99% of new woodworkers don't know these 4 key things

[@MikkellTheImmortal]

This is an extremely valuable video for everyone. My favorite is that you added google search terms. When I first started I had no idea where to find good wood and drove all over trying to find who has the good wood at a good price.

[@RandallMimms]

I like the place you buy your wood lol. Thanks for being a customer

[@MWAWoodworks]

Lol well I never expected this comment 🤣🤣🤣

[@adamrubella2290]

Taking the time to allow your wood materials to acclimate to your shop’s humidity level is extremely important and worth taking the time to let it happen. I get it that you want to get started as soon as you pull it off your truck or trailer but that’s a great way to have the wood shrink or swell after you take your time making pieces. Patience is so so important when woodworking.

[@garycarpenter2932]

that is more important than most realize. retired home remodeling contractor myself. after 40 years, well? rough on the old body. i now make jewelry boxes and what not out of logs i split, then mill to workable wood in the small shop i built in the yard. love staying busy. acclimation is so very important, if not done, one can spend a week making a jewelry box, and in one month? it'll make great firewood. once acclimated, couple days, then sealed, the stuff i make is generational, no matter where it goes, borrowing setting the pieces outside.

[@skillfulnomad]

The most honest and know exactly what he's saying KZbinr! Went through all of this! Knows exactly what he's saying!

[@richk2793]

The first "big" tool I bought for my shop was a craftsman job site table saw. That was 20 years ago. I still have it and still use it, but these days I use it as a job site saw not my primary/only shop table saw. When you first start building your shop, remember a cheap tool is generally better than no tool, and cheap tool issues can generally be overcome by skill/patience/and checking your settings for every cut.

[@CountYulith]

I build stuff for my home, because I want an exact size or look, not because it is cheaper. It usually isn't. And yes, new wood worker's don't often understand is wood moisture content, shrinkage as it dries, and seasonal movement, both of which are very important to know for some builds. I didn't know about it for a while when I first started.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Exactly!

[@nobnobnobnob]

Building something simpler or fixing something small is cheaper. Doing everything yourself is more expensive. The Joy of DIY is you can customize your design and the chance to do it properly, the way you want it. If you hire somebody else that custom thing you want, it would be either a disappointment(for cheap ones) or it will cost you a lot.

[@paulmaryon9088]

Hello from the UK, another way of buying hardwoods for smaller projects is second hand, (often free) furniture, great video thank you

[@MWAWoodworks]

True!

[@glencrandall7051]

I agree. The greatest tools are expensive. But you don't need the most expensive tools. You need the best tool you can afford. And not all your tools have to be power tools. Woodworkers worked without power for thousands of years.

[@be9240]

You really only need a table and miter saw to do 90% of any project. (A lot of people say skip the miter if you have a good table saw, but the speed of a miter saw will help a ton in every project that uses anything smaller than a 4 by 4.)

[@seanlandsman7516]

Subscribed! Loved everything about this video. Super clear, funny (ie, engaging), and my favorite part was the Google search terms. Exactly what a good teacher should strive for.

[@elainehiggins7544]

Thank you for the video. I just subscribed. This video is full of wise and prudent counsel for the novice or even intermediate woodworker. As noted, the key is to start small and do what you can with the tools you have. Every mistake is a step forward in the adventure: be thankful for the failures, assess what you have learned, and move forward in that new knowledge. I would suggest that any new woodworkers join a local woodworking club which are bottomless pits of advice. I’ve been woodworking since the 80s when I started watching Norm Abram and Roy Underhill and I still love the hobby and love sharing about it..

[@MWAWoodworks]

Thank you, Elaine! 🙏

[@nikpapan]

One thing that saved me money, is that I was able to reuse a lot of wood and materials, because I had the tools and the knowledge of how to do it. Many pieces of wood in my house have been a desk, then a wardrobe, then a shelf etc. without me needing to buy new wood.

