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Woodworking for New Parents

September 27, 2018 by The Woodgineer 4 Comments

Woodworking for New Parents

So, you’re a hobbyist woodworker and new mum or dad and wondering “how the hell am I going to pursue my hobby now I have this precious little creature that depends on me?”

I think most other parents can agree that being a parent is one of the biggest challenges you will ever face and somehow around all the tears, tiredness and mess, it can be one of the most amazing and joyful experiences you will ever have (unless you’ve used a Festool of course).

Obviously, your life changes and you no longer have the free time, space or perhaps the money you used to have.

The most important thing in your life should be your children but that doesn’t mean you have to give up your own dreams and hobbies. And there is in fact no reason why with some careful balance they can’t successfully complement each other.

Later on, you can also try to get them involved in the hobby as well and there is nothing more satisfying then sharing a hobby with somebody you love.

For now however, we’re going to assume that you are dealing with a baby or very young toddler that isn’t quite ready yet. That said, you would be surprised how early you can get them started and maybe I’ll write a future blog on this.

This article will try and offer some advice from a hobbyist woodworker who has been there! It’s aimed at the new parent so if you’re on your second child, you may not find it as useful but still may be worth a read as it might contain some stuff you’ve not considered.

You could also apply some of the ideas here to other things such as metalworking or pottery but these are not topics I know enough about to offer specific advice. I’m also talking about woodworking as a hobby as opposed to professional work or decorating a nursery.

Safety

There is nothing more important in this world than your children, so it should be no surprise that safety is top of this list. This is perhaps the most boring topic but also the most critical.

Most of everything you can do is common sense but it’s amazing how much common sense you have when you’ve had 2 hours sleep in 2 days. With that in mind, you need to weigh up risks of how tired you are versus how risky a thing you are about to do.

Gluing two pieces of wood together is fairly safe compared to operating big power tools. The worst you can do (unless you’re really stupid or unlucky) with glue is stick yourself to something while those power tools can give you some nasty scars or worse.

If you are so tired that you are unsure if what you are doing is safe, then stop. As a new parent, unless you’re incredibly lucky, you will be tired, so you should risk assess everything you do.

Just remember, injuring yourself is no longer a simple plaster or quick trip to A&E.

If you’re incapacitated, then you are no longer a functional parent! A small human and possibly partner is relying on you to be there and this is even more serious if you’re a single parent.

Those who know about proper health and safety will know that personal protection equipment (PPE) is actually low down the list normally but as you are so utterly important, you need to make sure you have some.

Goggles are a must!

It’s scary what things can fly during what you planned to be something simple. “I’ll just” can often result in sparks, splinters or parts flying at your face if you’re not careful. Ignoring the obvious permanent damage you might do to yourself, a blinded person with tools in their hand can also be a fairly big risk to a child too!

Reading the manuals for any tools you use so you’re familiar with their functions and using the intended safety features such as guards is also a must. Let’s be honest, we all skip reading the instructions on things keen to get going but you can’t afford to do this now.

There are also other items of PPE that are important such as hearing protection or dust masks, but you will need to judge for yourselves what you need. Just remember these are the sorts of PPE that don’t necessarily protect you against a one-off incident, but using them will help you live a long life and maybe you will get to see your children grow up.

If you’re using power tools, dust extraction is also pretty important looking beyond yourself. If your children are going to be in the same space where you are generating dust and shavings, this really needs to be looked at seriously and you should consider investing in some proper extraction equipment.

You can buy a shop vac that can be attached to multiple power tools really cheap, and these can typically filter particles down to around .5 microns.

Wood itself is dangerous and can shred and clog up your lungs, but add all the chemicals that can be found in most wood along with any chemicals you might be using, then it becomes even more dangerous. Shrugging wood off as a natural substance is inexcusable as there is nothing natural about generating saw dust.

You wouldn’t want all those nasty tiny particles clogging up and harming your own lungs and your children’s, which are far more sensitive and easier to damage.

Once mobile and even crawling, you need to take extra special care of where you leave anything that could be dangerous. Children will grab whatever they can and often put the craziest of things in their mouth as that’s how they start to explore the world.

If you do have a separate workshop area, keep it locked and keep all your most dangerous tools out of the way, lest they find themselves in grabby hands. The thought of a toddler wielding a power tool should scare the willies out of you as much as it does me.

Space

You might be lucky enough like myself to have a space you can call a workshop. Whether that be a massive purpose-built building, converted garage or garden shed, but if you don’t, this shouldn’t stop you. Some of the most talented woodworkers I know have only a tiny space and they make it work.

