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Woodworking Tools, Sharpening and how to buy Wood

4.2 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Empty star
Based on 238 ratings
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Stephen Fawcett

Three sections are covered here. Tools, (sharpening saws, planes and chisels) and How to use and maintain them, and Selecting wood.

I will show you what to look for when buying tools, whether you buy brand new tools or second-hand tools, there is nothing wrong with second hand tools there is a good market for them. Before buying tools, do a lot of window shopping either on the internet or retail outlet stores.

Read more

Three sections are covered here. Tools, (sharpening saws, planes and chisels) and How to use and maintain them, and Selecting wood.

I will show you what to look for when buying tools, whether you buy brand new tools or second-hand tools, there is nothing wrong with second hand tools there is a good market for them. Before buying tools, do a lot of window shopping either on the internet or retail outlet stores.

                So how do you know if you are looking at professional tools or cheap tools? one idea is to keep a look out for trade fairs connected with Woodwork and tools, you will learn a huge amount by visiting one of these. If you buy new 'edge' tools like chisels and planes, they will come with a ground edge and will need sharpening (sometimes called honing). If you buy second hand tools they may come sharp but more often not. Once they are sharp I will show you how to stay safe and look after them. View some of the amazing tools that are available both new and antique that can take pride of place on your work bench. Now you have bought tools and they are sharp. You need something to work with, I will show you the different kinds of wood, what to look for and what to avoid.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Tools, timber and sharpening 3-in-1
  • I explain all about the main tools you will need to complete most jobs, how to select timber and how sharpen woodworking tools.
  • My courses on woodworking there are interspersed with verbal comments and cautions, and 'pop-ups' captions giving advice on how to use tools safely.
  • I'm a great believer in buying quality tools, they pay for them selves. there's more to buying wood that you think, knowing what to look for, and not to buy.

Syllabus

Students will have a chance to view me and see the experience I’ve had and to go forward armed with what’s needed to buy and maintain tools, with a bonus lecture of buying wood
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Students will have the chance to view me and see the experience I’ve had and to go forward armed with what’s needed to buy and maintain tools.

My intro shows some of the old collectors tools from many years ago showing what pride there can be owning good tools.

Saws are many and varied, the panel saw and the tenon saw will cover all your needs, but there are others. Here I explain the main saws and what they are used for.

The saws we buy today are not meant to be sharpened, but many years ago and even today some tradesmen prefer to buy a traditional saw and sharpen it themselves. This video explains fully how to sharpen a saw, having first 'set' the saw teeth.

The first tools you will use will be for marking out your timber parts, the main ones are the try square and the marking gauges.

The plane needs more attention than any of the other tools in setting up and adjusting.

The Rebate plane is a requires a slightly different approach and the standard plane, see me explain it and give a short demonstration

You can double the satisfaction of working in wood by owning high quality tools and old collectors tools which can be used to good effect.

Good quality tools are no use unless they are sharp. Here I cover using an oilstone both freehand and using a Honing guide (honing is another word for sharpening)

Imagine you are carving the joint of meat or slicing your loaf of bread, if the knife that you are using is not sharp or 'dull' you will use more force than necessary to cut through it and this is where accidents happen, you do actually have accidents with tools that are not sharp because you're using excessive force to get through whatever it is your cutting and then you lose grip, the knives slips, and you've injured yourself. This is a exactly the same when cutting timber, tools that are not sharp are sometimes referred to as being dull, of course you can still have accidents with sharp tools, but it was drummed into me when I serve my apprenticeship that it's a dull tool that always cuts.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Covers the basics of selecting, using, and maintaining essential woodworking tools, providing a solid foundation for beginners in the craft
Explores both new and antique tools, appealing to hobbyists interested in collecting and using vintage woodworking equipment
Emphasizes the importance of sharp tools for safety and efficiency, a crucial lesson for those new to woodworking
Details the process of sharpening saws, a skill that is becoming less common with modern tools but remains valuable for traditional woodworking
Discusses buying both new and secondhand tools, which is helpful for those looking to save money while building their tool collection
Includes a section on selecting wood, which is essential knowledge for any woodworking project, regardless of skill level

