Woodworking is an admirable skill with a history that stretches back to antiquity. It is also a great hobby, one that knows no limitations of age or athletic ability. Woodworking projects can range from a beginner’s hobby kit to the remodeling of a home, but every project requires two basic elements: the proper tools and the ability to select the appropriate materials for the task at hand.

Technology has contributed greatly to the range of tools available for woodworking. Cordless drills and woodworking tools with precision preset devices are standard features in many workshops. Power hand saws have become precision tools, jig saws and radial saws have guiding systems that make them extremely accurate. Routers have workable guides and some carving implements have become high-tech tools.

Even the common table saw can make small precision cuts at a variety of angles. Woodworking has a whole new age of tools available to the would-be craftsman. But no artisan starts out without a plan, and in the case of woodworking detailed plans are a necessity. Even if a design is drawn from a book, it helps to physically draw out the plan and on that plan write out the dimensions of each piece, the angle of each cut, and to make sure that the tools are available for every facet of the project.

Selecting materials for the project also requires some study. It helps to understand the difference is between three-ply and five-ply plywood. Is plywood a better material for the project than some other sort of composite board? Which materials are suitable for outdoor use? Hardwood or softwood? When is veneer an acceptable material, when is solid wood in order? These are all questions that the woodworking enthusiast needs to