Woodworker's Handbook E-Book

Roger Horwood

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Seitenzahl: 207

Beschreibung

The complete reference handbook for DIY home woodworking, this is an absolute must-have guide for beginners and even experienced craftsmen. Every tool you'll need is laid out with guidance on safety measures, care instructions, and how and when to use it, from gauges and shaping tools to clamps, drills, and more. Every technique you'll use is described and detailed, from constructing to finishing. You'll know what type of woods to use for certain projects, how they cut, and their durability. After learning the crucial fundamentals of woodworking, you'll complete 5 step-by-step projects that are beautiful and useful items for everyday use, ranging from a dining room table to a bedside cabinet. Concise and practical, and useful even for experienced woodworkers, Woodworker's Handbook will help you practice and improve your skills—and learn new ones!

Leseprobe

All photography by Ryno except Shutterstock noted here: page 23 (measuring)/Africa Studio, page 36 (drawknife)/koka55, page 65 (band saw)/Rashid Valitov, page 66 (belt sander)/SONGPAN JANTHONG. Illustrations by Dave Snook.

Index by Elizabeth Walker.

© 1999, 2019 by Roger Horwood

All rights reserved. Woodworker’s Handbook is a revised second edition of the 1999 work originally published by New Holland Publishers Ltd under the title The Woodworker’s Handbook in the UK. This version published by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

The patterns contained herein are copyrighted by the author. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

Print ISBN 978-1-4971-0065-7

eISBN 978-1-6076-5739-2

For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at [email protected], stating the ISBN and title of the book in the subject line.

The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Woods for the Woodworker

Chapter 2: Tools for the Job

Chapter 3: Joining Wood and Turning

Chapter 4: Finishes and Finishing

Chapter 5: Step-by-Step Projects

Chapter 6: Repairs and Restoration

Chapter 7: Your Own Designs

Table Leg Template

About the Author

Introduction

In the midst of the turmoil and stress of everyday life comes a lifeline—a book about fulfillment and enjoyment and working with a material that is a vital part and product of nature. Wood, with its beauty, strength, and vast variety of colors, is probably the most ancient material with which humankind has worked. From sitting on a fallen log to rest, to the intricacies of carving, wood has been an integral part of the history of mankind on every continent of the globe. In recent years, the pure enjoyment of working with wood as a hobby, rather than a commercial venture or convenient necessity, has flourished.

One of the wonderful things about working with wood is that, regardless of age, gender, or any other consideration, almost anybody can become a proficient woodworker with a little patience and practice, and many people have derived years of joy from this delightful hobby.

Once you get the feel of the different tools and techniques described in this book, attain the basic woodworking skills outlined, and put these skills into practice on a few of the joints and relatively easy projects, then the sky’s the limit! You can design your own projects and produce furniture, toys, and other items of fine quality that will bring you the satisfaction of achievement as well as the benefit of years of practical use.

If you make your own furniture, there are economic benefits as well in that, not only will it be the size, design, and quality you want, but it will also save you money.

The skill of successfully repairing broken furniture gives enormous satisfaction too, not only to yourself but also to the friends who seek your help in this area.

Chapter 1:

Woods for the Woodworker

Trees are alive! As unnecessary as it may seem to mention this, it is good to remember that wood is a product of nature and is therefore finite. Although many valiant efforts are being made to replant trees and preserve our forests, it would appear that we are fighting a losing battle as the availability of wood declines in the face of growing worldwide demand. It is not too difficult to replace the faster-growing trees that are ready for harvesting twenty to twenty-five years after planting, but what do you do about the beautiful hardwoods, many of which may take as long as three hundred years to mature? Whenever you handle a beautiful piece of timber you should think of its history, appreciate the natural beauty of its finite resource, and do your utmost not to waste what nature has taken so long to produce.

Let’s take a closer look at the resource with which we will be working. A visit to a well-stocked lumberyard (timberyard) is an adventure! First, the visitor will be impressed by the number of different types of wood available, and the variety of lengths and sizes in which it is presented. And then there is the olfactory experience— the variety of aromas exuded from woods is a pleasure in and of itself, and, in the writer’s opinion, is better than a visit to any perfumery!

