Plan Woodworking Sitemap

I.Stock Bill - The first thing a beginner must learn to do when he takes a drawing from which he is to make a piece of woodwork, is to prepare a stock bill of ma­terials that can, be given to the lumberman to fill. Whether the worker gets what he wants or not will depend greatly upon the specifications he gives the dealer, whether they are intelligible or not, and whether they allow one and only one interpretation.

II.Rough Stock - The tools needed for this are the rule, try-square or steel square, a straightedge and a pencil.

Figure 2 shows the try-square and steel or framing square, and gives the names of the parts. The rule used may be the single-piece rule or the folding 2-ft. rule, such as carpenters use (Fig. 3). A straightedge is anything which has one of its edges straight.

III.Hand Saws - Hand saws are of two kinds—rip and crosscut. The first is for sawing along- the grain, the direc­tion in which wood splits easiest, the other for sawing across the grain. The necessity for having a saw for each direction of cutting with reference to the grain is clearly shown in Fig. 7 The ripsaw is really nothing more than a lot of little narrow chisels so arranged that they cut, one after the other, in rapid succession, the cutting edge, like that of the chisel, being on the front of the teeth.

IV.Hand Saws - In using the hand saws, the most advantageous position is obtained by placing the board which to be sawed upon a pair of "horses" or trestles.

Whether ripping—cutting parallel to the grain—or crosscutting, the manner of starting the cut or kerf and guiding the saw throughout the operation is the same.

V.Planes - Among the various planes used by wood-workers are the following: block plane, smooth plane, jack plane, jointer and a special plane known as a combina­tion plane. Not all of these planes are absolutely necessary for simple work such as a beginner would do, but they are desirable. The smooth plane, jack plane and jointer differ only in their length, width of cutter or plane iron, and in the manner of shaping the cutting edge of the plane iron.

VI.Mill-Planed Stock - Practically every lumber yard carries in stock lumber that has been mill-planed on two surfaces to stock thicknesses. Wood-workers can specify the thickness wanted for the work they have in hand and thus avoid much of the drudgery necessitated by plan­ing up stock entirely in the rough as it comes from the sawmill.

VII.Mill-Planed Stock #2 - Having planed and marked the face side and face edge, the next step is to mark the desired width. Figure 36 shows the tool used for this purpose and the manner of holding it while setting it. It is called a marking gauge. Gauge sticks are marked off like a ruler into inches and fractions. These markings are so unreliable, however, that it is better not to depend upon them. Figure 37 shows the position of the gauge in action.

VIII.Squaring Stock - The process of squaring up rough stock—stock which has not passed through the mill planer— is not so very unlike that for squaring up mill-planed stock. The main differences, however, are very-important.

Level up one of the broad surfaces for a face side, taking off as few shavings as possible. A level surface is one of which all points lie in the same plane. To level a surface, therefore, means to plane off the high places. Figure 42 shows a surface "in wind" or not level or true; also, a true surface.

IX.Whetting Plane - Plane irons and chisels are sharpened in pre­cisely the same manner, so that a description of sharpening only one—the plane iron—will be given.

Release the plane iron and cap from the throat of the plane by lifting the cam on the cap. Separate the plane iron and cap iron—do not remove the cap screw, but slide the irons lengthwise until the screw head will pass through the opening made for it, as shown in Fig. 48. Place a little oil on the stone and, holding the plane iron as shown in Fig. 49, proceed to whet the cutting edge. The iron must be held neither too high nor too low.

X.Grinding Plane - When plane irons have been whetted repeatedly, the end of the tool becomes so blunt that it will not do satisfactory work, and it cannot be made to do so by any amount of whetting, until the surplus metal at the heel of the bevel has been removed on a grind­stone

XI.Bird Box - Now that the beginner has learned how to order, how to lay out and cut his stock and how to square it up, he may profitably begin the making of the six pieces which will be described hereafter. The projects are so arranged that each one introduces some new wood-working process.

XII.Taboret - Referring to the working drawing, Fig. 69, make out a stock bill of material needed. If pos­sible, use chestnut for this piece. It is easily worked, being soft wood, and takes a fine finish, owing to its open grain.

The top and shelf are octagonal. To make them, square up the two pieces to size in the usual manner.

XIII.Umbrella Stand - The umbrella stand (Fig. 81) and the other pieces that will be described hereafter are best made of quarter-sawed white oak. It should be purchased mill-planed to the desired thicknesses and should be well seasoned. Using- the accompanying working drawing, Fig. 82, first make out a stock bill and then work the pieces to the sizes and shapes indicated. The back frame should be made first, then the bottom and front, next the sides, and finally the pegs.

XIV.Magazine Stand - In Fig. 93 is shown the perspective of a magazine stand which has been chosen to introduce three new kinds of fastenings or joints. Figure 94 gives the di­mensions and from them the stock bill is to be made out. In ordering, it may be advantageous to combine the lengths of the shelves and of the sides. It should be noted that the shelves, of 3/4-in. stock, are slightly narrower than the sides. They might be made of the same width, but in the first construction any little va­riation in the location of the joints makes no noticeable difference

XV.Table - In Fig. 101 is shown the perspective of a table which contains a glue joint, closed mortise-and-tenon, and a pinned mortise-and-tenon joint. By means of the working drawing, Fig. 102, make out a stock bill and order the necessary lumber. The lumber for the top is to be cut in several pieces.

XVI.Cabinet - In Fig. 111 is shown the perspective drawing of a cabinet that embodies in its construction the elementary principles of cabinet construction. This
cabinet is intended primarily for holding music, either sheet or roll, but it will serve as a curio case equally well. Figure 112 gives the necessary dimen­sions for the case

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