May 2021 - www.woodhappiness.com

I suppose that many of you , may have in mind that carpentry is something very "extreme" and that the woodworkers are people with very elite skills and nobody can reach their level . I suppose that many of you , may think that if you want to be a carpenter , you should have "tons" of muscles , be very strong and also have supernatural mental and artistic talents . Of course this isn't true . We should never "forget" that we have people with serious physical problems and these people may think that they cannot be carpenters . Of course this isn't true , also . Everybody can be a carpenter . Certainly , the carpentry hobby - activity needs some skills you should have , in order to act with this astonishing way of life . These skills the carpenter should have in some kind of grade , aren't something extreme for sure and you should not be afraid . The basic skills a carpenter should have are seperated into two categories . A)The basic Body - physical skills , the carpentry needs . B) The Mental - artistic skills , the carpentry needs . If you manage to combine and evolute the above 2 categories , you'll become a very good carpenter , creating marvelous woodworking projects , for your personal joy only or maybe to sell some and gain money . A) The basic Body - Physical skills . In this physical category , you may imagine that the carpentry needs some kind of big physical strength , in order to act with wood and manage to shape it . This isn't accurate of course and you don't need to be a supernatural athlete or something like that , to act the carpentry hobby . The basic body strength is enough for both men and women . If you have a body kinetic problem or anything , you can also be a very nice carpenter , but i suppose you'll need sometimes the help of a friend for some carpentry "jobs" . But you can be a carpenter for sure . So after your body health basic check up we all do , you can go outside to the nature and forests to search for your wood . You don't need to be a marathon guy/girl . If you can walk some miles and have a nice walking outdoor shoe , the "job" is done . 1) If you can carry your wood piece to your warehouse , in order to begin your woodworking plan , you won't have any issue . 2) If you can carry a hand saw and make some cuts in your wood , "no worries" , you're doing just fine . 3) If you can carry a hand or a power drill and make some holes to your wooden surfaces , you're "halfway there" . 4) If you can hold a hammer , make some hits and screw some screws with a screwdriver , your body skills are enough . 5) If you can carry your wood piece , put it above your woodworking bench and make some moves to it , to stabilize it so you can work more easily , your carpentry body skills are also very fine . 6) If you can carry and hold your chisels , drawknives , et.c making some adjustments to your wood project , put a wood piece in your vice for stability , use your clamps and your other auxiliary tools , have no worries about your body strength requirements . 7) If you can use a sandpaper , or use you planers , to smoothen your wood , you are ok again . Basic - physical body skills for carpentry : Summary . If you can : 1)Walk in the forest , searching for your wood . 2) Carry this wood , to your house . 3) Put your wood above to you woodworking bench and make some "maneuvers" to it . 4) Cut with a hand saw . 5) Drill some holes . 6) Hit with a hammer and screw with screwdrivers . 7) Use your chisels for shaping and correcting the wood's "flesh" . 8) Put your wood inside your vice . ( never let the vice's metal into direct touch with the wood . Use an intermediate - "helper" material , usually another wood piece . ) 9) Rub your wooden surface with sandpapers or a plane and then protect it with some finishing oil , you can act the Carpentry hobby just fine . All the above need only the basic body strength , all people have , except the ones who have unfortunately serious health problems . But even these heroic people with some help , they can be woodworkers and give their souls the "tons" of happiness , wood gives . So the body needs the carpentry requires are the basic " common" powers , all people have women or men . The carpentry doesn't need something "extreme" concerning the powers your body should have , more than the powers you use in your daily life and activities . B) The Mental - Artistic skills . In here , "things" are a little more complex , than the body - physical skills , but for GOD's shake , you don't need to be afraid and stop your tries to enter to the carpentry activity . In all the human activities which includes the fantasy - creativity - artistic - soul expression , et.c elements , you cannot set limits to the human's skills and talents . You cannot teach someone to paint like Picasso , make music like Beethoven , dance like Nureyef , or make astonishing woodcrafts by carving wood and sculpturing it . The carpentry activity for sure includes "inside" it , the artistic element and of course there are wood sculptors outhere , who are creating artworks noone can "reach" or duplicate . These mental skills are : 1) Learn Wood and its reactions to your actions . You should gain knowldege of the general behavior of the wood and the different types of it , while you're using it . You should get experience of how the "soft" and the "hard" types of wood , behaves on your actions on it . All the wood types , haven't the same behavior in cutting , drilling , sanding , finishing , et.c and this is a basic knowldege you should get . In THIS post you'll see all the wood types and their properties , you'll need . 2) How many tools exist and the correct and safe use of the woodworking tools , is necessary . You should get experience , concerning the woodworking tools , power or hand tools . You should learn about them and the most important the correct use of them and be very comfortable , with the use of them. Of course the safety laws and your health's protection , concerning the wood tools should be in your mind , always . You should be able to use a hand plane , a chisel , a power drill and an orbital sander with the same easiness and "comfort" . See in HERE all the complete woodworking tools , list . 