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Introducing Kids To Woodworking

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Woodworking is an interesting hobby with a lot of potential. Once you learn and master the basics of this craft, the possibilities are endless. Combine this experience with teaching your kids, and you have something truly special. Not only could you instill in your children a deep appreciation for the craft of woodworking, you can also incorporate many lessons and learning skills without your child knowing it! Woodworking can help kids with their eye-hand coordination, dexterity, problem solving, and measuring skills. Woodworking can also teach a child how to take an abstract idea and make it real through careful planning from start to finish. However, before you put those grand designs in motion, cover a few basics first.

One of the very first lessons your child will learn is that mommy or daddy’s tools are not toys. The kids need to know that if they are going to be working in the woodshop, there are rules that everyone – even you – have to follow. Saws are sharp, hammers hurt, nails or screws left on the floor can cause a fall or other injury, and in the woodshop, everyone has to be careful and pay close attention. When working in the woodshop, teach your child that he or she should wear safety glasses at all times. Above all, never leave your child to work unsupervised.

Keep in mind that you want to start slowly. You wouldn’t want to begin by teaching your four year old how to use a rotary saw. Instead, give your younger child small jobs. A good task would be helping sand a plank of wood to prepare it for staining, or letting him or her draw a measurement while you hold the ruler and point out where the line should begin and end.

Start with the most basic tools and techniques and build on them one by one. A child’s first project might be something as simple as making a set of shelves or a small bookcase.

Teach your child about the different types of wood, what trees produce that wood and the properties of each. Tell them why you would use oak instead of pine for a certain project. Show your child that there is more to woodworking than cutting and nailing boards together. Wood can be bent, carved, burnt, painted, glued, or stained to make many different and beautiful things. You can point out kitchen cabinets, furniture in the living room, a guitar in the corner, or the picture frame hanging on the wall as examples of wood’s versatility.

For those of you who have children under four years old, you can still get them acquainted with tools. Many toys resemble the kinds of tools daddy uses in the workshop. You can get a toddler-sized workbench with a set of tools safe for tiny hands, or toy versions of little power tools that your child can pretend to operate. Whatever the child’s age, you can find a way to spark an interest in woodworking that will last a lifetime.

How To Effectively Market Your Woodworking Products

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E-advertisements of woodworking services force the woodworkers to compete to survive in the market.

The question which arises here is how one under such circumstances does, effectively attract customers and start receiving profitable business.

Well, for starters, here are a few suggestions that might help:

1) Showcase your products locally in trade shows organized by different communities. In this way you will be able to get a clear idea of the popularity and prospect of salability of your product. Also, in this way you get a feedback right away so it is profitable for the medium scale businesses. Apart from this a craftsman can make a deal with bigger businesses who can sell his goods and for which he will be charged a small percentage of the sale.

2) Next, forming a network of product marketing through friends and family relatives also helps a lot. They buy the goods initially and informally advertise it for you.

3) Placing ads in the magazines read by your targeted market can work wonders because it is a very popular form of media. You can place an ad in a woodwork magazine. To make it catchy you can hire a photographer to take snaps of your products to be placed in your advertisement.

4) Though people hardly appreciate the time and effort spent on creating woodworks some buyers do have interest in such things. To attract these buyers, at local trade shows, you can set up a live demonstration exhibition.

5) You can also create online woodwork shopping websites for the online transaction of your goods. Basically, creating an online store that features you wonderful woodworking products.

Hiring a broker to sell your woodwork can also help. He can provide you clients, market information and advice you regarding the time and location for you to advertise. That’s how you can market your woodwork products.

Following Woodworkng Shows On T.V.

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Many people today are watching home improvement shows and these shows seem to be pushing Canadians to renovate their home into a dream home instead of realizing the financial realities of renovation.

Surveys show that, although 60% of the people in the survey who had a home renovation worked up a budget for it, 27% spent more than they had originally budgeted.

It is not easy to stay within budget when you are doing a renovation. Add to that pressure all of the home improvement shows on T.V. or all of the decorating magazines that make the homeowner want the latest and fanciest in appliances and decoration. Most people who renovate their homes want to stay within budget, but all of these influences can frequently tempt them to extend themselves a bit to have the features they see on T.V.

Even without this, it is difficult to predict extra costs and make sure there is enough money to cover any project overruns. Financial experts suggest that you have the financing for the project lined up ahead of time in the form of a personal loan or a home equity loan. This will give the homeowner the necessary cushion for added costs. Even if you don’t use the line of credit, it is good to have it to cover contingencies. What if you are having a room added, and then you find out there is a problem with the electrical system that has to be repaired?

The surveys show that 68% of the respondents used savings to pay for their home renovations, but they still will require planning to stave off financial problems. Of the homeowners surveyed, 34% were borrowing to cover the cost of the home improvement.