The different woods listed in this book fall into two major categories: natural wood (direct from the tree) and man-made “wood” (manufactured from by-products of wood from the tree).

Natural Wood

This category is divided into two major groups: softwoods and hardwoods. When applied to wood, the terms “soft” and “hard” are usually in relation to each other, but there are exceptions. Balsa, for example, is physically probably one of the softest woods available commercially, but due to its makeup, it is scientifically classified as a hardwood. Balsa is a light wood, both in weight and in color, and has very little structural strength. It is not used for furniture making, but mainly in the construction of model airplanes and other such projects.

At the other end of the scale are hardwoods, such as teak and ironwood, which are amazingly strong, hard, and durable.

There are literally hundreds of different natural woods, and it is important that you select wood with the characteristics you require for the type of project you have in mind. This choice will be governed by factors such as durability, strength, practicality, and color. For example, most ordinary kitchen and children’s furniture will be made from pine, as it is relatively inexpensive, easy to work, and it doesn’t matter too much if it is abused through everyday use. On the other hand, dining-room and lounge furniture will usually be made from an attractive and relatively expensive hardwood, as it is important that the furniture is aesthetically pleasing as well as long-lasting.

The name of each wood represented in this chapter is, in most instances, the common name for a number of varieties within that species. Although it is possible to import almost any wood available on world markets, the type of wood you use within each group will largely depend on what is the easiest to obtain in your location.

Softwoods

Softwoods are harvested from trees that take about twenty to twenty-five years to mature. The most prolific wood in this category comes from the family of trees known collectively as pine. Pine is available almost all over the world and is still relatively inexpensive. The trees grow tall and straight, a characteristic which, in years gone by, made them suitable for the masts of sailing vessels as well as large construction beams. Their long, uninterrupted growth makes pine trees perfect for use in the furniture and building industries.

Himalayan cedar

Cedar

Generally the color of liquid honey, most varieties of cedar are aromatic and have a straight, clearly defined grain. Western red cedar is often used in the construction of houses and joinery, while cedar of Lebanon is a popular choice for cabinetmaking as its chemical makeup deters insects. Many varieties in the cedar family are not particularly strong, but they are very durable.

Oregon pine

Oregon Pine (Oregon Cedar, Douglas Fir)

Oregon pine is a popular wood used in country-style furniture. It is easy to work, has a particularly attractive grain, and has a lovely brown-yellow color. This wood gives off a pleasant aroma when being worked.

South African pine

Pine (All Varieties)

Pine is generally a clean white or creamy yellow color. It is easy to work, is in plentiful supply, and is therefore usually inexpensive. Pine can be obtained in a variety of sizes, but good-quality, solid boards are not easy to come by. When selecting pine for furniture making, watch out for knots as they can be a feature or a problem. Knots in timber are caused by the growth of a branch out of the trunk, and if they are “dead” they can fall out of the board (literally!), but if they are “live” they can be a very attractive feature in the finished product.

Hardwoods

The woods in this category are harvested from trees that take a very long time to grow to maturity, in many cases as many as two hundred to three hundred years. Traditionally, the more popular hardwoods for woodworking include oak, beech, walnut, and mahogany. Generally speaking, the hardwoods have a much more beautiful character, pattern, and grain formation, and are far more hardy than the softwoods. They are, therefore, a more popular choice for furniture making than softwoods.

American red oak

American Red Oak

This wood is heavy, durable, and very strong. It has similar qualities to American white oak, but tends to be redder in color and has a more interesting grain.

American white oak

American White Oak

Although similar in appearance to other oak varieties, American white oak has a yellowish-red color and a less attractive grain. What it loses in attractiveness, however, it gains in a reputation for toughness and durability.

Australian red cedar

Australian Red Cedar

Unlike other cedar varieties, this timber is a hardwood. It is slightly redder in color than other cedars and has a grain very similar in appearance to Oregon pine (see here) when finished. It is most commonly used for small cabinets and other furniture.

