The Art of Hand Tool Woodworking

THE ART OF WOODWORKING

HAND TOOLS

TIME-LIFE BOOKS
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
ST. REMY PRESS
+MQNTREAL*
NEW Y6RK

6 INTRODUCTION
12 MEASURINGAND

MARKING TOOLS
14 Tools for measuring and marking
16 Measwingand
marking techniques
HANDSAWS
Handsaw inventory
Handsaw blades
Basic cuts
Advanced cuts
Handsaw joinery

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30
32
34
41
48

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54 CHISELSAND
BORING TOOLS
56 A collection of chisels
58 Anatomyofachisel
59 Basic chiseling
66 Chisel joinery
70 A battery of tools for boring
72 Boring took

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SMOOTHINGAND
SHAPING TOOLS
Anatomies of two bench planes
Planes
Setting u
Basic tecLaues
Advanced tehniaues
A selection of shaping tools
Shaping wood
Scraping techniques

110 STRIKING AND

FASTENING TOOLS

1 12 A selection of hammers

and mallets
114 Harnmers and mallets
1 18 A gallery of screwdrivers
120 Screwdrivers
122
124
126
137

CLAMPS
A collection of damps
Gluingup
Securingwork

142 INDEX
144 ACIJO-

elly Mehler discusses the

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HAND TO0,LS
EXPERIENCE-

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of &meer. I got in c thetail end of a tndltional cabin&&ok
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at & old vocational d e g e run by a m s e woodworker who had learnd his
atr
trade in his father's carriage shop. Each student was assigned a bench and a drawer'
containing the basic hand tools: a plane, a backsaw, chisels, a small h m e , square,
a m ra
and a marking gauge. As we worked at the benches, the teacher and hs helperswalked
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around the shop, offering assistance.Although there were some heavy machines in
the shop, the predominant~tmospherea one of bench work O r first task w s to
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make a half-lap joint from a roughpiece of poplar usingonly the tools h m our drawer. We startedby p h n g m e face flat and from that face s q d an edge. Then we
iih
marked and planed to the fns thickness, cut the piece in halfsquady, and outlined
et
h
One
the joint. Nx, we sawed and chiseled tejoint, all the while checkingforwe felt we had a good joint, an instructor would inspect it from all sides& square,
flatness, and f i t This drcise demanded intense concentrationa d i t prbvided the
groundwork for my attitude toward woodworking. Attention to'dikail, a aqpect for
handwork, and'ihe importance of good joinery provided firm cornerstones,
Twentyyears later, as a professional f i n m i t u r d , I Istillthat it is important
for me to maintain a balance between handwork and machine work. Beigg in business
sets some of the limits. You may not want money to dictate how );ou work, but it is
a major concern if you are going to work wood for a living. The @on of whether
a particular process should be accomplishedby hand or
rakes a number of
questions Which method is more efficient?Which produmpetterwork-or makes
a more valuable finished piece? -:if @
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~fxlFelthatdoKtlllsfOrsLarnpl<can ~ o n e b a t l + d E v m ~ * n e w & eration of jigs, the ma-fine hand-cut look cannat be achiev+ylk #
t ipakhhe; nor
is jigging much fasterwhen there are only a favjoints to do;Han+kqt dovetailswill
alsoginapiece amuchgreater i n v e s t m e n t v & e , @ & ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ d r O u g h
board by hand doesn't usually add value. Itmq be r e ~ a ~ d m g
perso ,but hand
planing i d more efficient than using a thickna planer, nor are'the r&ults better.
st
There are many occasionswhen it is q u i c k to pick up a hand tool than to set up
a machine for a simple operation. I usually cut tenon shoulderswith a handsaw and
ih
chisel rather than working wt a band savj or a table saw. But I taper table legs on
the jointer, instead of bandsawing to a line and hand planing @legs h t h . Einding
the right W'ceofhandandpowertooIsisahi~individualmatter,baladngthe

1early

Curtis Erpilding on
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-MAKING
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INTRODUCTION

Toshio Odate emresses

HAND TOOLS

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apanese craftsmen have a very special relationship with their tools. We believe each
of our tools possesses a s o d For example, when we need to get around in our shops,
we don't step over our tools; we prefer to walk around them instead.
I learned these lessons as a young apprentice in Japan,when I carried my master's
esrd
toolbox for the first time. The box was made of pine, and m a u e about three feet
long, one foot wide, and eight inches deep. Packed with steel tools, hardwood blocks,
and several sharpeningstones, the box was heavy enough to crush my shoulder, a e
pcially with our destination-+ customer's house-still mls away.When we arrived,
ie
after strugghg to keep up with my fast-walking master, I looked for a spot to put the
toolbox down. Our customer, sensingthe pain in my shoulder, indicated the veranda.
I set the box down carelessly-and n*
o. I didn't think much of it; there was nothing
breakable in the box. But my master turned and yelled at me. When I looked up, I
could see that he was furious. Had our customer not been there, my master probably
would have struck me.
Such a scene reveals the intense experience of apprenticeshipsin Japan, and the
setting in which I learned to respect my tools. For a shokunin- craftsman with skill,
speed, and professional responsibility-tools are not just things. They have a sod.
They can be an extension of the craftsman's body. Japanesecraftsmen form a bond
with their tools, one that more closely resembles a personal relationship than one
between a person and an inanimate object.
In contrast with modem methods of mechanized fimiture production, working
with hand tools allows you to takea personal approach to your work When you put
your mind into your work fuuy-as hand tools pri you to d-you give your work
emt
ia human touch. Qualities like love, pride, concern, and simplicitywill show in the f n
ished work itself as by-products of the woodworking process.
There is something missing from modem furniture making. Much of it lacks
warmth; it isn't personal. Fitting hundreds of inlays on a tabletop by means of a computer program may be quick, and it may be the "reasonable" way to get the job done.
H w v r it shows nothing of the kind of fee& you i p r with the keen cutting edge
oee,
mat
of a plane blade. I respect modern technology, but there has never been a greater need
for hand tools as a key to express the nuances of human values.

Toshio Odate buildsfinefirrniture in his workshop
in Woodbury, Connecticut.He also teaches woodworking at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

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AND MARKING TOOLS

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very woodworking project begins
As you accumulate your tools, do
with a single mark-a line describnot compromise on quality. Although
ing the size and shape of the work's first
there are genuine bargainsto be foundpiece. Inscribed accurately and followed
high-quality tools at low prim-beware
skillfully,*this
measurement and others
of cheap goods: Nothing robs thg* leathat follow will guide the woodcrafter
=$om
a project more nuidti&
unerringly toward successful complem y edges, loose joints, and hard-totion of an object of beauty. But much is
*rea &ark$&
at stake: Inaccurate or erratic measure~ak;'@ptime to master the techments can doom a noble design to the
niques ofprecise layout, for they-as
kindling box
well as the proper tools-will assure
Fortunately, something close to peraccuracy. Some details may seem inconfection isattainable;centuries of experisequential,but theyare not. As explained
ence have produced tools and techniques
on page 26, the position of the bevel on
A miter square confirms that a
that produce reliable, accurate meathe ty blade of a cutting giuge can spell
h
surements. This chapter is a guide to
bevel cut on the end of a board forms
the difference between cutting a groove
a 4 5 O angle with the face. With the
those instruments and methods.
effortlessly, and laboring,endlessly to
v
On the pages that follow you will find
workpiece and square held up to the
square its sides.
light, there should be no gap visiblr.'
a wide array of instruments describnl;
Even using the bestlmeasuring and
gauges of several kinds, protractors,
marking tools and the most skilled
knives, compasses, squares, lines, tapes, and rules. Although craftsmanship will not guarantee that you will &ays measure
it is possible to work well with nothing more than a pencil and correctly. Eventually-and probably inevitably-ou may misruler, each specialized tool has a job that it does better than
read your plans or miscalculate a dimension. For this reason
any substitute. Some are considered indispensable. The major- most woodworkers take out a basic layout insurance policy:
ity of woodworkers would probably include among these a "Measure twice and cut once." Double-drddng each qd.every
carpenter's square, a try square, a combination square, a tape mark and measurement helpwnsure that you will c
& your
measure, and a cutting gauge.
mistakes before the irreversible first cut.
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A trio oj marmng too15 works together to outline thepinsfar

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a dovetailjoint. Afier a cutting gauge wriba a sbulkr line
aroutrd the end of the board, a dovetail s w r e sets the angle
fir the pins on the board end. A combination square d m
atends the pin marks to the sh&
lines on bothjkes.

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TOOLS FOR MEASURING AND MARKING

MEASURING AND MARKING TECHNIQUES
begins
measuring and marking. accuCraftsmanshipyou make Theproper
racy of every line
is only as
with

good as the previous one. Lines that are
not quite straight or angles that veer off
the mark invariably result in out-ofquare cuts and poorly fitting joints,
The tools shown on pages 14and 15
are essential at many stages of a woodw o r k project, &om initial setup to the
periodic checking that you should do to
confirm the progress of your work The
balance of this chapter describes some
basic operationsand offersa fewtips and
shortcuts for taking precise measurements and setting up your tools in awkward and uncommon situations.
Although useful shortcuts do exist,
take nothing for granted. Experience has
taught that there is even a best tool and

Oneqfhsimpkstma&bgpupsiE
your own hr#rd W ~a p d h&
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bewmpmrr thumbandindgx*,
~yorcrtffiddlehWaloJ~dfaff*
ofaboardtorrearkas&aigbtEine.

MEASURING AND AURKlNG 3'QQI.S
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MEASURING AND MARKING TOOLS

W n g u p atpetemfwa w b r ~ u t
Set the desired miter angle on a combination gauge, then lowen the adjustl
ment handle on the SEW'Smiter gauge.
Align one arm of the a m b i n a h gauge
with the miter dot in W w table i n d
swivel the rnb head to bring it flush
against the &her ann. T i ~ t e the adjWn
rnent handle on the @ugaM.To ckeck
a 45" angle miter cnt$. a m b i n & h

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Adjusting a drill press to bore an angled hole
Install a straight steel rod or a brad-point
bit in the chuck of the drill press, then
use a protractor to set the drilling angle
you need on a sliding bevel (page 18).
Loosen the table, butt the bevel's blade
against the rod or bit and tilt the table up
until it rests flush against the handle of
the bevel (r@t). Tighten the table. (Because
of the design of its shaft, a brad-point bit
provides more flat surface to butt a bevel
b l g d e ~ t h a n ~ a ~ l e r ~ & f

'MEASURING AND IbUUKING TOOLS

Wdag 8n angle
Use a compass to divide an angle into two
equal parts. With the legs of the tool a few
inches apart, position the pivot point at
the apex of the angle and swivel the compass to make a reference mark on each
arm of the angle. (In the illusbatiin, the
edge gf the panel senres as one arm of the
angle.) Then make two more reference
marks: This time, position the pivot point
at the intersedim of one of the first two
marks and the arm of the angle; repeat
for the other arm of the angle. The new
reference marks should cross between the
a m of the angle (right). Bisect the angle
by drawing a straight line from the apex
of the angle to the intersection of the last
two reference marks (inset).

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'I;he sbpmade compass s
h at
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right, consisting of an arm, an awl,
and a pencil, will allow you to d b e
a circle of vimdly any radius. Far
the arm, cut a strip of lh-inch stoclt
2 inches wide anb at least 2 inches
longer than the radius of the circle
y wish to draw. Bme a hole BbOUf
w
1inch ftom the end of the am, large
enough to hold the shaft of the awl.
Bore a seoond hole, wide enough t~
aceommod~e pencil, making
the
the distance betwen the h o k equal
tD the radius @f circle. Fit the
the
anvl into one Role and a sharpened
pencil igto the other, making sure
the two extend from the bottom of
the arm by the same amount.
Use the compass as you would
trammel points, holding the tip of
the awl at the center of the circle
and d a t i n g the pencil around it
to scribe the circle.

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'MEASURING AND MAR.KINGTOOLc

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Measuring circumference
To determine the circumference of a
cylindrical or circular workpiece, wrap
a length of measuring tape around its
girth and hold it taut so that two sections of the tape are side-by-side on
the surface (above). Choose two marks
that line up--for example, the 2- and
9lh-inch marks. The difference between
the two will give you the circumference-in this case, 7% inches.

