A basement can make a good home woodshop if you plan around its limits. This post covers stairs and doors, dust and the furnace, finishing safely near gas appliances, damp, noise, power, layout, and what a basement shop suits when you make work to sell.
Tag: wood-shop
Woodworking in an Apartment: How to Set Up a Small Woodshop and What to Make
Woodworking in an apartment is possible with hand tools, a solid bench and small projects. This post covers lease and insurance checks, the tools and bench to start with, how to keep noise and dust down, finishing safely indoors, using a makerspace for machine work, and what an apartment woodshop can make and sell.
Woodworking Tool Maintenance: A Simple Schedule and a Table Saw Tune-Up
Well-kept tools cut more accurately, last longer and break down less often, which matters when orders depend on them. This post sets out a simple maintenance schedule, the checks every power tool needs, a step-by-step table saw tune-up, care for band saws, jointers, planers, routers, sanders and dust collectors, and how to look after hand tools.
The Router for a Woodworking Business: What It Makes, Types, Bits and Safety
A router adds the details that make woodwork sell, from edge profiles and juice grooves to signs, joints and identical parts made from templates. This post covers what a router lets you make, the types of router and what to look for, the bits to start with, when a router table helps, safe speeds and safe use, and keeping bits sharp.
The Band Saw for a Woodworking Business: What It Makes, Sizes, Blades and Safety
A band saw cuts curves, rips boards and slices thick boards into thinner ones, which opens up products and savings other saws cannot. This post covers what a band saw lets you make and sell, how resawing saves wood, the sizes and features to look for, which blades to buy, how to use it safely, and how to keep it running.
The Table Saw for a Woodworking Business: Types, Uses, Buying and Safety
For many woodworking businesses the table saw is the first large machine and the center of the shop. This post covers what a table saw lets you make and sell, the main types and what each suits, what to look for when buying, blades and upkeep, the basic steps of safe use, and what to plan for insurance and employees.
Circular Saws, Track Saws and Jigsaws for a Small Woodworking Business
Portable power saws let a small woodworking business start without a table saw, break down sheet goods, and work on site. This post covers what circular saws, track saws and jigsaws each do best, corded versus cordless, what to look for when buying, the blades to use, and how to use each saw safely.
How to Measure, Mark and Cut Wood Accurately, Including Plywood
Small measuring and marking errors add up to joints that do not close and parts that do not fit. This post covers measuring tools and how to use them, squares and how to check them, marking with knives and gauges, cutting by hand, and how to break down and cut plywood cleanly, with tips for planning cuts to save material.
Types of Wood for Woodworking: Hardwood, Softwood, Plywood, Veneer and MDF
The wood you choose affects what a piece costs, how it looks and how long it lasts. This post covers hardwood and softwood, common species and their uses, how boards are cut and why it matters, plywood grades and cores, veneer, MDF and particleboard, the formaldehyde labelling rule for products made with composite wood, and how to choose wood for products you sell.
Common Woodworking Mistakes and How to Fix or Avoid Them
Most woodworking mistakes are common, and most can be avoided once you know the cause. This post covers twelve of the most common problems, from rushing and ill-fitting drawers to blotchy stain, glue spots, fuzzy grain, joints that are too tight or too loose, tear-out, burn marks, cracking and wobbly tables, with how to fix each and how to stop it happening again.