American beech

Beech

This is another popular furniture-making wood, as it is light, strong, and hard. The whiter the wood, the younger it is and the more popular for furniture making. Avoid using the darker or discolored wood as this comes from much older trees and has the tendency to split quite easily.

Beech has an excellent texture, making for easy planing, joining, and finishing. It takes the bumps and scrapes of normal household use very well, and because of its smooth finish it is also a favorite choice for use in tool handles.

Cherry

Cherry

Cherry wood is a popular choice with professional cabinetmakers, but it is quite difficult to obtain and is usually expensive outside the USA and Canada.

It can be difficult to work as the grain tends to tear easily, but if worked properly it can give a very beautiful finish.

The two most commonly used species within this family are English cherry and American cherry.

Red elm

Elm

This attractive timber is often used for making large pieces of furniture. It is a light red-brown in color and some species, such as European elm, have a beautiful figure and burl pattern.

Iroko

Iroko

Iroko is generally golden-brown in color, and has a pungent and irritating aroma when worked in machines.

Similar to teak in appearance and durability, but not as oily, iroko is a good choice for outdoor furniture.

Jelutong

Jelutong

This light-yellow timber is often used as a substitute for South African yellowwood as its appearance and characteristics are very similar, but it is a great deal less expensive. Although strong and durable, boards need to be selected carefully because they have a tendency to contain oval holes as well as circular wormholes.

Brown mahogany

Mahogany

This is a very beautiful timber with a red-brown color and a distinctive grain. Most varieties are quite heavy in comparison to other woods, and they are strong and durable. Although it is a popular choice for furniture-making, and has been for many years, mahogany, particularly the Spanish and St. Domingo varieties, is becoming more scarce and expensive, mainly due to high demand.

White maple

Maple

There are many varieties of maple, but generally it has a very light-brown color with an attractive grain that finishes well. It is a tough wood and versatile for all aspects of woodworking.

One particularly pretty variety is bird’s-eye maple, which has regular dark-brown markings that look like its name suggests. Bird’s-eye maple is often used for small-scale woodworking projects, such as presentation boxes and veneers.

Meranti

Meranti

Meranti is very similar in many ways to mahogany. It is a plain but attractive straight-grained hardwood with a reddish color. Because of its straight and even grain, meranti is most often used in the construction of door and window frames and for skirting boards.

When working this wood keep a pair of tweezers in your workshop, as more splinters end up in fingers and hands from meranti than any other kind of timber!

Oak

Oak (All Species ExceptAmerican Varieties)

This very beautiful hardwood is grown in many parts of the world, and the type of oak you use will depend upon where you live. Oak is a popular choice for lounge and dining-room furniture and tends to darken with age. It is an amazingly strong wood which, in days gone by, was used in the construction of ships. It was sawn into massive beams for the construction of houses (typically in the Elizabethan period) that can still be seen in Britain to this day— testimony to its longevity!

Vietnamese rosewood

Rosewood

There are many varieties of rosewood available. This species takes it name from the aroma of the wood—the underground section of canary rosewood is, in fact, used in the preparation of perfume. Rosewood has a dark-red to red-brown color and finishes beautifully. It is used for showpieces of furniture, pianos, veneers, and turned bowls.

Sapele

Sapele (Sapele Mahogany)

This very grainy and coarse-textured wood is mainly used as a veneer on manufactured boards, and is popularly used in this form for making pianos and other furniture. It is red-brown in color, strong and durable, but has a rather dull appearance. Most varieties originate from West Africa.

Sycamore

Sycamore

This is a beautiful wood when finished, if you can get it to that stage, as it does not take well to seasoning or to changes in climatic conditions. This wood is compact, has a fine grain, and can be worked quite easily. It usually has a light-cream to white color, but tends to darken with age.

Sycamore is commonly used in the making of violins and general furniture, but beware of warping and shrinkage.

