All the best, hand-picked woodworking sites!

Forget all those expensive DIY books: everything you need is here on the Web, if you know where to look. To that end, we've compiled a list of around 200 of the best woodworking pages we could find, helping you to do everything from... and much more—all on one handy, uncluttered web page!

We've included several different guides to most topics, so you can compare the advice and choose the approach you like best.

If you're looking for more general DIY advice (things like woodworking, electrical work, building, plumbing, and plastering), check out our companion page The Complete DIY Guide.

Introduction: the wonderful world of wood

How good is wood? Is there a more amazing material? It's relatively inexpensive, it's tough and durable, it's environmentally friendly, it comes in all different kinds and finishes, it's easy to shape and work, and you can turn it into anything from an ocean-going yacht to a cruet set! When it's finished, you can bury it in the ground and, sooner or later, it'll help more trees to grow and produce even more wood. How good is that?

People have been making things out of wood since the beginning of time. Even in the Stone Age, wood was still fighting its corner—and it's still hanging in there today. In modern times, in our age of disposable plastic and hi-tech composites, wood has arguably fallen out of favor, but there's no real reason for this other than simple convenience. Who wants plastic furniture in their home? Who, indeed, would want to live in a home made entirely out of plastic? Wood may take a little working, but it's there for the long haul. Design wooden things properly and they'll last you a lifetime. How many plastic things can you say that about? Bury them in the ground and they're still there, screaming at you in their psychedelic colours, 500 years later.

Wooden things have a beauty that plastic and metal objects often lack. Have you even wondered why that's so? My theory is that everyone loves trees and admires their stature. When you see something wonderful that's been handmade out of wood, I think you implicitly recognize the tree's contribution. You can still see some of the tree's enduring beauty and, if the object's well made, you get the real sense the tree might have approved of how its life turned out. If you're not sure what I mean, look at wonderful antique furniture by Chippendale or modern pieces by fine designers such as the amazingly inventive Cornish guys at Sixixis.

This page is here to remind you how wonderful wood can be, and how easy it can be to make wooden things for yourself. It's true, you need tools—but not all that many, unless you want to be really serious about things. The few tools you need you probably have already. If not, you can probably pick them for for less money than you'll save building your own bookcase or coffee table. (Have you had a good look on eBay recently?) I hope this page encourages you to take up a wonderful hobby and rediscover the wonderful world of wood!

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Last updated: 8 March 2010.

Contents: what's on this page

Safety advice:before you start
All about wood
General introductions to woodworking
Woodworking for young people
Woodworking tools
Woodworking tips and tricks
DIY woodworking projects
Woodturning
Painting wood
Using varnish and stains
Marquetry
Woodworking magazines
Woodworking history

Safety advice: before you start

General DIY safety

DIY safety: Important advice from the BBC.
DIY Network: DIY's Home Improvement expert, Brad Staggs, explains the DIY Basics of workshop safety.
RoSPA DIY safety advice: A few basic tips.
DIYnot.com's guide to DIY safety: "Taking a few minutes to plan what is to be done could mean the difference between tackling a job safely and successfully or courting disaster".
Ultimate handyman: Putting safety first—includes photos of some outrageously unsafe unpractices.
DIY Safety Tips: A quick checklist from DIY2U.net.

Workshop safety

Woodworking shop safety tips: A handy list of 10 tips from WoodZone.com.
DIY Network: The Ultimate workhop safety and first aid: A good introduction to the basic safety equipment you need in your shop.
How to teach shop safety to kids: More safety advice for young woodworkers.
Shop safety products: A selection of safety equipment from Rockler.
Using your woodworking tools safely: Advice from About.com's woodworking guide.

All about wood

Introductions to wood and trees

Tree: Another basic Wikipedia article. A reasonable introduction with a lengthy list of tree species.
Tree facts: Some interesting facts and factoids from Friends of Trees.
Dmoz: Home: Gardening: Plants: Trees: A collection of sites (currently 65) on tree-related topics.
The Native Tree Shop: Order native tree species from the UK Woodland Trust charity.
Wood: A basic introduction from Wikipedia.
List of trees: A fairly comprehensive list of trees from Ohio State University, with data sheets about some (but not all).

