Most people have a hobby no matter how much time they spend doing it. If you read a book 15 minutes a day, you enjoy reading as your hobby, and if you like to doodle, that’s also a hobby, but some hobbies require more time than others, such as woodworking, which has been a thing for thousands of years. Is woodworking a good hobby, and where do you begin?
Woodworking is a good hobby because it allows you to express your creativity, and you have a finished product you can be proud of. Additionally, it’s also productive, and you can make usable furniture and sell your creations for profit.
This article will be going over why woodworking can be beneficial and how you can get started doing this hobby. Read more if you are interested in diving into this hobby.
At our Cucamonga Woodworking live online workshops we discuss bend and steaming wood at about the 5 minute mark of this video. You can also check out our other past workshops on Youtube Here(Link to Cucamonga Woodworking)
What Is Woodworking?
Woodworking is anything that falls under creating things using wood. This includes anything from engraving artwork to creating usable furniture, and that’s one of the things that makes it special.
You can get into it for different reasons. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t necessarily need to dedicate your entire garage or hundreds to thousands of dollars of equipment to get started. You can spend around as little as $50 on a chisel set such as this REXETI 10pc Wood Chisel Set(Check Price on Amazon Here) and a small amount of wood to get started.
You can get what you want out of woodworking, and it can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. If you are creating someone using wood, it will count. But what are the benefits of doing this as a hobby?
Benefits of Woodworking as a Hobby
People get attracted to different hobbies based on their tastes, and if you are reading this, you are probably at least slightly interested in getting into woodworking. To help you edge in the right direction, we compiled some reasons why getting into the hobby can be a fantastic decision for you.
You Can Express Creativity
Making something that you can call your own is something many people get great satisfaction out of. Whether you are making art or something to use, you can create something unique to you when woodworking, just like you would if you were to paint some scenery.
You’ll Learn How to Fix Things
Once you get deep into woodworking, you will see how various types of furniture and appliances are put together, and you’ll have a much better understanding of how to fix them. You’ll be able to fix not only your stuff but things others have made as well, including stuff that is sold in retail.
It Can Become a Career
Possibly one of the most enticing reasons to get into woodworking is that you can make money out of it if you are skilled and know how to pitch and sell your stuff. You can make good money out of it, too, since custom wood projects often sell for a good price. People value exclusivity and quality, and so if you want to pursue this as a way to make money, it’s doable!
It’s Gratifying
You can argue all hobbies are gratifying, and that is true. Skateboarders feel gratified reading landing a difficult trick. Book readers feel gratified finishing a lengthy book, and gamers feel gratified beating a difficult challenge. But woodworking offers a different sense of gratification in that anything you make because you will know you did that.
If you make the dining table and chairs, you are the only person in the world who has that furniture. If you create art, you are the only one who has that piece. There is something so satisfying about creating and building things that keep in woodworking and bring in new people.
Sure, you could buy some furniture and appliances instead of spending thousands of dollars on equipment, but that isn’t the point. It’s about seeing the unique results of your hard work.
Some Things to Note for Beginners
Woodworking is a learning experience, you will not be a master the first time you try it, and that’s fine. The hobby takes precision to get the results you want, and everyone who has tried it has gone through some frustrations at one point or another. Not only that, they had to learn other things along the way and adjust their mindset.
You Will Mess Up Sometimes and That’s Okay
A lot of hobbies have a high skill ceiling, and it’s no different with woodworking. You need to start somewhere and work your way up the skill ladder. What some people might not realize at first is that it can be pretty easy to mess up and have to start over because there are no do-overs like digital creations. It is frustrating, but that’s part of the appeal when you do succeed.
There are many tutorials online that can help you with woodworking and specific projects, so you don’t have to go in blind, but do note that not everything goes to plan initially.
Don’t Dive Into Expensive Equipment Immediately
When you start, you don’t 100% know if this is something you want to do long-term. You have interest for sure, but testing the waters will be your best bet in this situation, so you know if you want to go further with it.
You don’t need to have thousands of dollars worth of equipment like the enthusiasts when you start. We recommend starting with a hacksaw, hammer, screwdrivers, nails, chisels, a square, and a workbench that you work comfortably on.
Not only will this prevent the risk of sinking boatloads of money in a hobby you might not be into, but it lets you get familiar with the basics. It’s like learning a language. You don’t dive into reading full novels in a language you don’t understand. You structurally learn the layers until you become fluent enough to tackle the advanced stuff.
Here is a video explaining what to buy when starting on a budget. We recommend watching it if you are planning on getting into woodworking for the first time.
Suppose you find that you love woodworking, then great! There’s lots of great equipment you can look into to enhance your craftsmanship.
Stay Safe
You will be working around dangerous equipment when woodworking, especially when you start working with circular saws. Safety is the priority when working with these tools, and knowing how to protect yourself can help prevent serious injury.
You should always wear safety glasses to prevent wood chips from flying into your eyes. They aren’t just for show. You should also take care to wear other forms of safety equipment such as cut-resistant work gloves or latex gloves when applying finishes.
Loose fitted clothing and dangling jewelry are also a no go as they can become snagged into a saw blade. Try to dress how you think a company would force their employees to dress, and you should be fine.
Next, ensure you are disconnecting any power tools that require blade changes. People losing fingers because a machine was accidentally kicked on has happened. We don’t want that happening to you.
Speaking of blades, always keep them sharp. Dull blades are more dangerous because they don’t behave how you’d expect them to. You’ll need to work harder, which can result in the blade going in a direction where your body is, or in the case of powered blades, you’ll have wood debris flying all over the place.
Protect your lungs from wood dust. Check out my article Here on wood dust and your lungs.
Conclusion
Woodworking is an excellent hobby, and we think you should give it a go if you are interested. If you are still unsure, feel free to talk with woodworkers, watch videos, and further explore the web. We also have other articles you can check out that showcase what makes woodworking a great thing to get into.