Miles Adkins - WOODWORKING AND JOINERY: A Complete Guide to Understanding Wood and Making Amazing DIY Projects

Woodworking is a creative art form that involves creating stylish or practical items through carving, arranging, and combining pieces of wood together.

Nothing is too technically challenging when one is woodworking as you can further make items at your own pace. The basics are easy to learn, but as your abilities evolve, your passion for woodworking will continuously evolve and change. You might enjoy woodworking if you like math as making calculations is necessary. Using your hands and brain is a key feature of woodworking and its also satisfying to make lovely decorations for your house. You may also like woodworking if you are a little antisocial and enjoy taking on projects from beginning to end.

Who are woodworkers?

Many people often presume that woodworkers are either grumpy, old shop instructors or grandfathers without social lives. However, this is not the case as many different types of people engage in woodworking.

There's been significant growth in two categories of people who have become passionate about woodworking in the last ten years. Firstly, women have become increasingly taking up woodworking as it becomes a less male-dominated field. In addition, younger people in their twenties and thirties are also taking up this hobby.

Whats the difference between a woodworker and a maker?

Wood makers are people who want to dabble in various crafts, such as woodworking, metallurgy, epoxying, repaving, machine programming, computing, 3D printing, baking, weaving, knitting, jewelry designing, molding, ceramics, robotics, and playing with LEGOs. Essentially, all of us are makers.

On the other hand, a woodworker is a manufacturer who is mostly involved in studying and improving the art of wood making. While wood makers do make other kinds of projects, the emphasis is on making those with wood. Wood is a durable and inexpensive material that's easy to work with.

What's the difference between cabinet making and making furniture?

While there is no clear-cut distinction between the two, cabinet manufacturers make things that are firmly fixed in place, such as kitchen cabinets. They are also more concerned with surfaces that are noticeable.

Cabinets may also require the use of more plywood than other furniture while simultaneously requiring the use of screws and other mechanical clamps. On the other hand, solid lumber is mostly used for furniture whereby heavier joinery and glue are typically assembled. Furniture production also requires greater accuracy. However, there are indeed many similarities between the two professions.

Woodworking types

There are different types of woodworking you can undertake, such as by using hand or power tools.

Woodworking with hand tools

In the last 20 years, woodworkers have increasingly returned to their roots, with many woodworkers attempting to use traditional methods to create items using hand tools. They have avoided anything that plugs into a wall, including handsaws, drill bits, excavators, and planes.

Woodworkers with hand tools often feel more connected to the art of woodworking than many other woodworkers. While it requires one to take more time to advance their skill, it has a broader learning curve. Yet, there will be tremendous personal fulfillment and happiness involved.

Woodworking power tools

Power tools are popular, such as miter saws, table saws, drills, and sanders, and can be a very inexpensive way to start construction projects immediately. It is much easier to use a power tool to cut a wooden board and also requires less time.