Guides to different types of wood

Know your wood types: Handy photos of different woods from Channel 4 TV UK.
Good wood guide for DIYers: How to make sure your wood is environmentally friendly. A guide from Friends of the Earth.
Wood For Good: A guide to using wood.
Wood types and wood quality grades: Advice from About.com.
Wood grain descriptions: Photos of grains for all kinds of woods.
Wood types and techniques: Another set of descriptions of woods.
Understanding wood grain: A closer look from Wood magazine

Environmental issues

Woodland Trust UK: Woodland conservation group.
Forest Stewardship Council: Supporting ethical wood by labelling ethical wood products.
Good wood guide for DIYers: How to make sure your wood is environmentally friendly. A guide from Friends of the Earth.
Greenpeace US Forests Campaign: Try to see the bigger picture. Where does your wood come from—and what effect does it have?
Sierra Club Forests campaign: "The Sierra Club's Forest Protection & Restoration campaign works to protect and restore healthy forest ecosystems and sustainable local economies, preserve our National Forests, and protect communities from the danger of fires."

Woodland management

Woodlands: The BTCV guide to practical woodland conservation by Elizabeth Agate.
The Ancient Art of Coppicing: An introduction to coppicing.
An introduction to British woodlands and their management: A general description of British woodlands, including their structure, types and biodiversity, together with an introduction to management techniques for small native woodlands..
Community Woodland Network: A Woodland Trust project that helps UK communities to manage their woodlands.

General introductions to woodworking

Woodworking tips for beginners: Kevin Brady offers a simple, knowledgeable introduction to woodworking newcomers. This is a great place to start your reading.
Sawdust on the Floor: A very enthusiastic and knowledgeable woodworking blog from Dave the Jersey Woodworker, offering: "Woodworking tools and product reviews, tips, techniques and projects".
Woodworking: A very basic introduction from Wikipedia, currently just includes a short outline of the history of woodworking crafts.
Woodworking Machine: Another basic Wikipedia article, with links to articles about different tools and machines..
Woodworking Beginner's Guide: A simple book you can buy online.
Preparing woodwork: tips from Homebase UK
DIY Woodworking: Offers instructions and videos on basic wood working techniques, child wood working projects, tutorials, and more.
WoodNet.net: The woodworker's online resource: Woodworking Tips, Techniques, Tool Reviews, Plans and Supplies for Woodworkers..
Newwoodworker.com: Articles, tips, plans, tool reviews, and more.
About.com Woodworking: Lots of woodworking projects and links.
Open Directory Project: Woodworking: Human-compiled catalog of links.
Woodzone.com: Tools, plans, book reviews, kits, and more.
Woodworking tips: Zillions of tips and links from Wannalearn.com.
DIY Fixit: Wood: Advice on buying and selecting timber, different types of wood etc. Also guidance of shelving, laying hardboard, and other common home projects.

Woodworking for young people

Kids: remember that woodworking tools are dangerous. Read the safety pages listed up above and get good advice from a sensible adult before you start!

Woodworking for kids: An email discussion about how to get children involved in woodworking.
Woodworking with children: With proper tuition and supervision, woodworking can be educational and fun.
Woodworking for kids: Lots of helpful resources from Big Learning.com.
Free DIY woodworking plans for children: Now there's an idea: get your children to make their own toys and games!

Woodworking tools

Buying tools

Woodworking tips for beginners: Kevin Brady offers a simple, knowledgeable introduction to woodworking newcomers. This is a great place to start your reading.
About.com: Woodworking tools and equipment: A series of helpful guides to choosing drills, saws, routers, sanders, etc.
OnlineToolReviews.com: "Dedicated, professional reviews of popular woodworking and DIY tools and devices for the home handyman".
Ultimate Handyman: Power tool buying guide: Includes guides to drills, cordless drills, power saws, grinders, sanders, rotozips, routers.
DIYnot.com: Buying and hiring: Looks at the pros and cons of buying and hiring and things to watch out for, including basic safety points.
Power and hand tools: A guide from DIY expert Ron Hazleton.
Woodworking Beginners: This introductory article by Ferhat Gul includes a discusssion of woodworking tools.
Tool buying guides from Homebase UK

Buying a lathe

Some Helpful Tips on Evaluating a Lathe: buying advice from David Ficken
Lathes buying advice: A look at the things you need to consider before you buy.
Advice for buying a lathe: A short guide for watchmakers. Some of the advice may apply to woodworkers too.
Peter Child's advice for buying a lathe: Includes a short list of desirable features to look for in your first lathe.

