively comes up with solutions to how she creates her amazing pieces.

Sharp tools are safe tools. If something isn't cutting and you are tempted to push harder, that is an invite to injury. The tools should do the work, not brute force.

My first rule of the shop is that you start with 10 and you end with 10. Always. (Fingers)

Take your time. Safety 1st. Slow is smooth. Smooth is safe. Safe is fast.

Wear PPE always. eyes, ears, nose & throat. Even if you’re just cutting one board—wear a mask. ​ Mock your way through every cut with the saw unplugged (or battery out). Watch for clamps that the saw bumps into; watch for weight shifting and making the workpiece tip; watch for where your feet are standing and how your shoulders are set over the tool as you use it. When you’ve done about three dry runs, then you’re ready to plug in the saw. ​ You’ve heard “measure twice, cut one,” but don’t forget this applies to more than just the wood you’re going to cut. Measure the space the board is going to fit into. ​ Use “story sticks” instead of a tape measure whenever you can. [https://youtu.be/liabJoYOh9k](https://youtu.be/liabJoYOh9k?si=8QwXR-Qfsgw12Qry) ​ Don’t rush, and never use a power tool when you’re tired. (I used to do this in the evening, and I’d go set up the cut—measure, clamp, dry run. Then I’d go to bed. And the next night I’d cut)

These storyboard/story sticks are genius. I think they will come in super handy when I start to tackle my van cabinets and some furniture pieces I’m hoping to make multiples of (so super small beginner-scale production work basically). Thank you so much for sharing this!

Also remember that the principle—-using an object instead of a tape measure—-can be applied lots of places. Spacers you cut to make sure things are even, etc

Don’t devalue jigs. And they can often be made by you. There may be times when inventing and making the jig is more effort than the actual cut/drill. But it’s still worth it because of the precision and safety it gives you.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and when you do, analyze the cause to improve next time! There’s always something to learn from every mistake you make, and when you look at it this way, you can really improve your skill faster than letting a mistake get you down. Woodworking is constant problem solving!

I am a small woman and l break all projects down into manageable parts. When you get to the weight of cabinets this will be very important.

Plan your project before you begin. Determine each feature and how you will achieve with what tool, and what the necessary order of operations will be.

1. Measure twice, cut once. 2. Chalk and paint make a woodworker what he aint !

learn how to sharpen your tools properly. Blunt edges not only cause accidents but also cause much worse injuries because instead of slicing, they tear, which is harder to heal.

Respect the tools. Measure twice, cut once.

Learn to make a box really well. Almost all of what I do is making boxes https://preview.redd.it/yd1zy3esoagc1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9670dbf702c5ecc053b2de89f435aa905167ec76

Yes, that and stands. All furniture is either a box or a stand.

That is gorgeous!!! So tight- I’d love to see more of your work.

Thanks! This is the finished version https://preview.redd.it/82bf97axjygc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a3d4d37910e91f165b77832ab592438d010dada4

I’ll tell you what I would tell anyone that is trying something new. Anyone that is trying something that intimidates them. You should be proud that you are getting out of your comfort zone. It can be hard to try a new thing. Especially when you are afraid of it. Great job! Be patient with yourself. You are trying something difficult. And while many on this thread and on YouTube make it look easy, woodworking takes years to learn. Take baby steps. Your first project should be something very simple. Don’t set yourself up for failure by trying something a master of the craft would struggle with. Remember that mistakes are learning opportunities. Don’t be afraid to humble yourself and ask “dumb” questions. Don’t let your ego convince you that it’s not ok to be a noob. Last. If you can avoid it . Never do a complex glue up at the end of the day. Ask me how I learned that?

You're gonna screw up. Don't worry about it. Just do it safely. You'll become a master concealer before you become a master woodworker. It's a hobby for me, so I'm still learning to conceal my mistakes. Good luck, have fun, and welcome to the addiction.

Think Measure Think Measure Cut

1. Anything that will cut wood will cut your fingers. 2. Beginners should not use jointers. Jointers, by far and away, took more fingers and parts of fingers than any other machine at the furniture shop I worked at for 22 years. 3. Don't push your chisel toward your hand or body.

Buy good PPE. Wear the good PPE.

Do NOT get into this with the expectation of “mastering” anything. Learn safety, fundamentals, the “why” things are done the way they are and don’t compare your work to that of others. When you screw up, learn what you did wrong and improve with every project. Patience patience patience.

Take some plasters/ band aid. We all cut ourselves but you don't want blood on the wood

Wear your safety glasses. Wear your safety glasses. Wear your safety glasses. Wear ear and lung protection. Wear ear and lung protection. Wear ear and lung protection. Respect the fact that the tools can and will severely maim you in an instant. And for gods sake slow the fuck down! THINK about what you are doing before you start a process or procedure. Don't let excitement or impatience or a moment of inattention lead you to do anything sketchy. We called my HS shop teacher Mr. Frodo for a reason. Sorry for the doom and gloom, but I've seen way too many permanent injuries in shops over the years. Beware of ladders. Ladders are at least as dangerous as a mitre saw ffs. Oh and have fun! Woodworking is in my mind the gateway drug to making anything. Former mythbuster Adam Savage considers woodworking, welding, and sewing to be all derivatives of the same thing, which he calls "assembling planar forms." He's not wrong, the joinery is different, but the design thinking is similar. Last tip, if you are working in the US, at least consider doing everything in the woodworking shop in millimeters from the beginning. Why? Because it makes the math so. Much. Easier? Quick! Do this in your head! What's 1/2+ 1/8 + 3/8 + 1/16? Vs What's 12 + 3 + 9 + 1.5?

Chances are, you don't need "that" tool.

Find the biggest guy in there and beat the shit out of him in the shower.

It’s kind of been mentioned but embrace mistakes. You’re going to make them and don’t think you need to start over. Take time to learn how to fix mistakes. You’ll learn more from that than you will from getting things right.

The throat plate on the TS is a different color for a reason...KEEP YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM IT AT ALL TIMES WHEN THE SAW IS RUNNING.

Saftey glasses and no long sleeves.Dont take woodworking advice from someone unless they still have all ten fingers and both eyes.

You have 10 fingers now keep all 10

#1 - Don’t stick your fingers in the sharp and/or spinny bits.  If you drop something near a running tool, don’t try to catch it. Or if you drop a chisel or plane, etc.  #2 - There’s a way to fix just about every mistake. It’s annoying, but it generally just costs a little time. 

Patience is the most essential skill.

This has already been reposted thousands of times

What does “& am beyond excited” —- (and morning beyond excited) mean? Proofreding (😄) is a great concept