Don’t get caught up in the trap of trying to imitate the beautiful mansions you see on these home and garden T.V shows. Don’t let the beginning of a home improvement become the end of your marriage. A study by the British Gas Association and published on their website http://house.co.uk indicates that more than half of the do-it-yourself home improvement projects are inspired by these shows, and that 80% of the families doing the projects are having arguments over them.

Two thirds of the families have serious disagreements over the color scheme of the project! The aim of the research was to learn consumer attitude toward DIY. The site, http://house.co.uk is a a national registry of screened tradesmen who are promoted by HomePro Ltd. the leading on line supplier of trade professionals.

Having a professional may help a family avoid the deputes that occur in DIY projects and may save money in the long run, since so many families have to pay extra to fix their DIY mistakes.

Here are the top ten reasons for the disputes:

  1. The Mars/Venus trap. Men are from Mars and women are from Venus and they cannot agree.
  2. Lack of knowledge to do the job.
  3. The high costs.
  4. Stress.
  5. The disruption in the household the renovations cause.
  6. Finding time to complete the project.
  7. Unfinished jobs.
  8. Misconceptions about the job. The T.V. show makes it look so easy.
  9. The one doing the job really doesn’t want to do it.

And the top reason (hardly seems worthwhile): Disagreements over the color scheme.

Many people are reluctant to decide about moving because of uncertainty in the housing market, so they are following the lead of T.V. shows and renovating instead of moving.

Finding The Best Woodworking Contractor For The Job

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Employing someone to fix your woodwork is easier than employing a general contractor. It’s simpler than redecorating your house in entirety. Few guidelines are given here on how to employ the most eligible contractor for this work.

You must have a clear idea of what you want and have a clear picture of it in your mind. Making a rough draft or jotting down on a paper what you want can also help. It would enable the contractor to get a clear picture of what you want hence closely replicate it.

Keep your options open and make more than one contractor bid for the contract with their estimates for the job. Avoid bids for Mahogany or Oak as it spoils the whole purpose of the bidding tactile.

Thoroughly investigate about the most promising contractor. Find out about their licenses (whether they conform to the state norms); check the recommendations of their earlier clients, their work statistics and other information’s regarding their personal and criminal and financial ledgers. This would help you get an idea of the results you can expect from their work and the character of the person you will be working with.

Scrutinize the presented estimates carefully and repeatedly until you get a good understanding of it. Do not judge them by the price offers but the structural differences they hold. It may so happen a contractor who charges $50 more than the other can get the work done in less than 8 days.

Signing of a contract is an important step. With it, you formally hire your chosen contractor. So make sure the contract holds the details you mutually agreed upon and pay special attention to the schedule of payment. Keep a copy of it with you if necessary.

From this it emerges that you must hire that contractor with whom you can freely communicate, who values your suggestions and is ready to satisfy your queries. It is essential to remember that you’ll have to make them work on your vision and not make a do with there is. While dealing with them you should be alert and act smartly so that you can hire the best wood contractor.

Choosing The Best Woodworking Saws

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You will eventually need more than one saw in your woodworking shop. Table saws and miter saws are often the first purchases made by beginning woodworkers. Knowing what to look for in a quality saw is the best way to be sure you are getting tools that will serve your needs as you grow in experience. Woodworking shows and stores that sell discount woodworking tools are a great source of information and inspiration.

Choosing Woodworking Saws

Table saws are an important piece of equipment and often the first power tool purchased for a workshop. Saws come in either 120 or 240 voltage. If the saw is 120, it will run on normal household current. If it is 240, you will need a dedicated circuit. An electrician can run a dedicated line for the tool. For most home workshops, 120 is plenty of power. Professionals generally use 240, which stands up better to regular use.

Things to Consider:

  • Power of the motor
  • Direction of the tilt, left or right
  • Dust collection, these saws tend to create a lot of dust, which is messy to clean and can be a health hazard
  • Accuracy of the fence; look for a fence that is adjustable and easy to use.

Miter Saws for Woodworking

Miter saws are an important piece of equipment when working with wood. They cut angles quickly and precisely. The choices can be daunting, as there are literally hundreds on the market. Reading reviews is a good source of information when narrowing down your options.

Miter saws are great for big jobs, like replacing the trim in your entire house or furniture making projects. A tight miter makes a big difference in the overall appearance. Miter saws can either be used on a stand or the ground. A stand is best when you have a lot of wood to cut.

Woodworking Jigs

Woodworking jigs are an essential part of a variety of different projects. They save time and increase accuracy. Using jigs is much faster when you need to create several pieces. All pieces will come out identical with a jig. The results are more consistent and professional. The jigs ( http://www.inside-woodworking.com/jigs/index.html ) you need depend on the projects you are creating and the results you hope to achieve.

You can purchase jigs in any store that sells wood working supplies. They can also be found inexpensively on the internet. To save even more money, you may consider making your own jigs. Using scrap pieces of plywood is a cheap way to make jigs. Since they are typically used only once, you don’t want to use expensive wood to make them.