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M E A S W G AND h4AJWNG J'OYaLS
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CHECKING FOR S U E

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clamp
The two m 8
( 5h8Uld
a
bethemat. ~ W , t h a ~ i s w t
of square. TQc o r e t pp&E&m,
h
install aRajblrer bar stamp aro~lss
the
longer of the two diagmls. Tighten
the clamp a FWtr at a Mme, nwwring as you p until W38 twa diagonals

Use a try sqmm to cheek &&her a
wrfamPWrlPlsa Wangek~vPiPh
an
adiainingsM. Wiih l wo&#iece and
b
the q m k l d up to the light, hold
u

b&W. Thwe should

27

HANDSAW INVENTORY

m
A 15-~mh-loty
hamisaw &s&ncsd t
o In
a lc k &s M
i d
& G&FW WIW1 " m m ~ t l o n *
t
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a r t ~ m ~ t h b . ~ W
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t3tlfkd 114th w eolld ti-1

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or bra- spine,

a r+gU lr haws atmiglkt, accurate cu;M
for m / & ~ ,tanone and o t k pracfacJoints;
avalIaMQI lo-,f2-, m d 14-Inch Icngfie wbh
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D m15Wpwhwh

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Dovetail eaw
A small backsaw for dovetails and other finejoinery;
features a blade length of 8 or 1 inches with 1 t o 1
0
4
9
teeth per inch; some dovetail saws look like shortened
versions of the backsaw shown above
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Typically 1 inches long; smaller compass
2
saws are known as keyhole saws
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Fbhsuotsr'

A wwim of Gh@ dowsbil
ite o%
f& handle
can k fiI@ f a eIthsr md, allowing %;hb blade
f a tout flussh MM WRW From cMer M e
a

Aprutjbm their di&a&w upumna J a m
SIEWS d#erjktin dreir W m - w kwutltqwm

byncttingmthe**h*ph,&

HANDSAW BLADES
A 11 saw blades are essentially alike,

fl consisting o f a row o f sh&

teeth
that sever wood fibers and dear the
resulting debris out o f the cut, or kerf.
But blades intended for different uses
deviate markedly i their details.
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A ripsaw blade has widely spaced
teeth-five to seven teeth per inch
(TP1)--designed to tear rapidly along
the grain.To speed the work andprevent
binding, rip teeth have a pronounced
"set," that is, they are bent alternately to
each side o f the blade's center line. The
d t i n g edge, &ugh relativelyrough,
can easily be planed smooth.
A c r o x u t saw, o n the other hand,
must make precise cuts,usually only a
few inches long. Its teeth are closely
s p a d - e i g h t to 12 TPI--and possess
barely any set; although they cut slowly,
little cleanup is necessary.
O course. no s w cutswell ifits teeth
f
a
are not &ed
and set properly. For
these tasks &6e done i
n
the most
although
the shop (see h), saws with
very h e teeth, like dovetails and tenon
saws, are best left to professionals.

SllARPEH SAW TEETH

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JWng U mh
u t
Mount the saw teefh-up in a vise with
a' wood pad on either side of the blade
for protection. Install a flat mill bastard
file in a commercial saw jointer. Holding
the jointer flush against one side of the
blade, pass the file baek and forth along
the tips of the teeth (N'@t).The file will
flatten the tips of any high teeth slightly;
a few passes should be enough t file all
o
the teeth to the same height.

A CLOSE-UP VIEW OF WANDSAW TEETH

Four types of taeth
Handsaw teeth are shaped according to the type of cutting they will do. The leading
edges of ripsaw teeth are almost vertical and filed straight across to enable them to
slash aggressively through wood. Crosscut saw teeth have sloped leading edges that
are beveled, which allow them to cut cleanly across the grain. Japanese saw teeth cut
on the pull stroke. They are relatively tall and narrow, and feature a bevel across the
top of the cutting points. Unlike Western-style saw teeth, Japanese teeth have very
little set and produce a narrow kerf. Combinatiun, or dual-purpose, teeth slope forward and backward at the same angle, and are beveled on both edges. Although they
rip more slowly than a ripsaw, and produce crosscuts that are rougher than a specialized crosscutting saw, combination saws do both jobs.

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With thesaw4Y in thevise, adjustrrsawarttothecarsnrs
slimtqm trb@ulslrZite @t
T S t h Maele.
P
~
at the tip, or Mof the saw,
,
handle tilts! damt slightly
~tPlefSrsttaat)lWatisbsnttother~~~
6houldnrPeldnfmpmdic
aFRlilrndW~kWgck.
ttrs~tQoe8theBoo6h
WOrkfran~~tottM
I&wwE. W k pw way tow& the handle, setting JI teeth
s in one directiwl. ThQI1 t W & P Whmm*
t
m
W ~
th-&arasbarvttPth3~.~ntwnthesarvoreundinW
remainingteeth.
vim a d repeat the qmuthn to set t b remaining teeth.

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AlOlWTlWQH6FORWl'EETH
T hjig shown at right is as effetiiva as
a cmercial saw jointer for leveling the
tec$k of P haadsaw, yet you can make it
from just three w scraps: a top and
W
two sides. Saw the pieces to the dimens i m suggested in the illustration, then
cutagraoveinthebottornfaceaftheksp
piece wide andd&ep emwgh to hold a flat
mi4 bastard tile
BRRI the top wners of the two side p ito fit the saw
teeth. Screw the side pieces to the top,
spacing them far enough apart to clear
the saw blade, but dose enough to keep
the file perpendicular to the bide as
you joint the teeth.
To use the jig, slide a file into the
groove in the top piece add pass it along
the saw teeth as y p would with B e m ~
m i a l jointer.

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BASIC CUTS
awing wood quickly and accurately
Sby hand depends on the proper setup, posture, and
angle. Always
sawing

support a workpiece adequately,either
on sawhorses or some other stable surfke,andkeepitinplacewithdampsor
a vise, Never attempt to steady a workpiece with your free band.
Set up your work at a comfortable
height that allowsyou to maintain your
~ceWhilesawing.HohdthesawW
in line with your arm and shoulder. As
shown below,-the
correct sawing angle
varies with the type of cut. The saw is
held c l d to the vertical for rip cuts,
and mewhat l m r for crosscutting.
Anevenloweranglewillyieldthefinest
cut, As illustrated in the photo at right,
to hnishoff an interior cut,you have to
hold the saw with the blade at a 90" angle
to the surface.

If, in spite of your preparations, the
s w drifts off the cutting line, twist the
a
blade slightly on the push stroke to
straightenit out. If the blade sticks during the cut, you m y need to reset or file
a
2:
hr-em
the teeth (page3) As a s o t t r measure, you can rub a little paste wax or
paraftin on the blade (not the teeth)
or use a kerf splitter to keep the blade
5.
from sticking (page 3) Remove any
w x buildup with steel wool and mina
eral spirits.
W e you measure and mark a cut,
hn
remember that the kerfwill be up to '/a
inch wide. Be sure to m k your cut on
ae
the waste side of the cutting line.

HANDSAWS

wllgs~wrwkllb
Clamp the workpiece to sarrrhwses.

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ikkI Qr h&rPmddfor editter piece and 3/4-inch utvwood
the
fm 3411skodd@rq
gIWthd &me pbcee %&her. To L i e the
d&cd s&rtthe~art, lnwrt ths edntar h t h e kerf a
$hen

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To start the cut, with the saw
blade to the waste side of the cvtting
line and s t your thumb m to the
e
t
blade. Pull the blade stowly toward
you, keeping it flush w i n a t your
thumb (abme). Repeat a few tirnes
until the kerf is d q e @ t hold
m o
the blade,2hen inow your thumb
out of the way and continue the cut.
Saw with slow, steady strob using
the full length of the Made; mpwition the workpiece on the sawhorses as necessary.

Ripping a short board
Secure the workpiece vertically in a vke
with the cutting line extending from the
vise; this will keep the workpiece from
rattling and the saw blade from binding.
Start the cut normafly, using your free
hand to steady the piece once the blade
is completely in the kerf. To minimize
tearout, straighten the blade until it is
nearly perpendicular to the face as you
near the end of the cut.

CROSSCUTTING

Cutting a board to length

Clamp the workpiece to sawhorses. Start the operation as
5,
you would a rip cut (page 3 ) then lower the saw to an angle
of about 45" once the kerf is deep enough. Saw slowly and
steadily with the full length of the blade. To prevent the waste
piece from tearing the wood as you complete the cut, support
the waste with your free hand while raising the angle of the
blade until it is almost vertical.

Crosscutting a wide panel
Set the panel on a work surface with the cutting line extending
off the table. To help you keep the saw blade vertical and prevent it from veering off-line during the cut, clamp a board as a
edge guide to the workpiece on the god side of the cutting line.
The guide should be longer than the width of the panel and
square with its edges. Set up the clamps so that they will not
interfere with the saw as you make the cut. Saw through the
panel as you would a standard crosscut, keeping the blade
flush against the guide throughout the operation (above).

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The shopbuilt jigs s o n at right and
hw
below wirl ensure that your crosscuts
are square; each is designed for use
with a different vork sf
w*on

Fer the bench hook jig. Wght)),
rvae
l/z-inch plyllNoOd for the aige guide
and strip of 2-by-2 stock for the lips.
Make the edge guide at least as long
as the width 5 your workpiece and
f
wide enough to support it. Screw the
tips to the guide, attachiq one to
each fa=, Take care to aiign the lips
flush with 6pposite ends of the guide.
To 'ow the jig, butt am lip against
the edge of ymr bench and press the
w w k p i i firmly against the othet lip.
Align the cutting line with the edge of
theg;uideand make the cut, keeping

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HANDSAWS

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#ZING BOARD

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ANGLE CUTS
Cutting a miter
If you are using the type of miter box
shown, screw its legs to a 3/'-inch plywood base and secure the base to a
work surface. Then loosen the locking
knob and swivel the saw assembly until
the pointer indicates the miter angle you
need. Tighten the knob. Raise the saw
assembly on the guide posts high enough
to slip the workpiece under the blade
and set it on the base of the miter box.
Align the cutting line with the blade and
butt the workpiece against the fence,
then lower the blade onto the wkpiece.
Holding the stock firmly in position, tilt
the handle-end of the saw assembly down
slightly, then start the cut by pulling
the assembly toward you a few times.
Continue the cut with steady push and
pull strokes, gradually raising the handle
until the blade is horizontal (right).

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MlTER BOX

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S-tart by cutting three 15ind-i1l&gp ' m of hardwad for the
and ,: '.t
t h front and back pieces. Wake ~
the base wjde enough for the st&&
you will be sawing, ayd cut a plyMZod beck-up board to pr&tect'he
--'
base. Rip the fmnt and back pieces
so that'the depth of the b ~ will bex
Y inch less than the width of you;
2
backsa#r blade-fim its t e e t ~ o n g
t'
bettorn of the spine. Gut the front' -p i e r 1 inch wider than thi! ba2k- ;
- : v2.
piece to form a li~,
%rew th&front 1 rr
and beick pieces to the b a s e ' s b ~.- ~
of the box wei IeNl.$
;
-&
;
.
ination square to rnatlj.
GUM@ fOT the slots on the top " ' liiles
ofth he^. LayWd9OQarrgle:
'
slot 2 inches from one end, i h d a , a backsaw,
46O angle slot 2 inches from the
to either s of the cutti
i
b
other Bhd. Ou'Yiihea ~ ~ d . 4 5 * , s i o 3 guide the Made,
- t
in the opposite d i r e c t i o f l $ e ~ n ~ G . i To use the box, secure
thefi.rsttwoslots.Cutt'hesl~t~'w~~~~
arise,thenset thewr@Weon

_

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6

SHOP TIP
P r Q t e d q e a w b U ~

ADVANCED CUTS
sawing
be done
with
handsaws. Cutting an
Some standardtasks cannotworkpiece
intricatecurve or trimming a
flush with an adioinine surface, for
example, demands spe2dty saws lk
ie
those shown on the following pages.
Gentle curves and rectangular interior cuts can be made with a compass
saw. Tighter contours, however, require
a saw with the thinnest of blades, held
under tension to prevent it from bendingand breaking.
Bowsaws and coping saws are types
of frame saws capable of cutting complicated curves while leaving a narrow
kerf. Both feature blades that can be
rotated in the frame for cuts that are
deeper than the throat of the saw. They
can also be used on either the push or

pull stroke. If you are cutting a workpiece that is facedown, mount the blade
with the teeth facing the handle and cut

on the pull stroke. If the workpiece is
clampedend-up, install the blade with
the teeth facing away from the handle
and cut on the push stroke.
Japanese sa&s are particularly well
suited to many kinds of intricate cuts.
The main
of the double-edged
ryoba s wfor cuttinga notch, for exama
ple, is that the same tool can be used to
make the crosscut and the rip cut (page
47). Because they cut on the pull stroke,
Japanesesaw blades can be exceptionally thin and l&t, so they &through

wovrqikyMnwsenDd
odeyucl.ayetrWOThe detachable blade of a
coping saw is thin enough to
follow the most intricate curve.

workers keep one or more in their
tool chests because the Oriental tools
sometimes are convenient to use in
situations where a Western-style saw
might prove clumsy.

