Reply To: Following the book and where to start?
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I think building a work bench as your first project is a very good idea.
Why:
1) you sorta need a workbench, might as well get one ASAP
2) making one, esp with Paul’s suggestion of home center timbers and your own labor, means the workbench is affordable, and you can tailor it to your height and your workspace.
3) there’s a fair bit of work to do (because it’s physically large) so you get lots of much-needed practice on the basic skills, which means you’ll be better prepared for a more demanding projects to come
4) it’s an error-tolerant project both because it’s just a workbench, so nobody cares if there are small cosmetic mistakes here or there and also because Paul has adapted the classic design so well that it’s very difficult to make significant mistakes, and virtually impossible to make mistakes from which you cannot recover.
But in the end, it’s your hobby. Do what suits you and have fun doing it.
As for the tools, set up is minimal if you’re buying new tools. If you’re buying some hard-used tools from ebay, yes, there can be several hours per tool, but if you’re buying a nice new (e.g.) premium plane from Lie Nielsen or Veritas or etc, then it’s just a final honing on the blade and you’re off and running.
Having said that, more knowledge is always better, so read the entire book (and other woodworking books) multiple times, if you have the time, before jumping in. Watch tons of videos. The more you know the better off you’ll be. Plus, by watching many videos / reading other books / having the same thing taught to you by a number of different teachers, you’ll gain a trickle of perspective.
Specific to sharpening, yes, while you’re spinning up on your woodworking, get some tools and start sharpening them. Then, go grab a scrap of wood and use the tool as intended until it’s dull, then re-sharpen it. Lather, rinse, repeat. You probably will not be surprised to learn that practice is a very good idea.
As beginners, we tend to have poor technique with our tools, which causes them to dull more quickly. You’ll get a lot better at sharpening in your first several months (and perhaps subsequently, I can’t say yet!), and there is no substitute for sharp — it increases safety, productivity, accuracy & efficacy, while reducing effort and injuries.