[@jeffvoght1632]

Awesome video! I just started, and I did a glue-up using pine. I got the boards cheap! You know, from the big box store. Once again, I didn't realize how much wood shrinks! I realized that this wood was way too wet. When it dried, it was ruined...or really jacked up. Lol. I definitely see the need to get lumber that is kiln-dried. Even though this project was a flop, I had so much fun doing the project. I learn something everytime I do something. There is so much to learn, but getting the correct lumber that is dry is essential. Thank you for the great video.

[@robertanderson2370]

Thanks for the great video. We need more people adding to the discussion from woodworking channels. Personally, I started with two corded power tools and a break-down bench stored under the outdoor stairs in the apartment complex I was living in. Thirty years later and I still don't have what I'd call a "shop". I have a table saw, small bench, and nine cordless tools. I've made outdoor furniture, custom bathrooms for our home, cupboards, stands, toys, and more recently an Anglo-Saxon lyre. You don't need to break the bank. I take great pleasure in getting it the size, shape, and color I want -so to speak. I get to choose when to scrimp on beauty or structure. Each project brings the joy of increasing my mental toolkit. If this isn't your attitude, buy what you can find from actual builders; they deserve the work, and you deserve the quality.

[@debandmike3380]

The real cost savings when you learn to do things yourself is you're not spending thousands on contractors who don't care about the work they do for you.. Over the last couple decades I may have easily spent $20,000 in tools but I guarantee you I've saved $100,000 in contractor costs. And I get to keep the tools.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Agreed! I'd rather buy the tools and learn the skills than pay for someone else's time and skills.

[@HawkXe]

That's my justification as well and my wife agrees with me. We've saved way too much just by buying the tools and doing the work ourselves.

[@djordjemoravcevic7742]

what tools did you buy for 20,000$? That seems a lot

[@bobbycrosby9765]

Yes, and custom is where buying gets super expensive. Time, patience, and research go a long way - and if you're having fun in the process your time is free. A contractor's time isn't.

[@colinandersen1347]

I just bought older wood working equipment and being a mechanic took them apart cleaned and repaired them back to new then spent the extra money on Byrd cutter heads for my jointer and plane. They work great (Delta)

[@JaayEmm]

This was good... for a new & inexperienced weekend 'wood botherer' like myself... it helped justify all the 'lime green' on my workshop shelves...thanks.

[@Book-Gnome]

I've built a lot of stuff with a lime green miter saw and lime green jobsite table saw. Don't buy the table saw though, the grooves are not standard and when you buy a $200 box joint jig it will NOT work on the saw. As far as I know there is not an accessory out there that will work on that saw.

[@pauline_diy]

I love your content. I’ve used your plans several times, super straight forward and easy to follow just like your videos. I’m a beginner and I rented tools from HD before I started buying my own. I learn the skill with what I have, then buy the tool. Thank you for this one.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Amazing! Way to go, doing what you have to do to learn and keep building! 💯

[@woody1320]

Very well said! Building shop cabinets/fixtures is a great skill builder with inexpensive or recycled materials. I bought a used Craftsman table saw from a family member for $100 and built all kinds of things with it, fence accuracy was horrible but you learn to live with and account for it.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Yep just start somewhere and go from there!

[@robhoffman510]

Thanks for the key words, big help!

[@BritishRosie-es3zr]

A video grounded in reality, very refreshing!

[@charlesschmitt9555]

Always enjoy your videos. I actually have your plans and cabinets on my wall in my shop.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Hey thanks Charles, thats awesome!

[@akesq01]

Referential measurements. Totally! Absolutely true. Been there and I learned the hard way and I always thought it was my bad measuring or cutting. Granted, some of it still is, but my errors are decreasing.

[@patrickdix772]

Another issue can be stacking errors depending on how you measure. Say you need 5 marks on the length of a piece, if you measure from the end to the first mark, then the first mark to the second, the second to the third and so on there can be issues. Any errors in the measurements will stack with each other, so the final measurement can end up much farther off. It's usually better to have a single fixed point and reference back to that. So, each of those measurements would be from the edge, not the other marks. This means the only error affecting each measurement is itself. Obviously, only measuring and marking what you need as you go is the best, though.