HANDSAWS

MAKING INTERIOR CUTS

2 Cuuingm~

Saw to one of the cutting lines,
then follow the marks, continuing until
you reach your starting point and the
waste piece falls away. Use smooth and
gentle strokes, biting into the wood when
pushing the saw forward. Once the first
cut is completed, remove the blade from
the saw and cut away the remaining
waste pieces the same way (right). To
align the blade teeth for tight curves,
rotate the blade in the frame by turning
the fittings at either end of the frame.

HANDSAWS

~hlke s q u a d g 4 interior cut usiq
a
a compass saw. SC the ~ ~ ~ k p i a x
gm
in a vise and bare a hale iat each corner
of the waste section wide enough to
aocommodate Wtipefwblads. Sewv
along Uw mwkd outline with slow and
steady strokes. If newsmy, clean up
the corners with a chisel.

1

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_

HANDSAWS

CUTTING CURVES IN THICK STOCK

1

Coping contoured molding
Rather than using 45" mitered corners to fit molding, use a coped cut to
make a precise joint. First cut the end of
the molding at a 45" angle with a backsaw and miter box (page 39);this will
reveal a contour line on the face of the
molding that you can follow with a coping
saw. To make the coped cut, clamp the
molding face-up on a work table, protecting the workpiece with a wood pad. Install
a narrow blade on the coping saw, making
sure that the teeth are facing the handle.
Cut along the contour line carefully with
the saw blade held perfectly upright (left),
biting into the wood on the upstroke. If
the blade binds in the kerf, make occasional release cuts into the end grain of
the waste to let small pieces fall away.

2

f i i n g the coped molding in place
Position.the coped end against the
face of the matching piece (right); the fit
should be perfect. Reshape any slight
irregularities with a round file or fine sandpaper wrapped around a dowel. For the
baseboard molding shown, fix the pieces
to the wall with finishing nails. Set the
nail heads below the surface using a nail
set, then conceal them by rubbing the
indentations with a wax stick.

USING A JAPANESE MMBUIATION SAW

1

Making a crosscut
A combination saw such as a ryoba
can both rip and crosscut-ideal if you
are performing a task such as cutting a
notch. To make the cut, secure your
workpiece edge-up in a vise and butt the
saw's crosscut teeth against the cutting
line. Saw slowly at first, then continue
with firmer strokes using the full length
of the saw (right). Exert more pressure
on the pull stroke and keep the blade
upright throughout the operation. Do not
allow the rip teeth on the other side of
the blade to enter the kerf; their wider
set wouldcause the blade to bind. If
the cut is deeper than the width of the
saw, make an occasional rip cut t&
remove the waste piece befare continuing with the crosscut

HANDSAW JOINERY

A

v

A
I-

M my woodworkers instinctively
of theirjoints. And wie is
hl

turntopowertoohtocutmost
it true that,

quipped with the proper jig, a router
or a table saw can churn out joints
by the dozen with unrivaleddkkncy,

Jivejoints cut with handsmvs:
(Qch*isr fmm bottom left) a
miter-adspline, a dish, a k g h
dovetail, af o u r - s h o w mortiseand-tenon, and a &bet

aprrwea~todkeJscessivc.Pormampk

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€wmg*tsbyh;mdoffersd-

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WlTM@ TENON
8

cwttiw the cw

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theb~foras~dmmreaa
prsbabb be cut more qutcMy with a

handtooJsoffatheirownadvan
sometimes tix txt-up time

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HANDSAWS

J

2
rn
m

mtbsrhoTo remove the waste fnrm the tenan
cheek, c h p the workpiece in a mitar
bwith the shuMer mark aligneel with
tta~~.Cuta~ngthestwidslir*
onthefacerrfthestock fr&ht%tumthe
w x k p k c e a a m d ~ t h r ~
onttw~side.

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1

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oathe~oftbstmBa
To complete the tenon, secure the
workpiece upright in the vise and
cut the side8 of the t m n , stopping
at the
line. Then, with the
piece
the dse, WBIQ~$
the shoulder line on the edge
of the stek to the tenan. Finally,
turn tha tward o w in the vim and

m
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mpmttowmu~rythezrrarrtaoathe

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(mu"

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Cultillp: away Um waste

49

HANDSAWS
CUTTING A THROUGH DOVETAIL

1

Marking tho pins
Outline the pins for the joint, as
shown in the diagram below. Mark the
outside face of each workpiece with a
big XI then set a cutting gauge to the
thickness of the stock and scribe a line
along the ends of both boards to mark the
shoulder of the pins and tails. Next use a
dovetail square to outline the pins on the
end of one board. Start with half-pins at
each edge, making sure that the narrow
ends of the pins are on the outside face of
the board. Mark the waste sections adjacent to the half-pins, then draw the center
of the board end. Outline a pin at the tenter line, then mark the remainder of the
pins in between (ri&t), spacing them evenly. Use a combination square to extend the
pin marks to the shoulder lines.

2 %cum

QdlhrgfiLyJln
the pi11 bawd in a visb with its
outsIda facer t
d you. Use a M a i l
saw to cut dong the
uald~~al't$W
(Some d w k m cut the lefthand dm first, then m m on b the:
right-hand edges.) For eaeh cut, align
tha
blah just Po the w e e s i b o
f
srarmBe~mttrepush~

f.
-

Gni n swing to tha shwldw
e fE m

line, naakhg swa tM the blade is perpenQiular ta the line.

HANDSAWS

CUTTING A MITER-ANDSPUNE JOINT

1

Cutting the grooves

Cut bevels at the ends of the boards
to be joined and glue up the corner, then
secure the workpiece in a vise as shown.
Scribe a line along the outside faces of
both boards with a cutting gauge to mark
the depth of the splines, which should be
slightly less than the thickness of the
joint. Use a dozuki saw to cut grooves into
the joint for the splines, spacing the cuts
about 1inch apart. (A backsaw will also
work well, but its wider kerf means that
you will have to cut thicker splines.) Saw
smoothly and evenly, allowing the blade to
cut on the pull stroke. Continue to the
spline depth line, making sure that the
blade is perpendicular (left).

nthgmmes, FwmerrcilmzlMPblR)~th@eD71jn
dtb@hsrm9tcmgWrkmga&p.
SpPred i ltl glue
l ite
insert the splines lo
thm rrdr f&hU. me
a k w b s a of the I d W w and m l l ,
m
making a Md jcziitt.
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HANDSAWS

CUlllWG DADOES

SAWING RABBETS

and^
Outline the rabbet on the end of the workpiece, then use a
backsaw to cut it. Clamp the stock face-up on a work surface,
protecting the workpiece with a wood pad. Align the pad with
the cuttiq line to guide the saw and make a crosscut for the
depth of the rabbet ( a h ) . Keep the saw perpendicular to
the board face, taking care to stop when the blade reaches
the rabbet width line. You can d o clamp a bpth atop to the
s
blade to control the depth of the cut (&ep a h ) . To complete
the rabbet, secure the workpiece end-up in a vim and cut off
the waste (rkht).

CHISELS
AND BORING TOOLS
T

I

he wood chisel is one of woodhard use; the entire tool must be well
worlang's indqmsable took. This
balanced-easy to hold and easy to
is no wonder: Although saws, drills,
guide. When shoppingfor a chisel, displanes, and other tools have been
cuss your needs with dealers and other
motorid su-fully,
no suitable subwoodworkers. Look for high-quality
stitute has been found for the simplesteel, a well-fitted handle, and a blade
and versatile-wood chisel. &ong
that is finely finished top and bottom.
enough to withstand the forceful blows
Also chedc that the back of the chisel
of a mallet and hog out great quantities
blade is perfectly tlat, particularly just
of waste wood, the ordinary chisel is
behind the cutting edge. A flat back is
also light and well-s that seno
essential when you are using the chisel
sitive hands can use it to impart the
for par& as it provides an even beanng
most precise shapes.
surface that increases accuracy. An old
When the table saw is turned off and
chisel may be pitted with rust,but it can
the whine of router and drill ceases,
still give adequate service once it has
the chisel is put to work squaring corbeen reground.
ners, trimming tenons, smoothing
Electric motors now power the drills
Mounted in a brace, an auger bit bores
curves, and trueing dovetails. The variand other boring devices in most worka hole through a block of hardwood.
eties of chisels and some of the techshops. Nevertheless, most woodworkAligning the bit uver thegap between
niques for using them for a number of
ers still keep a brace, hand drill, and
the workbench and the visepermits
woodworkipg tasks are explained in
push d i l handy, for these hand tools
rl
the hole to be drilled without
the following pages.
have unique abilities not readdy duplimarring the bench top.
The results you obtain at the workcated by power tools, especially workbench willbe strongly influenced by the
ing in tight quarters or when precise
quality of your chisels and the keenness of their blades. Time control of a hole's depth is required. Some of the tools and
invested in learning and using sharpeningskills (page 65) will their uses are detailed starting on page 70.
help produce superior work. Invest also in good-qualitytools.
Although new hand tools sometimesc a t as much as their
Naturally, strength is one requirement. The steel must also electric counterparts,good used hand to& are more &rdtake and maintain a sharp edge; the handle must withstand able. They deserve a place in every d-quipped tool chest.

A paring chisel shaves away a sliver ofwastefim
one side of a dovetail The skew chisels on the workbench are used to trim waste to the shoulder line.

u
CHISELS AND BOIUNG TOOLS

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STORING CHISELS

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57

ANATOMY OF A CHISEL
blade is attached
handle in one of two
A chiselstyle featwesways. to itsmore
The
a narrow metcommon
al tang that is driven into a wooden
handle or molded into a plastic one. A
different construction features a hollow socket that holds the handle.
The blade itself may be straightsided or beveled on its upper face.
While reducing the tool's strength, the
bevel enables the cutting edge to get
into corners and restricted spaces.
Because bevel-edged chisels are com-

fortable to use with hand pressure,
they rank among the cabinetmaker's
favorite hand tools.
Chisels flinto three basic categories
i
l
depending on the blade type. Firmer
chisels are durable tools that can be
struck with a mallet. They have heavy
bolsters,necks, and cuttingedges, along
with tough handles s u p p o d by a meteSome
al M . models include leather
washem, one just below the ferrule and
another on the head of the handle, to
cushion the impact of mallet blows.

Mortise chisels are like h e r chisels
but with thicker blades. The handles
usually feature a f d e at both the top
and the bottom.
Finally, there are paring chisels,
relatively delicate tools with long,
thin, beveled blades, and fine wooden handles not meant to be struck
with mallets.
Woods like ebony, rosewood, and
hickory were once used for chisel handles, but have been replaced mostly by
beech and boxwood.

BASIC CHISELING
other
A lthoughitsthe ischisel, like inflict
hand tools, a relatively safe
instrument, sharp edge
can

.

