Woodwork Designs

Creating projects from woodwork designs can be very satisfying and not that difficult.  There is a wide range of plans available from different sources including books on woodworking, and websites that offer them for free or for a fee.

Basic woodworking techniques should be mastered first, and this can be done through woodworking classes offered through a local adult education program or vocational school, through videos, from books or online.  Sometimes the biggest challenge for those starting out in woodworking is understanding the terms in instructions for woodwork designs.  Unless there is an expert available to show you, it’s hard to visualize the tasks involved.

Basic Woodworking Skills

Some of the basic terms used in these project instructions include the following:

Miter – A mitered joint is when two pieces of wood are cut at opposite angles so that they will fit together without a gap.  For example, molding around a window joins two 45- degree angles to form a 90-degree angle.  Most people use a power miter saw, or chop saw, to make these cuts.

Cope – Coping is cutting a piece of wood along its own profile, such as in corner joints, so that it will fit tightly over another piece.  A thin bladed coping saw is used for these cuts.

Rip – Any cut made in the same direction of the grain is a rip cut.  Special blades should be used for this.  A crosscut is made across the grain of the wood.

Mortise – To mortise a piece of stock means you remove an area of wood so that something else can be inserted.  This is commonly used in doors to attach hinges that will sit flush with the door’s edge.  A mortise can be cut out with either a wood chisel or a router.

Plane – Planing wood reduces its thickness.  This is done with hand plane or a power planer.

Whether you want to build a birdhouse or an elegant piece of furniture, if you have the right space, tools and good woodwork designs you can master any project.