The right tools & a good jig makes the project easier.
Woodworking provides a wide spectrum of challenges depending on you experience and training. If you are new to woodworking a basic mortise and tenon joint can provide an adequate challenge. If you are an experienced woodworker a free-hand cut inlay might be a good challenge; there are hundreds. For me, while I consider myself a pretty good woodworker, there are many basic woodworking techniques that still provide a challenge. Even the perfect fitting tenon is occasionally elusive.
Even though this is an old craft steeped in tradition, there is always more to learn. The right tools go a long way to simplify most woodworking challenges. After purchasing my first dado stack, the perfect tenon was much more achievable. In some or many cases, cost may inhibit your ability to purchase specialty tools, but when you can, buy the right tool to do the job. The end result will make the purchase worth it.
Also building a jig can significantly simplify a difficult or repeated task. Being a carpenter’s daughter, I learned that working fast was the key to earning a living building houses. I had to unlearn that speed and replace it with precision. Building a jig felt like a waste of time, but I have since come to believe the time put into the creation of a good jig is worth every minute when four legs for a table come out exactly the same and fit perfectly in the project. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share some of my favorite and most useful jigs. None of them are original ideas; some may be slightly modified for my style, but they are all good solutions to old and new woodworking challenges. Check in regularly for simple jig ideas.