[@kevinintheusa8984]

Sometimes I save money and sometimes I don't but either way I get to build something. I took up woodworking in my 20s and never looked back. I also have remodeled 6 houses during my time in the military such that I can teach all kinds of stuff to my son. I love DIY and it is very satisfying to end up with something that does the job, looks good, and fits in the space intended.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Sounds right to me 👍

[@WoodshopMike]

Solid advice for the beginner woodworker👊 great job Matt!

[@MWAWoodworks]

🙌

[@Clbhrdwck]

This man has some excellent advice. As an electrician of one trade with a shop full of tools, i have learned each of these lessons lol

[@bobbybuildsit]

I really like how you described the difference between low price vs high price tools.

[@MCsCreations]

Really excellent tips, man! Thanks a bunch! 😊 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@MWAWoodworks]

You too my friend!

[@jimrosson6702]

Great video Thanks you for sharing as a new woodworker this helps a lot. Would love to see more videos like this. Great tips for looking for hardwood also thanks

[@MWAWoodworks]

Nice! Thanks Jim!

[@davidguinta4550]

Great honest advise, really enjoy your content.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Thanks!

[@silverfox8801]

I’ve been a carpenter for 35 years and still love building anything from wood! 👍

[@makermark67]

Great advice. Love your channel. Always great projects and really good info. Thanks

[@MWAWoodworks]

Thanks Mark, appreciate the support!

[@pitsnipe5559]

My first table saw is still the one I use. It’s a 6.5” contractors saw and after forty plus years it is still reliable and accurate. As for the best place to start, I always go back to my trade school education, we had to use hand tools until the third third year.

[@orbitalair2103]

Agree, hand tools are a very low cost way to get started. Until you reach the point where you love it and want to find a Plough Plane with lots of blades....wow are they expensive and hard to find, since they havent been made for 60 years.

[@pitsnipe5559]

@@orbitalair2103 Oh yeah!

[@demontekdigital]

Thank you for this. There's a lot of valuable information in here that not a lot of woodworkers are mentioning. I just recently bought a few tools, and never really looked at them as a way to manage frustrations when it comes to using them. Since I didn't have a ton of cash, I opted for a Skil 10 inch miter saw, a Skil 7 1/4 circ saw, the Kreg accucut track, and the Kreg 320 jig set. I don't plan on doing a lot of woodworking, but there are a few projects I have in my crosshairs. So far it's just a screen door, and a media cabinet for bluray/DVDs, but having the right tools should help keep the swear jar emptier than normal, lol. Most of the projects I want to do are more construction than fine woodworking so I don't need to go insane with expensive gear. I don't need $10k worth of tools when all I'm making are planter boxes, or a deck, but I do enjoy tools, lol.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Yeah for sure sounds like you have the right thinking!

[@johntailing5283]

First time in my feed, where have you been all my life? , , , easy to watch, easy to listen to and great advice- subbed, and looking forward to catching up 👍

[@MWAWoodworks]

Ha thanks John!

[@brianhayes260]

Hey that’s Mimms!! Fantastic lumber dealer! Great video! Thanks!

[@MWAWoodworks]

IYKYK 🙌

[@scottbionicnerf8727]

Thanks Brother. That's good, sound advice.

[@MWAWoodworks]

👍

[@joecuddington3205]

There are several lumber mills in my area less than a 15 minute drive from my house but sadly they only sell lumber by the lot, they won't split it. Now if I had the few thousand dollars to buy a whole lot of elm or maple or walnut I would and I'd have enough lumber to keep me busy for a while. And sadly Woodcraft is about 1 1/2 hours from my house and my truck likes diesel fuel way too much.

[@MWAWoodworks]

See if you can ask who those mills sell to. Who are their customers and if any are in your area maybe you can go to them. I've bought lumber off of millwork companies especially figured stuff, they don't like it for what they do they want straight grain.

