Skilling up - how to expand my woodworking skills?

[MadamKoKo]

Reaching out to those more experienced for some help. I’d like to find somebody willing to help me expand my wood working skills so I can take on more advanced projects. Does anyone offer training or have a suggestion of where I can  go to do a course?  Willing to spend whatever it costs.  Thanks 

[EricL]

Hello @MadamKoKo

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's fabulous to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about skilling up.

Taking that next step in your building skills depends on what you're aiming for. For example, I want to build a new dinner table. Do you want to build something simple or something complicated? Simple is buying the timber top and attaching steel legs at the bottom. Complicated is customizing your table size and making custom timber legs for it. Both can be achieved and the skills involved are always based on the basics. Those basics are knowing how to measure, how to cut, how to join timber, how to paint and most importantly how to plan.

Believe it or not, your skills can improve by simply attempting a project you've never done before or is intimidating to you. An upcycling project, building a plant stand, or maybe even building a cubby house. Projects that you've always dreamt of doing will be the basis for your decisions. I can easily just say go to TAFE or look up youtube tutorials. You would learn skills, but are these the skills you really wanted to learn? 

A good starting point would be, what project did you want to build that you feel is currently out of reach? Make a list and once you're ready, start a new discussion. As you do more projects, so does your experience and skill level.

Here are some amazing projects our Workshop team members have shared:

• Spotted Gum dining table by @dean

• Student desk with a Spotted Gum top by @Nham

• Bedroom feature wall by @sper 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Dezzi]

Dear MadamKoKo,

It is difficult to suggest where you can go to do a course without knowing which state you are in or just exactly what sort of wood working skills (or tools and equipment) you have or seeking to improve. However, I can only offer you my experience, being very much an office worker who loves working with wood.  By that I mean making small outdoor wood projects from recycle wood and bring back to life discarded furniture.

You could try a TAFE collage, although they may be called something else now. (West Coast Collage in Perth?? I'm no longer in WA) . This is how I started, by attending a part time night course.  You came to the course with your own  material and project (for me it was a wine rack/cabinet).  You had the benefit of the latest and best equipment and an instructor to guide you in each and every step.  The instructor was a cabinet maker, so I got to learn a lot from a professional from that one project that I still apply today some 10-15 years later!

I also purchased a Triton Workcentre (where else but from Bunnings) and all the other accessories that came with it.  A real shame that Triton which was a Aussie invention, is now big in Europe but almost unheard of in Australia. Carbatec, (the home of wood working - www.carbatec.com.au) offered night time courses on getting the most out of a Triton Workcentre. You could check out if there is one near you and see if there is anything they can offer.

Of course these days, there are unlimited videos on You Tube that you can source (as already suggested by EricL Bunnings Team Member).  I find You Tube handy when I'm unfamiliar with a tool or equipment or need inspiration to tackle a specific task.If you need inspiration for a project, you could also try Instagram to see what the experts do.

Good luck!

[3Bears]

Where are you? I'm also new at all this and just loving learning and "wood" love a mentor. There are community groups around to join and I'm going to join one in my local area in Forest Hill, QLD

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Dezzi. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for the time you've taken to put together a brilliant first post. I trust @MadamKoKo will find it very useful.

I'm sure you have plenty of experience to share with our members, and no doubt they'll provide you with tons of inspiration for your projects.

We look forward to hearing all about the projects and plans you have around the house and garden, and feel free to let us know anytime you need a hand or have something to share.

Mitchell

[MitchellMc]

Great to have you join us as well, @3Bears. There're plenty of knowledgeable online mentors that you can seek assistance from here. Let us know if you have any questions or get stuck with a project.

Mitchell