Chisels are usually used with the
beveledfarje up. However, certain operations may produce better d t s with

A fewsafety reminders Use only
sharp chisels.A tool wt a well-honed
ih
blade can slice throughwood with ease;
thebladebevel-down.Insomecases, adullblacleforcesyoutoexerttoomuch
working w t the bevel down will pre- premm+a recipe for error and injury.
ih
vent the cuttingedge h m dqjging into Always work with .the blade cutting
awlyfromy0~
the wood.

serious injury--or destroy a workpiece-unless its user adopts a few
simple techniques. Ahvays maintain a
balanced, stable pasturewhen cutting;
that way, a slip will not lead to an
uncontrolled cut. Ahvays damp pour
workpiece, and keep both hands
behind the cutting edge.
When paring thin slivers of wood,
use both hands: one on the tool handle to exert pressure and the other on
the blade to guide the cut. As shown
in the photo at right, butting your
blade-hand against the edge of the
workpiece enables you to push with
as much force as necessary without exposing the hand to the cutting
edge of the blade.
When you strike a chisel with a
mallet, hold both tools firmly, taking
care to grip the chisel down from the
end of the handle. In general, use a
mallet with a chisel to cut away large
amounts of waste wood; paring is usually sufficient for trimming or clean- The mnk-&paring
chisel if the ided rool&r wttbgthe b d t m tfa dado ko
aunt~~ThetooPsqffjethandleaUowsthebiLuien~mirejJat&~t
ing up saw cuts.
Asthefollavingpagesill~the ~ ~ w ~ ~ ~ ~ l ~ , a f t h e c u t e x c e s d s t h e ~ c l J f d
angle at which you hold a chisel determines the kind of cut you will m k .
ae
For aggressive removal of waste, hold
the blade perpendicular to the rmrface.
Paring, on the other hand, works best
with the blade parallelto the surface;
try to shear away waste in thin shavin rather than w t one mighty cut.
ih
k*ymd==hWaare
with the grain of the wood. Working
@stthepincanmriLeitdif&ult
to cut in a straight line; the blade will
tendtodiveintothemod,~in
split wood fibcrs and mugh edges.
CUE off
flrig8m and wi' a IWg machine oil on %heir
inside ~urFace6 keep t e chiti$l blade fPom ruqting.
tO
Slipa flrrger m r tach blade arid eecurc:the .leather
~ i h ~ s t h eplace with an elastic band.
in

R"

CHISELS AND BORING T K
C3
U

1Removing
rise

the waste
Secure the workpiece edge-up in a
and saw a kerf into the edge of the
itock to define the q d of the notch. Stop
he kerf at the cuttitig line on the face of
the board; the kerf will sever the wood
fiben at the end of the notch, making it
possible to shear away the waste with a
chisel without splinteringthe wood. Using
a firmer chisel about as wide as the thickness o the workpiece, butt the tip of the
f
blade against the end of the h r d about
'/e inch below the top edge. Hold the
blade bevel-up and parallel to the edge of
the workpiece and strike the handle firrnly with a wooden mallet (left), cutting
off a thin layer of waste to the saw kerf.
Continue slicing away the waste in this
h
fashion until you are about ? inch above
the cutting line on the board face.

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Final Ilarfl
With the m r k p b still in the vim,
shmr~th8~n~WslSfewjth.the
i i
chisel or r paring chissl. Presg
thk?~sCdeafthebhdeaepinstthebottQfnobthenotch,Wngthedbl himdle with your right hand and the b l a h
betwen the thumb and fingers of yaur
lefthand. R~theMexfihlgerofyourleft
' hand against the grid of the workpiwe
to pretect the hand from the tip o#the
biarde. Pmh the ohisel toward the s w
a
kerf (rQ-hU,shaving away the last slWs
ofwmtetatheeuttjngline. IfthebEadc
@ ~ h ~ ~ t h e ~ o a d f k ~ , ~ t k e & t i q dgf~
tbnruph the vvroscl by maring
~hm$lsfmmsideBosWie~Le~

2

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CHISELS AND BORING TOOLS

-parSr
ToshavaamywastGfmawwthlsurface, w h as the shmJdms 6f a t m n ,
clamp the w;orkpkte to a I@ strrfaw,

Hoidi~thekMede
chi
with yew fL&hfhand*
the thumb of
yaw IMthgnd to but4 theltiatddeofthe
blade ~ i a sthe term shouldax, Rest
t
t h e f i ~ c r f ~ ~ ~ # ~ ~ n
the h d . Leaning o the -piece
w
and ksepiq paolr arm b W in pmih,,
slice a m w d h o f w a @ e a t rthe
v yn
(MI,
exerting g e s r b# W w ywr
nsue
u p ( w r . ~ ~ t h m ~ a ~ m k i a

Once you reach the $ding line, turn
the warkpW over and repeat on the
ofther;sidedthstanan.

.

I

Keep ywr chisrelo organized and in
full view in a shop-made wall rack.
Build t&e rack f m three strips: the
back piece should .be longer than the
others $a its ends can be screwed
to the wall; make the mjddle piece
twice as wide as the outside pieces.
Cut slats for your drivels elmgthe
edges of the middle piece. The slats
should be a b u t V2 inch deep and
slightly wi&r than your c h i d blades.
Glue the three piece together and
mount the rack on a wall as you would
a screwdriver rack (page 121).

I

- CHISELS AND BORING TOOLS

CUTTING A DOOR HINGE MORTBE

CHISELS A N D BORING TOOLS

TRIMMING IN RESTRICTED SPACES

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Uwa~cMaeltDMrnaswfaceinsr
ti&spat#atasb&rdchis;elisunable
tanrach,suchastheinsidecomerofa
drawer, Wure tks &mar in a vise and
hald the chisel in the d r a w berm1 up,
caresing! the b M e flat and guiding it
with yaur kft h a d . Push ttre chisel
t
d the casm lightly to trim the

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SHARPENING A CHISEL

1---@@

Sharpening a chisel black involves
two steps: honing a m m l i w y bevel on
the fonvard edge of @ existing bevelcalled a mhbeueCChenremovingthe
resulting bun: To form the microhevel, lay
a combinarim stone mam side up and
nail cleats to the work surface to kmp
tkestone from moving. Saturate the stone
with the appropriate lubrkant--either
water o a light oil--until it pools on the
r
surface. Start by haldingthe bt- with
the existing bevel flat & the &me; then
rake it about 5' and slide the cutting edge
on the stone with long, elliptical passes
(left). Apply moderate pressure until a
microbevel forms (inset). Turn the stone
obnrtomkeafew passson the fineside.

To remove the burr that f m .on the
flat side of the blade+ prw%ss
woodw k call 'lapping' the b
rm
u
~
the stme once again. bloldiw the c h i d
blade flat on the fine side of the stme,
bgviel side up, mit in a cimula# pattern (r@f) until the flat sidar of t b cutting edge is smooth & the touch. A few
strokes stveuld suffice.

~

e

CHISEL JOINERY
lthough modern machinery may
Arole inrelegatedjoint-making aoperahave
the chisel to backup
many
tions, ti particular hand tool remains
hs
indispensable for cutting the finishing
touches on joints. Two everyday examples are cleaning out the comers of a
router-cut blind dado and shaving
away the last slivers of waste from
dovetails cut by a saw.
A chisel is also a good choice for
chopping out mortises, particularly
when only a few joints are involved.
For small jobs, the speed of power
tools is usually offset by setup time. It
is faster .to hand-cut the mortises for
one table, for example, than to set up
a mortising attachment on a drill press.
There is no single correct sequence
in chiseling a mortise. Some wood-

HAND-CUTllNG A MORTISE

1

Chopping the mortise
Clamp your stock to a work surface.
/
Then, starting about I. inch inside the
cutting line at one end of the outline, hold
a mortise chisel vertically and strike it
with a wooden mallet, making a cut that
is about 1/4 inch deep. Use a chisel the
same width as the mortise and be sure
that the beveled face of the blade is fac/
ing the waste. Then make another cut l4
inch from the first (right) and lever out the
waste (step 2).

With its 90" angled cutting edge,
a comer chisel squares the comers
ofa mortise cut by a router.

workers prefer to start their cuts in the
middle of the mortise outline and work
toward the ends. You can just as easily
start at one end and proceed to the other, as shownbelow.
One requireme@that does not vary,
however, is using the correct tool for
each stage of the operation. A mortise
chisel will cut a cavity with cleaner edges
than either a h m r or ordinary beveledged chisel,and a swan-neckchisel s m
iplifies dean-up of the cavity. A comer
chiselisusefulforsquaringmortisecorners cut by a router.
The dado is another joint that can be
chiseledekthdy. The technique shown
on page 6 8 4 m h q off the waste wood
in a series of thin layers-may seem relatively time-consuming,but the resulting channel will be square and clean.

I

CHISELS AND BONN(

Levering out tho waste
With the blade wedged in the cut, tilt
the handle down toward the uncut portion
of the outline. The tip of the blade will dig
in under the waste wood and sever it from
the bottom of the mortise. Continue making a cut every l4 inch as in step 1and
/
levering out the waste (right). When you
are '/8 inch from the other end of the outline, turn the chisel around so the bevel
faces in the opposite direction. Make a
cut and lever out the waste. Repeat the
process until you reach the desired depth
of the mortise.

2

3

I.

.

SMolmiRg.*-ad~
the ends of the mortise

Use a lock mortise chisedelw called
a swan-neck chisel-the s m width as
the mortise to smooth the bottom d the
cavity. Holdingthe rounded back face of
the blade w i n s t one end of the mortise,
push the chisel toward the other end ( l a .
The tip of the black will =ape along the
bottom of the W e shaving df waste
i ,
s
and leavingthe surface smooth and even.
For a long martise, repeat from the other
end. Trim the ends of the cavity with the
same mortising chisel used to chop out
the mortise. With a mortise chisel held .
vertically, pare away the %-inch-wide
waste sections at e i t b end d the mortise. This time, align the chisel blade
with the cut;tirrg marks at the ends of
the outline and pare Q the line.

a

- CHISELS AWD BORING TOOLS

m

I

CHISELING A DADO
hnavkkanrdcut
the edges of the dado ta tlla deired
de@hmithabdaw,~wsingrbvd4ged chitel M y tmmw than the
dado, mmwo the wastrj Mith o series of
shallwv cuts that ~ M an inverted V at
B
ther b tm tlle
Qt of
F ~ . ~ t h
~sathatone.siQ~~instoneof
the saw cuts md shwe Qff thin layers af
wash stopping habay ahtq the &annel. Angling the aub, mtintm shavina
m y the waste in th& fashion until the
lower edge of the blade reaches the bt-

t o m d ~ ~ ~ ~
OWd oftha e h r d (lW,then turn
Js
the workpiem wwnb and repeat to clear
the!was$frnthe*Wf

a thin layer of waste IrigM, stopping about
halfway along the d&. Continue until you
reach the the baftbm of the dado, making
the final oass with the chisel blade flat.
-- . . .- - - .- - against the bottom. Turn the w r k p i m
wound and repeat fw the other half.

1

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I

FIM-TUNING A DOVETAIL JOINT

A BATTERY OF TOOLS FOR BORING
m
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chuck and h & b on it^
~ana**hotfion
U I O I ~ ~ * * I J

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U i q p h d I s d gimlat
I t a thdd Up bm
u
small-dlamcter starting
or pilot h o b for nalls
and scmm ddlls deeper
hoke than 6w stspW
c

PLndtxwmm&k
B wu-i~rtk
o
w
hob; f a m mune@ a
km?&?k kV$ mma k
t td
IS 13rcacncf&n bn&

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-

CHIBU AND BOrnGTOOU
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1

' -

RANGE OF BRACE AND D
Countemink Mt
Used with hand k a c e

madI&waJma
in tapmd f o m ibr ma

r/u t n/w inch in diameter
a

w-wtw'/a to 1 inch In diamb&
h u b from

gihabw h o b h m V i and
2 % inchm irr diarnutw

t5mwv&wMt
A flat-tip blt ueed with a
brace to driw dot-head
screw; ueuslly available in
='/B- to g/,-inc), blade width

ha5 s
short brad lead anal spurs. Available wEh fitraight
or tapered ehank t o fit in hand drill w brau

TWf& d M
An all-purpoee drill W h a stmight shank
t h a t only fits in threejaw drjll chuck@;
bores h o b from Y i to 'zinch in diammr
d

-

..