[@sharondoherty5143]

Great video. I moved from New Jersey, where there were dozens of actual lumber yards (Willards Lumber was one - Keith Johnson buys there a lot). But now that we're in Athens, GA, it is a challenge to find a true lumber yard/mill. Your search suggestions may help me, so thanks.

[@midnari]

Plenty of them closer to Alabama. West side of Atlanta, admittedly it's mostly pine.

[@a9ball1]

One big advantage of making your own is the size and shape. If you need something a specific size then making it yourself is the way to go. I have an extremely low budget and I use a lot of used wood and free furniture, especially dressers and wood tables.

[@garymiller5937]

Thank you for telling everyone the truths that non woodworkers don't know about it. And perhaps you should have mentioned how skills need to be acquired hands on and not from books or video. I'm not criticizing at all. I only think that's a fact people need to hear. I enjoyed your video very much and the information was spot on. Thank you so much! Have a great week ahead. 😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤

[@MWAWoodworks]

Thanks Gary! Have a great week!

[@garymiller5937]

@@MWAWoodworks Thank you.

[@LutherBuilds]

Another great source of hardwood lumber is within local Facebook woodworking groups. There's a high chance that someone in that group knows a place to buy it or there's someone who sells it themselves. My local woodworking group has a list of a handful of places within an hour, most times less, of hardwood lumber retailers or sawmills. I visited one of them before to check it out but was intimidated to buy anything. Mainly because I didn't have a specific project or budget in mind. Thankfully I know where they are when I am ready to build a nice piece of furniture. But my shop isn't really setup to process rough lumber. I do have a couple of projects I'd like to build in the future when I am setup as far as tooling and shop space.

[@ziprock]

Don't forget that jigs can be just as important as tools. A jig for a circular saw that helps you cut accurate, and helps with making the same cut repeatable if you have 20 cuts at a certain length etc.. can be better then that low end table saw. and that table saw can triple what it can do if you make a nice table saw sled etc

[@Erik_The_Viking]

Great advice - start with what you can afford and go from there. Not everyone can afford (or wants to buy) Festool. I've learned to make better buying decisions for lumber and materials, but I make do with what I have available. There's always another way to make that cut, or join two pieces of wood.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Always true Erik!

[@scottie4303]

I'm pretty new to this and my experience with higher quality tools for the most part is accuracy. For example I wish I would have bought a better miter saw. Soon hopefully

[@MWAWoodworks]

I would make a better miter saw the last thing you buy. Miters saws in general aren't going to give you the same level of accuracy as a good table saw. Save the miter saws for rough work.

[@be9240]

​@@MWAWoodworks yes and no, miters are really good for speed as well as any cut on anything less than a 4 by 4. By the time you made three different cuts on a table saw, a miter saw will already have everything cut and will have already started setting everything up. Any project that can handle a 1/16 variable, miters are more effective. However table saws are the jack of all trades and cuts. If you don't mind the time it takes to build all the fencing and guides you need, as well as doubling the time it takes for most projects then the accuracy and more importantly consistenty you get from table saws are better. You can just learn to be very consistent with a miter as well.

[@troystallard6895]

Your comment about DIY vs store-bought reminds me of my homebrewing. Almost everyone who finds out I make my own beer gets around to asking me if I save any money doing it. And the answer is always, "no. But I get to drink better beer."

[@michelleembs8551]

Great advice, thanks! Love your channel!

[@MWAWoodworks]

Hey thanks! 😀

[@zamplify]

I don't care about saving money, I just like to make stuff.

[@MWAWoodworks]

🙌🙌🙌

[@JamesDean53333]

You don’t care about money? Must be nice..

[@kevinkruse88]

@@JamesDean53333It’s always good to save money. But it’s always better to just do it the way you want without compromising. Or so I’ve heard cause money is tight.

