Woodworking is a hobby and/or a job for many people worldwide and can apply to pretty much anything that involves creating things out of wood. If you have been dabbling into the thought of getting into it but aren’t quite sure if it is right for you yet, you probably need a few good reasons to convince you.
Some of the reasons you should get into woodworking include learning a valuable skill, adopting a productive hobby, and feeling a great sense of gratification. If you are the creative type and love building things, this might be the perfect hobby for becoming a career.
We will be going over several reasons why getting into woodworking is a fantastic idea. If you are interested in learning something new, keep on reading!
You would be surprised how often this question comes up. We are very lucky to have a couple Master Woodworkers giving workshops who cover these questions. You can watch our past workshops on YouTube here(Link to Cucamonga Woodworking)
What Is Woodworking?
Many people envision woodworking as building furniture and appliances, which also falls under carpentry. This is correct, but woodworking falls under anything that is built or created using wood. Something as simple as engraving text counts at woodworking, and it can be as expensive or inexpensive of a hobby as you want it to be.
In most cases, though, people will think of creating things that can be used, such as chairs, tables, cutting boards, and wine racks—developing the skill set to make desirable and useful things can open up doors for you. Maybe you want to get into selling creations or making special gifts.
If you are an artist, perhaps you want to try something new and make wood artwork. This is a hobby that can relate to many people, which makes it pretty special in our eyes, and we want to try to get more people into it.
We will be going over some of the best reasons to get into woodworking, and by the end of it, we hope that we’ve piqued your interest!
A Valuable Skill You Can Learn
Increasing one’s skill set is valuable, whether you are learning a new language or learning a trade. Woodworking is a real skill that can benefit yourself and those around you, and if you end up loving it, you won’t even feel like a grind—rather something you like to do and want to get even better at it.
This new skill can be applied however you see fit, which the next reasons you should get into woodworking will go over.
Can Potentially Be a Source of Revenue
We mentioned earlier that woodworking is some people’s job and can sell your creations; this is all true. Technically, anyone who gets decent at woodworking and knows how to pitch their stuff can end up making cash. Many folks love buying custom, high-quality wooden furniture, appliances, and artwork, so don’t worry about not having a market for your creations.
Not everyone gets into woodworking for money; many do it because they like it. However, knowing that you can turn a skilled hobby into a source of revenue is something that you’ll always have in your deck of cards.
See if there are any local shops near you where you can strike a deal or sell your stuff on sites such as Etsy and Craigslist. If your stuff is good, someone is likely to buy it eventually.
Rewarding
People get into different hobbies because they love the sense of gratification, and woodworking is no different. When a project goes smoothly, there’s no better feeling in the world, and you’ll end up with a physical product to boot.
There will be times where you’ll need to restart a project due to an error, but that only makes the good parts even better. Imagine making the perfect dining room table for your home. Every day, you’ll look at it and know that it is your well-crafted creation. Sure, you could buy furniture, but making it yourself is a whole other feeling.
Wood Is Versatile
Learning to work with wood is one of the best decisions you can make. Think about how many things are made out of wood, and it quickly becomes apparent that the possibilities are endless with this material. Not only can you build practically anything out of wood, but you can also choose the type of wood, color and apply whatever finish you see fit.
Affordable to Get Into
You might see people with their expensive CNC machines and power tools and think that you need to spend thousands of dollars to get into woodworking, but this isn’t the case. As we said above, woodworking can be as affordable or expensive as you make it.
You can start with a less than $50 chisel set and some lumber. Follow tutorials, and be ready to go! If this is the route you want to start in, we recommend the REXBETI 10pc Premium Wood Chisel Set. (Check out its price on Amazon here)
You can buy more “advanced” equipment on a budget as well. If you want to create furniture, for example, and don’t know where to start, don’t worry! There’s plenty of good new and used options that won’t break the bank. We’ve linked a video down below that will help you get an idea of how much getting into woodworking will cost you:
You’ll Know How to Repair Things
When building wooden objects from scratch, you’ll begin to learn how things are created and put together. Older wooden objects can become rough around the edges as the years go by, and instead of repairing them, you can make them like new again.
Woodworking knowledge can also save you money on home repairs, which most of us know can be quite expensive. Instead of paying a repair person, you can be the repair person, and just like with creating things for money—you can potentially turn this skill into a career.
Relaxing
People have their ideas of what “relaxing” is, but for many people, woodworking is a form of relaxation in the way that gardening is. Sure, you’ll have times of frustration where things don’t go according to plan, and it does require concentration, but once you are on a roll and can tune out the outside world, it is an amazing experience overall.
You might be surprised at how much time can go by when you are focused on a project. You will rarely be thinking about when you will be done; rather, you focus on just doing it. If you are tired of a boring career where the time goes by slowly, consider getting into woodworking, and maybe one day you can do it all day, every day.
A New Community to Engage With
With any hobby comes a new community where you can talk to people, share advice, discuss things, and even make new friends. The woodworker community is largely friendly and is willing to help newcomers get up to speed. Additionally, woodworkers will do things differently from each other, and so you’ll have a wide range of advice to follow.
Conclusion
There are many good reasons to get into woodworking. It’s a valuable skill that can take you quite far, either financially or just something to better yourself.
Also, getting started with woodworking doesn’t have to be expensive if you know what to shop for. Unlike many other hobbies, you can dabble into it without losing a lot of money if it turns out it isn’t for you, but don’t give up on it if you have dreams and plans for it!
Woodworking has a very rewarding learning curve, and we can’t recommend it enough.