Basic Carpentry and Woodworking
Learn about basic carpentry and woodworking by exploring the small woodworking projects, plans, and tutorials available on myCarpentry.com. Try out the free online carpentry tools, like the stair calculator, roof pitch calculator, and the span tables for joists and rafters. Free online plans are also available for patio covers, outdoor showers, decks, picnic tables, benches, bars, birdhouses, and many other carpentry and woodworking projects.
I have been a professional carpenter for many years, but I also enjoy building things out of wood in my free time. When you build your own basic carpentry and woodworking projects, you have unique one-of-a-kind items that can't be purchased in any store.
Basic Carpentry and Woodworking
Simple Workbench Plans
These simple workbench plans make good use of standard sized lumber to reduce excess waste. This workbench design also includes plans for optional side panels and doors.
Building a Patio Cover
These almost-free-standing patio cover plans might be just what you are looking for if your existing roof is not capable of supporting the weight of a patio cover roof.
Picnic Table Plans
It is not too early to get started on those Springtime woodworking projects! Build your own picnic table or other outdoor furniture items using the completely free plans on mycarpentry.com.
Easy Bench Plans - Build Your Own Custom Bench
Easy Bench Plans - I designed and built this outdoor shower on some property located in the Hill Country of central Texas. The corrugated tin and western red cedar structure blended well with the local architecture. Building a simple bench is an excellent basic carpentry and woodworking project.
Outdoor Shower Plans - Build Your Own Outdoor Shower
Outdoor Shower Plans - I designed and built this outdoor shower on some property located in the Hill Country of central Texas. The corrugated tin and western red cedar structure blended well with the local architecture.
Cedar Deck - Design and Build Your Own Cedar Deck
Cedar Deck - This article is an account of my experiences while building my own cedar deck in the hill country of Texas...
Patio Cover Plans - Build Your Own Deck Cover or Patio Cover
Using these patio cover plans as a guide, you can build your own covered patio or outdoor room...
Make your own truck ladder racks
Make your own ladder racks and save big bucks! When I was looking for racks to haul my canoe, I was surprised at how pricy the name brand racks were. I decided to do some research on materials that were available at the local hardware store and came up with these plans.
Carpentry Calculators - Basic Carpentry and Woodworking Tools
One of the many useful features of mycarpentry.com is the carpentry calculators section. They include the roof pitch calculator (for calculating roof pitch and slope), the cubic yard calculator (for estimating concrete), and the arch calculator (for calculating the elliptical curve of archways).
The stair calculator is also a very useful calculator, and comes in two flavors (automatic and manual), for calculating the rise and run of stairs in a variety of design scenarios.
Both Stair Calculators provide stringer diagrams with the results labeled on each section (Total Rise, Total Run, Step Height, etc.). The stinger diagrams automatically update, depending on which attachment method you choose (standard or flush).
Small Woodworking Projects
The small woodworking projects section contains free plans for building several small projects, ranging from birdhouses to picnic tables. These simple projects can easily be built in less than a day. Many of them can be built in less than an hour.
Build a Deck
If you are interested in building a deck, visit Build a Deck and walk through the 10'x10' deck tutorial. This tutorial covers framing, footings, decking, building deck stairs, railing, and stair railing.