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Reviews summary

Practical woodworking foundations: tools, sharpening, wood

According to learners, this course offers a solid foundation in essential woodworking skills, particularly focusing on tool selection, sharpening, and buying wood. Students frequently highlight the instructor's extensive experience and the practical nature of the lessons. The sharpening instruction is often singled out as particularly valuable. Many reviewers found it excellent for beginners looking to get started or understand fundamental techniques. While generally positive, some learners noted that the production quality could be improved in places, and those with prior experience might find the content too basic, lacking depth for advanced techniques.
Understand how to choose timber.
"Good bonus information on selecting timber for projects."
"Didn't know there was so much to consider when buying wood."
"Found the guidance on what kind of wood to avoid useful."
Guidance on selecting quality tools.
"Great advice on what to look for when buying both new and used tools."
"Helped me understand the importance of buying quality tools."
"Learned how to identify good tools and avoid cheap ones."
Crucial safety advice included.
"Appreciated the frequent reminders and cautions about safety throughout the lessons."
"The instructor emphasized safe practice, which is crucial in woodworking."
"Solid tips on how to handle tools safely, especially when dull."
Benefit from years of experience.
"The instructor's many years of woodworking experience really shows through."
"Loved hearing his practical tips and insights gained over time."
"His knowledge base is solid, even if the delivery is sometimes informal."
Ideal starting point for new learners.
"Perfect course if you're just starting out in woodworking."
"Everything was explained simply and clearly for a newbie like me."
"Highly recommended as a foundational course for total beginners."
Detailed lessons on tool sharpening.
"The section on sharpening chisels and planes was excellent and easy to follow."
"Finally understood how to properly sharpen my tools thanks to this course."
"The sharpening instruction alone was worth the time invested; it's a crucial skill."
Some minor issues with production.
"Some videos were a bit dark or hard to see the finer details clearly."
"The audio wasn't always consistent or easy to hear in certain sections."
"Production quality isn't top-tier, but the content is still understandable."
Less suitable for experienced woodworkers.
"As someone with some prior experience, I found parts of it a bit too basic."
"Was hoping for more depth on advanced techniques, but it covers the fundamentals well."
"Good introduction, but if you already know the basics, it might not offer much new."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Woodworking Tools, Sharpening and how to buy Wood with these activities:
Review Basic Geometry
Reinforce your understanding of geometric principles, which are essential for accurate marking and cutting in woodworking.
Browse courses on Geometry
Show steps
  • Review geometric shapes and their properties.
  • Practice calculating angles and dimensions.
  • Familiarize yourself with geometric tools like squares and protractors.
Review 'Understanding Wood' by R. Bruce Hoadley
Deepen your understanding of wood properties and selection, which is crucial for successful woodworking projects.
View Understanding Wood on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read chapters related to wood identification and properties.
  • Take notes on key characteristics of different wood species.
  • Relate the information to the course's section on selecting wood.
Sharpening Practice on Scrap Wood
Reinforce your sharpening skills by practicing on scrap wood, ensuring your tools are always razor-sharp for safe and efficient woodworking.
Browse courses on Sharpening
Show steps
  • Gather scrap wood and sharpening tools.
  • Practice sharpening chisels and plane irons using different techniques.
  • Test the sharpness on the scrap wood.
  • Repeat until you achieve a consistent, sharp edge.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Explore Advanced Sharpening Techniques
Refine your sharpening skills by exploring advanced techniques through online tutorials, such as using a honing guide or the 'scary sharp' method.
Browse courses on Sharpening
Show steps
  • Search for online tutorials on advanced sharpening techniques.
  • Watch the tutorials and take notes.
  • Practice the techniques on your tools.
  • Compare the results with your previous sharpening methods.
Create a Tool Maintenance Guide
Solidify your understanding of tool maintenance by creating a comprehensive guide that covers sharpening, cleaning, and rust prevention.
Show steps
  • Research best practices for tool maintenance.
  • Document the steps for sharpening, cleaning, and rust prevention.
  • Include photos or illustrations to clarify the steps.
  • Share your guide with other students for feedback.
Review 'The Complete Manual of Woodworking' by Albert Jackson and David Day
Expand your knowledge of woodworking techniques and tool usage beyond the scope of the course.
View Melania on Amazon
Show steps
  • Browse the book and identify sections relevant to the course.
  • Read about techniques or tools not covered in detail in the course.
  • Compare the book's approach to the course's methods.
Build a Small Woodworking Project
Apply your knowledge of tools, sharpening, and wood selection by building a small woodworking project, such as a box or a small shelf.
Browse courses on Woodworking
Show steps
  • Choose a simple woodworking project.
  • Select the appropriate wood and tools.
  • Cut, shape, and assemble the project.
  • Finish the project with a protective coating.