[@johnsutcliffe3209]

I'm the same

[@TanyaLairdCivil]

Also, there are a ton of things the more budget-conscious can do. For example, I've built most of my shop fixtures out of reclaimed lumber and plywood. My local university has a surplus shop, and one thing they always have for sale are old full-sized wooden desks. They're typically those low desks built with deep drawers, intended for a paper workflow world. I'll buy these big heavy wooden desks for like, $5. Then I'll tear them to pieces. The solid wood parts I'll save for other projects, and the plywood elements I'll use for shop fixtures. The cost of lumber is really a tradeoff between time and money. You can do serious woodworking entirely with free material if you want. It may mean collecting green wood on the side of the road after wind storms, drying it, and milling it yourself. It may mean getting old furniture pieces that no one wants and scrapping them for their materials. It may mean carefully disassembling pallets for the little usable material they have. It may mean doing small-scale carving, using scrap material given to you for free by other woodworkers.

[@darodes]

Man I coulda used this video 2 years ago!! Bigger distributors won’t deal to me being a hobbyist, but I was able to find a couple places near me on Facebook marketplace and it’s a goldmine!!

[@AngieWilliamsDesigns]

I think my favorite thing you pointed out was the breadboard ends. I dislike breadboard ends. I never use them. I worked at a table shop and one of the things the builder taught me was what happened with breadboard ends. He showed me a table he made that had moved. Totally made me a believer. Since I don’t like them anyways… I never worried with learning how to do them and accounting for movement. Finding and buying lumber was definitely tricky when I started. I’ll have to admit though… buying when I started (12 years ago as well), the quality of wood from the big box stores was better and cheaper. I can’t buy from them any longer. ANd yeah…. So many channels show how to build a project… but many of their “plans” or directions are not things that last. Don’t get my started on differences in plywood sheets!!!!! UGH!!!!

[@jlivewell]

Great tips…. Well thought out! Thank you very much

[@julielowe7462]

As a tradesperson, I would agree, however as someone who also enjoys making something for the pleasure of saying it’s all my own work, or because I know I will pay more attention to detail than someone making things in a factory, if I include the cost of setting up my workshop, then everything costs a fortune, but being of a certain age and having built up my knowledge and my tools over many years, I don’t have to worry about that 😊 Julie

[@mcapo3040]

Wish I had this when I first started, good stuff!

[@chrismoore6359]

I got the chills when you talked about your shin getting to close to that edge-I've done that on my own so many times 😭

[@chrismoore6359]

Also, great video. This was informative, fun, and interesting.

[@brucehansen7949]

Just finished a chicke coop almost identical to yours without the windows and... probably cost me $30, i find free lumber everywhere, yes it takes longer cutting everyboard to exact dimensions and sanding but saved $100+ even roof tin i got free, $5 paint cans in discount section menards/home depot... oh sorry theyre like $8-9 now for a gallon. They were $5 mis tints or customer returns. Been stock piling for years, some cans are 8 years old and paint is still good to use

[@gedryan8042]

Thanks for the video.

[@PLaTerra]

Great discussion. Thanks.

[@NA-oq4ty]

It is possible with just a few basic tools to do extraordinary woodcraft things. I would list those tools as a saw, a chisel carpenter's plain, a paint brush (for applying finishes. Pencil and paper for sketching idea's.)

[@dannyhughes4889]

Well done.

[@michaelheurkens4538]

Beginners will benefit from skill building with hand tools like different handsaws, bench hooks, mitre bowes, different chisels/techniques, maybe a circular saw, drill etc. These are far more affordable for someone with little or no knowledge/skills. While learning with these tools, they will discover what they need in power tools to help them. They can start simple projects while researching machinery. I speak from experience. Besides, if all you know how to use are machines, the beginner with good hand tool skills will be better off when the power goes down. Plenty of good info presented here, thanks. Cheers from Alberta, Canada.

[@donsill3168]

I’ve been a cabinetmaker for 50 years. The hardest thing to make is money. I’m fortunate but I’ve worked hard

[@williamdesmarais4931]

As far as tools go, used is (in my opinion) the best way to start. If it turns out that you don't like woodworking, or if you finish that 1 off project, the depreciation has already been taken out of the tools so they can be resold for the same or close to the same price that you purchased them for.

