Hello everyone does anybody use arm protective sleeves? My arms are getting beat up with bruises and scrapes does anyone have suggestion besides wearing long sleeve shirts?
I would recommend against wearing long sleeves while woodworking - or at least, taking them off when you use a power tool where your hands/arms come near a spinning blade (like the table saw or jointer). If a sleeve gets caught in the blade it can pull you into the blade.
Hi, I am a beginner wood worker that want to make some projects, I don't have space for a table saw, jointer, band saw, router table or track saw in my workshop/shed.Any suggestion on what project I can make?
Building a workbench can be a good project. There are many good plans available online, ranging from simple basic benches to full featured beautifully crafted benches.
Actually maybe this wasn't the first thing I was proud of, but it was certainly the one that made me most proud in terms of how challenging it was. I built a set of bar stools from hickory and elm. It was an interesting project, trying steam bending wood (for the backs and seats) for my first time. Steam bending required finding a local sawmill that had air (not kiln) dried wood. And I used hickory for strength of the structural elements. It was the most challenging woodworking project I've done to date, because all the pieces were curved or joined at an unusual angle, and the folding joints need to be really strong! Photos and video are at https://michael-schwartz.com/bar-stools
Some woods test your patience more than your tools. Tear-out, splinters, dull blades — the works. Which wood gave you the biggest headache, and why? If you survived, tell us how you lived to tell the tale. 🏆 Prize: $100 Sawinery Gift Card (because you earned it after that battle) 📅 Winner announced on December 15! 📍 Open to U.S. customers only (for now). We’re working on making them available in more locations soon!
@John Tomlinson Agreed. I found certain tools (like my planer/jointer and my track saw) worked well with hickory, but I got tearout when trying to do flush trimming on the router, and my 1.5 HP contractor's saw had difficulty ripping this very hard wood. But it really is quite strong. I used it for the structural pieces of some folding bar stools I built.
I'll add one - zebrawood, but for a slightly different reason. I didn't find it frustrating so much as surprising that it destroyed my 5mm domino cutting bit -- first time I've ever seen wood that had grain elements that are harder than tool steel! If you're curious you can see a photo of the damaged bit at https://michael-schwartz.com/art-supplies-cabinet