-I

BORING TOOLS
the electric drill and t dsill bits up to Ih inch in diameter. For largh
pas, craftsmen used braces d er holes, from Y2 to 3i d e s in diamehand
to bore holes in wmd.
ter,use a brace fitted wt an auger bit,
ih
Like their electric counterparts, t h e expansive bit, or a center bit Auger bits
traditional hand tools accept a vari- are your best choice for boring deep
ety of bits to drill holes of different holes as they are e;yy to keep centered.
type and diameter.
The solid-centerbit is the stronger of
Bits for braces and hand drills are the twu auger style and is the preferred
not interchangeable. As shown on the type for longer bits. Brace bits freprevious page, brace bits featwe quently have lead sr~ews,
which m k s
ae
square, tapered tangs that mate with them self-starting. If you are wing a
i the two-jaw chuck of a brace. The bit with no lead screw, bore a small
three-jaw chuck of a hand drill accepts starting hole with a gimlet or a sr
cm
only straight-shaft bits. Hand drills starter to keep the bit from slipping.
frequently come with a set of driU
You can use either a hand drill or
points, which are stored in the handle. brace to bore holes for saws,dependPush drills, a type of hand drill used ing on the gauge of the screw. A comto bore very small holes, can only use mon sequence is to start with a
notched drill points held in the chuck counterbore hole dried with a bra '
bv a bd-bearing mechanism.
point bit, then continue w t a han,
ih
' ' bore a fuii ranee of holes vou
5
driU and drill point to bore clearance
neGb~thtypesoft&ls.~sir~liOf
holes. The pilot hole is bored next,and
thumb, drill holes up to Y.4 inch in a brace and screwdriver bit can then be
Fitted with a countersink bit, a diameter with either push drill and
used to drive the screw. Countersink
had brill widens the mouth of a drill point, or a hand drill fitted with holes can be drilled using a brace or
pilot hole to allow the screw ?md a twist bit, drill point, or brad-point
hand driU fitted with a countersinkbit,
bit. The hand drill can be fitted with o with a hand co
r
to be &push with bte wjkz

B dore
drills

J

-

a

MAKING STARTING HOLES

wad-

Mold the workp'm s&& on a flat &rface md Sgt the tip of a gimlet on ,the
m k e d poht for the M e . &mithe gimM into the woed and rotate it to b e a
mlH i n g
l
Imt). sum to kwp
Bs
the -1 vertical ti~roPlghaut oparation.
the
To bwer your hole, d Wn tip of a drill ar
brace bit in thh stwting hde.

rn

I
I

II


BORLWG H

I

W WITH A BRACE AND BIT

1

SHOP TIP
piece &en resultti in splinaring on the
opposite face. One solution is t o atop
boring just as the tip of the bit's lead
screw emerges. Then turn the workpicce
over, setsthebit in the small o cning
pierced by Zht;he lead screw and nish
hritling %6ehole. A back-up bfock
clamped %o the tp.dtom
of the p i d ~ e 2 1 0
WHI 9 6
reduce the chanoe o
f
aplintcring.

4

CHIS@ AND BORING TOOIS
--

f

r) Boring the hole

/ Clamp the work to the bench on a
piece of scrap wood. With the head
cupped securely in one hand, grip the
handle of the brace firmly and set the
tip of the bit on the mark of the hole to
be bored, or into the starting hole. Crank
the handle clockwise to bore the hole,
applying downward pressure on the
head of the brace (above). For greater
power, set the brace head against your
forehead or chest, and bear down on
the workpiece. To ensure that the brace
is vertical when you bore, you may set a
try square beside the bit when you work
and Ltaeg, # e ~ 4 0 a l s ~ e L

-


BORING WIDE HOLES

1

Selting up an expansive bt
i
To adjust the bit to bore a hole of
the appropriate diameter, loosen the
setscrew on the back of the bit and turn
the dial on the front until the correct
increment on the cutter's ruler lines up
with the gauge line. To check the adjustment, use a ruler; the distance between
the spur on the cutter and the center of
the bit's lead screw will equal the radius
of the hole (right). Tighten the setscrew
and recheck the adjustment.

*


rn

HOLES FOR SCREWS AND PLUGS

DRIVING SCREWS

1

WngacbanwRdo
Clamp the workpiece to a work surface, setting a support
board under it to prevent splintering. Fit a hand drill with a Ruted bit slightly smalter than the screw shank. Press down on the
drill's top handle with your thumb and turn the crank handle to
bore the hole (above), This depth should equal the length of
the screw collar. Be wre to keep the drill perfectly square to
the workpiece throughout the operation.

2

~
a
~
b
d
r
Once all the clegrzmce holes h w been drilled, bore ttte
as
countersinks. Holdinga hanrJ oounmink firmly* set the tip in
o
a clewanca h k (abmJand Mit bM e n the mouth of the
hole. The countmink rn
hsciw
head and its depth 8 w
h
heiad; test
for fit with the senwv bad.

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8


Drilling a pilot hole
Remove the clamps, put the support board aside, align the
workpiems to be fastened together and clamp them. (ln the
illustration,a drawer front is being attached to a false front.) F
i
t
a push drill with a fluted bit of a diameter slightly smaller than
the screw threads and bore th
of the threads

3

tab^,;

4
e
r

DrivingIhescrew
Setthesaewintheholebyhand,~W&
bt in the h @ g Fit the bit inSR t smw
i
~
h
tob#r,abk,cwalc

SMOOTHING
AND SHAPING TOOLS
..

"

I

t is hard to imagine building
work, you will need three of the basic
even the simplest piece of furbench planes illustrated on page 82: a
niture without using such tools as
smoothing plane for surfacing faces
hand planes, scrapers, files, and
and edges, a jokting plane for straightrasps. In fact, most woodworkening out long& boards, and a block
ers-even those with a full complane for smoothing end grain. b batplement of power tools-rely on
tery of specially designed planes wl
il
these smoothing tools at different
make more advanced work possible
stages of their projects, from the
from beveling panel edges to cutting
coarse removal of stock to final
dadoes aqd grooves. The combination
shaping of decorative details.
981, a forerunner of the
plane
The range of these tools is as
, electric-powered router, comes with a
varied as the tasks they are called
wide range of interchangeable cutters
upon to perform. Surface-forming
or cut
that enable it to shape nbl*
A shooting board holds the mitered end
tools, such as files and rasps, give
tongues and matching grooves.
initial shape to rough blanks. An
of a piece of molding square to the sole ofa
Bench planes are available in two
block plane. Such shop-made jigs extend
inshave is unsurpassed for holconfigurations, $t~tcbbdied
planes are
the versatility of hand planes, letting them
lowing out the surface of a panelthe modern standard: solid, accurate,
smooth end grain with little risk of tearout.
a chair seat, for example. A spokeand comfortable to use. Wooden planes
'
shave can help transform a block
are still p r k d by many woodworkers.
of hardwood into an elegant item such as a cabriole leg. Although they are built of an agrtkld material?today's woodA drawknife will debark a log or shape a chair leg. For fine en planes have a modem blade adjustment Wat rnakesthqn
work, there is an equally impressive array of shaping tools, every bit as accurate and easy to use as their,,steelcQpterincluding rifflers, needle rasps, and needle files, to add the parts-while imparting a measure of c
w comfoft that
finishing touches to a contoured surface, like the foot of a their users claim is unattainable w t ; ~ l other tool. With
ih
p
Queen Anne leg. A hand scraper is invaluable for smooth- a good plane blade and cap iron along $&a.blo& of harding or for clearing away dried adhesive after glue-up.
wood, you can build your own p l d in w o p age 941,
Planes are most often used to joint faces and edges pric~eating tool that w q smooth as fhi$gond acagately as
a
or to glue-up or to prepare surfaces for a finish. For most any store-bought mod61
Vv

(pke

'

ANATOMIES OF TWO BENCH PLANES
rn&-BODtED SMOQTIIMLB M
Smooths faces a d edge6

w'm-kkde to cliep i m
5wum

E

%w a r w p i n p k e
H afw

a d adJu5tegap k w m w ~
%he
M d ' cucffng gadp md Ms
a es
end of the Iron; €wa a d b U
ti
ckattcr, set gap 0% m imh
Vi

t;o pmpaw w d ~urFace6;
a
typblly 9 1/2 Inches long

m

LaHwaf*.ka&h
C e m m & M e Irr much of

5- th8 cutting
depth of the blade; a
Ysz inch dapUl I5 ideal
for most operations

r

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foak b k w or n t m w h g
w
m
t
f
mouth sp""Im;
sBi~)(1I$
be
~ W O & that *)36
@
1
5
k i a m n 'ha d I e
mh

/-"

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Mom

-

birds
Also known ae plane Iron:
in@$alldbe~el
down on frog.
Far bad tw@uIte,I should
t
k r @ pr&rlrude from mouth

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.
I

SMOOTHING AND SHAPiNG TOOLS

ral &just,Jnplace

Wtic3nal woodmplanes i k m p a t e a simple
but~myof~trgtheBW~dqth~f
cut T o i t t c l . e w s e t h e ~ q f a r t ~ q p t h e

wpda*.*ansnrMsk,~~-T~g
~e~tnJtrmm~opofflD&pkWiu
k-*~#alarr
Cutting depth

~ustrnsntbcm

Intarlock6 wfth cap iron to
hold blade, cap iron. and lafar-

I

Locking aanr
Holds blade assem-

b!v in place and

m

applie's tension

50's

Mouth'

plane must be
A adjustedasthinsharp and properly
to shear off shavings of
as paper-with no
wood-often
tearout. Before using a new plane you

kedequipment,H ~ c a n b e ~ m p l i s h a i d ac o ~ i n a t i o n ~
stom and a c
o d honing guide,
Adjustinga @me's deptfi of cut mquim

will have to sharpenthe blade and adjust

onlyasmd&ex.Tbesdeofawood-

the tool for top performance. The procedure involves two steps: creating a bevel on the blade's cutting edge and honing
another bevel on part of the first one,
called a microbevel; then removing, or
"lapping," the burr that results from the
honing process.
If the cutting edge is damaged in any
way, or if you are trying to restore an old
blade, you first need to square its end.
As shown in the photo at right, a grinder
hs
is the best tool to use for ti purpose.
Whether you work with steel-bodied
or wooden planes, setting them up
requires very little in the way of special-

en plane becomes ~faturally wt
slick ih

use; hmnrbbingalirdepatewax
on the bottom of a
plane

will reduce friction.
Hone your b l a b frequently to
maintainahdgedehvolyasretrad
them into the plane &er u9e. Store the
plane upllght to prmat sole from
being harmed by other took
A nicked or out+-squane plane Made

canbesahwgedby~itsdona
@der.Tltep*~~tfreW
perpmdidar to thegdd3ngwhed

HONING A PLANE BLADE

1~ r
bsdaea-

~

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l

top;Faceuphacmm&al3l0crlnemide
set fora3ff h l . Wwtefhe sm
t e

w M mi oWaapriatEc l u M 4 i l h
~ o r a l i g k STBpadsonWe
~ i ~
wrka npapl, ~tddhg hmbgguide,
the
slidhthabkkwd'~m~gnd
to m ahgtiwstmiMf.&giJiq
d
the b a I ~ ' l a
lPans*

m
2 mmiwe-t b
Sht

To
burr- thin ridge
of m W
forms 6n the Rat face
d the Made as a result of honing the
rnicrakvd-+move the blade from
the honing guide and saturate the fine
side of the stone once again. lidding
t;t.Ee h W perfectly flat on the %tone,
~giideup~,mn#weitadrwlar ptbm on the stone until the fiU
sidedthecuttingdgeEssmwth.fss;t
the sharpness of the cutting edge on
a piece of paper; a sharp blade will
slice a sliver from the paper's edge.

A shop-made hmingJg
If you do not own a commm;lal Mfyguide, you ~ s r n
still get; good resultti sharpening plane blade6 uelna
this simplejig, Slip a +inch-lmg, S/6-inch-QLawter
carriage bolt through the blade'ti slut. Fasten wi%h
waehers and wing nuts on both sides af the blade.
With the blade on the darpening emne and
the head of the bolt on your work surface,
use a pro%ractorand a slidlng bevel
to adjust the wiry nuts 650 that
che blade can be slid along the
sWnc a t the proper angle.

-

-

'SMOOTHING AND SHAPING m U
O

ADJUSTING A PLANE

Podtieningthe blade assembly
Position the cap iron on the top face of the blade with the
cutting edge of the blade extending about %6 inch beyond the
end of the cap iron. Tighten the cap iron screw (above, left).
Then place the blade assembly--including the blade, cap iron
and l e w c a p j n position on the frog. The gap between the
front edge of the blade and the front of the mouth should be

1

between l& and Y6 M. If tfte gap bB wkh w ~ ~ ~ ; o l ~ i u r ,
1
fD
remove the blade assembly and loman both hqj
about l/i turn. Then adjust the frog adjustment sm.w to Set
the proper gap (above, right). Tighten the setscrews and
reposition the blade assembly on the frog, locking it In
place with the cap lock.

BASIC TECHNIQUES

H

and planing procedures are the
same regardless of what type or
size of bench plane you use. Guide the
tool along the surface by pushing it
away from you with smooth, even
strokes. (If you are using a Japanese
us
plane, remember that it c t on the pull,
rather than the push, stroke.) Align
your shoulder and hip with the plane,
and grip the tool with both hands. Cup
one hand around the front knob and
keep the other at the back--either
around the handle or the body.
Apply firm, constant pressure with
every stroke. To keep the sole of the
plane Bao, exert more downward pressure on the front of the tool at the
beginning of the stroke and shift the
pressure to the rear as you approach
the end. Your stock should always be
clamped to a work surface.