[@SailingSoWhat]

For me a big reason to build stuff myself is because I can build things I cannot buy. Like a table that perfectly fits inside a specific non rectangular corner.

[@DanH37ww]

I like the video clips peppered in there. 😂 Good advice too.

[@MWAWoodworks]

😁

[@MelanyWilhoite]

I built miter saw wings and cabinets for workshop Baltic birch looked perfect year later plywood warped every direction had replace everything

[@MWAWoodworks]

That's odd. Usually BB is the most stable ply around.

[@jasonpeddicord3219]

I’m lucky enough to have a local lumber company that carries or can order in anything that I want to use.

[@john_northrup]

😮 Heeeyyy… I just saw Mimms Lumber flash by and now I’m super curious where else you shop for hardwoods at! Awesome having a local KZbin woodworker 🎉

[@MWAWoodworks]

Hey John! I go to Mimms or Middle Tennessee Lumber Co

[@thomassciurba5323]

The other day I was talking to my wife about what my next big project should be and I suggested a desk for my grandson. She said that it was actually my granddaughter that wanted a new desk, showed me a picture of what she wanted, and asked if I could build it. I said yes I could and then she asked if I could build it for this price. It was $140 at Etsy or Wairfair or something. I just laughed.

[@MWAWoodworks]

😂😂😂

[@kimmieb2u]

Yeah, she should go look at thrift stores. Or accept that the desk she can buy isn't made of real wood.

[@actionjksn]

That $140 desk is just particle board, probably covered with a big sticker that has a picture of wood grain. Even if you go pretty cheap it will still be better quality than the Wayfair stuff.

[@ricoIII]

Ikea quoted me over 7k for quartz countertops, the rest of the kitchen reno already ate most of the none existent budget… watched more than a couple of YT videos on cutting/joining wood countertops, a used biscuit jointer and 700$ in havea countertops later I have 7 foot long, 50 inches inch deep island and matching countertop for the sink, so in this case I did save money, and personally I like the warmth of wood vs quartz

[@jhtnpa]

Excellent advice!

[@XxStratAttackxX]

Builders first source has the most competitive pricing here in Kansas City and their sales team is excellent.

[@Download-Woodworking-Plans]

This is really helpful for aspiring woodworkers. Keep up the good work mate.

[@byronhudgins5250]

Great video and information!

[@MWAWoodworks]

Thank you!

[@Nonyabusiness911]

I had a full shop but sold everything. I have built lots of custom furniture over the years. Recently I made a flag. Small simple project, $160 just in Lumber. 2024 lumber prices are crazy. I had a good source for rough lumber.

[@djVania08]

Do you have somewhere listed that croos cut sled with the extension? That looks handy

[@MWAWoodworks]

Ha! No that thing is long gone. It was built for that saw only.

[@djVania08]

@@MWAWoodworks That's a shame. Thanks for the answer though:)

[@BBoyBFit]

Pine Creek Wood Company! Exotic woods from a family owned business. Claro Walnut, feedleback, etc. Good stuff

[@bunkie2100]

For a very, very long time, I lacked access to quality hardwood. Just this month, an acquaintance mentioned a local dealer and I paid a visit. It turned out to be the supplier of my dreams, I left with a couple of bundles of teak, a wood I’ve never seen locally anywhere else. There were huge piles of rough-sawn harwood of all sorts, both domestic and imported at very decent prices. One of the limitations is that the dealer has limited hours. The same goes for the local source of quality plywood. As I work full-time, this made it hard to shop at these dealers. Going forward, I will make time.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Yes all lumber dealers seem to have bankers hours. I always have to go first thing in the morning before work.

[@SpartanONegative]

Im remodeling my kitchen right now. I'm building my own cabinets. I went to a lumberyard, not Menards. I let my lumber acclimate to my house before I use it.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Nice!

[@ChrisStCyr-gnt7]

The thing about building it yourself is you end up with what you want. At any store you’re likely finding things that are almost perfect for your needs. The alternative is to commission a custom piece. You can build it for less than you can commission it.