A DIY Guide on Woodworking Jigs

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Woodworking jigs are a necessary part of any woodworking shop. They are great for repetitive tasks in many wood working projects. They make complex projects easier to manage and faster. You can purchase pre made jigs or make your own. Although they are inexpensive, making your own from scrap wood is even cheaper. Depending on the type of projects you like to do, you will need a variety of different jigs.

Types of Woodworking Jigs

Dovetail jigs are great for making dovetail joints accurately. These can be purchased relatively inexpensively. Another option is to make your own dovetail jig. You can find templates for making your own jigs on the internet or in most stores that sell wood working supplies. Many of these templates allow you to make up to twelve different size jigs.

You may want to puck up a dovetail bit for your router and a dovetail saw. These are great tools if you intend to make your own jigs. Templates allow you to make variable spaced or fixed dovetails for a variety of projects, including cabinets, drawers and small boxes. Some systems come with bits and templates together in one kit. These save money compared to purchasing the components separately.

Dovetail saws are used to cut not only dovetails, but other fine joints for projects. The blades on these saws are thinker than other saws. This allows for greater accuracy. It’s important to purchase a good quality tool for making tight joints and professional looking projects. Look for about fourteen to seventeen points per inch in a good quality saw.

A dowel jig is used for making quality, consistent dowels. If you are using a thick timber, get a self centering jig for better accuracy. There are a variety of sizes from a quarter to one half inch. Complete kits are available that include the dowel jig with several hundred dowels in a variety of sizes. Glue is sometimes included in these kits.

A kreg jig is great for cabinet making. Perfectly positioned slides are necessary if the movement in the drawer is to be smooth. Using kreg jigs save time because you won’t need to measure and mark the spaces for drawer slides. These make it easier to mount metal drawer slides. They can be used for center, bottom or extension mounted drawers. This is an inexpensive, yet versatile piece of equipment.

Making Woodworking Jigs Yourself

Making your own woodworking jigs saves money in supplies. Use inexpensive materials and scrap pieces of plywood for making your own jig. Since you use the jigs for one project only, you don’t want to spend much on materials. If you plan to re use your jigs, use a stronger hardwood to make them.

You can find instructions for making your own jigs in woodworking books or magazines. Instructions are also available on the internet. You can print these out for future reference. Consider getting a good binder to keep your jig making instructions organized in your workshop. Using plastic page covers will protect the instructions from getting dirty, ripped or damaged.

A Guide to Woodworking Plans

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Woodworking plans are an essential component of any project. Wood working patterns and scroll saw patterns are needed to plan a project and create accents in your piece. Good plans give step by step instructions, diagrams and illustrations to guide you through from start to finish. You can buy plans, find them for free on the internet or make your own plan.

Finding Woodworking Plans

Free woodworking patterns can be found on the internet. Many are free, but others need to be purchased. You can search for general plans or for specific projects. Patterns are available for everything from a simple box or bird feeder to elaborate furniture projects. Several websites offer plans for making children’s toys and decorative items. Enter the project you are looking for in your favorite search engine or just enter free woodworking plans.

There are books available that are devoted to wood working patterns. You can find these at book stores, on the internet or in your local library. Often, woodworking magazines will contain plans for a wide variety of projects. Purchase a few of these at your local news stand. After you have found one you like best, you may decide to subscribe and receive new plans month after month.

If you are new to woodworking, it’s best to start of with a simple pattern. This will help you learn to read and follow the plans. As your skills increase, you can move on to more difficult projects. Start off with a simple toy or bird feeder before attempting to make a dining room set. Look for detailed and thorough plans to help you create your project.

Good plans include detailed instructions. The instructions should take you step by step through the entire project. Look for plans that have detailed diagrams as well as illustrations of the project at each stage. Print out your plans and keep them in a binder. This will help keep you organized and prevent pages from getting lost or damaged.

You can follow the plan step by step or you may decide to make a few changes to the plan. Changing a few details is a great way to make a generic plan more personal and original. For example, you can change certain designs or accent pieces and give the project a whole new look. Another option is to paint the finished product, rather than staining.

Creating Woodworking Plans

Once you become more experienced, you may decide to try to create your own plan. Start by sketching how you want the finished product to look. The first sketch doesn’t need to be too technical or detailed. You will add the details and dimensions later. Once you have made your original sketch, determine the dimensions of the total finished product.

Determine what type of wood you will use in your project and how much wood you will need. It’s important to use accurate measurements when ordering the wood to avoid running out before the project is finished. Determine what other materials you will need to complete the project. This will help you estimate the total cost.

Create a detailed list of all materials needed and the quantity of each material. Include items such as paint, stain or polyurethane. Consider the tools that will be needed to complete the project. Do you have all that you need? With this information, you can then determine the overall cost. Take this list with you when you go out to purchase supplies.

You will then draw a more detailed sketch of your design. Create diagrams like those found in woodworking plans on the internet. Draw each stage of the process in detail. Write out detailed instructions that will take you step by step through the project. This will help you stay organized and ensure that you don’t skip any essential steps along the way.