If you want to dip your toe into the woodworking water, this is the place to be. Woodworking can be a fun hobby, or even a way to earn a living if you are talented. Learn everything you need by reading this article first.

Use stair gauges as a crosscut guide. Fix them onto the carpenter’s square, taking care to note that they are a good fit for the stair jack. Then put a mark on the notches. When you clamp them on the one tongue of the carpenter’s square it will become a good crosscut guide for your circular saw.

If you need to stain a project you’re working on in woodworking, then you should use a stain conditioner first. The conditioner will make it more difficult to notice irregularities in the wood. They smooth the wood, allowing the stain to set correctly.

TIP! It is always a good idea to have a pre-stain conditioner for the wood you’re planning to stain. You will get less irregularities or blotches if you apply a quality pre-stain product.

Select the appropriate kind of wood for your projects. Some wood is stronger than others, while other woods need to be soft for what it is you’re doing. Always research the type of wood you want to work with before you get started on your new project.

A handy tool for every woodworking shop is a stair gauge. These can help secure your carpenter’s square. It can transform your square into a circular saw guide. You won’t have to worry about uneven cuts any more!

It is handy to carry a small pocket ruler, but it may fall out whenever you bend over. Make the small ruler a metal one, and put it inside the pocket in which you have a small magnet for picking up those loose screws. The magnet will ensure the ruler stays in your pocket.

Gel stains are great for staining furniture pieces. Liquid tends to run after it’s put on, whereas a gel stain sticks to the wood much better. Gel stains are also thicker, which means they have more consistent pigment throughout the stain. This gives a more even appearance to the finished product.

TIP! Try out some gel stain next time you are staining furniture items. Gel stains work better on lumber because the liquid kind usually run.

Learn more about different kinds of wood and their characteristics. Each wood piece is different. Different woods take stain differently. Cuts will react differently, too. And, there are quite a few varieties when it comes to grains. These will all factor in to how your project progresses.

A golf tee is a wonderful fix for wiggling hinges. Take the door off its hinges, then remove the hinges themselves, then tap the tee into the screw hole. Get rid of the excess part of the tee by cutting it and put the door back up. The screw can bite into the tee.

Make sure that you have the proper ear protection. Machines can be noisy and damage your hearing. Too much exposure to these loud sounds can harm your hearing over time. You can get headphones or use ear plugs that are disposable. Whatever you go with, be sure you’re wearing them when using the loud machinery.

Dry fit your wood before using glue. If you’re trying to fix things up after you have glue on your piece, there is a chance that you’re going to damage the project. Dry fitting your pieces will show you how the components fit together.

TIP! Always do a dry fit prior to gluing two pieces of wood together. If you try to adjust things after the glue has been applied, there is a huge chance that you will end up causing some damage.

Whether you are a beginning woodworker or not, you should always read and understand your plans before staring your project. It is important that you understand everything that’s required of you, and there is no missing information. If you’re not sure of what they’re saying, or they don’t seem to be complete, see if you can go to a store that specializes in home improvement to ask them for help.

Beer is enjoyable on a hot weekend. However, if you’re drinking and doing woodworking with tools it can be a terrible idea. Avoid all woodworking when you are having alcohol. The same goes with using prescription or illegal drugs.

Make your yard a fun place by using these woodworking techniques. You can build a deck and a bird feeder. The birds you attract should keep the insects from bugging you while you relax and plan out your next project. If you work with wood professionally, show them your projects so they can see some examples.

Your grip can use some extra spring. There may be times that your project requires a spring clamp when you only have one hand available to open it. These clamps can be very difficult to open with one hand. There is a solution for this problem. It’s a good idea to get all of your clamps assembled on a piece of scrap wood before beginning a glue-up project. They will be handy to grab with one hand as you need them.

TIP! It is often helpful to increase the spring in your grip. You might need the extra spring when you already have your hands full.

Clearly, woodworking is something that can be studied for years, so now is the time to begin. Fortunately, the tips you have learned here can help you with that. Now’s the time to get out there and put everything you’ve learned to use.