A corner of a room with a workbench set up is what I consider a minimum to do some enjoyable quality woodworking, but even without this there is still stuff you can do.

Wherever you set up, it’s obviously important that tools can’t be grabbed by little hands, and any dust or noise is limited. But take a look at the other parts of this article for more advice on that.

A decent toolbox that can be closed and stored away somewhere safe is all that’s really needed, but you will obviously have to limit the projects you can do with the selection of tools you have.

Never underestimate hand tools and never be that person who says “I can’t do this because I don’t have this tool.” With time and skill, there is very little that can’t be done with a good selection of hand tools that power tools can’t do. Though admittedly, power tools will make things much faster.

There are however, people out there that can make amazing stuff using just a knife and some wood, so don’t put limits on yourself that don’t exist.

Noise

Waking a sleeping baby can result in injuries nearly as severe as any power tool if your partner has just spent hours getting them to sleep.

Power tools obviously create the most noises, so you need to invoke some common sense when using them and realise some are noisier than others. My scroll saw, for example has a nice little purr that probably can’t even be heard in the room next door, while my planer can be heard down the road.

Hand tools are typically much quieter, but you do need to consider speed. For example, 2 minutes of sawing some thick timber is obviously quieter than a mitre saw, but that mitre saw could cut that piece of timber in 2 seconds and that’s all the noise done.

As there is little that can’t be done using hand tools, I would recommend for those with the space and money to invest in a good set of hand tools as a backup for every power tool you have.

A brace and bit or an egg beater style drill can easily replace a drill press.

A hand plane can, with some skill and effort, do everything a planer or thicknesser can do, plus more. Use a block plane and you can add a radius to your work that might have otherwise needed a router.

Hand saws can replace any table saw or mitre saw.

A coping saw can replace a scroll saw or jigsaw for detail work.

A coping saw can be a perfect replacement for a jigsaw!

Hand tools have another big advantage in that they are normally a lot smaller than their powered equivalents, so perfect if you don’t have a big working space. Plus, the extra effort they require to use can help you get back into shape – who needs the gym eh?

It should be worth noting that children become accustomed to noises and are better at dealing with them or sleeping through them. I’ve found a new unfamiliar noise can be scary and wake a baby, while something they are used to such as some quiet power tool noises at a reasonable distance won’t bother them at all. I’m not saying you should set a table saw up in the nursery, but certainly don’t be terrified of every possible noise you might make!

Crossed out as you mentioned this very early on.

Time

You won’t have much, so make it matter!

Preparation is key as planning goes out of the window. (contradiction? But I don’t think this is needed as you say it well below) It’s a lovely idea to set aside a specific night for your hobby and try to make that work, but I promise you, your offspring will have no respect for this and will aim to throw a spanner (or just throw up) on your plans.

More likely, you will find at least in the early days, you get a spare five minutes here and there and it’s for this you need to be ready.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve suddenly got some unexpected free time and sat in my workshop wasting it pondering what to work on next.

Have a plan of exactly what you want to do and how you want to do, including what tools and materials you will need. Consider also what noisy or messy operations are needed and try to work out when the most sensible time to do them is. Perhaps you can’t do some milling of lumber of your table saw because it’s 10:30pm but you have a spare 30 minutes? Maybe instead, you could be painting that other project you are working on so it’s dry for the next day?

Money

Children are expensive!

I’ve not met a parent yet who couldn’t do with some extra cash, and the bank of Mum and Dad is constantly having to pay out for things. If anybody tells you “it’s only for 18 years”, that’s also a lie as I know full well from sponging off my own that that bank stays open until the day you die.

You need to start weighing up purchases and start thinking stuff like “do I need this new tool?”

Some will say things like how they couldn’t live without a specific tool which is of course mostly nonsense and often cheaper alternatives will be able to help you make exactly the same thing. However, perhaps slower.

Wood can be obtained cheap from local recycling centres and there are always fallen trees, skip finds and scrap pallets. Pallet wood carries a set of risks to be aware of, and you should always take some care.

It really also pays to become friends with a local tree surgeon!

If money is tight, you might also want to consider making some stuff you can sell. You might not be able to get the time to have a table at a craft show, but maybe you could start a small Etsy store, or even just make a few things for Christmas presents so you don’t have to buy them.

Value

What you’re making should have some value, or you might as well not bother! This may sound harsh, but note that value doesn’t have to have to be quantifiable. Obviously, something you physically need, such as building a cot bed or toys is a clearly an item of value, but something you make can have a huge intangible value to it.