PIANIN6 WITH THE WOOD GRAIN
C h d n g tlw dimtian to plane
Determine the grain slope by inspecting
the surface adjoining the one you are planing. The diagram at right shows several
typical grain patterns with arrows indicating the best direction to plane. The direcf
tion may be constant from one end o a
board to the other (A). Or it may change,
requiring that you plane the surface from
each end toward the middle (B) o from the
r
middle toward each end (C). If the grain
does not slope at all, you can plane the surface in a single pass from either end (Dl.
With irregular grain, guiding the plane
at a slight angle to the direction o travf
el will help reduce the tearout by shearing the wood+ratherthan tearing it. If
you must plane against the grain, set
the depth o cut to remove the thinnest
f
possible shaving.

Its blade adjusted to slice oflthe thinnest of shavings, a wooden smoothingphne evens out the surfae ofa workpieca.

It is important that you cut with the
grain of the w o . You can usually deterod
mine the grain direction by running
your hand along the board face or edge:
The surface will feel smoother when

your hand is moving with the grain and
rougher when running against it.
Another m t o is to make a test cut:
ehd
The blade will chatter or catch on the
wood when it is cuttinn&the grain.

SMOOTHING AND SHAPING 'I'QQU

PUNIN6 A FACE

7

-

<

Secure your stock face up ima m k
m
surface. Once you haw aridoscl %he
planewiththqwoodgrrrjn,w$Wsde
on the bowd with the Mde just clerw
of one end. To rgmovs stock quickly,
plane with smooth, even strokes,
angling the tool slightly to the grain
(above, to@. To smooth the su'rface,
keep the plane parallel to the grain
using a series of straight passes that
slightly werlap. Examine the shavings as you work and adjust the cuttingdean;rify~1Wafiicut.Keep
planing until the surface is s m t h

;
,

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8

SMOOTHING AND SHAPINGTOOIS

:

Planing edg
- Secure the workpiece edge up in a vise.
Guide a jack plane along the edge from
one end of the board to the other, keeping the sole straight and flat on the surface (above, top). To help steady the
plane, you can press down on the toe
withtbttDwibodywr~handsnd

SMOOTHING AND SHAPING TOOLS

the alga of a - G workpiece, we a josnting plane. Its saw to keep the board
To
long sde. makes it less likely than a jack plane to fdlow the
plane along the csdgw3 WnxiwX @king mg?XD.b
wn~thaty~~Hmnfb~.Securethewwkpiecewith
untilyoureachtbgehge&,Wasmpeassasr#necesthe~facirrgup;c~poneendtothewwirtrenchifneces- s o l t y u n t i l t h s p l a r i b ~ d f m ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ a n r l

'SMOOTHING AND SHAPING T O U

smooth the mh of a warkpii. There we
t h m ways t do the job without causing tearout at the end of
o
each cut. Two am shown abow, a third methud is skrmn below.
Start by securing the wwkpiece end-up in a wise. For t t first
~
metttod, vvol4c tward the center, beginning at one edge of the
board with the plane held at an angle t the sides. Guide the
o

~ l l g l ~ ~ k
A third mathod of mmthing end grain
erlh you ttmake each pass with r singkstmb. Securelhewartcpleceendup
with mplsart b k x b clamped to bath edges
as shown. The blocks should be the same
thicas the workpiece; the mat the
end of the pas should be lavel with the
e d t~ be planed. Guide the p h o h g
thcwrfawfromoneedgetothe~,
hddingthe tool atadSghtangbtothe
? B the bard f@O.
w of

