. For some it is so they can build furniture that is really high quality and not flimsy like what you find in most stores these days. For some they just like to create. Whatever your reasons, you have picked a great new hobby. And if you take it on with the right passion you will be successful.
The first thing you need to understand is wood. There are many different properties of wood and understanding this will save you a lot of frustration when you start projects.
You will come to know that as wood is exposed to the elements it can change. Basically it contracts and expands because of rain, dryness, and humidity. This occurs over time and is something you need to account for.
The wood that you are going to be using for your project will be either a hard wood or a soft wood. You need to familiarize yourself with these terms and the woods that fall into each category. Certain woods are going to work best for certain projects. Getting this wrong can make your project worthless down the road.
You will also need to spend some time to familiarize yourself with the different types of woodworking tools. Don't rush out and buy everything you see. You can build your collection over time and as a project requires a new tool you can set out to get it. You might find buying new woodworking tools a bit of an addiction! This is normal and most of us enthusiasts go through it.
There is a wealth of knowledge out there for learning woodworking. The best thing you can do is just get to work on some projects. You will find in time that your skill level will grow as you complete more projects.