Building with wood: projects, techniques and tools
The Wood Guide · Build it yourself
The Wood Guide · sectionBuild it yourself
From a shed and a pergola to joints, gluing and tools. Building, working and repairing with wood, step by step.
- 51 guides
- 6 topics
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The core guides of this section
Building a wooden garden shedTools, bikes and firewood kept dry and in their place. Seven steps, and one decision that sets how long it lasts.Read the guide →
How do you build a wooden terrace on different types of ground?Read the guide →
How do you restore antique furniture?Read the guide →
Wood jointsJoining pieces of wood firmly without a single nail or screw. The three classics, and what to do when one breaks.Read the guide →
In the garden 17 guides
Building a wooden garden shedTools, bikes and firewood kept dry and in their place. Seven steps, and one decision that sets how long it lasts.
How can you insulate a wooden shed for use in all seasons?
How do you build a wooden garden shed?
How do you build a wooden terrace on different types of ground?
Examples of wooden terraces with planters and seating areas
How do you build a sturdy wooden pergola for climbing plants?
How do you build a sustainable wooden fence?
What are the steps for building a wooden gate by a fence?
How can you adapt a wooden carport to different vehicle sizes?
How can you build a wooden treehouse?
Building a wooden play structureEndless fun in your own garden. With a set of dimensions you shouldn't make up yourself, because accidents have happened with…
A wooden outdoor kitchenWood, fire and water in one piece of furniture. That works very well — but not everywhere in the same piece, and that is…
How do you build a sturdy wooden stage for performances and…
What are some safety considerations when building wooden…
Creative Wooden Planters: Elevate Your Outdoor Space
What are some creative ways to add lighting to a wooden pergola?
What are some innovative ways to use wood in balcony designs?
In and around the house 8 guides
Building a sustainable timber houseWarm, natural and with a smaller footprint than masonry. But the sustainability lies in decisions you make at the drawing…
Insulating wooden windowsTimeless charm, but without insulation a source of energy loss. Six methods, and the order in which they deliver the most.
Restoring a wooden floorNot every damaged floor needs sanding. The question is how deep the damage goes — and how much floor you have left.
How do you create a seamless transition between different…
What are some safe ways to use wooden floors in humid…
How do you make a curved wooden handrail?
How can you use wooden wall paneling to create an accent wall?
How can you integrate wooden beams and trusses into…
Making furniture 7 guides
How do you restore antique furniture?
How can you make a custom wooden workbench?
How can you build a wooden bar or counter?
Making a wooden picture frameFour strips of wood and a piece of glass. And yet this is the project on which most beginners get their first real lesson in…
How do you make a wooden piece of furniture without much tools?
What are some advanced methods for making wooden furniture…
How can you reuse old wood in new projects?
Techniques 10 guides
Wood jointsJoining pieces of wood firmly without a single nail or screw. The three classics, and what to do when one breaks.
What are some tips for making complex joints in wooden…
How do you engrave text or images in wood?
How can you bend and shape wood for unique designs?
What are some advanced techniques for wood inlay?
What are the steps for making a round cutout in wood?
How do you saw straight with a hand saw?
How do you prevent splinters when cutting wood?
Preventing warpingA board that comes off the saw straight and is a curve a day later. That is not bad luck but physics — and largely preventable.
How did ancient civilizations work with wood without modern…
Tools and glue 5 guides
Basic tools for woodworkingYou can spend a fortune on tools before you have cut a single board. This is what you really need, and in what order.
Which sandpaper for wood?
How does a wood lathe work?
Gluing wood without clampsClamps are handy, but far from always necessary. With the right glue, good preparation and a few clever ways of holding the…
Which wood glue should you use for what?The right glue makes the difference between a joint that holds for years and one that opens up after a single winter. Five…
Getting started 4 guides
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About this section
Build it yourself
Building with wood yourself starts with the right species and ends with a good joint. In this section you'll find projects for the garden and the house, techniques from sawing to dovetails, and the tools you need for them — with the pitfalls included.
From knowledge to garden
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The Wood Guide
The other sections
Wood species100 guides →
Understanding wood17 guides →
Care & finishing28 guides →
Choosing & buying16 guides →
Trees & forests31 guides →
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Hand with hammer and chisel carving letters into a wooden plank — Frédérique Voisin-Demery, CC BY 2.0 · Planed Douglas fir boards with clearly visible growth rings — Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 3.0 · End grain of an oak trunk showing growth rings, heartwood and sapwood — Friedrich Böhringer, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT · Wooden table and benches on a patio among potted plants — Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Beech (Fagus sylvatica) in full leaf — Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY 3.0