Beginner's Guide

Hand woodworking Hand woodworking Red oak cut through the cells Stud joined with nails or screws and Mitre joint on a picture frame held with a dowel joint, both examples of using only glue The butt joint mechanical means to joint end grain to I’m going to start with the most basic long grain joint of all: the butt joint. This joint consists of two pieces of wood that a biscuit, mortise and tenon, dowels are simply butted against each other, or pocket screws in addition to glue. typically forming a ‘T’ joint or corner Picture frames are a good example joint in a cabinet face frame or mitred of a butt joint – here you can see the corners of a picture frame or box. result of a butt joint using only glue; The strongest butt joint consists of the wood has started to pull away due joining straight grain to straight, such to seasonal change. With joining end as when joining boards for a tabletop grain to long grain, where the wood is Lapped dovetail or half-blind dovetail – see issue 2, pages 51-54. This is moving at different rates, it is clear that because boards that are cut lengthwise a stronger joint is needed. are often used interchangeably, but preserve the grain structure, whereas while a halving and half lapped joint joining end grain to end grain or end Half-lap, halving joint or is a lapped joint, a lapped joint is not grain to straight grain slices through lap joint always a halved joint. cells that were once strong and the Let’s look at joining wood with another Here you can see a half-blind original strength of the board is lost. joint that is suitable for picture frames, dovetail joint which is a lap joint, but With joints of this weaker nature, face frames: the half-lap or halving clearly both pieces do not have half the there is no easy way to join the sliced joint. This joint has many names, but thickness removed. If the timber is of PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL T COLLINS end grain back together with glue they are all essentially the same joint. differing dimensions, then the amount alone. Any glue applied to end grain is As the name implies, in the half-lap cut away will vary, but the resulting wicked from the surface and produces halving joint, the amount of wood cut joint is generally the thickness of the a starved joint. A joint of this nature away is half the thickness of the wood. thickest piece of wood. In this article, BEGINNEr’S GUIDE requires mechanical fasteners, such as The terms halved/half-lap joint and lap I will only be looking at half-lap joints. Using basic hand tool CUTTING THE JOINT techniques to create joints What you will need: • Tenon saw Our man in America, Michael T Collins progresses • Marking knife • Marking gauge further still through basic jointing techniques • Jack and block plane • Try square s a boy, attending secondary knew everything there was to know perfect and you will make mistakes, • Bench hook school in England in the about wood, tools and techniques. but you will learn from them. Working • Vice • 19mm bevel-edge chisel A’70s, I was required to take He instilled in me a passion for wood is a progression and it takes 1 2 woodworking classes as part of my woodworking. I realise now that he time and patience for these skills to education. For most of us, this was our was probably a disciple of the School be developed. first encounter with using traditional of Sloyd, a system of learning that First, all the stock must be prepared Continue the line on the edge sides hand tools. We learned how to imparts knowledge, order and Basic joinery techniques 1to the project’s final dimensions. 2 using a pencil. The inside edge can manipulate wood by planing, sawing exactness of skills in ever-increasing At the outset, woodworking requires Plane the wood square, then check be marked with the knife as this will and chiseling and created all sorts levels of difficulty with little or no some fundamental skills that over time using a try square. I will start by not be seen, but because the outside of things, including garden dibbers, hands-on assistance from the teacher. will become second nature. These skills demonstrating a simple half lap joint edge will be visible, be sure to use a boxes, chessboards and coffee tables. There’s an old proverb: “Tell me will develop into good habits and once that can be used for a picture frame pencil here. 40 years on, I am still using some and I’ll forget, show me and I may muscle memory takes over, you will or face frame. Using the try square of my early creations and can still remember, let me do and I will learn.” never forget how to hold and use tools. and marking knife, mark the location Now take the marking gauge and recall the sense of pride at having To really learn woodworking, one has So let’s look at some basic joinery and of the joint adding 1mm for waste. 3 find the centre of the edge side. created something with my own hands. to learn experientially. As a beginner techniques that can be developed into This waste will be planed off once This does not need to be measured. 3 Mr Young, our woodwork teacher, woodworker, you are not going to be skills that will last a lifetime. the joint is finished. Instead, set the gauge to approximately ➤ 10 www.woodworkersinstitute.com Woodworking Crafts issue 03 11 Hand woodworking Hand woodworking 4 5 6 half the thickness of the stock and mark 4 from both the face and opposite side. 5 Adjust the gauge – using light taps on the marking gauge stalk – until the marks coincide. Then, from the face side, you can 4mark the depth of the lap joint. Take care not to allow the gauge to follow the grain – steadily increasing the pressure on the gauge will help. Mark the two sides and the end grain. 7 8 Using the marking knife or chisel on the face side, cut a ‘V’ notch on the to keep the saw perpendicular to the to take more wood off than to put waste side of the knife line. wood’s face is to look at the reflection it back. 6 7 in the blade – you want the wood to Place your cross cut saw in the appear as if it continues in a straight Once glued, use the block plane 5notch and using your non-dominant run through the saw. 7to clean up the joint – note the With the help of the bevel chisel, that is too tight may bow the pieces. thumb as a guide, make several small direction I am planing: from the joint 4 pare away from one side to Now use this finished joint to mark the cuts to start. I always start on the back Finish off the joint by placing the end in with a slight angle of attack; produce a slope. second piece and repeat the process of stroke on the far side as this severs the 6piece in the vice at 45° and saw as this way end fibres are sliced. marking, sawing and paring. fibres and prevents tear-out. Saw down we did for cutting tenons in issue 1 – It’s tempting to try and remove to the centreline, paying particular see pages 68-71. Note how the index Variations on this joint include 5 all the waste at once, but you Once pared, the two pieces should attention to the backside of the joint finger points in the direction you want 8mitred lap joints, particularly for must resist this temptation. Repeat 8 now fit perfectly. Apply glue to all as you do not want to cut beyond the the saw to go. Repeat for the other picture frames; this would certainly the paring from the other side, creating mating surfaces. At this point, the faces line. With practice, you will be able to piece. The joint may need some fine- avoid those unsightly gaps and still a ‘roof’. can be planed if necessary. If there are saw vertically, but initially a good way tuning but go easy – it’s always easier show the typical mitre. secrets to woodworking they are: take And finally, pare away and tidy your time, measure accurately, mark Cross half-lap joint 6 up the bottom of the joint with a from the face sides and cut on the slicing action – as you can see here, waste side. the fingers of the left hand act as a Michael T Collins pivot point. Here are a few variations on Michael has been working with wood 9 the theme of lap joints. Try off and on for 40 years. Having run out Now take this piece and place it in experimenting for yourself! ■ of projects in the UK, he moved to a 7 position over the mating piece – small village in the heart of the Finger the joint should be hand tight, but do Lakes in Upstate New York with his not force them together. If the fit is too NEXT MONTH… family in 1996. Over the years, he has tight, then take a very thin shaving off In the next issue, Michael will move made bespoke furniture, including on to looking at bridle joints the edge of the uncut piece – a joint clocks, inlay work, Adams fireplaces, book cases, reproduction furniture, woodcarvings, restorations, bowls, 1 2 3 tables and some major construction projects.

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