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CostHelper > Recreation & Activities  > Woodworking

Woodworking Cost


How Much Does Woodworking Cost?

 
 average costBasic Supplies: $100-$300 

Many people enjoy creating beautiful and functional items out of wood, carefully crafting raw lumber into something that will fit their specific needs or serve as a gift for others.

Typical costs:

  • Many experts recommend starting primarily with hand tools plus a power drill. For $100-$300 you can get the basics -- an electric drill and bits, chisels, clamps, saws and more. Choosing top-of-the-line tools can bump the total price to $350-$650. The Oregon State University Extension program describes a few basic hand tools[1] .
  • You'll probably also want a workbench at $150-$500 and up; a vise starting around $50-$150 but running as high as $500-$700; and saw horses at $10-$40 or more. Drawers, shelves and cabinets to store tools and supplies can add anywhere from $100-$1,000 or more.
  • Once you've mastered the hand tools, you might want to eventually acquire include a circular saw (start around $30-$50, average $100-$300 but can be $400-$600 or more), jigsaw ($20-$200), random orbital sander (3-inches to 11-inches, $50-$500), table saw (home models $400-$1,000; professional models $900-$2,000 and up), compound miter saw (start around $50-$150 but can run $500-$750 and up) and router ($90-$200 but can run $300-$500 and up), for a total of $640-$3,550 or more. Hobbyist Kevin Brady provides a detailed discussion of power tools[2] .
  • One of the best ways to get introduced to woodworking is to take a woodshop class from an adult education program, military service facility or local woodworking club. For hands-on instruction in a shop full of hand and power tools, classes start around $50-$100 but can run $150-$350 or more, depending on the length of the course and the equipment available. Professional woodworking schools offer intensive weekend and week-long classes for $500-$1,000 or more. Some classes include the cost of materials (wood, nails, glue, etc.) in the fee and some don't.
  • AbsolutelyFreePlans.com posts a wide range of free woodworking plans[3] , from boats to toys and everything in between. How-to woodworking books, DVDs and magazine subscriptions[4] can run $10-$75.
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What should be included:
  • For those who like working with lumber, woodworking can be a relaxing and engrossing hobby. Wood-Working-Hobby.com gives an overview of typical woods used in projects[5] and hobbyist Kevin Brady provides tips for beginning woodworkers[6] .
  • You can pick and choose among AbsolutelyFreePlans.com's long list of detailed how-to articles[7] , from all about nails to safely using a circular saw and more. And WoodNet.net provides links to a wide range of home woodworking websites[8] .
Discounts:
  • The Washington Post gives instructions for building your own workbench[9] for little or no money.
Shopping for woodworking:
  • First, decide what you might like to make. Grampa's Workshop posts photo galleries of completed woodworking projects[10] . Many woodworking clubs or guilds offer classes and a chance to interact with experienced woodworkers; Woodworking.com lists links to woodworking associations, clubs and guilds[11] . For everything from one-day classes or how-to videos to a bachelor degree in woodworking, lists of woodworking schools are available from DMOZ.org[12] and WoodworkingNews.com[13] .
  • WoodNet.net gives descriptions and links to more than 30 tool manufacturers[14] , as well as major stores and catalogs[15] . Hobbyist Kevin Brady shares his beginner's guide for selecting power tools[16] .
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External Resources:
  1.  extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/4h/4-H4423c.pdf
  2.  www.kevinsbrady.net/PowerToolSelection.html
  3.  www.absolutelyfreeplans.com/
  4.  www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-9316572-7383325?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-key...
  5.  ww2.wood-working-hobby.com/2007/10/18/get-to-know-your-woods/
  6.  www.kevinsbrady.net/beginner.html
  7.  www.absolutelyfreeplans.com/HOW%20TO%20AND%20INFO/how_to_and_info.htm
  8.  www.woodnet.net/links/#home-woodworking
  9.  www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/28/AR2007122801432.html
  10.  www.grampasworkshop.net/gallery1.html
  11.  www.woodworking.com/ww/ww.aspx
  12.  www.dmoz.org/Arts/Crafts/Woodcraft/Woodworking/Schools_and_Instruction/
  13.  woodworking-news.com/woodworking-classes.shtml
  14.  www.woodnet.net/links/#tool-makers
  15.  www.woodnet.net/links/#stores-and-catalogs
  16.  www.kevinsbrady.net/PowerToolSelection.html
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