8 Things I WISH I knew when I started Woodworking

[@darthbleh5523]

I wish I knew earlier that it's worth the effort to build a jig.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Oh man that's a good one. I can't tell you how many times I've slapped something together hoping for the best and regretted it later!

[@CLove511]

I've made this comment on so many videos, I made a jig to make it for me if someone hasn't beaten me to it

[@shaynesabala]

This is probably the best “I wish I knew” videos I’ve seen. I agree with everything. Tear out and squareness are huge. Those two things can save you a lot of frustration if you make sure you’re addressing them. Thanks for the video.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Thanks! I really appreciate that. Sounds like you have some experience with those too.

[@a9ball1]

I think you covered it fairly well. I would say it's important and helpful if you get in to a habit of putting everything away and the end of every day. It's far too easy to just leave tools laying around and then spend half an hour trying to find it the next day. I've been making sawdust since 1974 and I always put everything back in it's place every night. 8:38

[@williammaxwell1919]

Easier said than done, but once learnt, it is a lesson well learnt as is cleaning and oiling tools as required after use.

[@EveningWoodworker]

That's a good one too! I can't work when my shop starts to get too messy.

[@crystalwaveable]

I agree wholeheartedly although I wouldn't have ended up with 15 Stanley knives if I hadn't kept on losing them and we all know you can't have enough Stanley knives 😁 (tip number 9 maybe?)

[@tommysts1920]

When you make a habit of cleaning up before quitting, it is much easier to go back the next time you work.

[@garrydeimert7397]

These are probably the best tips when starting out , totally agree with all these tips, well done.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Thanks!

[@user-nx3zk5qi8t]

I’m still in my first year of this. I really wish there were more videos talking about how amazing jointers are. There are too many telling me I don’t need one. The time it takes to hot glue, shim, all that, and still not guaranteed to have totally square lumber is crazy. Buying and learning how to use a jointer has revolutionized what I can do

[@EveningWoodworker]

Yeah a jointer is something that's not used a ton, but when you need it, it's so handy!

[@hello-nq3ze]

jointers and planers are so huge though. I just don't have reasonable amount of space for one

[@anthonyseiver7000]

Knowing you can and will make mistakes, and that everyone makes those same mistakes, even the pros, relieves a lot of stress and anxiety in the workshop. Such was learning that tails don'f have be perfect because you'll cut pins to match means you can focus on the important things like squareness and sharp layout lines.

[@Oldschoolwoodcraft]

I don't call them mistakes. I call it making expensive firewood.

[@EveningWoodworker]

I hope I make less mistakes now than when I started, but I definitely know how to hide them much better now!

[@tblsaw8812]

They are not mistakes, they are design changes.

[@anthonyseiver7000]

@@tblsaw8812 adaptations...

[@michaellacaria910]

I wish i had seen your video when I first started this hobby… but then again some things, like a good chisel, have to be learned the hard way!

[@timmartin6748]

I wish i subscribed to your channel before now. I've watched a few of your videos just now and the information is very helpful. Thanks for keeping it to the point.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Thanks! I don't like to waste people's time and just talk about fluff.

[@chuckfalgout9596]

I'm still new to woodworking and learning as I go. I've already learned the squared blades tip... the hard way, unfortunately. Thanks for the tips!

[@EveningWoodworker]

Yeah we've all done that one at least once!

[@seymourwrasse3321]

I always get out looking at a project I did in 9th grade shop class, I got a A+ on it and thought it was perfect. After years of experience I wonder what the heck I was thinking and how pitiful a F- project must have looked like, LOL. Even so It still brings back good memories 50 years later

[@EveningWoodworker]

Haha I know! I think my shop teacher's standards were pretty low!

[@davidblake5603]

When making a major project with multiple surfaces and interior spaces, it is important to select each face of wood for each surface. It is unavoidable that not all pieces of wood are blemish free and perfectly straight. Plan your project out and make a cut plan so you avoid or hide the imperfect wood. This is especially important when working with rare or expensive wood. Dust control is extremely important, especially if you finish in the same area you cut and sand. Vacuums connected to every tool and a big roll of paper over my workbench helps control dust and reduce wear on my workbench. The paper helps keep my painting bench clean and flat also. Depending on the project, spreader clamps can be as important as compression clamps.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Great tips! I like your reminder on choosing the wood orientation intentionally. Makes such a difference

[@paulkolodner2445]

If you use lots of hand tools in a complex project, they can end up in a disorganized pile, and it becomes difficult to see the one you need next. One thing I did to help with this was to clean up the plastic handles on things like pliers, so that the brightly-colored grips are more visible. I also bought a set of yellow wrenches, which helped keep them from disappearing on my aluminum work surfaces.

