Woodworking Tips For Women

(HIT) - With a growing number of women taking up woodworking at home, woodworking is quickly becoming one of the hottest home improvement trends around. This conclusion is supported by market research conducted on behalf of Rockler Woodworking and Hardware, a leading retailer of woodworking tools, supplies and hardware for do-it-yourself woodworking hobbyists and woodworking proffesionals alike.

"There are more than four million American women woodworkers today," said LiLi Rockler Jackson, spokesperson for Rockler Woodworking and Hardware and an avid woodworker herself. "It’s a growing trend as more and more single women are buying homes. We’ve found that women want to create something for their own homes with their own hands."

Women woodworkers surveyed said they love woodworking as a hobby because it provides an opportunity to work with their hands, and the end results can provide a real sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Thirty-one percent of women surveyed have taken up woodworking to create some type of furniture. Nearly 20 percent are interested in building storage projects like custom cabinets and shelving. Slightly fewer women are learning the craft of woodworking to add custom crown moldings and other unique touches to their homes décor.

JoAnne Liebeler, a well known home improvement television host and accomplished woodworker, believes that a sense of personal accomplishment is what drives many women to take up woodworking. "Women are realizing they can use power tools and build something amazing," she said. They see me handling a circular saw or a jig saw and they realize, ‘hey, if she can do it, I can do it too.’ The fear factor has been replaced with a sense of empowerment."

For women just getting involved in woodworking, the following tips can help to shorten the woodworking learning curve and get them off to a great start:

There are no stupid questions. Experienced woodworkers are a great source for woodworking tips and encouragement. Seek them out at home centers and watch for woodworking seminars scheduled in your area. The instructors and attendees of these events are all potential sources for ideas and information to help a fledgling woodworker gain a foothold in the craft.

Enroll in a woodworking class. Many community colleges and technical schools offer courses in woodworking. You’ll learn important safety tips and you’ll get a chance to work with many different tools, which makes it much easier to decide which woodworking tools would be beneficial to purchase, and which ones might be better obtained on a rental basis for occasional use. A list of woodworking schools is available on line at www.woodworkersjournal.com.

Subscribe to woodworking trade or craft journals. Woodworking publications abound. Check your local supermarket or home center, or search online for publishers. Regular exposure to new ideas and information is a great way to further learn the craft and may provide ideas and plans for future woodworking projects.

Check the Internet for woodworking resources. Woodworking websites and online forums can offer additional information to fuel your creative process. Many will link to related sites and provide valuable information about woodworking tools and supplies.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center