Where Do I Start Matt?
I realize that being a beginner is not always sexy or glamorous but I will compare it to basketball. You can go for the glory shot and highlight reel dunk, but you will not be a great basketball player without fundamentals. Ask Michael Jordan. Yes he was a highlight film, but he had some of the best fundamentals of any player. This goes the same with woodworking. Start learning the basics and when you get a good grasp, then we can start tweaking things and adding creativity. I wasn’t always in love with the basics growing up, but they helped when things got complicated. Start with a solid foundation.
So even now, I personally need an idea to start with. Where do I get ideas? Pictures, things I see, and plans. Yes you’ve got it. Fun, simple plans. As you can see I have a few that I like in the side bar >>>> These are chosen by me and not a random add.
First Level Course To Start Off With:
Ted’s Woodworking Plans are great for any skill level really. Not only is there 16,000 plans to choose from, but he makes it so simple to learn and follow along. Honestly it really saves me from writing an entire starter course which is why I recommend it. Why should I do something that is already great and people love it? Now, I will come in when you have gone through his course and want to tweak things. I’m a tweaker….no wait….that didn’t come out right….I’m not a “tweaker”, I’ll find a better word. I like to ramp things up, add spice and make it better. Creativity is where I come in. In the mean time, Ted’s will get you going with fun plans anyone can do.
Get More Information On Teds Plans Here…
Second Level Course I would Jump To:
Mark Stuart’s Furniture and wood craft plans. When we start talking furniture, things are going to jump up a few notches. This would be a 2nd level course for the woodworking enthusiast. Rather than explain, I’m just going to put a video below:
Find Out More About Mark Stuart Here…
Level 3 🙂
So, once you have gone through Ted’s and Mark’s workshops, then we start getting creative. How do we put a twist on the exact same ideas? Or, when you were building a project, were you inspired by a different idea all together? When you have a base knowledge and strong grasp on the basics, then we can get creative and think outside the box. I’ll need some audience help here as we will want to grab a creative idea and run with it. Maybe I’ll have to make a video on an idea if it is good enough to do so.
The point of level three isn’t to add more tricks, but start to get you to THINK and CREATE. These are the most important parts of anything. My best skill as a carpenter was being able to take an idea and run with it. Improve on it or just make it awesome. That was my skill and where I will be able to assist you. It doesn’t even have to be in woodworking, remember, I was a contractor as well. House plan ideas, structure ideas, crazy ideas….love them all. That is where the real fun is. We can even get into landscaping ideas! Landscaping you say! Yes, why not? Who says this all has to be about just woodworking and construction. Even house I have ever worked on has had or needed landscaping, and woodworking can actually play a part in that!
- Play structures for the yard
- Outdoor Benches
- Gazebos
- Bridges ( I will have to post some pics of some I made for my ponds)
- Small retaining walls
- Birdhouses
- Doghouses
You are probably getting the idea now. But you don’t need good landscaping to go along with your yard pieces, so we will talk about it some more on another post.