Last Updated on May 2, 2023 by Barry Gray
I doubt any individual will be surprised to hear that I happen to enjoy woodworking. After all, the entire website is dedicated to talking about various tools and the kinds of things you use when working with wood.
However, I don’t intend to simply tell you that woodworking is a good hobby and leave it at that. So, I will explain exactly why I feel this hobby is one you should seriously consider taking up.
Who Would Enjoy it?
But first, let me run through the types of people I think could enjoy woodworking as a hobby. After all, not every hobby actually appeals to every single person. I mean, so many people love fishing, but personally, I don’t understand the attraction, and the same applies to woodworking.
However, I feel that any individual who loves to work with their hands should feel drawn to woodworking.
But that’s not all.
You see, one thing I love about working with wood is the ease with which you can feel quite satisfied with your achievements. Something is amazing about taking this rough old piece of wood and turning it into something completely different.
That’s why I feel any individual who feels drawn to this whole concept of achieving something could find woodworking to be a worthwhile hobby. Also, the speed at which you can start to see that piece of wood transforming before your eyes is appealing.
Personally, I think those are two key areas where people could discover that woodworking may become something of a passion.
The Benefits of Woodworking as a Hobby
So if I presume you feel drawn to woodworking, then you might like to know more about the potential benefits of woodworking as a hobby. Well, I have several advantages that I feel stand out.
It’s Extremely Satisfying
First, I always think a hobby should be satisfying in some way, or else why would you want to do it? Well, I don’t think you will ever have a problem here.
Just think about the process. You start with a piece of wood, and through your own efforts, you get something that you prefer at the end. I also feel a sense of pride when I’ve finished a project, which applies no matter the size of the project.
I know that you use power tools to work the wood and turn it into something else, but that’s not all. So much of the effort comes from you, and it’s your ever-increasing skill and ability that transforms that wood. I just feel there’s something quite special about standing back and looking at the project before you and knowing it’s all your work.
There’s Always Something to Learn
I feel a hobby is not something that should remain stagnant. Look at playing golf as an alternative example. You constantly seek to improve your game to get better at it. Well, woodworking is the same.
The number of projects you can carry out appears to be endless. The number of tools you can end up using is extensive. You can always learn and try new techniques and methods to complete your project.
As a result, you always have something to explore when it comes to woodworking. Now, that’s something I love about woodworking.
Projects Can Be As Big or Small As You Want
With several hobbies, you find yourself stuck doing the same sort of thing over and over again. For example, if you love fishing as a hobby, you can go to a lake, a river, or the sea, but the basic principle remains the same.
With woodworking, you have so much variety on offer, and the projects you work on can indeed come in any shape or size. Also, as you expand your skills, it does mean you may feel like carrying out a quick and easy project.
You might only have the time to do something such as building a raised bed for your yard, so you only have to measure and cut wood and effectively nail it together. Alternatively, you could decide to carry on with building that extension to your workshop, so you need to push on with setting up the framework.
That versatility is fantastic, and I see it as a massive advantage for woodworking as a hobby.
You Can Actually Earn Money – Sometimes
Now, I’m not saying you will plan on doing this, but some people can go ahead and earn some money from their woodworking hobby. This does depend on what you plan on doing with your hobby and also what your intended projects will be.
Trying to earn money from your hobby should not be your first reason for getting involved in it. However, I don’t doubt that it could become a possibility in the future.
In the first instance, your primary focus should be on trying to learn as much as possible about your new hobby and forget about this particular end goal. It’s all about fun and producing something you like and feel proud of creating.
You Get Away From Screens
Considering most of us spend way too much time staring at screens, I think it’s good to have a hobby where you aren’t entirely linked to technology. It’s just you, tools, and wood, to then see what you can end up making.
For me, it’s quite a mindful hobby. It allows you to focus entirely on what you are doing, and then that progress aspect makes it easier for you to fall in love with woodworking.
Things to Consider
I feel there are multiple benefits to having woodworking as a hobby, but I also think that you need to consider several aspects if you do indeed plan on going down this road.
What Would You Like to Do?
First, what would you like to do with your woodworking hobby? Are you talking about building things and making furniture, or would you like to craft some trinkets using small pieces of wood and turn them out on a mini lathe?
This goes back to the versatility point I mentioned earlier. If you feel unsure about what you would do, I suggest checking out different articles here on The Tool Square to learn more.
Also, just take a look around your own home and think about how you would improve it. There are numerous resources available online that are designed to make your life significantly easier regarding this.
Don’t Forget the Small Details
This is more of a tip on getting started rather than anything else, but I always stress to individuals thinking about starting off woodworking to not forget the small details.
What I mean by this is that people tend to focus on buying tools and wood, but that’s not all you need to do. Instead, it would help if you got rid of the mess you will make.
But here’s an important point. None of this needs to be expensive. However, I’ll dive into the expense side of things later on, as I know it’s an area that stresses people out when it comes to the very idea of kickstarting your woodworking hobby.
Space
I admit that you need some space to indulge in woodworking, but I promise you will not require as much space as you perhaps initially thought. Actually, thanks to modern power tools, they can often be significantly smaller than you expect.