[@EveningWoodworker]

That's a good tip!

[@Brian-dr2yi]

Chisels.... I bought the irwin marples. Not crazy expensive. They hold an edge pretty good. Great video

[@EveningWoodworker]

Haven't used those but glad you like them!

[@larrypahl5756]

thanx4post

[@chrisgriffith1573]

Careful of CA glue. Cyanoacrylites have a short lifespan compared to PVA glues (woodglue) or hide glues (RSG's) They also yellow and become brittle within ten years. The yellowing is due to a low PH, and this also can affect the wood.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Good to know! Thanks

[@MASI_forging]

Excellent work 😄😄

[@kaasmeester5903]

Nice concise video with a lot of good tips. When I started, I went with fairly inexpensive "big box" chisels that some other woodworker recommended; the steel on them is pretty good and it did not take much effort to set them up properly. As for the squares: check that your square is actually square! I had a cheap one that wasn't... Also, treat them with care like any measuring instrument, they can go out of alignment.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Great tips! With the chisels, a lot depends on how much you use them. If they're cheaper, they may not stay as sharp as long, but if you don't use them a ton, that may still be a long time!

[@jeaniemalone5304]

Excellent lesson as always! Thank you.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Thank you!

[@castlecodersltd]

Some great tips. Thank you ☺

[@Wyman642]

The importance of completely square wood is key. If you don’t have a jointer learn to use a planer to get parallel faces. Also, learn to create one straight reference edge competently, like on a table saw sled, to use later to get other straight edges on a board.

[@EveningWoodworker]

That sounds like a great video I could do explaining that process. Thanks!

[@zaneseligman1313]

Agreed-,somewhere, somehow in your shop -a huge asset will be-some flat surface -table top bench -corner shelf -something-that is completely level and completely square. If you do this right this one time -perfect-everything else you can do in relation to that -you can save yourself so much headache

[@zaneseligman1313]

Lol-I’ve built numerous things on a table that was just a little bit off level. It’s just like if it was level wherever that bubble is on your foundation/ is where that bubble needs to be anywhere on your project I’d like to say it’s phone but it’s stressful -just build a level and square reference somewhere

[@yourmasterrenovator86]

Amazing points! Thanks 🙏

[@EveningWoodworker]

Glad it was helpful!

[@harveytherobot]

1:03 What’s the better design? You can’t always have the grain go the same way so what’s the solution to that specific problem?

[@EveningWoodworker]

You have to allow the wood to expand somehow, so a design that doesn't have the frame could work... or you coat it in epoxy so no moisture can get in. Another option is to put veneers on mdf or plywood then you can use the frame as shown.

[@TedHopp]

One approach is to use a tongue-and-groove design. The checkerboard just floats in the frame without any glue. This is often used for door construction. A trick to prevent rattling is to put something springy in the bottom of the grooves before final assembly.

[@Citadel1974]

We have all heard of ":measure twice cut once". Also, verify the math that went into coming up with number. I've had a number of cuts that were "correctly measured" but my math was incorrect so the cuts were also incorrect. Darn you fractions!😒

[@EveningWoodworker]

Yeah I've learned that one the hard way too!

[@pchisholm4]

2:05 don’t forget to look at tooth geometry

[@EveningWoodworker]

Great point! That also makes a difference on your cuts.

[@williammaxwell1919]

April 1, 2024; release your video for making a "board stretcher" 😂

[@EveningWoodworker]

Haha! Brilliant

[@setdown2]

Good video...all good points and No unnecessary Jiber Jaber...🖖

[@EveningWoodworker]

Thanks! I'm trying to keep it efficient.

[@Hijason74]

One tip I have is when you buy a table saw or a chop saw buy a decent blade to go with it. The blades that usually come with those saws are pretty cheap.