[@tomstrunk1232]

What brand and grade of plywood did you use for your shop cabinets? Are you happy with it?

[@MWAWoodworks]

I use Pure Bond (Columbia Forrest Products) for almost all the cabinets I make. I like it a lot.

[@sarinhighwind]

There is a local instagrammer here claiming shes getting vintage furniture for 100 to 200 dollars. And just refinishes it and sells for 1500. They do good work. But there is no way they are paying that little, because i do it also and im not finding those deals anywhere

[@FilthyCasualRacing]

Straight up I just buy whatever tools are cheap and near me and make due. Work with what you got. Most of my stuff is for me and my house or office anyway. I just make what I can with what I have.

[@blackmanops3749]

But tools keep evolving and improving, so you'll always be upgrading eg. that new fangled track saw or computer router or CNC, etc Even planes or chisels (better metal, nicer feel, prettier, etc).

[@MWAWoodworks]

It's true! Every time I think OK this is the last version of this tool I will ever buy, something comes along and makes me eat my words 😂

[@mrcryptozoic817]

Regarding tool prices, here's my personal story: In 1990 I bought a low-end table saw that had a built in sliding top, like a built in sled. Inside of a month the sliding top wobbled all over the place and I had to invent something to stabilize it. And it had no kickback protection at all (shattered window). Final straw: the motor burned out while trimming off the rounded edge of 2x4s, after only 2 months of use. Here's the lesson stuck with me since then: never, ever, buy low end power tools unless you intend to only use it once. I replaced it with a Rigid mid-range saw which has a belt drive motor/blade. That thing is a workhorse! You think all it does is make good cuts on wood but think outside the box: Here's a list of what I've cut with it: plywood and MDF from thin to 1 1/8" thickness rip any 2x wood (sometimes cut 1/2 way through, turn over and do it again) Hardi-board (but definitely not Wonderboard) sheetrock aluminum steel thin sheet (refrigerator door, and yes, I have an appropriate tungsten-carbide splatter coated blade) tile (dry, using the above coated blade (edge was a little ragged but it is hidden) plastics tenons on 4" diameter logs and smaller. rip logs so they have a flat edge (used a plywood sled) rigid foam 2" boards (cut half way, turn over and cut again) Literally thousands of non-furniture wood cuts. Need a 2" block of wood - use the table saw. Aluminum pipe 1" too long - table saw. And the occasional hidden nail (damnit!). Here it is, 2024 and it's still working perfectly.

[@thecknodecker]

Cost of tools, is a good point I had to redo my bathroom, when it came to cabinetry, I had to either made them to order 15k-18k or build them myself. Well I built them, cost me 19k all tools included. So I finished with about 4-5k in tools that I can now reuse everytime I want

[@muttznutts7465]

I guess this depends on how new a new woodworker this video is for but I don't agree with the buy the best tools you can afford advice you gave at 12:02. I find that can lead to wasting money on stuff that never gets used. When i buy a type of tool that's new to me i buy cheep. Sometimes i'll only use it once or twice and buying the best would of been a waste. If i use it till it breaks then its normally paid for itself by then. When i come to replace it i understand it better meaning i can make a better choice about what to replace it with, often saving more than the cost of the cheep tool in the process by not buying the wrong tool, or just realising this isn't the hobby for me. Ok as a example take saws. You'll need a good saw right? Well yeah but what kinda saw? What size, what TPI? Hand or power saw? How many kinds of saw are there? How many kinds of hammer? It sucks to spend all your money on a fancy saw and a perfectly balanced hammer then find you need a set of clamps. Just my thoughts on it. Hope it helps someone.

[@MildarValsik]

You can do cheaper and have it be a great piece. However you can't just start once you buy the wood. Got to give it time to adjust to your environment. Fit to check that moisture level. Got to stack it for a while. Yet cheap isn't the best of the best. Yet could be. I think i might store some lumber and prep them. Im lucky to have a house thats on stilts and the garage is a two car garage. However it's real size is about a 4 car garage size. Down stairs wasn't really planned for this. Yet beginning wise I can have a dry room, 1 year and two year room. The work area and space for the car. Yet plan to do some things. So really best thing is plan ahead. Indoor use or outdoor. Indoor? Check moisture first.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Great advice!