Career center

Learners who complete Woodworking Tools, Sharpening and how to buy Wood will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Hobbyist Woodworker
A hobbyist woodworker crafts projects for personal enjoyment and development. This course offers a comprehensive overview of essential woodworking tools, including how to select, sharpen, and maintain them. The detailed instructions on sharpening chisels, planes, and saws are vital for any hobbyist seeking to improve their craft. The course also provides valuable insights into wood selection, which can help hobbyists choose the right materials for their specific projects. This course is ideal for any hobbyist wishing to improve their skills in woodworking.
See salaries and explore the career path for Hobbyist Woodworker
Custom Woodworker
A custom woodworker creates unique pieces based on client specifications, requiring a high level of skill and precision. This course is extremely valuable for an aspiring custom woodworker because it provides detailed instruction on maintaining and sharpening tools, which is critical for achieving the level of accuracy needed for custom work. The course also covers wood selection, helping the woodworker choose the right material for a wide range of project requirements. This course ensures a custom woodworker approaches their work with a solid foundation of woodworking techniques.
See salaries and explore the career path for Custom Woodworker
Woodworker
A woodworker builds, repairs and creates a variety of objects from wood. A course such as this is vital for a woodworker, as it covers tool maintenance, sharpening, and wood selection, which are all core skills for working with wood. The course's emphasis on various kinds of saws, planes, and chisels, as well as the importance of sharp tools, directly aligns with the daily work of a woodworker. The lectures on how to select wood will help you choose the appropriate material for every project. The skills taught in this course are vital for someone pursuing a career as a woodworker, and they would be an excellent place to start.
See salaries and explore the career path for Woodworker
Cabinet Maker
A cabinet maker constructs and repairs furniture, often using a variety of woodworking techniques. This course, with its focus on tool sharpening and selection, is directly relevant for any cabinet maker, who relies on sharp, well-maintained tools to achieve precision and quality in their work. The detailed instruction on how to sharpen chisels, planes, and saws is essential for achieving seamless joinery. The course's instruction on wood selection will also help a cabinet maker choose the right materials for their projects. This course equips you with the knowledge to maintain the tools necessary for a career in furniture making.
See salaries and explore the career path for Cabinet Maker
Luthier
A luthier is a craftsperson who builds and repairs stringed instruments like guitars, violins, and cellos. The precision and detail required in this type of woodwork demand a thorough knowledge of tools and materials. This course, which offers instruction on buying, maintaining, and sharpening tools, is extremely useful for a luthier. The course also teaches how to select the best wood for a project, which is critical to achieve the desired tone and structural integrity of a musical instrument. This course will help any aspiring luthier to gain a stronger foundation in instrument making.
See salaries and explore the career path for Luthier
Home Remodeler
A home remodeler works on renovating and improving homes, often needing to use woodworking skills to repair and build structures for a variety of projects. This course provides instruction on tool maintenance and sharpening, which is a necessary skill for a remodeler. The course's section on wood selection can also help one choose materials for a variety of home improvement tasks. This course may be helpful to a home remodeler, whether they are working on large or small construction.
See salaries and explore the career path for Home Remodeler
Furniture Designer
A furniture designer creates the plans for furniture construction, and while this position may not involve the physical construction of furniture, knowledge of the tools and materials of woodworking is crucial to creating practical and beautiful furniture. Understanding the limitations and possibilities of different woodworking tools, gained from this course, will allow a designer to create more innovative and functional designs. Knowing how to identify good quality wood, as taught in this course, will also inform choices in materials. A furniture designer who understands the practical aspect of furniture making, as given in this course, can better design furniture for manufacture.
See salaries and explore the career path for Furniture Designer
Woodworking Shop Technician
A woodworking shop technician maintains equipment and tools within a workshop setting. This course provides detailed guidance on tool maintenance, sharpening, and wood selection. These are crucial for anyone responsible for ensuring tools are in excellent condition and ready for use. The course's instruction on how to sharpen saws, planes, and chisels, as well as its guidance on wood selection, is directly relevant to the daily activities of a woodworking shop technician. This course may be especially useful to the technician who aims to ensure a safe and efficient wood shop environment.
See salaries and explore the career path for Woodworking Shop Technician
Carpentry Instructor
A carpentry instructor teaches woodworking skills and techniques, which makes this course useful. The course provides background in tool maintenance and sharpening, something that all instructors should be capable of doing. A carpentry instructor will also benefit from knowing how to select different types of wood, ensuring that their students use the appropriate materials. This course also offers a chance to see an experienced instructor apply what they know, and a prospective carpentry instructor can benefit from seeing how a veteran shares their knowledge.
