Try your hand at do-it-yourself carpentry

Any kind of do-it-yourself activity is always a very rewarding and learning experience. Without a doubt, there is nothing sweeter than any product built with your own two hands or with help from family or friends.

DIY hobbies are many and far-ranging. For some, it is as simple as making a candle, it could be making an electronics circuit for own use or it could even be gardening for some others.

Carpentry is a hobby that is taken up by a lot of people worldwide. From making simple carvings for the showcase to loudspeaker boxes and complex furniture, carpentry can be a rewarding experience.

Even if one does not want to build furniture and other massive wooden pieces, knowing a bit of carpentry can be useful at times. For instance, it is useful to know how to do a bit of maintenance work on wooden doors and windows. In the rainy and winter months, wooden doors and windows tend to expand and we struggle to close them. To shave off a bit of the wood with an electric orbital sander or with a plane the good old manual way. Doing it yourself will mean the job is done instantly and no waiting for the carpenter to come. Plus, you’ve saved yourself some money.

Or if the exterior side of the balcony door needs to be painted, it can be very easily done at home. Just sand the surface to be painted, wipe it clean and paint it. It is as simple as that.

It could be anything like polishing your old rosewood table, fixing window screws or a clothes hook in the bathroom, these are very simple tasks that can be done with very little effort. All you need is the do-it-yourself bent of mind.

One can start off very simple. There are umpteen number of websites out there for guidance and tips on DIY carpentry.

As for tools, back then it was all manual and it needed quite a bit of muscle power to get things done. Today is the day of the electrical tool. Almost every tool has an electrical version.

But at the basic level, one would need a claw hammer. One end can be used for hammering and the other end has a claw for removing nails. A tape measure is a must.

A good steel set of three-four chisels is a must-buy. That apart a set of screw drivers is needed.

Then come the electric tools. An electric screwdriver can be used for drilling and tightening screws also. These are available as battery operated and mains operated versions also and prices vary from about Rs 1500 to several thousands, depending on whether they are for light work or professional applications.

An orbital sander is a must since it is used for smoothening surfaces. It is available for prices from about Rs 1,500 to several thousands.

One of the most important tools for carpentry is a circular saw. It is important to note that one must not use a saw that is used to cut stone as this rotates much faster and will burn wooden planks. A circular saw has a bigger blade and is meant specifically for wood. It costs upwards of Rs 3,000.

A router is another useful tool for carving intricate designs in wood or even levelling edges. It has a lot of applications, but is not mandatory for a beginner. It is priced upwards of about Rs 4,000.

As one advances in this hobby, tools can be added. There are a lot of resources on the internet that can be a guide to this satisfying journey in DIY carpentry.