if you get nervous or have anxiety while using power tools let's talk about a few tips to help
you overcome those words so that you can be more confident and less anxious in the shop
confidence with any power tools directly related to the amount of time you spend using that tool
and the only way to reduce your anxiety and build confidence is to spend more time for that
tool and I know how that sounds especially after you're already so nervous about using power tools
so let's look at five tips to help you change all that nervous energy in the confident action
tip number one is to understand and know the difference between respecting a tool and fearing
a tool respect is a healthy caution for knowing what the tool is capable of and what the tool
is not capable of respect should lead the things like guidelines safety parameters and an overall
understanding of that tools function and design fear on the other hand is derived from the lack of
knowledge through minimal experience which leads to a carelessness towards the tools main purpose
and design fear also leads to poor decision making which ultimately leads to injury and that's what
we fear the most right it's not that we're going to make a mistake and ruin a project yes that
would be bad but our biggest concern is that we're going to hurt ourselves or others around
us and that leads us to tip number two which is to read and understand all the manuals that come
with each power tool manuals have written for a reason many of us think that reason is for safety
guidelines only but it does so much more than that it explains the tools main functions it shows the
best operational techniques and it sometimes talks about tool accessories my table-saw manual comes
to mind here that mean there's just so much great information in here greeting and understanding
manuals and other useful documentation is a sure way to gain knowledge before experience so that
when experience comes you'll be better prepared to take full advantage of it I do however understand
that not all power tools come with great manuals so that leads us in to tip number three which is
to learn through watching others work and ask questions this could be online or in person or
both and you can start by simply watching the videos that I have and leave your questions in
the comment section next is in person you can reach out to a neighbor or a local woodworking
shop or even a teacher and ask if you could hang out for a day or two in return for helping them
clean up at the end of the day the next tip transitions us from an observer to a doer so
tip number four is start simple by making a lot of easy practice cuts we have all heard
the saying practice makes perfect but the updated version is so much better practice makes progress
making progress is simply more attainable than seeking for perfection plus progress leaves room
for making mistakes which is what we all need to do to learn by making a lot of easy practice cuts
it gives you the needed time to build confidence get experience and create a healthy respect for
the tool without having the stress of making hard cuts or making mistakes on a project the more reps
you get in there stronger you are right but even if that's too much where you can start with more
basic smaller power tools even though they don't make cuts then work your way back up to the bigger
tools like the miter saw table saw and hand routers and last tip number five refining your
skills with some practice now under your belt you will soon get to the point where you'll feel in
here warning signs or sounds coming from the tool for instance if you apply too much pressure in a
certain direction or feed the material through not quite straight enough the tool will change pitch
giving you a clear signal that you need to change something before potential danger happens it's
through this feedback loop where you begin to get more comfortable and confident to move forward to
the next level whatever that level is for you but remember this if you ever get uncomfortable about
making a certain cut don't do it there's always another way to get that job done and lastly I do
want you to know that these tips don't have to be done in the way I presented them you can mix
and match and make it really specific to how you think you need to learn the best and if you have
any questions leave them below plus I'll add a playlist here you can go ahead and click on that
to watch all of the power tool videos that I've made so far thanks for watching see you next week