Nowadays, every person should know some basic carpentry skills regardless of their profession. The skills may not be used every day, or month for that matter, but when necessary can save you lots of headache in finding someone else, and increase your ability to be self-reliant.
Here are some of the most important things to become a better carpenter:
- Measure Accurately – Learning how to read and use a tape measure with accuracy is an important skill that can make a large difference in the quality of your products. As the saying goes, measure twice cut once and you will be successful. With measuring, a quarter of an inch may not seem like a big deal, but our minds like to pick out the little details and can easily spot the lower corner on a picture.
- Scribing – This is the action of doing a mark while using another tool like a tape measure or speed square. A perfect measurement means nothing if you do not mark where it goes. Also, learning to develop or utilize scribing language to signal if the mark means centered, to the left edge, right edge, top-down, or another meaning is very important. This skill gets developed like others with practice and repeating it.
- Hammering – Using the hammer isn’t as easy as it seems. Driving a nail into wood requires strength, accuracy, and technique. You also need to know what type of hammer to use to effectively and without damagingly secure the fastener. Find out which is the right hammer for your needs here.
- Basic Tool Knowledge – Knowing what tools to use and how to use them will greatly improve the speed of finishing your project. It’s highly recommended to learn the basic tools and understand their general purpose. Many tools have multiple functions that you might not know of and familiarizing yourself with shortcuts can make you more efficient. Learn the Basic Tools That Every Homeowner Should Have and how to use them.
- Types of Fasteners – Screws, nails, and bolts may look the same to an untrained eye, but with practice, you will know when and where to use the different types. It is important to learn when to use them for structural use, material, and efficiency. Get to know more about fasteners here.
- Cutting Wood – This is a critical skill to learn since carpentry involves working with wood of different sizes. It is important to start with a hand saw to understand the basics, and have a backup before you transfer to power tools. Learning to cut safely, efficiently, and accurately will make you an asset to any carpentry project you work on.
- Safety & Precautions – You may be eager to jump in with tools, but it is important to remember to be safe. Carpenters use lots of sharp, and powerful tools that can do lots of damage to yourself if not careful. Learning what tools to be extra careful of, where to place and not place your hands, and what protection to wear are critical.