tool a h g the surface until the blsde ia abtwthrsmcm
the end ~
. MI,then mgmt
S
edge. For the sscond mdhd, a
d
Wtbgheat
an angle to fhR%nthe cam^ f&m, tif#?tlb
Thektmakes pas
alone the e ta amd, &@nnirlg
ni
sWke d f.h@Ww

~~~
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m
m
rn

SmB@,Wtwptothe
baswiththe
m aws*
d
rligmd. Then
&fh8 lip b b
making;
sure tkqt the lip lkas up with the
edge dw lase, Fasten the rightlangkd$@@tm to the top flush
a
w&the&hea~'dthej@.
Center
w mitered $top IJ&I&the t q .
on
70 we eimg 1 hook the tip over
%
'the*
~
f
c Set your
r
mdtpim 4 1the tap, butting ttre
x
a@ &@Insttbe sbeg id&k so that
i

~

~

it~wq~.(8elsresdthetep
bpabmt I h r , ~ . W ~ 2 1 S k ~ l i ~

ShmIq hmK4, Wlle!wwkp' cm
HBC&

$iepxit@&~nstelher side of

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~ under ~
,

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* S M O Q m GAND SWIE6G TOOLS
--

I

SALVAGIMG A BOWED BOARD

MhgaOorrsdbw8flat
Salvage a bowed board in two Steps using a jack plane. Fit, secure the warkpka with its mcave face up and shave away the high spots near the ench of the board (inset, top). Guide the.
plane at a 45" angle to the grain, alternating the direction of your strokes by 90a,as shown by
the red arrom fabow, icp). Once the surface is flat, twm the workpiece over and rapeaf the
process (above, bottomI. This time, you will be removing a single high spot E the middk d
n
the board (inset, bobom).


TROUBLESHOOTIN6 PLANING PROBLEM!,

4

rn

-SMOOTHINGAND SHAPING TOOLS

might fwl. ntk
I t is stmig%th
omawdt r hwblock, a @mi
)lane blade and cap iron, an$ kngtb

rn

The~ntingplm~@rigMwas
rp* urisng thrr 'sandwich' method.
~tirj$ sate was glued on the bottom,
a

m*-wereMmm-

of t e hardwoad blank destitmd to
M

bcmethepknebady,TheRlsrtise
for the btede and cap imn was sw
an
out next. Finally, the cheelss wpke @wd
, back on to the body, and the btade
ondwpiron~putinp~hskl

MtbyawoadenwMge.
StsrC by cutting the Mank for the
body to size. Ottwm e dense, c

W

I

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;-8%-'3q-2d,;
' q
' p:,*.ik+:
9 &4.
3

y V ~ . ~ $ 2,L SMOOTHING AND SHAPING TQOLS
4 ~ ~ ~ ~ ; ~ l
,-

>-

..,.-

8

r

or ligwm vitae for the sore, cutting
it slightly longer end wider than the
blank and at least % inch thick. Attach
the sole so that the uphill direction
of the grain runs from the heel to
the toe. Once the glue is dry, trim
the excess wood from the sole and
squm the blank.
Next, mark out the blade mortise as
shown on page 94 (bottom). Mark a
tine across the sob far the mouth uf
the plane, placing it about one-third of
the way from the toe. Then, from one
end of this line, draw a line across one
side of the blank at a 45" angle to the
sole toward the heel. Then start another
lirw fnxn the sane point, curving it gew
tly toward the toe to fonn a clearance
angle fotP mortise. Transfer these
the
line% across the top of the blank to the
other side. Next, extend the mouth
line up the sides 13/. inches. Then
measure horizontally 3/4 inch back
towud the heel and mark the center
of the wedge pin. Finally, mark a location point for a referme dowel inside
each corner of the blank. The marks
should be ctase enough to the ends
so that they can be cut off when the

fence and.Ute sole flat ~PY-the
table
fabow). Repeat to cut Sikfieek from
the &MY side of W.blslrnk, than s ,
&
.the cheeks W e .
Plane the
rPf the bla& until it
is no marethan 'As inehwjderthanthe
plane W.Redraw the lines tor ah'Q
Made mortise m t sides gf tlse
h
then insW a %-hA~-wide
biada,!~
the
b& SW. Align the M e Vf Q W , ~
d
h
thelinwttbetopofthebWfhm
feedtheMgnkani$skintQ~W
wing your right hand, v$ib@dins,&
with your left hand (h&. Cutt as ofma
as pcsibteto ihe point w thg W
h
m
rnarkedlines~iwtdonot~eom
plebefythrough the sole. Repbat to cut
along the othw l i ~ .
Rimtam the waste
pi- and set it aside; later, yA will
fashion the piece into the Glsde-separate the Blank into W b m by
pc
hand and l i t l y smd the suck%$d
the blade ma%&:
To prepare the pieces far reassanbly, test fit t b q imand b l a h sn
the heel piece of 'the b W ansf mark

plane is trimmed to its finished size.
Place the blank on its side on a drill
press table, clamping-a support board
underneath to prevent splinteringwhen
the bit exits the blank. Bore 112-inchdiameter hdes at the corner marks
(page 94,bottom) and a %-inchdimeter hole at the wedge pin location
mark. Next, install a Yr-inckwide resaw
blade on the band saw and set up the
rip fence on the table for a %-inchwide cut. Feed the blank into the blade
with both hands to cut off one cheek,
keeping the side flush against the

s
m

'

*,

cut a g r w a for the xrew (page
t ~ p stopping it9imkmabw?the
l~


PIW~B. 1 the ~healrs
$
~
t& auto the blank, inserting
g
I@ngW %-imh.di-dowel
t
d
frrtrB
f K hOf
@&

t5tcvafmmxMin~sicjeaofthe
ch&b to help rlim Wls p%ms
6 ! & ~ , Clamp the

mernL&y
tq#her securely, Once
the giua is dry, m w
m
olarnpd
and cut d the doweled en& of
f
*Wk.
-

I

tuma tha m against
b
the b W and cap iron be flat,
8 point, the

snd the t ~ e b u l d wumdmd. Fw
k
pin, cut r 3h-in~h
dim1 t
o
length as the width af; the
plane body. Fit# a ft& wMa! on wre

-tQarrwnUse the jointet to fine-tune the
m * openin0 of your p~ma up
u
SM
tme machine frJl a *-inch depth of
cut and nW ~ n r a Then instdl
r
pasis.
the blade, sup i r ~ n wedge, and
,
wedge pin in the body and tmwdre
the dhtmc~ the cuttingQdge to
fiDm

7

L

w ;?+i*lyy+pJ&y':.
,...A
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
*Jqm.-%'

L

*

.

A,
.4.--:b%T.t.T
"".

<

-L L 5
I

-

lthough bench planes
A wide variety specialtgcan handle a
of smoothing tasks,
there is an array of
planes 4able to the woodworker who is faced
with more delicate operations, smooth-

ing and t i m n wood in out-ofrmig
the-way places. From the diminutive
bullnose rabbet plane to the b e combination plane with its host of interchangeablec u m , each speaaltyplane
is designed to reach a tricky place or
plane a diflicult stdice.
Many of these tools were developed
epxdly h r joinery. The rabbet, shodder, router and bullnose rabbet planes
all featurrprecjseblade adjwhwmtsthat
allow you to fine-tune tenons, hinge
=-ti=,
dadoes,and gmm+dka
that are hwhblytoo rest&ed for even

versatile combination plane, you can
shape a piece of molding or cut a
tongue-and-groove joint, d e p d b g on
the cutter you install in the tooL A cirde
plane will smooth the edges of a d
pieceas its rounded sole followsthe contours of the wood, keeping the blade
f o taking off too much wood from
rm
any point mund the circumf-.
- Although all these planes can be
f
adjusted to a wide range o cutting
depths, you rarely should shave more
thsln~hzt01J16hchwitheach~of

these tools. To ensure precise results,
ahqsdampyourstocktoaveorksurdace
~ b e f o r e p ~ $ ~Aspedtyphinftdjon:A router
t o
pmtectthesurEacesofthewo~~ ptane tn'mthe bwapmoft# hjll*
wood pads w e e necessary.
hr
w~inaazbjnet~~

UNING
Use a shoulder plane to trim a short tenon,
Secure the workpiace ka wise with the
tenon extending beyond the work surface.
Adjust the cuttiq depth to no monr than
4h inch, then hold the side of the p h e
flush ag;a1nst the shmCder and guide the
sole along the cheek (istp). Check the fit
"-quently, making as many light passes
-n
b trim the surface to the
coned depth. To Mm the tenon shwlder,
place the plane on its si6 and cut along
the shoulder while holding the side of the
tool flat on the cheek. Turn the workpiece
over and repest the procsJs on the o p p
site cheek and shoulder. To trim the adpb
ingsidadttre~,secumthevrakpiece
edgbup in the vise. For
tenons, in
WhiChtheWoftheterwwncheak~
the width of the shwlder p h ' s s h use
o,
a bench rabbet plan&

-

R
SMOOTHING AND S W I N G TOOLc

B
C ~ w t h 8 ~ m ~ ~ w o
Use a multiplane, or cambination plane, to
cut a tongue and matching qroove. Begin
with the m Seeurqone w r k p i i edge
;
up and install a tongue cutter in the plane.
Adjust the edge guide to center the cutter
on the workpiwe and set the depth stop to
the desired depth of the tongue. Start near
the far end of the workpiece and make a
shallow a,
beping the gdse guide flush
against the stock. B@n the second pass
a littie c l a w b you, and continue working
your way to ttre near end until you have cut
a shallow tangpre along the full length of the
edga. Now make full-lmg& passes along the
surface~muntilywnaach~~depth.
To~~grc~we,~hmrtingworkpiece and ixlstall a $mwe cutter of the same
wid4haathePonguecutbrinthephme.Set
the depth stop to cut the grows slightly deepe than the tongue, then cut the gmve with
r

The combination plane is a mat&,
w-Wprenrwofthk-.
Its
range ofinm-le
cutters eantongues, grooves, dadoes, flutes, reeds,
ovolos, a d W i n g s .An adjustable e &
d
guide ensures straight cuts while a depth
stop allows the tool to trim t precise
o
depths. The model showrt at right, the
Stanley 45 Multiplane, is an original
~ W h ~ r ; e

d

~

h

~

SMOOTHINGAND SHAPING TOOLS

Using a rsabea a d 8 l W pknr,
Secure your workpiece to a work surface,
protecting the stock with wood pads.
Adjust the plane's edge guide for the
desilPed
width of the rabbet and set the
depth stop located behind the fence for
the depth. Cut the rabbet as you would
a tongue or groove with the combination
plane: Start with short strokes near the
far end of the workpiece and gradually
work your way to the near end until you
have plowed a shallow rabbet. Then make
a series of passes along the entire length
of the swface (right) until the depth stop
prevents the Made from cutting further. If
you need to plane both across and with
the grain, work across the grain first,
clamping a support block to the workpiece when planing across the grain to
prevent tearout (pa@ 901.

TRIMMIW6 A STOPPED RABBET
Levelingthe rabbet
A bullnose rabbet plane is designed to
trim a stopped rabbet or other enclosed
spaces. Secure the workpiece, then
unscrew the nose from the front of the
plane and set the depth of cut at no more
than 1/32 inch. Starting at the end of the
workpiece, guide the plane along the surface to the other end of the rabbet (left),
keeping the side of plane flush against
the rabbet shoulder. Make as many passes
as necessary to trim the rabbet to the
appropriate depth.

CUTTING A DADO
Makingthe cut
Cut a dado using a router plane. Clamp
the workpiece face-up, then mark two
sets of cutting lines: one on the face
for the width of the dado and another
on the edge for the dado depth. Saw a
kerf along each of the dado width lines,
stopping the cuts at the depth line. Then
install a chisel cutter on the plane. Loosen
the depth adjustment knob and set the
cutting depth to about '/16 inch; tighten
the knob. Begin each pass with the plane
at the far edge of the workpiece and pull
the tool toward you (right). Keep the cutter
flat on the surface and aligned between
the saw kerfs. Increase the cutting depth
of the plane after each pass, continuing until you reach the depth mark.


SHOP TIP
Inddbb nailer
T hi& nails in
o
oabinst work, use
an invieible nailer,
also known a0 a
Mind nailer. This
wmmamial device w
instrument maker's plan&, using a I/.-inch chisel cutter to lift a thin wood
ehavlrrg under which a ,nail can then be driven. The shaving
~an<t?c u d rigkt k c k d m t conceal the nail. To use the
gl
a
mil&a
adJm% foflowirt the manufactursr's instructione.
it
The sharing ie u$u~IIy
/sz-inch thick and 1 a enough t o
m
enable you t wmfortably drive a nail undernmr;h. Practice
a
on a piecs of wrap first+ a ~ C r i of masking tape to
Urn
p
hdd Ghs: shaving h w n whlb %hle.&e i drying,
s

B


-ended file or rasp with two
heads used to smooth con-

quickly without clogging

D

the cuttlng edge of a scrapr
&r honing. Round models
are usualb used for curved
scmpm and triangular models for rccCangular scrapers:
tri-burnisher combines round,

and coarse teeth on ihe otha. The mfih-

Y W W r bun,i*
A h@h& accurate, adJug4;aM~
burn*
with a dial pbmmkrg
~ f & n of any h k B M ~ L
m
kwtwm O Q a dT '
5

103

-

the
its
Bprecision contouringof wood, and
ity to
large bites
the
tools known
etween

dmwkde,with

capac-

take

as rifners, lie files and rasps, two common and frequently used shaping tools
in the woodworker's toolbox.
Files and rasps are classified according to their shape, cut, and coarseness.
There are flat files to smooth flat surfixes, round and half-round filesfor con-

SHAPING WOOD
toured surfaces, and triangular files for
reaching into restricted spaces like corners and keyholes.
The cut of a file refers to the arrangement of its teeth. Single-cut files have
one set of continuous, paraUel teeth running across the face of the blade. These
are often dfor dmpemng tool blades
and scrapers.Double-cut files have a second set of teeth running across the k ,
t
forming a series of points, which makes
for a rougher cut
Although a double-cut file will cut
wood quickly, the job is usually left to
the rasp, which has large, individualteeth
rather than a lined pattern of cutting
edges. Rasp teeth shear slivers of wood
with relative ease, but they leave a rough
d c e which must usually be smoothed
wt a file or sandpaper.
ih
The coarseness of a file or a rasp
depends on the depth of the teeth and
the spacing between them. In order of
increasingfineness, files are graded bastard, second, and smooth cuts. Smooth
tiles have closely packed, shallow teeth.
Rasps are available as bastard and second cuts. In general, the longer a rasp
or £ile, the coarser its teeth will be. While

Cleaning w flb 8s n p
e
Ths flm wosd ehavingg

any fle can be used on wood, finer cuts
clog quicklywith shahgs, malang sandpaper a better choicefor fnlsmoothing
ia
of a work A double-cut bastard file is
your best bet for shaping tasks.
Grip the tool yith both hands and
work diagonally across the grain,
applying even pressure. Since file teeth
face away from the handle, they cut
only on the push stroke. For that reason, you should avoid moving a file
back and forth like a saw; this will dull
the teeth. Instead, raise the teeth clear
of the surface on the return stroke. For
an extra-smooth result, hold the file
with both hands perpendicular to
the grain of the workpiece and draw
the blade gently along the grain, guiding it back and forth.
Whenever you are filing, clamp the
workpiece searely. Ifthe 6le or rasp has
no handle, fit it with one fist; an
exposedtang can be hazardous. Almost
anythmg that suits you will do: Some
woodworkers use old golf balls as
makeshift handles. To help reduce clogging, sprinkle file or rasp teeth lightly
with chalk. 0 7is not recommended
as it attracts saw ust

I

%

_ _


SHAPING DETAILS

1

Shaphgatnl~ngthetad
Rasps, files, and rifflers work well in tandem for shaping
and smoothing decorative details on contoured workpieces,
like tho foot on the Queen Anne-style I shown in the illustraq
tions on this page. Begin by securing the leg in a bar clamp
and fixing the clamp in a vise. To shape the foot, use a patternmaker's rasp. Holdingthe rasp at an angle sf about 45" to
the leg, push the tool across the surface in overlapping passe

until the desired contour begins to e n
rE u hR1.
&*
Rotate the leg in the clamp as
rysothatystscanshdlpe
the foot all the way around. Oncar the fat has t
you
want, smmth the wood using a double-cut flat
ile.
Work the surface as you did with the r&p I-,
*I. Finish
the job with sandpaper, using prc@r%ssivglyfiner@ papers
until the surface is smooth.


ad

-

To gine a m b w e d wkpiece such as
a caWi4le leg its finished shape, and
stmoth its SU&G$, urn id spcikmhrn.
Secrure the leg as shown on page 105,
Pull the $gmkmhm slowly toward you
with both hands, attirq a thin shaving
W f l nsthe -in Ir&W. E w t nodda r
embpceswnmd kwpyourmrigid.
Coeinue until the contouf you want
begjmtotrdtQshapemdtheMnface
is
s & adjwding the angle of the toel
m,
~ ~ ~ t o ~ ~ t h e c u n r c s d s u r b If the grain dimtien chmgis part.
vlr%y~thers&eles,f=M#~-

t
o
or skip, meme your dimtikin
and p l w h t b - m t h a ~
pull
it. Rota& the kg in the ba
shape snarl smooth

SCRAPING TECHNIQUES
often
S and sanding aoverlooked,or But
ing
wood surface.
q i n g is

viewed

asanin-testepbetweenplan-

there are several situations in which a
well-sharpened and properly used
scraper is a good alternative to a plane
or an abrasive.
Planes can tear irregular or interlocking grain and sandpaper produces
minute scratches. But a scraper severs
wood fibers cleanly, leaving a smooth,
even surface behind. The versatile tool
can also flatten high spots, scrape away
dried glue, and dean up tom edges.
The two most common versions are
the hand scraper and the cabinet scraper.
Available in a range of thicknesses and
shapes for every scraping task, hand
scrapers are single blades of spring steel
nie
honed to form a cutting edge. U l k a
plane blade, a scraper has a burr, or hook,
turned along each side of its cutting edge.
This allows the implement to be pulled or
pushed in any direction, getting the cut-

ting edge into comers and tight spots a
plane cannot reach. The cabinet scraper
works much like the hand scraper,q t
that its blade is mounted in a metal body
that resembles a spokeshave, providing
greater control.

C'

I

The cutting edges of scrapers dull
quickly and require regular dmpening;
most new scrapers also need t be sharpo
ened before use. Sharpening a hand
scraper is a thm-step operation in which
the existbg hook is reanowl, the cutting
edges are honed, and a new hook is
formed. The size of the shaving a scraper
produces will let you know when it is
time to sharpen; the duller theblade, the
Mallertheshaving.
As its name i p i s a scraper works
mle,
by scraping, not cutting; its burr is
dragged along the surfaceby holding the
blade at a relatdy flat angle. Held perpendicular, the blade will tend to gouge,
dent, or scratchthesudb. Held at more
ofanangle,thescraperwillcut awayless
wood, but leave a smoother surbce. To
find the ideal angle for scraping,hold the
scraper almost parallel to the work surface and begin scraping while gradually
rakingt e angle of the blade until it proh
ducesthedesiredfhkh.

I

With a mere inch of blade prottudingfiom its body, a properly
sharpened cabinet scraper can
smooth a wood su+e as effdveZy
as the finest grit of sandpaper.

S ~ P E WA ~ I ~SCRAPER
HAND

e
1Wwto

filh*rdl[b,m
the scraper in a vise, edge up, with a wood Mack on
one side keep it rigid. Clamp a mill bastard file in a commercia1 saw jointer and, h d d i the jointer firmly against one side
of the scraper, exeft mcKierate pressure as you make mwal
pases back and fwth alongthe edge of the tool ~~1 until €he
existing hook disappears and the edge is flat. Twn the smfm
over in the vise and tepeat t h process for the other edge.

/ Secure a combination sharpening sbne fine side up t a
o
work surface with cleats and luhride it as you WdtP h
a plane blade Ipge $3). Holding t?wm efl# against
pf
the stone, rub each face on the 8t~ne a ~ ~ O Umotion
Wifh
IIOT
(above) until any roughness poducad by filingt d i a .
To complete the prwess, hold tthe scraper uprigltt and d i 6
the
backandfwthdiy~thestgna~ilthq
arestmath wiittrshatrpcomers.

'SMOOTHING AND SHAPING TOOLS

w
3 m the a l l r r d

Wipe a tiny afmrasnt oil onto the
scraper. Form a hook on
edge of
each cutting edgar af h~scmper layby
ing the scraper fiat on a w k wiurface
with an sdga adan$W~g the tabk,
off
then nm the burnisher W and forth
k
atong the mlga EleftJ, awEirpg stmg
dormmard presswe. 8mW the other
cutting edge the sawnu3 way, then turn
the scraper o ~ p l rand b m k h the edges
on the uthw face.

4 C e R l ap ~ M ! ~ ~

Secure the scraper edge-up in the
vise and wipe littk more oil onto its
edge. Holding the burnisher level, make
a few passes along the edge in one direction until the edge swells stightly. Apply
modeKate pressure to turn the edge wtward on one side (right). Then hold the
burnisher so that the handle is 10" to
159 above the horizontal and continue
burnishing until t f edge turns o .
~
w To
form a hook on Weother side of the edge
(insat), repeat the process with the handle in your other hand. The greater the
pressure you apply, the bigger the b k .
Turn the scraper over in the vise and
complete the'hooks on the other edge.

STRIKING AND
FASTENING TOOLS

joints b ,
+

Pnd dimsemble

fmniaIater,wbsmnaa
emerged, .forged by hand by
b l h i t h s , The screw&,
kw as a turnsaav until the
on

:u.

I

. -.. 1
7
.
.

A SELECTION OF HAMMERS AND MALLETS
-Brad d
*
A pliers-like tool for driving small nails

$. i

ACSArOMY0FACLkW)kAMklER
Omphits-handled okrw hammer
5pace-qe materia!@mead M e biz-h
d the
*df.tional w&n hallelk wh1.k anrw!atIng W 5
shmk-absorbing ~omforr;. c?Iwv Ie moderaw&
The
G U W for pulllry nails a& the fa@ L elkghtly
~
domed for driving naib true; $he hammer is maIIable in IS- t 2 2 - o o m weigh
a

(

Features a t a ered tipfor startlng small
nails and bra4, and a flat face for driving
fasmw-5. Available In weights from
3 1/2 fa 12 ounces: 10-ounce
hammer shown

rn

h

A plain% maIIcZ with a &-faced,
hollw head filled w&h metal shot
ddivem a firm but bounce-free blow.
- '

- -

rn

5-p.;

W-ndhd
ham7% WmJonal hammer wnU w to W thG standard
n 6
far bolama and wmM;
c u d - c l a w t$p commonly
a v a W In W g h M h m

.-- -

Avallshl~ ld- t n A&-* ,--- . v e . n w ;
la
- . --.

14- and 42-ounce shes show

12towou~

r

~ubbsr
mallkt
A rubber-headed mallet with a wooden handl*
for tappingjojnt6 together and knocking them
apalt; 16-ounce mallet ctehown. White-rubber
mallets do not leave black marks on wood

8

112

rn

rn
rn
m

STRIKING AND FASTENING TOOLS

$he heads of finiehing nails
below the surfdlca

I

.

-

- 4 .

A

HAMMERS AND MALLETS
are
o
l
H ammersnailssimpletothesthat of
driving
seem easiest
And while it true that pound-

make

tasks.
is
al
em
ing n i s into a board scarcely s e sto
require instruction, even ti most basic
hs
activity can benefit b m the use of proper techniqueand a few tricksof the trade
Acquired skilland extra care will enable
you to sink a row of fUllshmg nails into a
h e cabinet without m a r r k the surf;ace.
For best results, use a Gll-balanced
hammer with a forged head; the cast
heads used on low-cost models tend to
mushroom and shatter with use. The
best hammers feature a slightly convex
face, &wing nails to be driven flush
without leavkg hammer marks on the
surface. Placing a ~ i e c e ~erforated
of
hardboard be&eei the hakner head
and the wood and then using a nail set

I

tosinknailheadsbelowthesurfaceofkrs
an additional measure of protection.
Consider the force you use. A short
swing from the wrist is sufficient to
drive finishing nails, but a fuller swing,
involvina elbow and shoulder action,
should b;usedwith larger nails.
Nails that bend or go a k w as you
se
drive them should be removed, not
straightened in place. To pull a nail, place
a small wood blodc under the hammer
head to provide extra leverage and to
protect the surface. Before nailing into
dense hardwoods or an obstruction like
a knot, bore a pilot hole.
Some safety reminders: Wear safety
glasses and do not use a damaged hammer or one with a loose handle. Never
strike one hammer head against another, the heads may shatter. Use the face
of the hammer to strike a nail, rather
than the cheek. Keep hammer and mallet faces free of oil and dirt.

A &-blow hummer sh.ikes a chair l g to separate it
e
from the leg rails. The metal shot in the head absorbs
the blow, focusing the impact on the kg and preventing the hummerfrom rebounding.

STRIKING AND FASTENING TOOLS

DRIVING NAILS

Nail 4kt

P d orated
hardboard

-

'

u$blgaolaw~
To pate@ warkpiece, slip a piece of perfmated hardboard over the naii head once the mil has bssn
the
stM&d, Holding the hammer near the butt of tR@ handle, drive the mil with short stroke (&ow, MI.
To s tha nail head flush with or slightly below the d a c e , me a nail set with a tip the stme size as tho
t
mil had, M e #e nail s on the center of the nail head and tap it dwd( with Ws bnm
t
t
right). To conceal a nail head you have driven blow the surface, cover it by m w ' i witk a wax W .

I

STRIKING AND F i 4 2 3 ' m G TOOLS

REPlACI#B A HAMMER HANDLE

m
m
rn

STRIKING AND FASTEWGTOOLS

3 tnsert a

c o m m i a l metal Itammer-wedge into the kerf you eut E
n
step 1 and tap it into the handle until
the we* is Rush with the top. Make
gms in straiebRt; tap it
occasiorutlly on the W to shighten
it out, if

.

A~~
Shaptwildin)3peurrm~lmmallet tllgm kninrted p h s t ~ k d f
wood isan i ~ ~ r e w a y t o s t a c k
~sRspvvith4lpglCGtionaffJIgSe
Usetorl, d w a k buts. bl'though the
1
3nckdes
Qimen~ ~ C a r r ~ t h e m g U e t ~ ~ e u i Z

m
-

Cutthethresr~Mdinkgand

tkMkftmamJodllkeoaku
magh. To tishin, the handle, tapw
tMgOdggsligh&frcrrtrkl#1 enrtsb
€heMdkmtheWsaw.rtrsn
~1UInt0memfaft)Bgm
~&~whs#odltr's~sh8pem
fhswidclkWbWWsaw#
outThmgWvptttedlet,alWnutin#the gmin direction td the
made
M@ill.the kerf and
bad p l e ~ e s k , p r c s v i ~ ~ ~ tap it in pf-, then shape the head
ta ywr ljking on the band sew,
MStrBAiftyI,
A l l a * h # ~ b ~Mallet.hegds a n typically wurtded
~
mttkc~~d,irarer~sr.&asp. an the tap wiih d h angles on
gt

the.hPmdle krr a ~ l l ~ W g i p .

A GALLERY OF SCREWDRIVERS

I

I

b

while Phillips and square d r k (or
Robertson) models are limited to four.

plastic molded directly onto the shaft.
Screwdrivers often feature BU, square,

ofkt*dh

I

Also known as cranked
screwdriver: turns screws in
reswicted spaces. Available with flat or
Philllp tips, or one of each, in various sizes

JbwdIsr'o b~twwdrlvsr
Used for turning tiny screws, especially In restricted spaces; typically
available In sets which include flat,
Phillips, and awl-shaped tips
$.

.

J

'k',k,-.,+y;
ip

