Hi all, I'm new here from Adelaide

:U Hello!

I'm a brand new woodworker, with no experience but a shed full of enthusiasm.

I'm a lifelong learner, have dabbled in all kinds of creative/artistic hobbies and am hoping to learn some new skills and eventually make some pieces of furniture for our home and perhaps the odd gift for family and friends too. My other half is allergic to dust and not at all inclined towards power tools :wink: so I have the good fortune to have zero competition for shed space! Being a parent is stressful sometimes and I've discovered that being out in the shed gives me some much needed time for myself and a little peace and quiet (until the power tools start up that is).

I've enrolled in a few courses (Steve Ramsay's online courses - The Weekend Woodworker & The Weekend Workshop, and Come&Try, Tablesaw & Router Masterclasses @ Adelaide School of Woodwork) and watched a fair bit of youtube content, but that's the full extent of my knowledge so far.

My tools thus far are mostly used, acquired from gumtree, loosely following recommendations from Steve Ramsay's "how to set up your shop" guide. I'm currently contemplating a table saw purchase (currently have a Triton Mark3 Workstation in my workshop but thinking of moving towards a newer tablesaw with more safety features).

My late grandparents both did woodcarving/turning and left a legacy of hand carved pieces which are now family heirlooms. My own style leans towards a more modern aesthetic... I'm excited to eventually get to making some custom pieces to suit our specific needs and as an expression of my creativity. Making things makes me happy. As a person with some different ways of thinking and learning, and like a lot of other folks, the last year has taken a toll on my mental health so I am embarking on this journey as a form of "therapy" (alongside the professional support which I also need and value).

If such a thing exists, and if any members can recommend female friendly spaces for woodworking in Adelaide I'd love to hear from you. So far SANE makerspace is the only one I have found, and it isn't really in a convenient location for me.

Being of the wrong gender for Mens Sheds and not really knowing many folks in this hobby it will be so helpful to be part of this forum and I look forward to learning from your collective experience and wisdom. Is there a forum thread with tips for beginners? What do you wish you had known when you first started? Any other advice welcome :)

I'm_aLumberjack

Hi, and welcome to the forum, you will find that most aspects of woodwork are covered here.

It would be nice to have some sort of wood group in Adelaide, where people with similar interests could get together on a regular basis.
If anyone knows of such a group, which is not a men's shed, I would be interested to know.

Regarding the table saw, have you considered a bandsaw which may be a better option for a wood carver.

Best regards

Keith

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KeithP

Regarding the table saw, have you considered a bandsaw which may be a better option for a wood carver.

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Thanks Keith, I will give a bandsaw some thought. For clarification, I'm not looking to learn woodcarving, unlike my Grandparents, but rather aiming towards furniture making using power tools in a more modern style.

Am I correct in assuming that a bandsaw is to a jigsaw what a drill press is to a cordless drill? More control, more precision? I don't have a drill press yet but that has been on my list.

:U

Welcome to the forum

G'Day & Welcome to a top forum....
There are quite a good few members around Adelaide plus the rest of the country.....
You'll find a heap of helpful & knowledgeable blokes & ladies on the forum and for most very willing to assist.
Make sure you show off your handiwork as everyone loves a photo, especially WIP [Work In Progress] photos with build notes.
Enjoy the forum.
Enjoy your woodwork......
Cheers crowie

Welcome to the forum.

Although a Band Saw can cut curves etc. like a Jig Saw, it is really good for ripping larger (and smaller) timber into usable sizes. You will find a lot of members of this forum have a Band Saw.

Regards
Keith

welcome to the forum

A Big Howdy and welcome to the forum
Mr Fiddleback

Lots of ifs and buts associated with this suggestion, however you might want to see if the Aldinga Community Shed has reopened. They closed early 2020 due to the pandemic. I grabbed a brochure from them when they were selling some of their wood turnings and other products just before Christmas 2019 at Seaford shopping centre and there were items made by both men and women. The brochure advertised session times for turning, carving and general carpentry. The general carpentry had people available for teaching but experienced people could also go and make use of the machinery for their own projects. Sadly the pandemic hit before I ever went down to have a look. I realise that Aldinga is a fair way souh of the city but you say the SANE makerspace which is to the northeast is unsuitable so maybe Aldinga is closer.

The email address at that time was [email protected] but that domain does not seem to exist any more.
Phone number was 8556 5940.

I did find this facebook page and it suggests that things are running again now:

Facebook

Perhaps have a look at Woodgroup S.A. site. there are a number of groups in different locations. Some of them have specific focus eg Northern Turners, South Oz Scrollsaws, etc, but many also do general woodwork as well.

Those I have met over the years have always been very friendly and helpful. They will also know of other resources that may be useful.

Woodgroup SA Home


Regards

Bauldy

Welcome to the forum Lumberjack. It's amazing how we jump to the conclusion that any new member is male, which is what I did while reading your introduction until I got towards the end and woke up. It's also good to have diversity with women joining and also those with an artistic bent (which I have none of).
There is a section on here that might help with your quest for information for a person starting out and it's found here. Another part of the forum that may be of interest for you is this.
I have both a Bandsaw and a Tablesaw and for the type of work I do I find that the Tablesaw is used far more than the Bandsaw. Besides curve cutting, the Bandsaw is great for resawing thick timber down into multiple thinner pieces as you can rip quite wide pieces easily due to the height you can fit above the table, and you loose less material due to the thin blade.
I hope you find the help you are seeking both here and outside.

Cheers,

Some people at the men's sheds might know where the girls hang out. There might be evening classes at local high schools and TAFEs.

Be wary of taking advice, particularly when money is involved, from just anyone. You will get plenty of advice as to what's best, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's best for you.

I hang out in photography places these days, and I once saw the question, "What lens should I buy next?"

No information about the camera, what lenses the photographer already had, or what the photographer wanted to do with the lens.

Plenty of advice though, mostly useless.

Welcome Lumberjack (or should that be Lumberjill?:U) Don't worry about asking questions on the main forum rather than one specific for newbies as you'll find everyone very helpful and keen to pass on knowledge.
Also, if you're just starting out and haven't really settled as to what type of woodworking you want to do, don't be in too much of a rush to buy capital equipment - you might find after a while that your focus shifts and what seemed like an essential tool ends up gathering dust. There's lots you can do with hand tools and a few, less expensive power tools so my advice would be to spend some time making smaller projects first. Boxes, for example, are a good start. They'll develop skills in wood preparation, joint making and finishing. They don't take up a lot of space to make and you end-up with something functional and good to look at.
Good luck!
Pete