- No matter how small a project is, always purchase new wood stock first. You can then save the rest for a future project.
- to make your trip to the lumber yard more efficient, pick up a few extra interesting pieces while you’re there. Don’t worry about taking a list of what is back at the shop - you can always use the extra on a small project
- When considering if it’s worth using the stock you have, realize that you might need it for something later (also see rule 1)
Stop I'm already out of room!
Time to plan the storage addition. You're a woodworker...just build one. :-)
Don't have kids. One might be okay, but with two or more they will fight anytime you think you might go to the shop and thus you can't get to your tools. Even if the shop is in the house, sharp tools and fighting kids should not be near each other.
Seriously, nothing is better than time in the shop. Tricks can be helpful, but most are things you could think of yourself.
For two sided CNC machining, dowel pins are your friend. Its easy to drill pin holes in your fixture piece and your part so when you flip it over its precisely located.
Sharp tools. Check them before you start. Check them after an hour or more of sustained use. Replace (disposable) blades more often. Sharp tools make work easier and safer, and you have the added benefit of a cleaner finish on the cut.
It's easy to clean wipe-on poly off your hands if you use some canola oil. I always forget to wear gloves- oops.
Easy way to make line up a dowel joint: tape a finishing nail to one board and press the other board against it. The nail head leaves an impression that will match on both boards.
Learned this one from Frank Strazza, you can make handplaning easier by spraying a mixture of 50/50 water and alcohol to raise the grain and soften the fibers. I've seen Japanese woodworkers do something similar when paring endgrain but just with water
Closely related: a little wood paste wax on the sole will make planing easier by reducing friction between the sole and the wood. I've also started doing this on the surface of my table saw. It's pretty obvious when you need to apply more and the effect was very noticeable.
Those japanese pull saws are the bomb. So much easier than the traditional type of hand saw.
I just got one and I love it. I've made some amazingly straight cuts but one or two still go at an angle. And once that happens I don't know how to redirect it.
It's an interesting difference. Japan was always relatively iron-poor, so much of their woodworking evolved to use as little metal as possible, hence all the cool joinery. Pull saws take less iron to make than push saws cause they don't have to deal with bowing.
The one thing people need to also take into account is that Japanese workholding is often based on bodyweight, not relying on vices, clamps, or hold fasts. Sitting on the work piece, or putting a foot on it, and pulling to make cuts (or plane wood) works way better with a lower working height.
TL;DR, if you are having trouble with Japanese saws, work lower.
Get a rabbet plane, and keep it sharp.
When you have a project in mind, look for new tools but never buy the one that would be sufficient to your usage.
Always buy the one for professionals, as it will force you to think about good excuses when your wife finds out.
You left out a key ingredient - procrastination. It should always come down to "finish this project or we're done".