[@baltimoreace]

Great video!

[@MWAWoodworks]

Thank you! 😁

[@livinaftermidnight9651]

I look at my tool purchases this way. If my ambitions in woodworking don't work out my son will have some pretty decent tools handed to him!

[@SenselessUsername]

The build-vs-buy costing changes if you have limited space so you must optimise... If you have an 80cm wide nook, your 80cm IKEA *just* doesn't fit so you settle for using 75% only; build yourself and use 100%. Same holds vertically. Bit more obvious: you're really saving money when building shelves for some very odd, maybe triangular, corner... That's what I started from, kids shelves to fit over some specific already-existing boxes. I did calculate and it was cheaper PLUS more space utilized.

[@jt9498]

Excellent video on woodworking reality. You should be a school shop teacher. :)

[@talleysuehohlfeld3959]

Most of the reason I do any woodworking is that I want something to fit a specific space. or to hold a specific something.

[@jeffhatcher6585]

Found a local mill works who let me have their scrap. Building quality timber. Up to 2” by 12”, up to 8 feet long. I fill my car every so often for the cost of a bottle of JD!

[@MWAWoodworks]

I started this way!

[@alexharshman7025]

I really don’t like plywood mdf plywood stuff. In my experience raw lumber is about the same cost as pre made garbage, as long as I have all the tools to do it. I made a ‘farmhouse’ type of coffee table couple years ago, it’s not real heavy, beautiful, and I’m pretty sure it could hold a small block 350.

[@TomsBackyardWorkshop]

It drives me nuts that they don't label wood by the actual dimensions. I bought some s4s wood and every piece was smaller than the label and I still had to re-plane the wood because they weren't surfaced well.

[@SpartanONegative]

I like woodworking. Thank you for sharing with us. God Bless 🙏

[@MWAWoodworks]

Thanks for watching! 😀

[@leslieapplegate65]

I try and buy at least one tool every month. Some months it's a screw driver, some months it's a power tool. I am building up my tool inventory and learning as I go along. And...having fun while I'm at it. Not saving money...lol

[@theBast1an]

I don't really think about saving money. I just like to build stuff, that fits my need and requirements :)

[@MWAWoodworks]

You're the second person to say the same thing!

[@Demon_Mx2277]

I scored about 100 board feet of air dried red oak from a guy who used to do woodworking and just gave it away when he got to old to build stuff.

[@MWAWoodworks]

Yeah that's the best because you know it's been taken good care of usually.

[@nevyn38]

I live in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and I have to laugh whenever I see videos with prices on it. We've got this weird situation here where most timber that is grown here is then sold to China (untreated) and then treated timber is bought from China. This results in ridiculous timber prices (and pretty much all of it is centered around building. i.e. hardwood flooring, decking, posts and retaining wall material etc.). So when I was looking at Rex Kruger's $30 workbench: 2x4's in the US are usually 2.4m long (8ft). He suggests 9x 2x4 so that's a total of 21.6 linear meters (wood is sold by linear meters here). At the big box store (Bunnings), it costs around $9.50 / linear length which works out to be $205.20. You can get A LOT cheaper (around $3.80 / linear meter which comes out at ~$82) BUT that depends a lot on where you live. Either which way, I'm probably better building something like Rob Cosman's MDF top bench (a bit more modern and conventional) than Rex Kruger's $30 bench. In which case, the reason for doing it here is to be able to make very expensive non-disposable furniture. I mean, I'm under no illusion that it'll be cheap. I want the skills though, and I want to make amazingly cool furniture (I've got a few designs I want to try out for chairs. I'm starting with framing timber to get a feel for it before moving on to Pacific Rimu).

[@bawrytr]

Clamps, you can never have enough of them, and they often cost more than the "tools."