Burmese teak

Teak

This straight-grained, heavy, but particularly durable wood has a greasy feel to it that is caused by its high oil content. It is suitable for outdoor furniture, deck planks, and shipbuilding, although the oiliness makes the use of wood glue a little tricky. Light-brown to burnt-gold in color, it is a classically beautiful wood to work and gives a lovely finish, but it tends to be hard on blades.

Tulipwood

Tulipwood

This beautifully striped, very hard wood, erroneously referred to as poplar, is a light red-brown in color and finishes well. It is often used for turning and decorative purposes, but is not a common choice for pieces of furniture.

Walnut

Walnut

Walnut is an exquisitely beautiful hardwood with a dark-brown, gray, or red color. This wood is a pleasure to work and a joy to see. Unfortunately, due to high demand, it is becoming quite expensive and is therefore only used for small projects, for example in the production of high-quality gun stocks.

“Man-Made” Woods

There are a number of reasons why it is necessary to manufacture “manmade” woods, and among these is the fact that natural wood is becoming more and more scarce and increasingly expensive. Another factor is that large, natural-wood boards tend to warp, whereas “man-made” boards are much more stable. Built-in kitchen and bedroom units, in particular, would be very difficult and prohibitively expensive to produce in natural wood.

MDF

Medium-DensityFiberboard (MDF)

This board is manufactured by reducing wood to a very fine fiber, mixing it with resin, and then compressing it under pressure to form sheets. Standard sizes and thicknesses vary from country to country, with ½ in. (12 mm) or the closest available thickness being the most suitable for general furniture-making. Your local hardware store or lumberyard (woodyard) should be able to supply sheets of almost any size you require. This wood has a very smooth finish, which can be hand- or spray-painted, and is also very versatile as it can be routed and shaped relatively easily. In blocks thick enough, it also turns remarkably well!

Plywood

Plywood

In woodworking, there is often a need for relatively thin boards that have a high strength-to-weight ratio, for example panels in doors or cabinets, and drawer bottoms. This is where plywood comes into its own. It is made by laminating thin sheets of wood so that the grain of each sheet is at right angles to the one adjacent to it.

Plywood is usually produced in sheets of 8 ft. (2.44 m) by 4 ft. (1.22 m) and in a variety of thicknesses, ranging from a very thin three-ply (about ⅛ in. [3 mm] thick) to multi-ply (about 1 in. [25 mm] thick). Your local lumberyard (woodyard) should have any dimensions you require.

Although the surface is not as smooth as MDF, plywood has a natural-wood appearance and is far stronger than MDF.

Blockboard

Blockboard (Copine,Pre-glued Panels)

While long, wide boards of natural wood can be unstable, there is still a demand for them. To meet this demand the timber industry has come up with the solution of gluing together strips of pine or oak, which are about 1 ⅜ in. (35 mm) wide and ¼–⅞ in. (6–22 mm) thick, to form boards up to 28 in. (700 mm) wide. Blockboard, while being very strong and stable, retains the appearance of natural wood. Boards are manufactured in a variety of widths and lengths, up to about 28 in. (700 mm) wide by up to 13 ft. (4 m) long and usually in a standard thickness of ⅞ in. (22 mm).

Particleboard (Chipboard)

Particleboard (chipboard)

Similar in some ways to MDF, particleboard is made by mixing wood chips with resin and then compressing it under pressure to form sheets of similar size and thickness to MDF. This is not a satisfactory wood for furniture-making and household projects as it does not finish very well, splits easily on the end grain and seems to be especially hard on saw blades. It can, however, be used where the surface will not be visible, for example in the construction of upholstered furniture.

Veneered particleboard (chipboard)

Veneered Particleboard(Chipboard)

Veneered particleboard looks and finishes better than plain particleboard. Mass-produced furniture is often made from this material, but because of its unattractive end grain, it should be avoided for furniture-making and household use.