~~~~
Q %$ c m d r l w wir;h
l &
M b I e r&&&

rw wr
? & bn

C-b

-7

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STRIKING AND FASTENING TQC)LS

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. 8 T+..,
9

'.llh$';

-4 .,4.. ,,

.'15,;+:

8

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r Ti.
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8
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:

SCREWDRIVERS

T head This

ry to match the screwdriver tip as
closely as possible to the size of the
screw
will reduce the chances
of slippage which can mar a workpiece
or causc a screwdriver tip to break. Avoid
the tem~tation use a darwed screwto
driwr.Jf.lat-tipdrkrwitha&undedor

chippedtip,forexaqle,islikelytosiip
off. In many cases, a damaged tip can be
squared easily with a grinder (page12 '
A long-handled mewdriver or o-_
with a thicker handle will provide extra
twisting power. To apply maximum
torque,select a ratchet driver.
Before!drivinga sr~asr t any k
h
o
wood should predrill a hole to prev a t the screw heid from breaking off
0teolpeermpb.eed
rhwrTlcfoslgDpx:-g on how deep you ws to drive the
ih
rew, you m y have to bore up to three
a
wtlapingholes of different diamem,
le inside the next. Begin by marking
'

,?

w7' '
;
p
8 -

Using a rcmw-lwldiug s c m d r h
Slide the collar on the shaft of the screwdriver toward the tip to open the screwholding clips. Fit the tip into the screw
head slot and release the collar; the clips
will close and grip the screw. Start the
screw in the hole, then open the clips and
drive the screw as you would with a standard tool (rigjht).To magnetize the shank
of a standard screwdriir, use a commercial mqmtizer/demagnetizer. Push the
driw tip into the hole in the device and
slide the magnetizer up and down on the
shank a few times (inset). The tip will be
able to hold a steel screw. To demagnetize the screwdriver shank, slide it in the
oiet on the side of the device.
,

1

,

"T

A ratchetscrewdriver is idealfbr turn-

ingscrewswherespaceistimifa&&
as inside the door opening 4 a cabinet.

11

DRIVING SCREWS IN RESTRICTED S

q
.

theds~withmdToset
the screw head on the sarface of the
woad,bore r plot hole for tihe threads
and a clearance hole for the shank For
~llfngrip,the~hmleL~be
t&bdpdkkthe--its
depth &odd be h u t one-half the
int?thwd,dalwuta
deepiw s c r e w ~ h h a r 8 w o o d .
Ifyou~tthescl.ewhesrdt~sitfl~8h
with the s d k e , b ~ r a corne
hoktoaonaalthe-&ad
plug, bore r (K)hole. You cre
baretheseWwithabigceand bit o
r
hand drill and a hand countersinker
( q 76) or with an dectric drill.
$p
~ t h e x e i s e n ~ m ~ r y w

,A,<-

,,

1

= -7
,. . - Tk

, ' I -!
'1
,kh
$8'

m

towrk~ithbothhm&holdascmv
SteadyinitsholewhiJRpustartit. I
n
tight spots, tlse a
sawdriver or magnetize the driver tip, w
shown belaw.

mw
-

A COLLECTION OF CLAMPS

sided clamp; 01%
side is

cbmpcd t U1G wrk surface
a
while $he other m u m the

@koK'wtw~nPrr &amp
Ad@ known d l t ~
short:bar

do

wr%
surface or

Spring Clamp
A plncer-like tool
available in a range
ofs h wlth a capacity and reach of up to
4 inches; some models
feature plastic tips to
protect stock

m
m

Inib the 6nd grain of uvo
adloinfw b r & wI/lnd
t h h r com&4ng'surfims
%&her tightly. AvailaHe
/n eizee off fa ?5 '/2 Inch-

I

I

Slip on laws of bar.
piie, a i d C clamps-to
prevent marring stock

pipe c l a 4 t apply ho
ward pm6tiul.c

I

GLUING UP
hether you are bonding
W together face-to-faceforto boardsa
form
panel,
leg blank or edge-to-edge

a
there are certain principles that apply
to most glue up operations. First, make
sure that the contacting surfaces
have been smoothed and squared on
the jointer. The boards should appear to
be a single piece of wood rather than a
composite. Experiment with the boards
in different configurations to produce
a pattern that is visually inkresting, but
make sure that the grain runs in the
same direction on all of the pieces. To
minimize warping, arrange the boards
so that the end grain of adjacent pieces
runsin opposite directions, as shown
below. When edge or facegluing, spread
glue on one mating surface. To avoid
marring the stock when you tighten the
clamps, place wood pads between the
damp jaws and the work, or slip proe v e pads over the jaws.

---

Atthou& the three boards shown at t i t
could be glued with the use of onfy four
clamps, mare cbmps will distribute the
pt'aam m m m l y , resulting in a s u p
~ior
W.The u of eight C clamps pm
m
dwm warty canstant force a c r m the
entire joint. Stating 1or 2 inches from
t h s ~ o J t h e ~ , ~ t h e c l a m p
at 3- to 4-inch intervals. Alternate the
handle direction to provide mom room to
t i m n the jaws. Tighhn the clamps
just mough to hold the contacting surfaces together, and position dpads
c ~ t 0 ; t h s t O p ~ o f ~ ~ e ~
so that t t cimping p s m is focused
~
es
on Mp half o f ~ ~ b lTwn the
tp
y .
ammbly o v e ~ that the first row of
so
clamps is resting on the work surface
and install the sacand row along the
0 t h edge ilrwt).
Finish tightening all
of the clamps until there are no gaps
between the boardsand a thin bad of
glw s q W e s out of the joints.

The type of clamp p a d e c t for

CLAMPS

GLUING DOWN TRIM

,,

Usinga C c h p
To increase the reach of a C clamp when you need to apply clamping
pressure away from the edges of a work surface, use a wood strip as a
clamp extension. Once the trim has been positioned, place a wood block
of the same thickness as the trim near the edge of the surface and a
wood strip long enough to reach from the block to the point on the trim
where pressure is required. Install the C clamp on the strip just ahead
of the wood block and tighten the clamp (above) until the far end of
the strip is securely holding the piece of trim.

1-

-- -- -

--

L

The Art of Hand Tool Woodworking

The Art of Hand Tool Woodworking

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