Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Why Buy Expensive Furniture When You Can Build Your Own With Woodworking Plans

By Ted P Roger


Woodworking is really starting to take off again now as a hobby with many new converts coming from all walks of life. The reason is simple, with the skills you learn you can create wonderful pieces of woodwork that rival anything you could buy in a shop.

If you're reading this woodwork article and wondering if you're in the minority, don't worry you're not. You only have to check the internet to see how many DIY forums and woodwork sites there are. People are getting back in touch with the old ways, but do you know why?

Simple, in a quick throwaway, pre-packed world, the vast majority of people don't make things anymore with their own hands. Even entire countries have now lost major manufacturing bases as stock is designed, mass produced and shipped from the other side of the world.

In the middle of the last century the furniture pieces in your house would've all been locally sourced, produced, sold and delivered to you. This provided trade, money and pride that you were supporting local businesses, although back then this was the way of the world and not some buzz word to appreciate what we once had. Mass production isn't the evil of the world, but it does mean that the coffee table you bought from IKEA or had shipped from China will also be sitting in the lounge of another few million people around the world.

Wouldn't it be great if you could make your own bed or dining room table set? What about building your own shed from scratch or a beautiful carved bench for the back garden using reclaimed wood? Even small items like spice racks or simple shelving could give your home a unique touch. Are these skills beyond you? Not with a decent set of woodworking plans and the mentality to step back in time.

Woodwork plans or designs are created to get you on track at the start, because if it's been a few years since you left school or college, chances are your skills or memories of woodwork class are rustier than your toolbox.

Anybody who's trawled the internet will know that useless programs and e-books are everywhere, so it's nice to occasionally find one of these learning guides that actually provide real value. Priced very competitively are woodworking guides that offer a real inroad to woodcraft skills.

Getting this far in the article shows you have a keen interest in woodwork and you're not just idly browsing, so let's look at how you can achieve real enjoyment and thus success with this pastime.

Research and source quality woodworking plans; look for a product that includes a large number of design plans, designs that include 3-D diagrams, video tutorials, a support network and most importantly in the modern world - a money back guarantee. That way you'll be more inclined in the first place to purchase the plans and get started instead of making up reasons why you can't take the chance.

You'll know you've secured professional plans when they include the following: material/tool lists, diagrams of assembly and construction. Everything should be obvious and easy to follow, measurements need to be precise and any 3D diagrams should be accurate and to scale.

Once you're ready to go, pick a nice simple project to begin with. Something simple that you're likely to succeed with and not something complicated that you'll lose interest in or fail. This is a hobby for enjoyment, so don't make it a chore. Start simple, learn skills, build experience and expand into larger projects.

Always refer to your plans in the beginning to keep on target, until you get confident to branch out without them and you'll build a nice portfolio of bespoke furniture items that will fill your house and yourself with pride.




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