Basics of Woodworking

Preparing timber

In any project, from the simplest shelf to the most complicated piece of furniture, certain basic measuring and marking techniques are always used. In marking out the length of a simple hoard, for example, it is essential tocheck that the starting end is square.

The importance of these techniques and the accuracy required varies from project to project. A simple wall shelf could be slightly overlong and not exactly square, but it that shelf has to fit exactly inside a cabinet the ends must be straight and accurate. It is important to learn the correct methods so that they come naturally.

Most softwoods can be bought already planed up, with square sides.
It is much easier to use only planed wood and save the time and effort of planing the four sides by hand. Hardwoods are usually only sold in the sawn state so if you plan to use, say, a piece of mahogany, it is best to find a local workshop to plane it accurately on a machine.

Checking for straightness

Even though the wood has already been planed it may, after lying in storage for a while, tend to bow slightly, so first check by sighting along the length that the boards are straight. If any have warped or bowed badly they will have to be discarded, although a slightly bowed board may be used or it can be corrected by planing along the bowed edge with a long plane. Warped boards can he cut up for use as wedges and packing pieces.

Marking the face and edge

Choose the best face and the best side of each board and mark them with a pencilled loop on the face carried over to the best side. These marks are important because all subsequent measurements and markings will be made from these two sides.
This may sound tedious but without a system of marking, in making a table support with four legs and four rails, for example, there would be no way of keeping track of which sides face inwards and which face outwards.

Marking and cutting to length

For larger jobs it is best to prepare a cutting list indicating the number of pieces and the length of each piece you will need.
Always cut the longest piece first and the shortest last, so if you make a mistake and cut the first piece a bit short there is usually enough wood to cut another; the slightly short piece can be used for the next shorter size.

Before cutting the boards to length check one end of the board with a try-square. Unless it is already square, mark a square line at least 50mm in from the end, then saw the hoard off along the line, with a tenon saw. With one end square you can now measure off each piece, mark it with a try-square and cut it to length.

The saw cut will remove about 2mm of wood, so you must saw on the outer side of the line to make the piece exactly the length you have measured. (See***).

Planing the ends

For some work the ends can be left rough sawn, but for furniture the ends should be planed smooth. Cut the boards one or two millimetres over length to allow for planing off the ends.

Hold the hoard vertically in a vice and use a block plane to plane the end smooth. Remember to plane in toward the centre from either end to avoid the wood breaking or chipping along the edges.

Plywood, blockboard and chipboard

Plywood and other sheet materials can be prepared in the same way, starting from two edges which have been checked for squareness .
Mark the other two sides to length, using a large try-square or marking the length at both ends and drawing the line with a straight-edge.

Cut the pieces just a millimetre or so too large and plane the sides straight to the exact size. To cut larger pieces use a power circular saw where possible. See page 39 for a guide to precise cuts.

RIGI IT: The kerf is the tiny width of wood removed by the saw blade. Note the jagged effect this has when seen in close up. It is important to saw on the 'waste" side of the marked line so that you knish with the right size.

OPPOSITE: Before starting any woodworking job, make sit re you have all the materials you will need and measure them carefully. It will save time and problems if you adopt this very gnat habit; it will also make the job more enjoyable.