The world slowed down considerably after Covid 19 hit, and everyone is trying their best to remain occupied. For all the negatives it brought, the pandemic has also made many people think about picking up an instrument, learning how to draw, write poems, and engage in lockdown hobbies.
However, one of the most underlooked activities that no one talked about during lockdowns, that is both creative and potentially very lucrative is woodworking.
What’s so great about this particular hobby is that it’s as practical as it’s healthy for both body and mind. Today we’ll talk about the numerous benefits of woodworking, where to start if you have no experience whatsoever, and finally, give you a few tips to hasten up the learning process, so let’s start from the top.
Benefits of woodworking
Although the first thing that comes to mind when we think about hauling wooden pallets from one place to another is getting buffed, there’s more to woodworking than that. Obviously, there are more than a handful of physical benefits to be reaped, but the emphasis should be put on mental improvements.
Sharper focus
Having a task ahead to focus on drastically improves focus, which is especially prominent in this hobby given all the minute details you’ll need to observe, calculate, and put in place.
Knowing that you’ll need your concentration in full capacity ever since you pick up your tools until the very moment you put them away is actually an exercise in itself. You will quickly be able to implement your heightened sense of awareness into your everyday life, be it at work or while relaxing, gaming, or playing sports.
The bottom line is that partaking in woodworking generally makes you a sharper thinker; your decision-making skills will also get a decent boost, as being cognizant of your surroundings and specifics tied to details becomes the norm.
Tangible rewards
Even the simplest of mistakes can turn any project into a disaster. Although some would argue that this is a drawback, staying on your toes when piecing together two wooden hulks with a tiny nail is uniquely rewarding.
It’s true that becoming a master of woodwork craft takes years and decades, you will be able to see your progress every step of the way. Your creations will be a testament to your evolving skill, allowing you to catch up to past mistakes as you go.
Uplifts your spirits
People who stick with any hobby tend to fall in love with it over time, and the same is with woodworking. You’ll get to know more about the huge world of DIY construction, and in turn, you’ll learn more about yourself as well.
Every skill you gain, and every project you finish will invariably affect your mood in a very positive way. The sense of accomplishment is, in these times at least, very rare, mainly because we’re anchored in a place away from friends and family.
Anxiety, depression, and mental fatigue are fairly common during periods of isolation, so it’s safe to say that woodworking is a natural way to fight them back.
Become better at math and physics
Mathematics and physics are arguably the two least-loved classes when it comes to elementary school, and most of us are lucky to have passed by those beasts relatively unscathed. If you wanted to get better, but for some reason never picked up on those fields, woodworking will certainly help.
Naturally, the more accurate your projects become and the more refined the final shape gets, you’ll know that your math and physics stats have also gone up.
Getting started
Now that we’ve talked about a couple of reasons why you should pick up woodworking, it’s time to learn the ropes. The following tips are fairly general and can apply in any scenario, regardless of what type of woodworking you’ll eventually get into.
Acquaint yourself with the tools
You’ll probably start your first month by watching YouTube tutorials, so in order to follow them, you’ll need to at least know what the instructors are talking about.
Some of the most basic tools of a woodworker are the G clamp, coping saw, hand saw, measure tape, claw hammer, dead-blow hammer, hand drill, chisel, rasps, and sandpaper. The tape, claw hammer, and sandpaper should be enough to get you through the simplest of early projects.
Make a habit of marking lines with a pencil
The majority of woodworking tasks revolve around marking wood pieces and cutting them at perfect angles. Now, some beginners ignore this tip and use sharpies for better visibility, which is a fairly bad habit to have.
Namely, sharpies may be easier (and quicker) to use for marking certain cut lines, but they can’t be erased should you make a mistake. This way you will find yourself with a scribbled piece of wood that you don’t know where to start cutting.
Creating your memory stick
You’ll invariably be faced with numerous processes of cutting the exact same measurements time and time again. Even though you should never sacrifice accuracy for the sake of convenience, there’s an easy hack to make your job substantially easier.
Namely, you can cut up a piece of wood into a one-inch stick, 0.5-inch stick, and so on (depending on the project, you can use taller measurements too). It’s up to you to customize its width, color, and shape, but the point is to have a readily available measuring stick instead of using the tape each time.
Keep trying
The best advice any woodworker can give you is to not give up after failing a few times. Mistakes are necessary to grow; in fact, they’re an essential part of the evolution, as that’s the best way to stimulate your muscle memory to avoid it in the future.
Your first projects may look like a child was playing with a hammer and some nails, but it’s your work, and take pride in it. Know that every next project you embark on will be significantly better.
We hope that this article was useful to you and that you’ve discovered something new and enjoyable. Make sure you are staying safe in these times we are all going through and have a good one, guys!