|
There comes a time in everyone’s life when you just want to build something. Well, that time has come for you, but you have no idea what you’re doing. If you are building with wood, one thing will be made clear to you if it hasn’t already: wood is extremely expensive. However, with some determination, great tips, and inside information from your dealer at E.L. Morse Lumber, you will be able to work within a reasonable budget and, most importantly, like the outcome of your project. Get Good Tools Sorry, but there’s no getting around quality tools. The process will be less frustrating if you have something that works smoothly and as it should, versus sweating and cursing through every step of the way with subpar tools, especially blades. Work with sharp edges and the chipping and splintering that occurs will be minimal. It’s safer for the woodworker (you), too. Though maybe a small part of you wants to get by on grit alone like a modern Charles Ingalls, please think twice and just buy a nice saw. Dressed or Undressed? Going to a lumberyard for the first time can be an overwhelming experience. Directions for building projects generally gloss over the specifics a beginner would expect, because they assume you have some experience. At the very basic level, you can either buy dressed or rough wood. Dressed wood is typically wood you’ll see at home improvement stores. They are smooth and have been planed. Rough wood is a better price, but can be warped, cupped, and will show cut marks. Do you have access to a planer or a way to get rough pieces straight? Consider this when buying bargain pieces straight off the saw mill. Thickness is a Virtue You’ll need to determine which pieces of wood are appropriate for your project by how thick it is. They are measured in quarter inches, even an inch is designated as “4/4”, a two inch is “8/4” and so on. For rough wood, experienced builders and woodworking experts choose thicker over thinner, because, obviously, you can cut off excess, but not add thickness to wood. Buy an excess amount in length, width, and thickness to work around any faults or warping you’ll have to plane off. Where Have All the Prices Gone? Avoid looking like a complete newbie by avoiding this one question, “Where are the prices?” Boards are priced by volume, so unlike the home improvement store There comes a time in life, when you just want to create something with your hands. If you are building with wood, one thing will be made clear to you if it hasn’t already: wood is extremely expensive. However, with some determination, great tips, and inside information from your dealer at E.L. Morse Lumber, you will be able to work within a reasonable budget and, most importantly, like the outcome of your project. Get Good Tools Sorry, but there’s no getting around quality tools. The process will be less frustrating if you have tools that work smoothly and as they should, versus sweating and cursing through every step of the way with subpar tools, especially blades. Work with sharp edges and the chipping and splintering that occurs will be minimal. It’s safer for the woodworker (you), too. Though maybe a small part of you wants to get by on grit alone, like a modern Charles Ingalls, please think twice, and buy a nice saw. Dressed or Undressed? Going to a lumberyard for the first time can be an overwhelming experience. Directions for building projects generally gloss over the specifics a beginner would expect, because they assume you have some experience. At the very basic level, you can either buy dressed or rough wood. Dressed wood is typically wood you’ll see at home improvement stores. They are smooth and have been planed. Rough wood is a better price, but can be warped, cupped, and will show cut marks. Do you have access to a planer or a way to get rough pieces straight? Consider this when buying bargain pieces straight off the saw mill. Thickness is a Virtue You’ll need to determine which pieces of wood are appropriate for your project by how thick it is. They are measured in quarter inches, even an inch is designated as “4/4”, a 2-inch is “8/4” and so on. For rough wood, experienced builders and woodworking experts choose thicker over thinner, because, obviously, you can cut off excess, but not add thickness to wood. Buy an excess amount in length, width, and thickness to work around any faults or warping you’ll have to plane off. Where Have All the Prices Gone? Avoid looking like a complete newbie by avoiding this one question, “Where are the prices?” Boards are priced by volume, so unlike the home improvement stores you’ve probably encountered, there are no price tags on certain stacks of wood. They are measured in units of board feet which is 12” x 12” x 1”, or, height multiplied by width, multiplied by thickness. What does this mean for you? Always bring a calculator and tape measure if you’d like to know the price before you pay. It will be easy to figure out the price of a piece of wood that fits easily into feet or even half a foot. But you will most likely need a tape measure and calculator to measure oddly shaped pieces of wood, multiply the three dimensions together, then divide by 144", or 1 board foot unit, to get your volume. Love Every Step of the Process As the excitement of a new project wears off, your attention to quality will drift and fizzle. This is the beginner carpenter’s biggest downfall, because it always results in a less satisfying product. The key to avoiding this trap, as more experienced builders at E.L. Morse Lumber know, is to remember that woodworking is a journey, not a destination. You will make mistakes, experience setbacks, and possibly smash your thumb with a hammer; learn from them and move on. Soon you’ll glean the skills and know-how that will make your newfound hobby enjoyable and stress relieving. s you’ve probably encountered, there are no price tags on certain stacks of wood. They are measured in units of board feet which is 12” x 12” x 1”, height multiplied by width multiplied by thickness. What does this mean for you? Always bring a calculator and tape measure if you’d like to know the price before you pay. It will be easy to figure out the price of a piece of wood that fits easily into feet or even half a foot. But you will most likely need a calculator to measure oddly shaped pieces of wood, multiply the three dimensions together, then divide by 144", or 1 board foot unit, to get your volume. Love Every Step of the Process As the excitement of a new project wears off, your attention to quality will drift and fizzle. This is the beginner carpenter’s biggest downfall, because it always results in a less satisfying product. The key to avoiding this trap, as more experienced builders at E.L. Morse Lumber know, is to keep repeating to yourself that it’s the journey, not the destination, in woodworking and building. You will make mistakes, experience setbacks, and possibly smash your thumb with a hammer; learn from them and move on. Soon you’ll glean the skills and know how that will make your newfound hobby enjoyable and stress relieving.
Related Articles -
E.L., Morse, Lumber,
|
