Woodworking Tips and Tricks to Help Your Workflow and Presentation
I feel like this blog post is long overdue. We have been full-time DIYers/Woodworkers for over 3 years now, and we have yet to share all the good tips and tricks we have learned to help our workflow and presentation. When you build just about every day, you kind of get into your own groove of things and figure out what certain things work best for you. Sometimes though, you might need a little help figuring out some things like this. For example, we build a project every week, so keeping that workflow...flowing... is key. With all that said, let's get into what helps us out in the shop!
Workflow Tips
Pick Up the Shop at the End of the Day
This one might sound dumb, and it's probably the one you're least likely to do, but I promise you it helps you out so much! At the end of each day, we spend anywhere from 10 - 30 minutes, just picking up the shop, sweeping, vacuuming, and putting everything back or to the side. When you do this and walk in the next morning, you'll have a picked up shop and well, it makes us more motivated to work because we aren't having to avoid this big 'ole mess.
Cut the Ends of Boards Off First
Some of you might not know this, but sometimes when you get a board, let's say a 2x4 for example, the end might not be square and this could throw off your whole project. The end is just rough and not pretty anyways, so get into the routine of shaving off the least amount that you can, to make sure that board is square and nice before you start working with it.
Use Scrap Pieces of Wood to Hold Up Boards
Don't just toss those scraps to the burn pile! Set them aside because you might need them later. We like to keep some around and use them to hold up boards while we screw them into place. I seriously can't think of anything more uncomfortable than holding, let's say a shelf, in the center of another board and try to screw it into place. NO! Grab that scrap, cut it to length and use it as a holder. It's super nice when you have multiple of the same height screws, so you can use it over and over.
Make Yourself Your Own Set of Plans
Before you even get started on a project, create a cut list, and taking it a step further, write down the steps. We ALWAYS have a cut list either on a piece of paper or on our phone. If you just go with the flow, there's going to be a ton of waves (bumps). You will waste tons of time figuring out measurements in the shop if you don't already have the heavy work done first. Also, if this is an original piece of yours, you could even sell your plans for a little extra cash.
Presentation Tips
Use a Square to Line Up Screws
I don't know if it's just my undiagnosed OCD, but screws have to be at equal distances from each other. It's really not just an OCD thing, it makes a project look so much better, even if you can't visually see the screws. Maybe they are underneath, but if they are all lined up you know they are pretty. So, if you have to do multiple rows of screws, firstly, mark off the first row with a tape measure. Drill in those screws. Then, come back with a square and line it up with the screw you just screwed and do the next line. Here's a little snippet of what I am talking about here if you are more a visual learner like me. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3c4cognFWh/
Hit the Corners and Edges with Sandpaper
You're obviously going to sand the faces of boards, but do you knock down the sharp edges and corners? This is such a helpful thing to do while you're already sanding. We usually don't use a random orbital sander for this, we will take a sanding block or sometimes even just the sandpaper and go over all the edges. This way they are smooth to the touch and not have the thought of hurting yourself on, or even worse, someone else if it's for a client.