Something you have made with your own two hands will always be special compared to some cheap mass manufactured version you’ve just gone out and bought. Even with something that hasn’t taken much time or skill. there will be this intangible sense of pride imbued in whatever you’ve just made and this might be felt beyond yourself and by others in your family. Maybe even your children one day.

If you manage to make a “heirloom piece”, this is what I consider the pinnacle of woodworking and long after you’re gone. People could be admiring your work and maybe even remembering you for it.

Aside from the final product. there is of course value in its creation. I can tell you that I get a massive stress relief from working with wood and while I am spending time, not with my family when I’m in my workshop, I am de-stressing and calming down, which hopefully ends up in me being a happier and mentally healthier person. And therefore a better dad.

This should as always be balanced against that time that you are not spending with your children or supporting your partner of course!

Summary

Woodworking is something any new parent can still do if you take some care and balance it against your new responsibilities. I’m not going to lie, it will take more work than it did before you had a child and you’re not going to become Norm Abram any time soon. Or probably be able to quit your day job.

You will however, experience profound pleasure in making stuff, especially if it’s for your children and someday might delight in being able to share this hobby with them.

Key points to remember:

Do not neglect your own personal safety
Plan ahead
You don’t need huge amounts of space
Consider a projects value before starting it.
Invest in hand tools
Consider selling stuff
Make friends with a tree surgeon
Continue to read my blog for more helpful advice in the future. Subscribe and you will never miss a post! 😉

You can do this! Good luck and if you have any advice of your own or feedback on this article please let me know in the comments.

Wooden Bandsaw Reindeer

November 23, 2017 by The Woodgineer Leave a Comment

In a festive mood and wanting to try out my new 6mm blade on my bandsaw I thought I’d have a go at a 3D reindeer that I’d seen on Matthias Wendals site.

Using a scrap piece of 2×4 I cut it down to roughly the size I wanted and printed out the template to stick onto my workpiece. The spray adhesive I used worked well to keep the template in place but was extremely messy so I’ll be doing that again with gloves or on some newspaper!

I first cut the front profile which wasn’t much of a problem due to the smooth curves though this was extremely noisey due to the large amount of wood being cut. This also highlight some minor alignment issues for the bed or the blade on my bandsaw as the cut did not join up perfectly at either end of the workpiece. I must remember to correct those issues later!

The piece cut off were then taped up together so I could do another pass. Matthias used nails to secure the pieces together and indeed when I did a second attempt at this later I screwed the pieces together and much better results.

I found despite the thinner blade some of the tight curves were a problem and I suspect this sort of design would do better smaller and on the scrollsaw. I may consider investing in an even smaller blade later perhaps (or improve my technique)

The final cuts saw the whole piece come apart and reval the 3D reindeer in all its glory. I gave it a light sand as best I could but didn’t bother to finish it as these were just test pieces.

A given my daughter loved it!

This took probably 30 minutes to make and even this common design could probably sell at craft fairs so I may rattle out a few next Christmas and see if I can make a few pennies for my time!

You can find the template on Mathhias Wendals site here if you want more details or a downloadable template

Wood Turned Xmas Tree

November 1, 2017 by The Woodgineer Leave a Comment

November 1, 2017

Wood Turned Xmas Tree

Categories Christmas Decoration, Lathe, Project

Still with xmas on its way I wanted to make another practice object on the lathe and had an idea for an xmas tree decoration.

I had some holly from a work colleague which I had been seasoning in the shed for 6 months or so and had hoped this would turn better than the usual cheap timber.

The piece was cut down to size on my mitre saw and then mounted on a 4 screw chuck so it would be nice and secure and this was supported by a live centre on the tailstock. The tailstock could be removed later for painting.

I roughed down the piece of holly with my new roughing gouge and this was a joy to turn leaving pleasing light wood chips and strips.

I then used a pencil to mark where I wanted the tree to start and the pot to be and used a skew chisel to rough the main shape making sure it was smooth.

I then used my parting tool to detail the trunk a bit further and create some concentric rings down the trunk to finish the tree.

I then gave it a light sand just so it wouldn’t cause splinters rather than any attempt to finish properly.

Green, brown and black kids acrylic paint was then used to give it some colour and the piece was done as a trial.

I noticed a small crack around one of the knots but didn’t think much of it however over the space of just a day where the paint dried a large crack appeared in the side and a week later this had grown.

I believe the piece was not fully seasoned so need to start reading up on wood checking and cracking and how to best season the wood or avoid cracks. I suspect the reason it turned so well was that it was still a bit green and the way my cuts went down to the core of the wood probably weakened the piece so maybe next time I will try drying the wood first before turning.

