Can you believe it?  Get Woodworking week is now less than one month away!  I’m so excited, I can hardly contain myself…

Well, maybe I need to learn how to contain myself just a little bit. Anyway, I wanted to get you into the mood by listing a few resources you might want to check out for woodworkers just starting out.  At these sites, you will find all sorts of advice, plans, tool reviews and technique articles to get you motivated to get into the shop and try your hand at woodworking.

Wood Magazine’s Basic Built Series: This is is Wood Magazine’s initiative to provide simple, yet high-quality woodworking projects that can be completed with a minimum number of tools and skills. This site covers a wide array of topics – from how to find furniture worthy wood to where to find the best deals on tools. The inexpensive projects offered run the gamut from shop fixtures to tables, seating and casework.

Popular Woodworking’s I Can Do That: In every issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine, the “I Can Do That” column features projects that can be completed by any woodworker with a modest (but decent) kit of tools in less than two days of shop time, and using raw materials that are available at any home center. Be sure to download their .PDF manual first before you get a start on things.

New To Woodworking:  Marc Spagnuolo, the Wood Whisperer, understands that it’s OK to be a Noob. That’s why he put together this impressive site for the up and coming woodworker. He’s sorted through his site and found the best articles on shop set up, technique and projects with build-along videos.

NewWoodworker.com: Tom Hintz is no longer a new woodworker, but, believe me, his site will help steer any new woodworker in the right direction. Before you buy a new tool or select a spot for your shop, be sure to pay this site a visit and soak in the knowledge.

Now, this is by no means a complete list of sites. In fact, if you are aware of any others, be sure to list them in the comments below this article. This way, I can add them to this list to build a resource of sites geared toward the new woodworker.

Also, be sure to check the blogs listed to the right of this post. Each of those are the sites of bloggers I have been in touch with – either in person or online – who do some outstanding work.  I have asked for their help for the week, and most of them have said they are game. As they post articles on their sites, I will also link to them on a dedicated get woodworking page on my site.

The best part about Get Woodworking Week is that we’re going to make an active effort to get folks off the sideline and help them find the sawdust in their veins.  We’ll all be better off with new folks who get out there and show us what they’ve got.