Setting up your own workshop

Build a 10' x 12' workshop: It took 10 weekends to do it, but they did it! A photo-illustrated guide you can follow.
DIYnetwork.com: Basic woodworking tools: What are the basic tools you need to set up your own workshop?.
How to set up workshop: A basic introduction on eHow.com
The Ultimate Workshop: How to build a brilliant workshop.
Workshops you can build: Details of a how-to-build-a-workshop book from Stiles Designs.
Small woodworking shops: A more general (less practical) discussion from Architecture Week considers the history and purpose of small shops.
So you'd like to... make a woodworking workshop: A quick guide from Amazon.com (obviously hoping to sell you a tool or two). It's mainly a list of tools that the author finds helpful.
Setting up shop: A practical book detailing how to make your workshop, from Sandor Nagyszalanczy. Includes this short execerpt on designing the optimum shop layout.

Woodworking tips and tricks

General tips

Woodworking tips, tricks, and jigs: A huge collection of shop, finishing, and safety trips from WoodZone.com.
Weekly woodworking tips: There are 266 great tips on this page.
Tips and tricks: Lots more tips, including shop tips and advice on using bandsaws, routers, jointers, saws, and lathes.
Bink's Tips for Easier Woodworking: A great amateur photo guide. Very clear and simple advice.
Wood Net tips: A short list of tool tips

Tips on using woodworking tools from diyfixit.co.uk

Woodworking tool tips from eHow.com

Miscellaneous tasks and tips

Measuring and marking wood for projects
Drilling accurate holes in wood and metal
How to plane wood: Advice from DIY Fixit.
How to sand wood: A general gudie on eHow.
How to cut an arc with a jigsaw: a handy video clip from someone called John at Expert Village.
Assembling Flat-Pack Furniture: A very quick guide from eBay.

DIY woodworking projects

General project sites

Lee's Wood Projects: Free how-to guides and plans for all sorts of woodworking projects for your home. Quite detailed information and parts lists included.

Putting up shelves and shelving

Building shelves: tips from Homebase UK
Putting up wall shelves: tips from Homebase UK
DIY shelving project: How-tos and photos of various types of household shelving and display shelves. Also some sources on the net for readymade bookshelf units.
Making and Mounting Shelves: An easy-to-follow project guide from Sawdust Making 101.
Bracketless custom shelves: At last, floating shelves without ugly under brackets!
Putting up shelves: Some advice from Google answers.
Shelf project: Step-by-step guide from DIY guide Ron Hazleton.

Bookcases and cabinets

Bookcases from poplar: Step-by-step guide from DIY guide Tim Carter.
Build a basic bookcase: Step-by-step from Digs magazine.
Free bookcase plans: A list of plans from other websites.
Full-size bookcase that's easy to build: A basic description of a tall bookcase.
How to build a bookcase: An illustrated guide from Popular Mechanics.
Book eating bookshelves: "Nobody builds bookshelves for book people. Commercial shelves are always too deep and high, which wastes a great deal of space. Below is the solution I came up with for shelving way too many books in way too little space".
EASY Kitchen Cabinet Revival Course: A step-by-step guide to reviving your tired old kitchen cabinets.
Beginner's Bookcase Plans: A bookcase plan you can buy online.

Making stands for loudspeakers

The TNT Stubby: A DIY Speaker Stand Project on TNT
Custom DIY Speaker Stands For Less: Dan Marx explains how to make inexpensive stands from scrap wood.
How to build your own home theatre: Includes speaker stands and screen.

Miscellaneous project guides

How to make a wall mirror
Making Built-in Wardrobes/closet: A guide from Hometips and Don Vandervort.
Build wooden garden decking: A guide from Garden Advice.
Build your own Wine Rack: An illustrated guide from Ron Hazelton's excellent site.
Buying guide for kitchen cabinets and cabinet hardware: a quick survey of options from Don Vandervort.
Free woodworking plans and furniture plans: Links to a variety of project websites on the Web.
Jeff Greef woodworking: 40 free project plans.
Jim Barry's Woodworkers' Workshop: Lots of free plans and many other great resources for woodworkers.
Great Plans: Woodworking plans, projects, and patterns.
Do It Yourself Woodworking Projects: Loads more projects from doityourself.com.

Woodturning

Introductions and overviews

American Association of Woodturners: A great way to meet and share ideas with other woodturners.
The Woodturner's Workshop: A really comprehensive online book about woodturning by Brian Clifford.
Welcome to the world of Woodturning: A comprehensive introduction from Peter Hemsley.
Turned Treasures: Larry Hancock's personal woodturning site includes lots of tips and techniques.
Revolutions woodturning: Share the enthusiasm of woodturner David Peebles in this illustrated photo tour of his projects, workshop, and tools.
Woodturning Online: A good collection of articles and other resources.
Woodturning tools and rules: What sort of lathe do you need? How can you use is safely and effectively?
Introduction to green wood turning: Looks at the problems of using fresh (green) wood in wood turning projects and how to overcome them.
Ornamental turning: Revival of a craft from the past. A photo gallery of woodturning projects, some history, and a lot of other useful information.
Classic woodturning projects with Bonnie Klein: A woodturning book you can order online.

