The size of a wood workshop will be determined by where it is going to be located. This article refers to setting up one somewhere in your home, like I did.

Now we know that the skills that are to be developed are those of

However, to return to our medium level, long term wood working project of wooden garden furniture. Hardwood garden furniture is the best because it will last longer than softwoods such as pine, if it is well treated.

It is a real gift that most people would love to have: the ability to choose a long term wood working project, stay with it and create a beautiful, unique set of fine wooden garden furniture that will stay with your family for decades.

Determine where the wood shop will be located. In the basement, garage or other buildings that may be available.

Think about your design and draw it on a piece of paper. Decide what equipment to have and where to place them. Space will be a premium quickly.

Ceiling mounted dust collectors will keep the air relatively clear of dust, and protect your lungs from the fine particles floating in the air. This floating dust is very fine and is more of an annoyance in cleaning that the larger sawdust at the back of your machines. Using flexible ducting at the machine hook up, along with a blast gate, which is essentially a sliding plate to close off the duct, until you’re ready to use the machine.

The first thing to do, clearly, is decide what you want to make. If this is your first wood working project, do not be over bold. Do not leap right in there and pick an ornate display cabinet. The best objects to start with are a bench, a dog kennel or even a bird table. Once you have finished this job, you can progress to something harder with increased confidence.

A piece of sapling approximately 4 inches long is attached to the lathe with a screw chuck or four jaw chuck or simply between centers. The head is defined with a parting tool cut an inch from the right end. Another parting tool cut beside the first defined the size of the stem and gives a bit of room to work. The roughing tool then shapes the head and stem, leaving the foot to be finished off with another parting cut. Sometimes a skew is used to refine the stem and head, other times a spindle gouge. Some sanding off the lathe finishes off the bottom and the bit left at the top if it was between centers. On goes the next one. Repetition and practice leave a pile of mushrooms on the bench and a quick bath in vegetable or mineral oil finishes them off. For some reason people love mushrooms and these make great gifts.