Woodworking tools

THIS book aims to give, in fourteen chapters, directions and exercises for the use of the Woodworking Tools. Like other text-books of its kind, it will best accomplish its purpose in the hands of an intelligent and practical teacher, who may use it for his own guidance in conducting a class. At the same time, it is so simply written and so amply illustrated, that any bright boy will find the book alone a great help in his endeavors to learn the right way of using common tools.

The lessons are few in number, and simple in character. They aim only to give an elementary training in the manipulations common to all woodworking trades. But it is not chiefly in the interest of these or of any other trades that this course is offered to the public. Lessons like these, given at the same time  with the studies now pursued in our grammar schools, would relieve the weariness of purely mental exercises, and give a new zest to their pursuit.

Some of the surfaces of finished joints are more conspicuous and important than the rest. This is true of those surfaces of the joined parts of a picture-frame, which can be seen when the picture is viewed. In such cases, the appearance of the work is improved, if pains are taken to select for those more conspicuous positions the best surfaces of the sticks, to be joined. Conspicuous surfaces of one stick, are often intended to be flush with conspicuous surfaces of the other stick, to which it is to be joined. These may be called the flush surfaces. All of the lines that are drawn, in laying out the work, should have their positions fixed with reference to these flush surfaces. Frequently, one piece is used as a measure or pattern, for determining the dimensions of the parts of the other piece that are to fit it.

Any stick that is to be used in the following exercises, should have its edges made either parallel to or square with one another, before beginning the exercise. The first step to be taken in any of the exercises is to select and mark each of the flush surfaces with an X. Whenever it is desirable to prevent the work from slipping about, hold it against the wooden bench-hook, fasten it in the vise, or fasten it upon the bench with a wooden hand-screw. When cutting cross-grained wood with a chisel, cut diagonally across the grain, in such direction that no splits shall extend into the stick, but all into the chips.


Halving Together.

Exercise XIII, I. - To halve together two sticks, at their ends, (See Fig. XIII, a.) Mark one stick A and the other B. To mark the flush surfaces. Notice that, as is indicated by the sketch of the finished joint, the top of A is to be flush with the top of B ; a long side of A is to be flush with an end of B ; and an end of A is to be flusli with a long side of B. Select, and mark with an X, the surfaces of A and of B, that will make the handsomest and best flush surfaces.

To line out the work. Place the try-square upon B, with its beam touching the long, vertical, marked surface, with its tongue upon the top, and with its edge a little less than the width of A from the marked end of B. Place A, right side up, upon the top of B, with one long, lower edge, touching the edge of the square, and with its marked end flush with the marked, vertical side of B Slide A and the try-square, together, along the top of B, until the marked, vertical side of A, becomes flush with the marked end of B. Remove A, and, with a sharp knife, line across B, at the edge of the square. Extend this line half-way down each of the long, vertical sides of B. Draw similar lines upon the lower side, and the long, vertical sides, of A, using the upper side of B as a measure, and turning the tops of both pieces downward, in order that the lines may be easily drawn. Set the spur of the gauge at a distance from the head equal to half of the common height of the sticks. Guide the head of the gauge by the upper surfaces of A and B, in turn, and gauge along both of the long vertical sides of each, from the vertical lines previously drawn to the marked ends. Gauge also across the marked ends. Place each stick, in turn, in the mitre-box, or in the vise, or against the bench-hook. Saw across each, with a sharp, fine toothed back-saw, close to the knife-marks, and down to the gauge-marks. Take care not to remove, with the saw, any portion of either of the knife-marks or of the gauge-marks.

To remove,from A and B, in turn, the wood between the Saw cut and the plane of the three gauge-marks, - First method. Place each stick, in turn, on one side, upon a board on the bench, and fasten it with a wooden hand-screw. With a paring-chisel, that is wider than the cut to be made, split or pare off several chips, parallel to the grain. Incline the chisel, so that the chips shall grow thinner as the tool cuts deeper. Incline it so much that the chips shall not split beneath the plane of the three gauge-marks. Let the last cut coincide with the upper gauge-mark. Turn the other side of the stick uppermost and repeat the operation. This will leave a ridge, running lengthwise of the stick. Its lower lines will coincide with two of the gauge-marks. With the wide chisel, pare away the outer end of the ridge. Let the last cut coincide with the gauge-mark at the end. Turn the stick half-way over, bringing the ridge uppermost, and fasten it again with the hand-screw. With a narrow paring-chisel, bevel away the inner end of the ridge to terminate in a straight line joining the comers where the knife-marks and the gauge-marks meet. Split away, with the chisel, near all of the pyramidal ridge remaining. Pare off the rest, and, occasionally, test the surface produced, with a straight edge of the chisel.

Ta remove, from A and B, in turn, the wood between the Saw cut and the plane of the three gauge-marks, - Second method. Place each stick, in turn, upright in the vise. With a sharp, medium-fine-toothed ripping-saw, cut along the gauge- marks, nearly to the cut made by the back-saw. Finally, pare the surfaces, as when using the first method, or, pare the wider surface, with a small plane that is made for the purpose.

To remove, from A and B, in turn, the wood between the saw-cut and the plane of the three gauge-marks, - Third method. Place each stick, in turn, upright in the vise. With a sharp, fine-toothed ripping-saw, cut, very accurately, close to the gauge-marks, nearly to the cut made by the back-saw. Take care not to cut away any portion of the gauge-marks and not to saw beyond the knife-marks. Square out the comer with a narrow paring-chisel.

When both sticks have been treated by either method, as has been directed, they will fit together as shown in Fig. XIII, a.