A great piece to learn from however and even with the cracks looks good!

1st Wood Turned Snowman

October 16, 2017 by The Woodgineer Leave a Comment

I still hadn’t made anything on the lathe other than sawdust and round bits of wood so I needed to make my first thing. As it was xmas, a snowman seemed ideal.

I used a piece of 2×2 construction pine and set about rounding the stock with my roughing gouge. I had previously been using an old spindle gouge which came with the lathe and not very sharp so my new roughing gouge from axminster was a pleasant change and cut the wood as it were butter.

I then smoothed the wood with a skew chisel and used the skew to curve two sections for the snowmans body and head.

I then used the parting tool to create a top hat (no snowman is complete without a hat) and some 180 grit sand paper to smooth things out. If I were not just practicing I might have moved up the grits and done some proper finishing but this was satisfactory.

A coat of tung oil/methylated spirit mix was added and another light sanding before adding another coat of tung/meth mix and this was left to dry overnight.

If I were not just practicing I might have moved up the grits and done some proper finishing but this was satisfactory.

A small wooden dowel that had been tapered down to a cone was inserted and glued into a small hole in the head for a nose and this was painted orange with my daughters acrylic paint. Unintentionally it was marred a little by the pliers I used but this actually made it look even more carrot like!

Very small holes so the wood wasn’t split were created for eyes and buttons and somenails were added which looked great.

The mouth was carved with my flexcut knife but this looked a little creepy if I’m honest. Carving is something I need to practice and perhaps I might have done better if I drew on a template first.

The hat was painted black with my acrylic paint although much care was needed to do this without it bleeding onto the head. If I were making lots of these I’d consider a template to go around the collar so I could paint quicker.

Once another night had passed the snowman was dry and I presented him to my daughter who fell in love!

This was a great prototype and while I didn’t have time this year, I think next year I should be making a run of these to sell.

1st Whistle

October 16, 2017 by The Woodgineer Leave a Comment

In line with the “projects my daughter will love but my wife will hate” set of projects I wanted to make a simple wooden whistle that my daughter could use during playing with her trains.

I’d never stopped to wrap my head around the theory of how a whistle works nor remember ever being taught such a thing at school but from somewhere I already knew how a whistle worked. Making something in wood would be fairly easy I thought.

I took a short scrap piece of 2×2 piece of construction pine and drilled an 8mm hole about half way down.

I then cut down a small pine dowel with a knife to create a reed that would fit into the hole and cut a slot directly where the end of the reed would be once inserted.

I was able to test the tone with a simple push fit of the reed into the hole and was happy enough with the sound.

I then glued the reed into position but also cut down the 2×2 a bit further to make something a bit easier for a small child to hold, about 20x20mm in width.

The edges were all sanded with 100 grit sandpaper by hand to avoid any sharp corners or splinters and I added a few coats of tung oil as it was the only stuff I had to hand that I knew was food safe.

I left it to dry 30 minutes in between coats with a light sand (150 grit) each time however I did waste a bit of sandpaper doing it this way which could have been avoided by letting it dry longer between each coat.

My daughter loved it of course and despite the telling off by the wife!

Hanging Ikea RIBBA Frames

September 16, 2017 by The Woodgineer Leave a Comment

We wanted to put a large selection of photos on the wall in Ikea black Ribba frames but this was a plasterboard wall and we wanted them in specific locations. Picture hanging wire and other hanging solutions have never worked for me so I needed to come up with a new solution.

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I used plasterboard screws straight into the wall at specific points and marked out a grid of where the photos should go. While not as secure as proper plasterboard fixings these would be strong enough for these lightweight frames.

Plasterboard Screws

The frames were then carefully drilled on the middle top back with my drill press to the exact size of the screw they would be mounted on. I found however that Ikea frames are not solid wood and instead a wood/cardboard mashup so this took a few attempts to get right without destroying them.

I also found I needed to cushion beneath the frame to prevent any marking with a tea towel on my drill press. Using a hand electric drill works just as well of course!

Drill Press Table with some cushioningI also marked the depth I needed to drill to with a bit of electrical tape on the drill bit so not to go too deep!

Never underestimate the importance of using an awl – even a cheap one like this for precision work! It will make a massive different if you do this before letting a wandering big drill bit loose on things.

A basic woodworking Awl

The finished frames look good and are positioned exactly where I require them flush against the wall with no hanging or adjustment required.