Woodturning projects

Teknatool woodturning projects: Free, downloadable projects including round bowls, three-legged bowls, pepperpots, .
Woodturning projects and other articles: A selection of useful articles from Brian Clifford.
Woodturns: Woodturning projects: Quite a large selection, including how to make bowls, vases, candlesticks, pens, and pepperpots.
Woodturning online: Turning projects: Another big selection, including baby rattles, birdhouses, bracelets, brushes, and more.
Marvin Landis' Woodturning Projects: A photo guide to the many projects Marvin has completed on his '57 Shopsmith lathe.
Woodturning projects for all skill levels: One reader's personal collection of woodturning projects and sites.

Painting wood

Preparing woodwork for painting: Tips from DIY Doctor.
Stripping paint from wood: A detailed leaflet.
Paint stripping, painting and wood finishing
Painting woodwork: more tips from Homebase UK

Painting factsheets from Focus DIY

Using varnish and stains

Wood stain: A basic introduction from Wikipedia compares stain to paint and briefly explains how to use it.
Using varnish and stains: tips from Homebase UK
Using Wood Stain: A guide from Benjamin Moore.
Using Wood Stain: A quick guide from eHow
How to apply wood stain: Advice from About.com.
Varnishing Wood: A beginner's guide from DIY Fixit.
How to apply varnish: A simple 12-step guide from eHow.com.

Marquetry

National societies

The Marquetry Society UK: Helpful information for people of all standards, plus galleries and links to local clubs and societies.
The Marquetry Society of Canada: Lots of practical information for beginners, including details of marquetry tools and tips, courses, societies, and even marquetry humour.
American Marquetry Society: Includes beginner's guide, contact details for local chapters, galleries, and more.

General sites

The Redbridge Marquetry Group Tutorial pages: Lots of practical advice on everything from how to make a chess board to a description of veneers.
Wood inlay: an illustrated step-by-step guide from the Chicago Park District.
Marquetry: A basic introduction from Wikipedia.
Marquetry murals: Some inspiring marquetry artworks.
Open Directory Project: Marquetry sites: Some more sites to explore.

Woodworking magazines

These links cover websites for popular woodworking magazines and online magazines.

About.com Woodworking: The woodworker's section of the popular About.com website, selected by guide Chris Baylor.
Get Woodworking: The online version of The Woodworker and Practical Woodworking magazines.
Grampa's Workshop: A more personal woodworking hobbyist's website run by Don "Grampa" Firth.
Popular woodworking: Online version of the popular magazine includes free project plans, online reviews, and other features.
Router and Power Woodworking: Not much online content.
Scrollsaw (Woodworking and Crafts): For beginners and experts alike.
Woodcarving Illustrated: A how-to magazine for wood carvers. Lots of online content.
WOOD magazine: Downloadable plans and projects and a selection of reader forums.
Woodezine.com: "Woodezine.com is a free e-zine (an online electronic magazine) just for woodworkers".
Woodturning Design: Not a great deal of original online content, though there is an online forum for woodturners.
Woodworking Magazine Index: A free index to articles in over 35 DIY and woodworking magazines.
Workbench: An emphasis on practical projects around the home.

Woodworking history

Old Woodworking Machines: A site dedicated to vintage woodworking machines, includes an index of manufacturers
Will's Medieval Woodworking: How did craftsmen work hundreds of years ago? A fascinating site from a dedicated enthusiast.
Museum of Woodworking Tools: "A museum should not be a fossilized, nostalgic look back to the past, so we hope to show how older tools can help you to be a better woodworker."
Woodworking: Includes a short outline of the history of woodworking crafts.
Roman Woodworking: A very interesting book by Roger B. Ulrich. Limited online preview here on Google Books.
Roman woodworking tools: A short illustrated guide, also from Roger B. Ulrich.
Exploring the Richly Detailed History and Art of Woodworking: Looking at the development of woodworking through different ages and conditions.
Wk Fine Tools.com: Lots of interesting historical articles in this online woodworking machines. Includes detailed sections on the History of Woodworking Tools in the US and the History of Woodworking Tools in the UK.