7 Reasons Why Woodworking Will Be Always Popular in the US
Woodworking has been a popular hobby for longer than any individual that is alive today. Even in a time of robotics and electronics, there’s something amazing about working with wood that still resonates with so many people today.
Seriously, you only have to look at the size of the tool market in the US to get some sort of inkling as to how popular woodworking remains. In 2020, the power tool market was valued at over $10 billion, and that’s massive.
But I know it’s all fine talking about the market size. I think that part is pretty self-evident to most people. However, I want to delve deeper into the different reasons why woodworking will always prove to be popular in the US. For me, that’s the more interesting concept, and it’s what I intend to focus on at this moment in time.
While I feel there are many reasons why woodworking remains popular, I’m going to narrow it down to what I see as being seven of the key reasons. However, as you check them out, I’m sure you will start to think about other reasons as you move along.
How Has Woodworking Remained Popular In Modern Society?
I’m going to delve into the seven reasons below. Still, I need to stress one thing: the simple fact that woodworking has managed to maintain its popularity even when technology and the ease of buying new products is easier now than ever before.
I love the fact that people are still invested in a desire to make their own items or carry out their own repairs. They could so easily go ahead and buy something else to replace it or hire someone to do the work for them, but that’s not the case.
As I mentioned at the outset, the power tool market is enormous, and I feel it will be bigger than you imagined. Remember that doesn’t even include the amount of money people spend on materials, so it’s even bigger than the figure I mentioned above.
But I know that opens up the question of why it remains so popular. So, let’s get on with checking out the different reasons that I feel contribute to this popularity.
It’s Such an Accessible Hobby
I feel the first reason is quite simply its accessibility. Any individual can pick up even a basic tool and some wood and get to work on trying to produce something.
People fall into the trap of thinking they need some elaborate workshop and an array of tools, but that’s not true. You can still produce something using basic tools that will probably astound you.
You do not require too many items, and nor do you need a lot of space. That’s also a misconception people have about this hobby. I know about people with a small workshop that effectively folds down inside their apartment. You do not require some outbuilding just to become involved in woodworking.
There are no real barriers to woodworking. When you have almost nothing stopping people from starting, then there is just no reason for it not to always be popular in the US.
I think just having the ability to get on with this hobby wherever you are is just a fantastic thing.
Also, you don’t even need to spend money on power tools. There’s nothing to stop you from getting on with projects using hand tools. After all, that’s how people worked with wood for centuries before power tools were invented.
However, I will delve into that point regarding costs next.
It Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune
I know this does align with the previous reason, but money always plays a role in how easy it is for an individual to launch into a hobby.
I understand that basic tools may not have the same power or abilities as more professional tools. However, I don’t see that as much of a problem as other people may do, and let me explain why.
I feel that people will end up being drawn to the idea that you need the best tools around, and that’s not the case. Sure, you may miss out on certain aspects, but often the parts you miss out on are features only professionals or highly experienced individuals would use or need to use.
But I would also focus on the fact that you do not require that many tools either. Some type of power saw, a basic sander, and a combi drill will allow you to get on with producing so many items or completing so many projects. Once again, I’m talking about basic tools as well.
People just get this image in their heads of large workshops with tools covering every square inch of the walls and various workbenches. They have an idea of sawdust in every corner and piles of wood and then believe that is what is required when that’s not true.
You can have just three or four tools and make do with a basic setup to then allow you to go ahead and get on with things. I think that’s a fantastic thing, and it’s certainly another reason why it will always be popular.
So how much do I think it would cost for you to get started with woodworking? Well, while it’s tough to put an accurate price on this, I don’t doubt for a second you could pick up a couple of basic tools on a budget and start producing some items for under $200.
I know it does mean you have basic tools, but if you are starting out with woodworking as a hobby, then I would not recommend you spend a lot of money at the start. By all means, you can go ahead and upgrade things when you fall in love with woodworking and start to wish you could produce other items.
It’s also true that it can still work out to be less expensive than hiring a contractor, even if you need to go out and purchase a specific tool for the job in question. That is a fantastic thing to consider, and it certainly adds to the overall popularity of woodworking in the US.
People Will Always Be Creative
There’s also the fact that people will always be creative, and woodworking falls into that creative need or desire. Again, I see this as an apparent reason why woodworking will always exist.
I know people can be creative in different ways, but a large percentage of people enjoy the entire ‘hands-on’ thing that you get with a hobby such as woodworking. I know this is one of the main reasons why I love woodworking. The way you can take a natural material such as wood and transform it into something completely different is fantastic.
The creative side is further helped by the fact that your creativity can also produce something worthwhile. I think that’s amazing, and when you think of it from that perspective, then you start to see why it’s such a popular hobby.
Also, your creativity can be on various scales. Some individuals get so much out of producing small wooden bowls using mini lathes sitting in the corner of an apartment. Others prefer building tables or chairs in larger workshops and carving intricate patterns into the legs as that’s what interests them.
