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Is woodworking a common hobby?

Woodworking is a very popular hobby with millions of people doing it.

workbenchplanet.com - 23 Reasons Woodworking A Great Hobby (& Why You Shouldn't Do It)

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If you have been thinking about getting into woodworking, you may have wondered if it is a good hobby and if you should take the plunge and invest yourself in it. In this article, I will outline 23 reasons why woodworking is a great hobby and you can use it to figure out if it is the hobby for you.

23 Reasons Woodworking is a great hobby

Outlined below are the 23 reasons why I think woodworking is a great hobby for anyone.

1. Save on furniture

One of the great things about getting into woodworking is that you will both be learning something new and creating pieces of furniture that can be used in the house. this means that you will save money on furniture. your skill level may not be that great at the beginning but as you continue getting better you may be able to make all the different pieces of furniture that you use around the house without any challenges.

2. All Season hobby

woodworking is an all-season hobby that allows you to continue working even in the cold parts of winter. since you will be cooped up in your workshop, Which I hope is heated or air-conditioned, you will be able to work even on extreme days where other hobbies may not be as practical to do.

3. Make Custom Furniture fit for your needs

Since you will be making your own custom furniture, you will be able to make the kind of furniture that fits your needs and taste. if you want everything to look a certain colour, it’s up to you since you’re the one making it. One great thing about this is that if you have spaces that are awkward like hallways that are narrow and you want something that will fit that space, you can put something on that space that you may not be able to buy in any store.

4. A challenge you can be proud of

Woodworking is not easy and getting into it will be a challenge right from the beginning. learning how to use the different tools and make things that have different levels of complexity means that you will have a proper challenge on your hands. Having to work hard for something it’s one of those things that allows you to be very proud of your achievements and woodworking can do this for you. what’s more, since woodworking is a challenging hobby that takes years to master, it will take you a while before you run out of difficult things to do and you’ll always be learning. depending on where you live, finding good for your next woodworking project may not be a very difficult thing. especially if you are not very picky about the type of mood will be working with. For example, there are many woodturners that look for wood in fire woodpiles and make really beautiful pieces from tree stumps. Having a lot of free wood around you will allow you to learn a lot without having to spend loads of money on purchasing new equipment for every time you have a new project.

6. Great way to spend time with kids

Woodworking is a perfect activity to do with your kids. they can learn a lot of new skills and apply some of the lessons they learned in math class while spending quality time with you. if you’re lucky, they will really enjoy woodworking and you can be partners in building out new projects and this is bound to deepen your relationship

7. Unique Home Furnishings

If you have an artistic stroke, you can add a lot of artistic flair in making unique home furnishings that no one else has in their homes. As you still get really good he will start finding it easier to create really unique furniture that other people can really appreciate and the fact that no one else can get these kinds of pieces in their homes means that you will have higher levels of notoriety in your community.

8. You can earn from it

once you start getting really good, you can start earning from your woodworking projects by charging clients who want pieces made for them. If you’re really serious about making this a full-time gig, you can start off with a few clients and build up your portfolio to a point where you making enough money to go full-time. there are not a lot of other hobbies that would offer this kind of opportunity.

9. Gain Friends

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the woodworking community, especially online is very close-knit. as you continue learning the craft you will find a large number of people who are there to support you and help you become a better woodworker. Eventually, his supportive people and end up becoming great friends of yours, and the provision should conform out of this. Woodworking classes are also great places to meet new people and Gain friends with whom you share a mutual interest.

10. Learn patience

Woodworking is not easy. As a beginner woodworker, you will mess up a lot and you will feel very frustrated a lot. if you’re willing to work through the frustration and difficulties, you will end up gaining a lot of patience with yourself and others. You will also learn not to beat yourself up too much and enjoy your progress, even if it’s not perfect.

11. Its a good workout

The fact that you will be on your feet for many hours on end means that you will be getting a good workout when in the shop. This can be really helpful is your day job involves sitting in front of a computer all day. In addition to this, all the heavy lifting of the furniture and equipment will help develop better resistance and make you stronger.

12. Easy to get started in

Woodworking is easy to get into since you may not require all the fancy equipment to actually be able to make something you will like. For a lot of beginner projects, you can get by with very minimal tools most of which don’t have to be power tools. This means that you can start learning Woodworking without investing too much before knowing whether you actually like it or not

13. Lots of online resources

There are a lot of great online resources, most of which are free, that you can use to learn woodworking as a craft. You will not need to spend hundreds of dollars in physical classes since YouTube offers hundreds of resources that are just like them or sometimes even better. The good thing about this is that you can learn at your own pace and seek out more resources to help you understand something that was not clear to you the first time you learned it.

