TOP 10 unavoidable truths of woodworking
This article by Michael Dunbar was
published in 2002, in the October issue of Fine Woodworking and we found it to be one of
the best for all woodworkers. F/W has allowed us to use the article for our December
issue. You can visit their web site at www.finewoodworking.com and we encourage to do
so.
Woodworkers are only human, and we tend to seek the path of
least resistance, finding the quick or easy way out.
This tendency almost always leads to trouble.
#1.
Don’t Rush
Do not confuse working quickly with
rushing. After years of practice, the best
craftsmen appear to work very fast, but they do not rush.
You rush when you focus on getting the job done in less time. It’s an impulse we all fight. Pros have
deadlines and hourly rates to meet. And
hobbyists, because of work and family, have limited shop time. Rushing causes more injuries than any other bad
habit. It also results in more mistakes. When you are focused on the completion time, you
are less attentive to the work and the process.
#2.
Learn to sharpen
Sharpening is a skill that too few woodworkers ever master. Most tools will not work well if dull, and some won’t work at all. This forces woodworkers to resort to methods that are frequently clumsier and more awkward. Knowing how to sharpen is a gateway skill: It opens the door to faster; easier techniques that will yield better results. Sharpening and honing are part of the measured rhythm of fine work and so are connected to Rule #1.
#3.
You get what you pay for
Most of us have limits on our woodworking budgets that cause us to think twice about paying the long dollar for equipment or materials. However, quality in new or used machines and hand tools always has been and always will be expensive. When you try to cut corners by buying the low-end brand or lower-quality materials, you set yourself up for disappointment.
#4.
Finishing is half the battle
When you’re finished with the woodwork, you’re only halfway done. While we all love to work wood, most of us dread finishing. We enjoy being precise and finicky when making a project, but most of us hate the sanding and the cleanup required for a perfect finish. However, when we skimp we get poor results. Glue spills show up suddenly when finish is applied. Or we find flaws in surfaces that are supposed to be perfectly flat. The undeniable truth is that the finishing is as important as the woodworking, and it frequently takes almost as long.
#5.
Practice makes perfect
When we decide to undertake a new project,
we can’t wait to jump right in and get to work.
However, woodworking is a bundle of skills that are polished by practice. That’s why your parents and teachers told
you, ad nauseam, “Practice makes perfect.” The truth is that the quality of your
projects is better if you are not learning the skills on the job. Try unfamiliar skills first on some scrap first.
#6.
Dry-fit before glue-up
This is one of the first things to go when we are rushing. It also can be the result of over confidence. Other times we simply forget. Whatever the excuse, dry fitting saves a lot of grief. Joints that are too tight can lock up when glue hits them, and freeze before coming together completely. You don’t get caught racing against a glue’s set time, trying to hammer a piece apart. It usually results in damage or broken parts. A dry fit lets you figure out which components of an assembly to put together first, which clamps to use and where to put them. Basically, you don’t want to be scrambling around or discovering any nasty surprises after the glue has been spread and the clock is ticking fast.
#7. Glue won’t rescue poor joinery
When it comes to securing two or more pieces of wood to each other and having the joint look good and hold up over the long haul, nothing replaces proper fitting. There is no glue so strong or so gap filling that it makes up for sloppy joinery. Because we are human, things will go wrong. While there are tricks for correcting mistakes, these never should be thought of as a way to get around good workmanship. When a joint isn’t right sometimes there is no sound and seamless way to fix it short of doing it over again. Don’t let laziness come back to haunt you.
#8. Your router won’t do everything
It’s an unavoidable truth that our craft involves a wide range of skills, techniques and tools. While we all wish it were different, there is no universal wonder tool that will do everything perfectly and effortlessly. In an effort to do it all with one machine, woodworkers often end up working in ways that are cumbersome and time-consuming. They end up wasting precious shop time building elaborate router jigs instead of making a one-time investment in a new tool or technique. Some woodworkers will spend hours working on a router set up to cut curved, tapered table legs, for example, when a bandsaw and a well tuned spokeshave would do the job in much less time.
#9. Use both hand tools and
power tools
Woodworkers tend to come in two extremes. The first are those who will (or can) only use machines. And then there are others who will insist on doing everything by hand. I say you can’t do it all by machine, but working only by hand wastes time. When it comes to performing an operation only once or twice, it is frequently faster and easier to work by hand. The same applies to delicate work like fitting joints. On the other hand some woodworkers regard woodworking as an alternative to the gym. Who wants to spend an afternoon thicknessing 1” planks to ¾” with a jack plane just because they did it that way in the old days? I would rather spend 20 minutes at the thickness planner and save my precious shop time for the fun and important parts. The reality is that an efficient, effective woodworker knows how to use both machines and hand tools.
#10. Keep your shop clean
Think of your shop as a tool. Keep it tuned up and well maintained. We all get so involved in our work that our bench top and every other flat surface quickly become cluttered. A messy shop is dangerous for you, your tools and your projects. It is also very inefficient. Cleaning up as you work is a habit you can develop. I am hardly a paragon of tidiness when I work, but every time I reach for a tool, I look at the bench and see if there is anything I can put away. It is a lot easier than forcing myself to stop and do a general cleaning.
Mike Dunbar