1st Carved Spoon

May 31, 2017 by The Woodgineer Leave a Comment

I’m not planning on becoming a full time spoon whittler any time soon but I love the idea of spoon carving and am impressed by the craft. I wanted to make a little spoon for my daughter that she could use but also keep and in years to come say “my dad made that”

I used some bass wood as this is a really nice wood for beginner carvers like myself, with relatively friendly grain pattern and not too hard.

I used a pencil to trace the outline of the little spoon I wanted to make then started whittling away around the edges.

I used my flex cut carving jacks gouges to cut out the hollow and one of the knives to do the actual whitling. I can see how this would be a nice tool out in the field but suspect a dedicated knife/gouge is the way to go when in the workshop.

So to really personalise it I then burned my daughters initials on the handle using a soldering iron.

I then soaked the entire spoon in tung oil/white spirit to bring out the grain and once dry gave it a light sand.

I then added two light coats of shellac to seal it over the following night.

Carving took about an hour and a half in total done over three nights and a further 3 nights for drying. I don’t think it would easy to do this for a living even if you’re really good!

In hindsight a small spoon was probably more difficult to do than a big spoon would have been due to trying to hold the thing comfortably.

Most importantly – the client was happy! 🙂

…

Pallet Wood Planter

April 17, 2017 by The Woodgineer Leave a Comment

It’s been two months since we moved so I really felt I needed to just make something rather than spend the time doing what we’d been doing for weeks, unpacking and tidying. Plans for the garden dictated some planters so it seemed a good placeto start.

With my limited funds, I love the idea of pallet wood projects especially when they are available from where I work for free! That said I did need to buy some 38×38 square CLS to make the legs. If I had a bandsaw or table saw for ripping I’d have made them myself from pallet wood so buying them feels a bit like cheating but hey-ho!

I started out by using my mitre saw to cut down the pallet wood to a manageable size and also cutting the legs to a sensible size.

The pallet wood would form side slats and so I made sure they stacked up to 4 equal heights when stacked next to each other.

These were then sanded with the orbital sander.

I then routed two 12mm slots in each leg on adjacent sides. I used a piece of wood clamped down to my makeshift mitre saw table to get a straight cut all the way down the leg and this was a bit tricky so not all cuts were as nice as I’d have liked.

In hindsight I would have done this before cutting the legs to length as I needed to set up the router each time which took time.

In the future I would hopefully just be able to use a router table once my workshop was set up.

The slats were glued with Titebond III so to make sure it was strong and waterproof and clamped overnight. I really missed having a workbench available though and with a limited amount of clamps this was really problematic. The saying “you can never have enough clamps” is very true!

I sealed the whole planet when done with cheap deck sealer and then added two coats of creosote to the outside as this was all I had available. I like the dark colour but the wife would have preferred the raw wood look.

Finally once dry, I planted the prettiest flower I have…

*Update!*

3 years later and the planters still look good in a different garden! 🙂

40th Wedding Anniversary Wooden Word Art

December 27, 2014 by The Woodgineer Leave a Comment

John and June are my wifes grandparents and somewhat of an inspiration as they have been happily married for fourty years. I was asked to see if I could make them a simply piece of word art that could be signed by everybody in the family but had limited time to do so.

I’d seen bits in shops like this but who wants to buy something like this when they can make their own!

We had plenty of spare 18mm MDF left over from a recent project but I wanted something a bit more solid. The answer of course two pieces of MDF glued together to a make a nice solid 36mm sheet.

The template was stuck on with spray adhesive and left for a few hours to dry.

Scrollsawing the MDF to the template was simple enough and some light sanding on the bench sander smoothed the edges nicely. Care was of course taken during the cutting and sanding process as MDF contains some pretty nasty chemicals that don’t want to be breathed in. In hindsight while the scrollsaw worked, it might have been better done on the bandsaw.

Although the scrollsaw was fantastic for the the smaller more intricate inner cuts

Before painting the item I primed it with a water/PVA mix as MDF soaks up paint and would leave a rough surface. This worked well as it only took a single coat of white furniture paint to obtain an acceptable finish however I’d had felt better if I had time to do another.

I used some of the offcuts from the scrollsaw to make some test pieces to see how it would like once painted and drawn on.

The finished item was signed by all the family and presented to John and June on their 40^th anniversary with much delight!

If I had more time I would have liked to have taken the item away to have it spray varnish to protect the work but now it sits happily on their mantle.

*Update*

John and June sadly passed away since this post was made but this scrollsaw piece was burried with them. I feel privileged to have known them, be part of their family and to have had the chance to make something so personal for them.