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Woodworking QuickStart

Make a wooden spoon or a small cutting board this weekend. No garage, no table saw, no regrets.

Why start with hand tools?

Power tools are fast, expensive, loud, and dangerous. Hand tools teach you how wood actually behaves — grain direction, cutting with vs. against fibers, sharpness. A year from now, if you go power-tool, you'll be a much better power-tool woodworker for having started here.

The minimum you need

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• A Japanese pull saw (ryoba or dozuki)

  Cheap, sharp, and cuts on the pull stroke — safer and more accurate than a Western saw for beginners.

  ~$25–40
  Shop options

• A block plane

  For smoothing edges and flattening small surfaces. A used Stanley #60 1/2 is a bargain for life.

  ~$30–50
  Shop options

• A 1" chisel

  One chisel is enough to start. Keep it sharp — a sharp cheap chisel beats a dull expensive one.

  ~$15–30
  Shop options

• Sandpaper assortment (80, 120, 220 grit)

  Go through the grits in order. Don't skip grits; it shows.

  ~$10
  Shop options

• Food-safe mineral oil or beeswax finish

  For spoons, cutting boards, anything that touches food.

  ~$10
  Shop options

Your first project: a small cutting board

1. Find wood. A single maple, cherry, or walnut board from a hardware store. Ask for a piece ~12" × 8" × 3/4". Avoid pine for cutting boards.
2. Cut it to size. Use your pull saw. Clamp the board to a table edge. Slow, steady strokes.
3. Round the corners. Draw them with a coin as a template. Cut close with the saw, then refine with your block plane.
4. Smooth everything. Plane the edges flat. Sand through 80 → 120 → 220. Wipe with a damp cloth between grits to raise the grain.
5. Finish. Wipe on mineral oil. Wait 20 minutes. Wipe off. Repeat tomorrow.

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