[@EveningWoodworker]

That's a great one! I've messed up plenty of 45 degree cuts with the stock blade.

[@weldabar]

I've yet to see a good wood chess board design. TEW let us know if you have. All I can think of is MDF with veneer. Are there other options?

[@EveningWoodworker]

Good question! I wonder if you could do one floating on top of a frame with fasteners underneath. Then you get space for movement, but it doesn't leave gaps.

[@williammaxwell1919]

With the squares on the board itself, one solution I've seen is to alternate the grain of the squares along and across the board. As for the perimeter strips, who knows? Maybe rotate grain 90°?

[@FearsomeWarrior]

Veneer or thinner show surface on any substrate. Even if you use solid wood under it’ll be fine as long as it’s not thicker than the upper surface by too much. Using plywood is probably the best choice for base. Recommend you look up a moisture chart for your state. Woodworker Guild in my state happens to have a great one with all our local woods and seasonal width changes. Also factor that quarter-sawn wood does not expand as much as rift/plane sawn. By just a little. Small chess squares shouldn’t expand by more than 1/64th over 2 inches. If you’re alternating direction with light and dark spaces it elevates the total width expansion too. By half :) That leaves you with less than 4/64ths (1/16th) expansion over whole board width. Gotta worry about the trim like he did. I assume the trick there is jointing it with a rabbet or other mechanical connection so that when it does open up, it’s not ugly. Add a little chamfer. Mechanical joint on the miter using a mitered half lap.

[@BennyHelms]

Nice video! Thanks! New subscriber.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Thanks! Welcome aboard

[@heystarfish100]

I still have a project that I created during my first semester of my Junior year in high school in 1979 when I was 16 years old. It is as beautiful as the day it was finished and has been in service in a kitchen ever since. I just turned 60 years 2 weeks ago and remember those days so clearly that I can recall the scent of the wood as I cut it. It’s an 11’ bowl and a little over 5 inches high and built of paduak. I remember having to build those checkerboards. They became a top on a 3 legged pedestal table. They were designed to fail with all of that cross grain gluing that we were taught not to do beforehand but we did. We didn’t know much about veneering back then in class. 🤣

[@EveningWoodworker]

Glad you have some of your projects that lasted! Cutting certain woods brings me back to high school shop too.

[@billyreynolds3561]

What chisels do you have. Great video.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Thanks! I have these ones from Woodcraft amzn.to/45sc9Ti

[@Erik_The_Viking]

Working with dull blades is also dangerous because you put more force on the tool. If it slips then it can hit your hand or damage a piece.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Yeah I've learned that the hard way once or twice!

[@davidshaper5146]

When using a dado stack, the scale on the saw is off. Maybe that's obvious, but it's an easy way to mess up.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Ah yes that's a good one too!

[@Indywar]

Can you add a link to where the countersink/depth stop can be purchased. Looks better than those I have.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Here it is: amzn.to/46E48M0

[@SamWanamaker1]

The chess board example is funny because there’s a video on KZbin somewhere where the guy is bragging about overcharging some stupid amount for making a chess board, and made it in this exact manner that will/probably already has exploded.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Oh dang... it always looks good for the first year or two. After that you may get lucky, but no guarantees.

[@peterhaas1336]

What brand and type of chisels do you use?

[@EveningWoodworker]

Mine are these from Woodcraft: amzn.to/45sc9Ti

[@FearsomeWarrior]

Sanding discipline is my worst enemy. I can have a project going great and I manage to sand too much when it is nearly finished. Screwing up corners or other features is very easy. Learning to sand small details like chamfers by hand and never tilting the random orbit to try and do them quickly. Using sander on edge with pressure is also how you heat up the hook and loop causing it to fail prematurely. Melts that pad if you do it too long.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Yep, that definitely heats it up quick.

