Rob Porcaro shares his shop-proven techniques for producing accurate joint surfaces and aligning them for glue-up. The fundamental simplicity of the edge joint demands accuracy. There is no mechanical lock, and even tiny gaps are visually and structurally unacceptable with the finished joint fully exposed. No problem – here are techniques for success by using various hand planers and jigs. A perfect joining edge The joint edge of the board should have a slight camber (concavity) along its length. There must never be the slightest convexity across its width and, when the camber is closed with only mild pressure, the edges should fully mate along their entire length to produce a flat panel. Hand planing has no equal in producing completely flat surfaces. This creates an ideal surface for gluing. A small-shop woodworker can efficiently produce quality joints by using a well-tuned jointer, or tablesaw, to bring the edge close
Michael T Collins shows you how to make a simple Shaker bench, with a different take on the traditional sliding dovetail. The Shakers came to America in the 18th century, and over the years became highly skilled woodworkers, developing their own sense of design. Their furniture and interiors were simple and austere. They believed that everything should be made with a minimum of extra detail or decoration, and only made for their intended use. Looking at some modern furniture designs, it is clear that the Shakers’ style continues to influence trends of the 21st century; Danish Modern tastes are a good example. This bench is going to be used outside and so will be made in hard maple. It would also be durable enough for use in a ‘mud room’, or elegant enough to grace a hallway. Many fine examples of original Shaker furniture can be seen in the collection of
Dave Western explores the meanings behind the signs and symbols used in lovespoons. Understanding lovespoon symbolism can be a tricky business. Loads of mythology has sprung up over the years to explain the origins and meanings of the many romantic symbols found on Welsh lovespoons. Likely originating in Victorian times, much of this lore is more the product of vivid imagination than cold, hard fact. With the advent of the internet, ever more fanciful ‘information and lore’ floods us, with the result being complete confusion. Nowadays, carvers and those interested in the history and tradition of lovespoon carving are rightly perplexed about what actually does constitute traditional design and how can we tell the difference between lovespoons and those spoons which are merely ornamental. I will examine traditional and modern lovespoon design. I will highlight the important symbols of both eras and will show you how to use them to
Gary Marshall takes a look at the lime tree, whose history lies back in ancient times. Think of a lime (Tilia vulgaris) tree and you may picture just one type. However, there are around 30 distinct species in the genus Tilia worldwide. They generally have telltale zigzag twigs and heart-shaped leaves. Limes range from the American basswood (Tilia americana) to the rare and lovely Tilia tuan from China, as well as many hybrids and cultivars. This article concerns three closely related types; the common lime – a hybrid (Tilia x vulgaris) and our British native trees – the small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) and the large-leaved lime (Tilia platyphyllos). The common lime is a familiar tree in the British Isles; it’s a hybrid between the small-leaved and large-leaved limes and is best seen in an open parkland setting. It’s valued for its stately, tall form, for its bright, lime green leaves emerging in
John Hawkswell looks at some eye catching handles and makes a magic wand, plus a magnifying glass and letter opener. It took a visit to the Sultan’s palace in the old quarter of Istanbul to realise handles could be raised from the mundane into objects of interest and, perhaps, even beauty. Back in the workshop I decided to experiment. Of course, lacking a spare horde of diamonds and other precious stones humbler materials were used and some of the results are shown here.The letter opener and magnifying glass would make a pleasing gift. The mix of timbers used to produce both blanks makes an attractive handle, which is simple to construct. Budding witches or wizards need a convincing magic wand to impress their mates. Aside from Halloween, this is the season of parties so the wand described here could be a timely present with some brownie points for the donor.
Different countries use different measuring systems and typically the USA uses the standard/English/Imperial system and the UK uses the Metric system. It is possible to get calculators to make the conversions but the ones that use fractions are not so easy to find. Below is the conversion chart we use for all our publications and it gives the best results for woodworkers when sizing wood. If you want to do hardware conversions this will not work so well and you will need to find the nearest metric equivalent that the hardware manufacturers in your country makes. If the measurement conversion you require is not listed below simple find two, or more, measurements (in your measuring system) that will add together to make up the measurement you want, then add them and their conversions together to get the resulting conversion. If you wish to save a copy for reference, right-click on
If you need to reach up higher, make this handy hop-up! The fixing method for this project is simply glue and 50mm twinfast screws. However, to make it look more ‘finished’, I have chosen to use a 9mm counterbore which creates neat holes that can be plugged after screwing together, using 9mm dowel on end. This creates a contrast as end timber looks different and makes more of a feature of the fixings. Things you will need Tools and equipment Timber Further reading
Philip Greenwood talks about how to sand work to a fine finish. For such a simple sounding part of the turning process, there is a lot to know about sanding the finished piece. I have seen some well turned pieces which have been let down by bad sanding. Knowing the correct method to sand, and also how to sand correctly can improve the finish. Incorrect methods can be dangerous when sanding natural edge work and the inside of vases. One of the main problems I come across is people rushing the process and missing grades out. Sanding need not be a long process if done correctly, and will show that the process has been carried out correctly on your finished piece. Remember when you apply the finish it will show every scratch mark on your item. This article is about the methods I use every day in my workshop. Dust
Bridle joints are common in frame construction because of their strength. The wide mortise and tenon provide plenty of glue surface for a rock-solid joint. Randy Maxey shows how you can make a bridle joint with a band saw and table saw.
To buy Randy’s book: “Wood Joints by Machine & by Hand”
Randy Maxey shares a project design he used to teach woodworking to local residents in El Salvador through the non-profit organization “Tools for Opportunity” @toolsforopportunity7242 The simple design allowed the woodworkers to become familiar with power tools and woodworking design principles. It is a popular design that will not only look good in your home, but it serves an important function in keeping your outdoor gear handy and organised.
Every once in a while, someone comes up with a radical new method or tool that knocks tradition for a loop. Tooley Park scribes are a new take on a centuries-old method of scribing a workpiece. For example, fitting a cabinet filler strip against a wall that’s less than plumb and even. Or scribing an inset door to fit the cabinet opening precisely. Or scribing the bottom of a chair leg for cutting it to eliminate wobble. Many craftsmen and carpenters would use a compass or a crude shop-made tool to do the job. Tooley Park offers another option for scribing that is worth a look.
Stanley Bedrock planes were first introduced in the late 1800s. Their design is a little different, some say better, than conventional bench planes of the era. Randy Maxey disassembles the Bedrock plane to clean all the components before reassembly.
Learn more about Stanley Bedrock Hand Planes:
http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan15.htm
https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/1314
Stanley Bedrock hand planes were designed and manufactured to be different than conventional Bailey-style hand planes. But were Bedrock planes better than the common bench plane? Randy Maxey compares the two styles of hand planes and points out the differences between them.
These planes were first introduced in the late 1800s. Their design is a little different, some say better, than conventional bench planes of the era. Randy Maxey was fortunate enough to get his hands on a couple of Bedrock 605 bench planes when a technical school decided to get rid of them. After a few years in storage, he pulls one off the shelf to learn more about Bedrock planes and bring this old hand plane back to life in the workshop.
