My top tips as an amateur woodworker

1. The knife wall

2. Coloured stickers

3. Sharp, sharp, sharp

4. Go with the grain

5. Get organised

6. Know when to stop and down tools

1. The Knife Wall – This is an essential technique I learnt from Paul Sellers. Not sure if everyone does it as I’m fairly new to woodworking, but a fine pencil, followed by a sharp cut of the top fibers with a knife, followed by a few gentle nudges with a chisel and the cut is on the way. Only then do I set about with a saw or mallet on the chisel.

2. Coloured Stickers – This was a tip I picked up from Quercus Magazine. When making a box or drawers or anything really with lots of similar looking pieces and need to be repeatedly assembled and disassembled, it saves ages marking each joining face with colour stickers.

3. Sharp, Sharp and Sharp – Hardly a tip really as you can’t do woodworking with blunt tools, but it wasn’t obvious to me at the start. I invested in a few sharpening stones and some window cleaning fluid for lubrication. The stone goes into the vice and I make sure I’ve got super sharp chisels and planes before I start each project.

4. Go with the grain - I had no idea when I started out that planing a piece of wood made such a difference if you go with or against the grain. Going against often lifts small chunks out of the surface. Once I’ve worked out which way the grain goes, I mark it with an arrow on the side.

5. Get organised – I pickup and put down different tools every couple of minutes so having a clear workbench except what I need for the next stage, and having everything to hand is so important. I used to work out of a tool box, with tools dumped on top of one another. Not anymore! They all have their place hanging or laying on shelves.

6. Know when to stop and down tools - One lesson I learnt early on in my

woodworking was that fine woodworking and being tired don’t mix. So I limit myself to approx. 30-40 mins at any one time. Much more than that and I start to make little mistakes. Messing with sharp chisels is a dangerous job, so being super alert is really important. As soon as I make a little error – perhaps planting a chisel, I stop right away. I guess there is only so long my amateur brain can keep concentrating.