[@zaneseligman1313]

- ‘CA’ glue IS superglue. ‘CA’ is in refrence to CyanoAcrylite, which is the chemical in Superglue. Both were available at the same time, and ‘CA’ glue youre referring to was mostly available directly from the manufacturer and or hobby stores -sold as a wood glue. The family of ‘Acrylites’ can be found in different fast and strong glues- and can be very helpful to learn the differences. Also very helpful per application is the glue viscosity- as you mentioned :thin, medium, and heavy. Thin being like water and heavy like a syrup. Personally, I’m not a fan of the actuator, but you’ll never see me use these glues without a box of baking soda close by. It’s important to note that not all super glued use CA, but if they do, it will be labeled. >>CA is famous for an almost instant ‘set’, adding baking soda makes it instantly ‘cure’. **The instant Cure process creates high heat fast, so don’t let this happen on your skin

[@EveningWoodworker]

I always thought super glue was just a brand of CA glue... kind of like kleenex is actually facial tissue. Thanks for the background.

[@zaneseligman1313]

@@EveningWoodworker me too- I read a comment about SG and baking soda - it intruqued me so I instantly bonded my fingers together- simultaneously burning them. Wanted to make it a priority to have the antidote for next time - (acetone btw) . Crazy part. As far back as I can remember, my dad built and piloted RC Aircraft: 1/6 to 1/3 WW2 ‘C’, ‘P’, and ‘B’s. He always had the bottles - labeled ‘CA’ Cement… wouldn’t let us use it of course … turnabout it’s just a bigger bottle of superglue! Lol …. I feel like I know a little too much about the stuff!! Might as well put this one out there too: of course they get pricey with the amount-but there are a couple companies you can order directly from-one has 5 gallon buckets and one actually had a 50 gallon drum of superglue you can buy!

[@david2go13]

What's the little 4" square you're using

[@EveningWoodworker]

It's this: amzn.to/3RPbCqQ Not too pricey and I use it all the time!

[@dougc78]

N1:30 sooo besides epoxy or a frameless board would alternating the grain patter in the checkerboard work?

[@EveningWoodworker]

Hmmm that sounds intriguing! That would definitely be worth testing out. It would either distribute the expansion across the insists pieces and make it fairly stable... or it would just catastrophically explode!

[@dougc78]

@@EveningWoodworker 🤣🤣🤣I was wondering about that. Thanx

[@williammaxwell1919]

A sharp chisel or knife is a safer tool.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Yes agreed!

[@smallpercentile]

It's embarrassing now looking back, but I had the hardest damn time figuring out blade allowance. Give me a break, I didn't have a mentor. (How did anyone get anything done before KZbin?)

[@EveningWoodworker]

Haha I know right?

[@kengraves5169]

What brand is your countersink/depth stop bit?

[@EveningWoodworker]

Mine are from Snappy Tools: amzn.to/3Zyx5q0

[@kevinb6102]

I wish this video was out when I started. 🤣

[@andyevitts8100]

The pencil thing when sanding.. Don't do that when sanding oak and some other hard woods you won't sand it off

[@andyevitts8100]

Dont even use pencil when marking out use a sharp knife

[@EveningWoodworker]

Just do it lightly enough that it doesn't go down into the larger pores of woods like oak. Or just feel if it's evenly smooth!

[@williammaxwell1919]

Sanding... you forgot to mention non-slip mats

[@EveningWoodworker]

That's true... those are really helpful too. I forgot to pull mine out for the video.

[@carlson.douglas.w]

I wish i knew that free building, instead of making and following a plan, is the best way to waste expensive wood, and come up with a poor quality result.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Haha, but you learn a lot by making mistakes!

[@carlson.douglas.w]

@@EveningWoodworker very true. And the thing i learned from there is the value of making a plan! Lol

[@carlson.douglas.w]

​@@EveningWoodworkerhey nice video, by the way. Good content, well delivered and without any annoying stuff to get in the way. Kudos!

[@chrisgriffith1573]

To address the chess board, float the inner frame in a groove, specifically designed to hide the gap, with the gap around the board looking like a routed groove becoming a design element around the checker board, to alleviate the expanding side, and hide the fact that it is expanding.

[@EveningWoodworker]

That sounds like a successful design!

[@jerishigan6567]

I’ve learned that my inability to get my miter saw calibrated can raise my blood pressure as much as my terrible freehand cuts used to. 🤦‍♂️

[@EveningWoodworker]

That can be super frustrating! If it's not staying square, it might be time to upgrade the saw.

[@StieglitzWoodWorks]

I wish I’d learned to raise the grain during finishing sooner.