Introduction to woodworking will be a 2 hour demonstration and lecture class for beginning woodworkers. We’ll be covering the following topics: safety, wood, tools & skills. The goal is to demystify the entry to woodworking. Taught by Will Cowart and Chris Black.

Learn how to choose the right tools, develop the skills and purchase the lumber necessary for building basic woodworking projects safely.

Class outline:

Safety

• PPE: Protect eyes, ears & lungs

• Appropriate apparel and be mindful of hair & jewelry

Wood

• Hardwood verses softwood

• Home center verses specialty lumber stores

• How hardwood is sold:

  • By volume not a standard sizes

  • How to calculate board feet - volume

  • Often rough sawn, skip planed or S2S

  • Plain, quartersawn and rift - when to use which

  • Wood to consider for first projects

Tools

• Hand tools, Power tools and machines

• Cutting

• Surfacing

• Shaping

• Drilling

• Measuring & marking

• Driving

Skills

• Care, judgment and dexterity

• Sharpening

• Make it square and flat

• Joinery

• Finishing

• Basic design

  • Pick a project based on skill level and available tools.