Chapter 2:

Tools for the Job

You don’t need to spend a fortune on tools to achieve satisfactory results—even a small set of basic tools can be used to produce good quality, albeit relatively simple pieces of furniture. If money is a problem, first buy the essentials and then gradually build up a comprehensive set of tools. One important maxim is “buy good— buy once.” A good quality, expensive tool will usually last a lifetime if properly cared for, whereas a cheap, poor quality tool probably won’t do the job effectively and may break after a short time. A quality tool becomes part of you as you use it. You become familiar with its weight and the feel of it, and the more you use it, the more adept you will become at perfecting even the most difficult woodworking techniques.

Noise Control

As most woodworkers tend to practice their hobby at home, either in a garage or in a workshop attached to the house, it is important to be aware of noise control.

Woodworking machinery has the tendency to be very noisy, and although this would be acceptable in industrial areas, in a suburban situation it can cause considerable inconvenience to neighbors. It is therefore important to select the days and times when you wish to practice your hobby in order to avoid undue disturbance, together with the possible ensuing problems.

It is also a good idea to take simple soundproofing precautions, such as keeping workshop windows and doors closed when the weather and environment will permit it and, if you’re planning to build a workshop, make sure that it’s in a suitable location as far as your neighbors are concerned.

Another disadvantage of the noise factor is that it can affect the woodworker physically. Continuous exposure to noisy machinery can result in irreversible damage to the highly sensitive middle and inner parts of your ears, and it is strongly advised never to switch on a machine before putting on industrial ear protectors (see here).

Workbenches

The two most important factors to consider when choosing a workbench are the stability and the height. Stability is essential as it is unacceptable to have a piece of wood moving about, even by a fraction, when you’re trying to plane or drill accurately. Height is another very important feature. If the bench is too low, working will become difficult and the continuous bending over can result in backache. Alternatively, if the bench is too high, the work surface will be too close to your face, and this again makes for uncomfortable and unsatisfactory working conditions.

If you buy a commercially produced workbench and find that it’s too high or too low, either cut a suitable length off the legs or add a block to extend each leg to bring the work surface to the required, comfortable height.

This typical example of a freestanding carpenter’s workbench includes features such as a fitted bench vise with large and efficient jaws, and a drawer for tools or odds and ends.

Freestanding Bench

This bench is typical of commercially manufactured woodworking benches that are custom-made for the job, but although satisfactory, they can be expensive. Features will differ from one manufacturer to another, so it’s a good idea to investigate as many models as possible before making your choice. A freestanding bench has the advantage of being portable (although it can be heavy) and allows freedom of movement right around the bench. One of the few disadvantages is that if you have a confined working area, such as a garage, it can be a nuisance to have to drag the bench into your working area each time you need to use it.

If you can tackle a job of this size, a good practical exercise is to design and build your own bench. This has the advantage of being less expensive and will give you the pleasure of producing your own bench with its own design features.

Fixed Bench

This bench is ideal for an area with restricted workspace, but it is not commercially available. You need to be careful where you select your site for fixing, as once one is fixed in place it cannot be moved. Choose a position with ample natural light or install a flourescent light directly above the work surface. Since leaving school I have never worked on a commercially manufactured bench, always preferring to make my own and fix it to the garage wall. Again there are the advantages of being able to design the bench to suit your own length, width, and height requirements, and it also allows you to position attachments, such as a bench vise and stops, where you want them to be.

The surface can be made from boards joined with a biscuit joint (see here), but these boards need to be fairly sturdy and at least 1 ¼ in. (30 mm) thick. If you do not envisage any heavy work, then a particleboard (chipboard) surface should be adequate—it’s certainly cheaper than solid wood but not nearly as satisfactory in the final analysis.

The supports and legs must also be sturdy (at least 2 × 3 ½ in. [50 × 90 mm]), with a wooden or metal bracket for extra strength. A halving (lap) joint (see here) is adequate for the join between the leg and the support beam, and the support beam and the wall beam.

The wall support beam, which should be the same length as the bench, needs to be firmly screwed or bolted to the wall with the aid of masonry plugs. The work surface boards can then be screwed to the support beams. Remember to leave a sufficient overlap at the front and ends of the bench to allow free movement around the three sides of the bench without stubbing your toes on the legs, as well as space for the use of G-clamps (see here) when securing work to the surface.

Collapsible Benches