See salaries and explore the career path for Carpentry Instructor
Industrial Arts Teacher
An industrial arts teacher educates students in a variety of hands-on skills, often including woodworking. This course offers training in tool maintenance and sharpening, which is essential for any teacher who plans on showing students the correct way to use these tools. The course's section on wood selection will be helpful to an industrial arts teacher when choosing materials for class projects. This course may be useful to a prospective industrial arts teacher, as it offers both a detailed look at woodworking and an example of a skilled instructor.
See salaries and explore the career path for Industrial Arts Teacher
Antique Restorer
An antique restorer repairs and preserves old furniture and other wooden artifacts. This position requires skills in woodworking, and this course provides instruction on sharpening and maintaining woodworking tools, which is necessary for any kind of restoration job. The course also gives the student an introduction to antique tools, which can be useful for an antique restorer. Understanding a classic tool and the correct way to sharpen it is an important step toward antique restoration. This course may be useful to an antique restorer.
See salaries and explore the career path for Antique Restorer
Tool Salesperson
A tool salesperson helps customers select the appropriate tools for their projects or needs. This course will help a salesperson gain in-depth knowledge of how tools work, how to maintain them, and how to identify quality. The detailed information on various saws, planes, and chisels, as well as the instruction on sharpening, is valuable to a tool salesperson. They can also use the knowledge of wood selection in recommending specific tools for different types of projects. This course may assist a tool salesperson, as it offers a practical understanding of tools.
See salaries and explore the career path for Tool Salesperson
Set Designer
A set designer creates the physical environments for theater, film, and television productions. Many set pieces are constructed from wood, so a set designer who has experience in woodworking will be able to design more realistic, sturdy, and economical set designs. This course will serve as an excellent introduction to tools, techniques, and materials for any set designer. The knowledge gained in tool maintenance and sharpening, as well as the section on wood selection, will help a set designer better understand how to bring their plans to life. This course may be helpful to a set designer.
See salaries and explore the career path for Set Designer
Art Handler
An art handler is a professional who packs, transports, and installs artworks. Some artworks are constructed from wood, and an art handler with an understanding of woodworking might be a better candidate for a job, especially when an art handler needs to build custom crates for shipping purposes. This course in tools and wood selection may help art handlers in understanding the best materials to use when building transportation for artworks. Knowledge of how different types of wood behave may be useful for an art handler to prepare for potential stresses to a wooden art piece or frame.
See salaries and explore the career path for Art Handler
Construction Project Manager
A construction project manager oversees construction projects for a variety of structures. An understanding of various building materials is an extremely important skill for such a position. While this course focuses solely on wood, the training on wood selection can be a good starting point for someone working in construction. Also, the instruction on tools may be useful if a project manager is overseeing workers in carpentry or other woodworking tasks. This course may help a construction project manager to gain a better perspective of a part of the building process.
See salaries and explore the career path for Construction Project Manager

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Woodworking Tools, Sharpening and how to buy Wood.
Cover image
Understanding Wood
Save
Comprehensive guide to wood anatomy, properties, and behavior. It provides in-depth knowledge about different wood species, their characteristics, and how they respond to various woodworking processes. Understanding Wood valuable resource for selecting the right wood for your projects and predicting its behavior during cutting, shaping, and finishing. It is commonly used by woodworking professionals and students alike.
Understanding Wood
Paperback
Check
Understanding Wood
Kindle Edition
Check

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Rating
4.2 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Empty star
Effort
1 total hour
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Stephen Fawcett
Language
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Covers the basics of selecting, using, and maintaining essential woodworking tools, providing a solid foundation for beginners in the craft
Explores both new and antique tools, appealing to hobbyists interested in collecting and using vintage woodworking equipment
Emphasizes the importance of sharp tools for safety and efficiency, a crucial lesson for those new to woodworking
Details the process of sharpening saws, a skill that is becoming less common with modern tools but remains valuable for traditional woodworking
Discusses buying both new and secondhand tools, which is helpful for those looking to save money while building their tool collection
Includes a section on selecting wood, which is essential knowledge for any woodworking project, regardless of skill level
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