3) Sharpen your Tools , correctly . You should learn how to sharpen your hand tools , as the chisels , your planers , your hand saws . This is very important , because an unefficient tool will make your carpenter's life hard and your project at stake . If you're wondering what is tools sharpening , don't be . Go in HERE and see all the sharpening details . 4) Storage & maintain your carpentry tools . You should learn the correct storage and maintenance of your tools , in order to have them for many years . It's very important to learn the entire "circle" of the woodworking tools from how many they are and their correct use , to the storage and maintenance of them . 5) Measure correctly . The correct measuring is for sure a basic skill for a carpenter . If you measure awry , you'll cut awry and your carpentry plan won't be nice and beautifull . have a carpenter's pencil , some meters/rules , a level tool and learn how to use them . I've chosen some very nice rulers and more to supply , get them in HERE . 6) Cut wood with Focus & Accuracy . You should be 100% focused when you cut your wood and leave noone to distract you from this "job" . This isn't so easy as you may think , because if you have to do many wood accurate cuts , you'll see that your focus will decrease from fatigue . Of course you should learn to cut in straight lines , accurate and precise . 7) Nail & Screw correctly . The nailing and screwing of your nails and screws are the basic wood joinery skill and even if they seem easy , they aren't . There are "secrets" and tips in order to hammer a nail and screw a bolt and of course to remove them , without "hurting" the wood . If you like to read some , go in HERE . You must never let your brain decrease its seriousness and focus , no matter if you are tired or not . The accidents in the carpentry activity are always "waiting" for your brain's "shields" to lower down . 7) Drill holes . The skill to make 100% accurate holes in your wood using power or not woodworking tools , is a basic skill too . In here the same as the cutting sections applies . If you want to make correct holes in your wood without damaging it , your focus and seriousness are needed . If you are using power drills and wood machinery , your body and mind should be in perfect combination in order to make your holes , as they should be done . Remember the mind gives the "orders" to your body and these 2 , must be in perfect harmony . 8) Use some Bacic Math . You should also know some "basic" maths in order to calculate the distances in your wooden surfaces . These basic math will help you to proceed to your marking and cuttings with 100% success . Of course the basic mathematical operations will help you with your wood supplies and the money you'll spend for them . The maths will help you again when you'll need to calculate the contractions and the expansions of the wood , when you'll try to make a wood project and try to fit it , into a specific area in your home . I know that many people when they hear about maths , the have "allergies" , but in the carpentry activity , the basic maths are enough . At least for not a fully professional carpenter . If you want to be a professional carpenter , you should know more of course , because your projects will be more complex and they'll need more math knowledge . 9) Dovetail - Mortise & a Tenon joinery is needed . You should begin to make some wood joinery . The dovetail joints , the cutting of a mortise and a tenon joint is for sure the next steps for your joints . The nails , screws and the wood gluse is very nice for your first primary joinery , but there are more joints you should be familiar with , right after the basic nails - pins and wood glue wood joints . You'll need to scribe reference lines for your joinery , so i've picked some top gauges to buy in HERE . 10) Protection and finishing of wood . You should learn the correct protection of your carpentry project after your finishing and sanding till its finally form - design . There are many ways and materials to use , depending to what you want and what is the best appropriate concerning the use of this wood project and the place it'll be placed . If you'lll place your wood plan outdoors or indoors , this affects the protection and finishing methods . For your outdoors , the dyes , the paint , lacquers , et.c are more suitable , maybe . I've picked some top dyes - varnishes , et.c for you to get in HERE . There are oils and waxes , varnishes , oil based colors , lackers , shellac , et.c and you should be able to choose the right one , for your needs . I have some of my favorite natural finishing products for you to buy , in HERE . 11) A Carpenter should visualize "things" in the 3 - D dimension space . Maybe the most difficult maybe and serious mental skill a carpenter should have , is the ability to visualize his woodworking project in the 3 - D dimensions . A carpenter should have the ability to visualize his future wood plan , inside the space this plan will be after its creation . A carpenter should have the ability to calculate distances , lengths , space for the 3 dimensions , calculating also future chances caused by weather and other conditions . This is the criterion which separates a nice carpenter , from a very good carpenter , a "teacher"- master carpenter . As you work with wood and with your chisels and the other carving tools , the artistic skills will evolute without even know it . If you don't have the talents other people have i suppose you won't win carving championships , but for sure you'll be able to shape your wood very nice and do what you want to do . You'll get tons of satisfaction from all this , be certain . As you see the basic carpentry skills aren't something "extreme" concerning your body physical and your mental - artistic powers . Keep Woodworking and gain skills and happiness .