Woodworking
A Small-Scale Business
Introduction
Woodworking is the art of forming and shaping
wood to make both useful and decorative objects.
It is a skilful process which takes time and
determination to master. However, if you can
perfect the making of a product - a bowl, for
example - you can sell it to make money. Running
a successful woodworking enterprise is dependant
on many factors, some of which are covered in this
Technical Brief.
Workshop equipment and tools
To be able to work effectively you need to have at
least some woodworking equipment.
Many items of equipment and tools can be self-
made, reducing the cost of setting up a workshop.
Figure 1 : Tool-making training in
Work Bench
A workbench is usually like a table. It has a large
Zimbabwe. Mr. Buekerwa tests a rebate
plane. Photo: Aaron More / Practical Action 1991.
flat working surface supported on four legs. On the
bench there be a rack for holding various tools (although these are sometime mounted on the
wall) and hole for locking pins. As well as places for hand tools there may be vice fixed or
incorporated into the bench design so work can be fixed into place while being worked on.
The workbench should ideally be level and provide a solid working environment for a range of
product sizes. See the Practical Action Technical Brief How to Make a Woodworking Bench .
Sawing Horse
A sawing horse consists of some ‘A’
frames. These can be joined together
or freestanding, it doesn’t really
matter. The idea of the sawing horse is
to lift your work off the ground and
bring it to a suitable height to be able
to cut it easily. Ensure you lift your
work sensibly to avoid injury.
Figure 2 : A display of tools and workbench made by
Aaron Moore. Photo: Aaron More / Practical Action.
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