A room, or even an entire house, can be completely transformed by the use of wood. Timber furniture adds a sense of warmth and elegance to a room, creating a serene and welcoming atmosphere. It is also worth noting that timber used in furniture construction has been used for generations – in fact, it is one of the oldest building materials known to mankind. You can’t replicate the level of excellence that it offers. This means that many budding carpenters or home DIYers choose to delve into the world of timber furniture construction. But be warned, creating furniture is not as simple as it may seem on the surface.
There are many complicated facets, like how to locate the best veneered particle board suppliers, understanding the various joins and when to use them, the qualities, pros and cons of different kinds of timber and which specialised tools are essential are just some of the skills a successful carpenter needs to master.
This article will provide a guide on how you can get started and begin to produce magnificent timber furniture of your own.
1. Always Put Safety First
Prior to picking up any tool, you should think about safety. An average of nine Australians are admitted to the hospital every day for DIY injuries. So make sure you read, understand, and follow all safety instructions for every single tool that you plan on using.
You can contact the manufacturer or ask a professional if you don’t understand the correct and safe ways to operate your tools. You should also wear safety glasses, use hearing protection, and wear a quality respirator to protect your eyes, ears, and lungs.
2. Browse Pinterest for Styles You Like
Furniture can be made in so many different ways, and there are so many styles you may want to try. Try searching for bespoke furniture and furniture design on Pinterest to find some one-of-a-kind pieces, and create a board with your favourites.
You should start to get a feel for what kind of shapes, textures, and materials you like in furniture as you build up the board. Bringing all these aspects together can be inspiring.
3. Take Woodworking Classes
Although woodworking books are useful, seeing a live demonstration of woodworking is worth a million words. A demonstration followed by hands-on practice and feedback is priceless.
Learning specific techniques for each step of the furniture-making process is part of a class. Initially, you may not succeed, but the instructor can diagnose your mistakes and correct them. Teachers usually know how to fix mistakes that seem irreversible, even when they seem impossible to correct.
4. Cut Once, Measure Twice
Your aim in building your own furniture is to save money; therefore, your building motto should be cut once, measure twice. Be patient during the building process. Make sure you visualise each step before you commit to it. Once the pieces of wood have been cut, label them. This is so you won’t accidentally pick up the wrong piece of wood and need to re-cut it.
5. Do Not Get Too Obsessed With Tools
Buying too many tools is one of the biggest financial mistakes first-time furniture builders make. Often, they buy the newest and most expensive tools on the market. Instead of purchasing tools, to begin with, try and loan or hire them so you get a feel for them and determine which options are right for you. Then, start small. Begin by purchasing a handful of the essential carpentry items including a drill, saw and sander.
Pace yourself when it comes to tools, or you’ll end up with a $600 bookshelf you made yourself instead of a $100 one purchased from a store.
6. Choose The Right Kind of Wood
You can find whitewood boards at home improvement stores, sometimes called common pine. This type of wood is recommended for beginners because it is very inexpensive and very easy to drill and nail into. Over time, you can become pickier about your wood, but for now, it’s about simple, inexpensive and minimal tools. When choosing wood from a shelf, it can be a bit confusing since the name of the wood size does not match the actual wood size. It is a natural material, and wood shrinks (especially softwood).
If you are planning to use kiln-dried wood indoors or live in a dry climate, bring the wood to the room where it will be stored and let it acclimate for a day or two. Once that’s done, get building.
You won’t have to worry as much about wood shrinkage on projects like the ten dollar ledges. When you start tackling larger projects, it becomes more of a concern, and then you begin thinking about using plywood since it is more stable.
7. Accept That You will Make Mistakes
As with anything else in life, the way to learn how to saw straight, to plane accurately, to sharpen, etc. is to practice it and pay attention while you are practising so that you learn from your mistakes. You will get better at managing complicated projects as you break them down into manageable pieces.
Minor mistakes are all part of the learning process so don’t be disheartened when they happen. Instead, use them as learning opportunities and eventually, practise will make perfect.
Also read: 5 Tips For Decorating Your Living Room With Fine Art
