Woodworking Projects – Glue Up a Boardshop
Woodworking is a fine art. It is a skill that not everyone can master, but some people are better than others at it. Those who are better at woodworking may enjoy this hobby more than others because it involves so many hands.
Woodworking consists of many steps and processes. The first step is to plan out the piece, drawing it on paper or in woodworking programs like AutoCAD or Revit. One can see the end grain, cross grain, or any other imperfection in the wood used for the piece. In the drawing, mark the centers of all cuts with pencil. This allows one to visualize the piece as a whole when the finished piece is completed.
The second step is to decide on the cutting tools to use. A jigsaw or band saw may be good for small workpieces. A table saw may suffice for larger work pieces. For large curves, a router may be better than a band saw or jigsaw because the router cuts the wood at angles and locations that are more ideal for this type of cutting.
The next step is to prepare the workpiece by priming it and applying oil or lubrication if necessary. Then, with a router, cut strips of wood along the joint line. Follow the same procedure of setting up the saw but instead of cutting strips of wood, cut a piece of stock. Hold the two pieces of stock together with joint nuts and a piece of wooden dowel and use a woodworking router to cut grooves into the stock for the joint.
After the joint is cut, the piece is ready for another round of cuts. This time, use a chisel and angle it downward before cutting the piece straight down. The angle creates a flatter edge when the chisel is pushed across the piece against the opposite wall. Then, with the chisel positioned correctly, push it against the wood between the rip saw teeth and along the angle formed by the angle of the angle grooves.
When the workpiece is free of cut ends, clamp it and move it as close to the moulding as possible. Using a mallet or the appropriate chisel, do the final cuts just as you did with the horizontal joint. Use only enough pressure to hold the workpiece in place and to ensure the cut edges are even.
After the workpiece has been held in position firmly, clamp it again and secure it against the workbench with the appropriate woodworking screws. Apply wood glue to the ends of each piece of the workpiece and to the edges of the piece you just finished and then apply it to the piece you just used to hold it in place. Wait several hours before using the chiseled piece. The wood glue will seal the cutting edge of the piece against moisture. It will also protect the glue from the grinding of the grinding stone as you use it to grind your chisels.
One more method of securing the grain of a board is to use wood glue on the underside of each individual board cut into pieces. You can then use the chiseled edge to glue the glued boards together into a completed board. Wood glue can be applied in a steady, even pressure so that each board has a smooth even surface. Be sure that you use the wood glue exactly where it is recommended and that you cover all visible surfaces with the wood glue to prevent any additional bonding.
A method of gluing up (v) a board to complete its groove is to use a straight edge and gradually enlarge its perimeter. First lay the board out flat. Then, using a coping saw, make a very narrow deep dado cut into the surface of the board, about half inch above the surface of the first cut. Then, using a glue gun (a small hand held device, perhaps, with a tiny tip fitted with a long needle), outline the depth of this cut with a low relief curve. When you have finished this, you will have a perfectly struck trough and will have completed gluing up (v) the groove.
To complete the turn, start by making another very shallow dado cut into the lower edge of the piece that is opposite the first cut. Make this a right angle and then angle it downward. Stop about half inches from the surface or bottom of the original cut wood. Use wood glue (v) to butt the joint together and then hammer in a pilot hole. This is where the grain of the wood will be visible.
To finish off your project, take your last piece of the wood, usually the rounder one, and slide the clamp (n, v) a bit down past the hole. Then, using the power cord or strap that came with the tool, pull the clamp (n, v) a bit until it grips the inside of the hole. Then, use the other end of the strap or cord to hold the wood firmly in place.
Hi everyone! I’m a woodworker and blogger, and this is my woodworking blog. In my blog, I share tips and tricks for woodworkers of all skill levels, as well as project ideas that you can try yourself.
