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Prevent Your DIY Wood Projects From Looking Cheap With These Tricks
By JAHAIRA ARTHUR
Use the right wood and tools so your DIY wood projects don't look cheap, emphasizes woodshop expert and Wooden Maven owner Char Miller-King in an exclusive House Digest interview.
While it's fun to create DIY wood projects that solve a problem and save you money, you don't want the final product to look like a DIY but rather a handcrafted, artisanal item.
Some crafts need good quality lumber. "In order to get the best finish, look for cabinet grade plywood," said Miller-King. "[It] is free of knots and has a consistent appearance."
For fancy jobs, Miller-King suggested using "veneered plywood, where the top layer is a hardwood, such as cherry or walnut," with edge banding to fake the appearance of solid wood.
Miller-King also recommends pine, "Premium select pine is generally free of most imperfections." It's lightweight, easy to work with, and stains well if conditioned beforehand.
The right tools are also essential to ensure clean cuts, level placements, smooth edges, and consistent staining, as these details distinguish a professional job from a novice one.
"Using a track saw or circular saw and cutting sheets of plywood with the mitered beveled will [...] conceal the unsightly edges of plywood for a classier look," says Miller-King.
"If you are working with smaller widths of lumber [use] a miter saw," Miller-King advised. Employing the right tools will improve your craftsmanship and produce polished results.