Also, as the material can be pretty cheap, it’s less of a problem if you make a mistake and need to start again. So what if your creative idea does not work out in the way you had hoped? All you need to do is to get another piece of wood, go back to the drawing board (literally) and do something a bit different.
Think of it in the same way as art. People have always loved being artists and painting or sculpting. It’s all connected to the creativity of humans, and woodworking falls into the same bracket.
But here’s another vital thing to consider. As your skills develop, your creativity does as well. So many additional things become possible, and that also feeds into this reason why it’s so popular and will always remain so.
Your talents grow. You add more tools or bits to your collection, and suddenly, a new world opens up for you. I love this, and I know it’s the exact thing that happened to me.
A Neverending Source of Options
New tools, bits, and ideas all contribute to what has become a never ending source of options. Woodworking engages your mind in various ways, and it’s perfect for people that love the idea of doing puzzles.
Let’s face it, you have a piece of wood and want to work out how you can produce a particular item at the end. It involves working out the different steps that will get you from A to B, and there are often different ways in which you can get there.
That’s an intriguing thing, and it does open up so many options that you will never run out of ideas about what to make or how to do something. People who fall in love with the hobby will mention how this array of options remains one of the best things about it.
For a hobby to remain popular, it needs to keep your interests peaked. It cannot do that if everything remains the same on a constant basis. Thankfully, woodworking does not fall into that trap. You always have new tools or designs and ideas to contend with. The hard part is trying to stop yourself from doing everything at once.
Just look at what you can do with some bits of wood. You could cut, shape, nail, and glue different pieces together and produce a coffee table or cabinet. Alternatively, you could take those same bits of wood and build a storage box, then grab some hinges and add a lid to it.
That’s one example of how you could have a couple of options. Yet, when you become more experienced, then you will conjure up so many things you can do that it becomes overwhelming with so many ideas flying around your head.
But that’s the beauty of woodworking. You can always come up with something to make or a problem to solve thanks to your skills.
A Money Saver
There’s also the simple fact that woodworking is a money saver. It stops you from having to hire a professional contractor and the cost that comes with that. As the general cost of living tends to climb, people are looking for ways to save money. Being involved in woodworking and having the ability to carry out various repairs yourself is a fantastic idea.
But also, it means you can seek to pick up used items and bring them back to life. There’s no need to go ahead and spend excessive amounts of money on brand-new items every single time. Instead, you can check out the used section and see how something can be transformed.
That also allows you to produce things to your own very specific conditions.
This ability to save money and get something unique has become even more important today. Also, it’s worth noting that doing work yourself instead of hiring a contractor can result in savings of as high as 80% in some instances.
When you think about the potential savings, is it surprising that people love woodworking?
All you need in order to save money is to have a vision and the willingness to work out how to complete your intended project. There is undoubtedly something so rewarding about working out the steps required to get your end result. The fact it keeps some money in your pocket at the same time is also very rewarding.
It Allows You to Set Challenges and Achieve Them
There is something human about setting challenges and to then go ahead and achieve them, and woodworking falls into that category. The best part for me, though, is the way in which you get something physical at the end of it all.
Sure, you could sit and do a crossword as a challenge, but at the end of the day, you will have a piece of paper with some words on it that you then throw into the trash. With woodworking, you have something tangible to show for your efforts, and that’s a big deal.
Also, you can change the degree of difficulty as your skills improve. That means you will never feel like you have failed at any point.
What I’m talking about here is you can change your capabilities depending on your skills and even the tools you have at your disposal. But you know you can buy a new tool, and suddenly new challenges emerge that you can go ahead and tackle.
It Allows You to Produce Something to Fit Your Needs
The final main reason is that woodworking gives us the opportunity to produce something that fits in with our specific needs. That is something that has always been a major positive linked to woodworking, and I understand why.
How often have you found a cabinet that is almost perfect for you, but it just missed out because it didn’t quite have the storage you wanted or was too big or too small? Woodworking allows you to either adapt something that just misses out, or it will enable you to make your own item that fits perfectly with your needs.
Once again, this goes back to the money saver aspect I mentioned earlier. It makes sense to have the ability to produce something you will use in the way you want instead of being compared to trying to simply make the best use of something that misses the boat slightly.
The Bottom Line
And those are my reasons why woodworking will always be popular in the US, and I feel I’ve made a number of very important points. It’s just never going to be something that people lose interest in, thanks to technology. If that was the case, then it would have happened by now.
Woodworking as a hobby offers so much. It allows you to get creative and produce something of use. It gives you the opportunity to explore ideas and check out new tools and see what happens.
You have a neverending opportunity to produce different end results, and that’s amazing. The fact you can be as simple or as crazy as you want is something to love about the hobby, and that ability will ensure woodworking never dies out.
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