ORANGE, Ohio — For the past 27 years, Kurt Klimko has been the adult woodworking instructor for the Orange Community Education and Recreation Department teaching woodworking basics to students and adults alike, and he was kind enough to share some of his advice to help any woodworking newbies out there get started.
When working with people who have no woodworking experience, Klimko says it's important to set realistic expectations.
"A lot of them see a lot of these programs on TV and they wish they could do this stuff, but either they don't have the knowledge or the equipment, equipment," he explained. "I try to tell the people, No. 1, be focused. Be safe, No. 2, and have a good set of plans for when you're doing your projects."
Another rule of thumb? Klimko says it's a good idea to start small. Don't expect to master a large or complicated project right off the bat. If you're looking for a great place to start, he often suggests his new students build a simple shaker table, which can offer a lot of lessons all in one project.
"It's easily completed within a few days of working on [it]," he said. "It's basically getting you familiar [with] gluing up pieces, how to attach everything, the construction of things, how you have to fasten things together."
But fair warning to anyone trying out the hobby for the first time: Once you get started, you just might not want to stop.
"We get people from all over Northeastern Ohio coming in here, taking the classes," he said. "So they love it, and once they get hooked, you know, you get addicted to it."
If you're interested in taking a class with Kurt at the Orange Community Education and Recreation Department, you can access the Recreation Guide here, or call (216) 831-8601.