Also, if you have limited space, it simply means you need to readjust your ideas surrounding the projects you can complete.
But there’s one other thing to think about when it comes to space. Some projects are clearly portable by nature.
Let’s say you don’t have a large workshop but want to work on a more significant project. If you have space outside, and the weather is pretty good, then several tools can be taken outside, and you can get to work.
Remember that so many power tools are designed to be used in rough conditions. Contractors couldn’t work with anything else other than tools they could take outdoors and know they still worked. So, that also applies to you.
If space in a workshop is an issue, at least you can look at alternatives to allow you to work on more projects than you perhaps initially anticipated.
Also, I know it’s very easy to read about people with this vast workshop, and then you look at your small tool shed and feel depressed. Well, don’t allow yourself to fall into that trap.
When you look at people with a large workshop, chances are they didn’t start off that way. They were in the same boat you find yourself in right now, with just a few tools and little space.
Everyone has to start somewhere with their hobby, and the beauty of woodworking is that you can start extremely small in size and build over time. Also, you will learn the skills and develop your own ability to potentially even make your own workshop in the future.
Now that would be something to feel incredibly proud about.
Equipment
I know I cover a wide array of tools on this site, but you don’t have to carry around a vast array of tools to get started. Actually, only a couple of power tools will be required, yet you can then go ahead and work on several cool projects.
For me, I would opt for some form of a power saw, a sander, and a combi drill as your mainstays. You can then build on them by adding a miter saw to your circular saw or different accessories to further expand the tools you already have.
There is absolutely no need to start off with a whole host of tools. Actually, I believe that’s more likely to stop people from getting started as it provides too many options that can be difficult to contend with.
Once again, I want you to just consider the projects you could then work on with just a few tools. Perhaps you could go ahead and get a used mini lathe to open up more options? Maybe you could hire a table saw at one point to see how you get on with it?
I do love the options regarding tools, and there is no need to own the most extensive collection of tools in the world.
That is why I suggested those few tools as almost like a starter kit. Allow yourself to become accustomed to using those tools before moving on to using others. I promise you will be amazed at the range of projects you can work on with just a handful of power tools.
Is it Expensive?
Finally, here is something of a crunch thing, is woodworking an expensive hobby? Well, there’s no doubt it can end up being pretty costly, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
Instead, woodworking can be relatively inexpensive. Also, when it comes to tools, then you can always work at slowly increasing your arsenal rather than seeking to grab every tool out there at the one time.
This is something I undoubtedly love about this hobby. If you check out my posts where I identify the best tools, you will notice I include a budget tool and the more expensive versions.
Also, I must admit that even budget tools today are superior to more expensive tools from some 20 years ago.
Look at a circular saw as an example. Sure, you can go ahead and spend more than $300 on a circular saw, and it’s very easy to do that, but you will also find a semi-decent circular saw for less than $100.
It’s all about looking around the market and becoming aware of your budget. Money needn’t be something that stops you from diving into woodworking as a hobby.
Is it Safe?
The final thing I want to cover is whether or not woodworking is a safe hobby. Now, I do admit that woodworking is not 100% safe, but then I wouldn’t exactly refer to it as the most dangerous hobby out there.
The problem tends to be the tools you can use. Saws come with exceptionally sharp blades that rotate at speed. They cut through wood with ease, so they would make short work of your skin.
Now I’m not trying to put you off by saying that. It’s just an honest thing to say. However, it needn’t be so dangerous thanks to your approach and the safety guards put in place by the tools’ manufacturers.
But I need to expand on that issue of your approach. You see, we are all guilty of being a bit lazy from time to time. We can work away on a project and then think about cutting that one piece of wood. So, as it won’t take long, we perhaps don’t follow all the safety procedures.
That’s where the danger increases.
The problem with woodworking is you never know when a splinter may pop up. If you aren’t wearing your safety glasses, that splinter could easily end up in your eye.
Getting something in your eye is small, but it’s still annoying, irritating, and painful. However, I know it could be worse.
In the past, I’ve known people who forget about using protection when a lot of dust is flying around them. Dust created when working with wood gets everywhere, and that’s going to include your lungs.
You see, you cannot just think about all the sharp tools. There is potential danger almost everywhere, but if you follow safety protocols, and make sensible decisions, then woodworking can be a safe hobby.
Overall Conclusion
So those are all my reasons why I think woodworking is such an excellent hobby to have, and I hope that some individuals who have never contemplated it will have perhaps changed their minds.
It’s just how you can quickly turn this rough natural thing into a completely different, usable object that always gets me. The array of things you can produce from wood is astonishing, which means you will never run out of things to do.
Anybody can start, no matter their age, budget, or experience. The most important thing is to have some concept of how you imagine your hobby progressing and have a plan in place. Then, just get to work, starting off with something small, and see what happens. I have a good feeling you will also fall in love with woodworking and can then produce some end results you can rightfully feel proud of.
If you feel intrigued by woodworking, I say you should go for it. Even consider borrowing some tools or hiring them for a day before buying your own. That may provide you with some ideas as to how your project could then proceed when you see how quickly you can make changes or produce something useful at the end.
Woodworking has so many possibilities that I think you would be crazy to miss out on it, so don’t allow yourself to be that person.