14. Great way to get away from the screens

Woodworking is a great way of getting away from all the screens that consume our very existence every day of our lives. this can be especially useful if you sit in front of a computer all day and are looking for a way of getting away from it all for a few hours for you to reflect and think without a lot of buzzing and ringing.

15. Multiple Niches

Woodworking has a number of Nations within it that allow you to branch off into an area that you like. You can get into wood carving wood turning, Restorations, working with epoxy etc. This means that if the general woodworking category isn’t working for you, you may be able to meet down and find something that you are interested in more than general Woodworking.

16. Hundreds of different projects you can work on

Woodworking has hundreds of projects that you can work on that suit different skill levels and interests. It is very possible that you will start with working and never do the same Project twice. This makes it a great project for anyone who gets bored really easily doing the same thing over and over again.

17. Very Popular Hoby

Woodworking is a very popular hobby with millions of people doing it. these people are distributed across different ages and this means that you will be in great company and the part of a hobby that has a big following. This comes with a few benefits like the ability to attend exhibitions and trade shows that are purely woodworking related.

18. Lots of Books and physical guides

Unlike a number of hobbies whose resources can only be found online, woodworking has a rich resource of physical books and other learning materials for those who would prefer keeping the learning offline. There are also a large number of classes where you can go and learn woodworking without having to seek online help.

19. Anyone can do it

woodworking is a hobby that anyone can get into as long as they have the interest and the Patience to learn how to do it. It does not require any special skills or prior experience for you to start and even the very beginners can be decent at it after a few hours of learning and practice.

20. Competitions & Contests

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Since woodworking is so popular, there are a number of competitions and contents among woodworking enthusiasts. these competitions reward great craftspeople and creators who do amazing work.

One of the competitions I found was the Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge™.

21. Learn problem-solving

You will encounter a lot of challenges and problems during your woodworking projects and solving them will teach you an important skill in being able to identify troubleshoot and solve problems.

22. Does Not Involve Travel

Woodworking, compared to some hobbies like fishing or hunting, does not involve travel outside of your home. the farthest distance you managed to travel to do your woodworking would be your backyard or the trip to get more supplies. This may be great for you if your life responsibilities require you to be near the home at all times but you still want something fun to do in your free time.

23. Allow you to be handy around the house

The skills that you learn during a Woodworking project can be applied in helping you fix stuff around the house and be really handy when stuff breaks or needs improvement. this will save you a lot of bills and prevent you from engaging handymen who may not take care of your house as well as you would.

Why you Should’t Start Woodworking

Having said that, here are a few reasons why you may want to stay away from Woodworking.

1. Its Dangerous

Woodworking is inherently dangerous. there are a lot of spinning blades and dangerous tools that require a lot of attention to avoid injury. Even when paying a lot of attention, there are people who have gotten injured or worse when doing woodworking. To avoid getting into trouble you need to acquaint yourself with all the safety rules that come with woodworking and familiarise yourself with the specific safety precautions you need to take with the kind of tool will be working with.

2. It’s expensive

Woodworking is not cheap. lost at least a few hundred dollars each and getting all the tools you need for your shop will take quite a bit of money. While you can still be able to build out beautiful things without requiring expensive tools, having good tools will make the Hobby more enjoyable and allow you to move faster.

3. Takes time to master

the fact that woodworking has a lot of dimensions and intricacies means that you will take quite a bit of time before you master all the elements. If you are not the kind of person who is willing to face a steep learning curve, woodworking may not be for you.

4. It requires attention to detail

You will need to have a great deal of attention to detail for you to be a good woodworker. The things that make woodworking attractive are straight lines and clean-looking edges and corners. If you are the kind of person who is sloppy and does not sweat the small stuff, You may find woodworking frustrating for you.

5. Is requires patience

For you to be really good at the woodworking skill, you will need to be patient with yourself to allow yourself to fail, learn, adjust and pick yourself up even after finishing work that does not meet your expectations.

6. Has a lot of older people

As I have been doing more research on the woodworking hobby, I have found that most of the people I have encountered seem to be older people. It’s not something that bothers me but I found it curious that there are not a lot of twentysomethings posting on YouTube or practicing this craft.

I may be wrong about this though.

7. Is a lonely hobby

Woodworking usually involves spending a lot of time by yourself working on projects without anyone else around you. This may be really therapeutic and attractive to people who love their space but may be really hard for extroverted people who need a lot of constant social connections.

8. Dust

Woodworking has a lot of dust and may be inappropriate for you if you are very allergic or asthmatic. You will need to be wearing a respirator al the time for you to be able to do it and there may be better options for you as a hobby.

workbenchplanet.com - 23 Reasons Woodworking A Great Hobby (& Why You Shouldn't Do It)

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