Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
A tip for beginning woodworkers
Joe in a Cleveland suburb
When building something using mortise and tenon joinery that requires four posts and a bunch of rails and stiles (a large bookcase for example) make sure all of your stock is square.
Close enough doesn't cut it...
That's all I'm say'n.
Have a great week.
Joe
(selling un-square cherry firewood in Cleveland)
Re: A tip for beginning woodworkers
Jerry Gibbs
Square stock is a key. I have made many mistakes of “assumption”—that the blade is square to the table, that the miter gauge is square to the blade and most importantly, that the square I am using is square. Jerry
squaring a square *LINK*
Center punch and hammer.
Re: squaring a square
Larry Clinton At Frankfort, (Central) Indiana
I have never used a center punch to do this. I use a small ball peen hammer - works great and the marks are barely visible. I have done this for more than 60 years!
Re: squaring a square
Joe in a Cleveland suburb
My Starrett squares are square, I think my problems began at the jointer....
Just stupidity on my part and rushing to get things done quickly.
Thanks.
jointers creep out of square
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
I begin a new set of blades with fence far right. Given the various thickness that get jointed the wear on the knife goes from some to none over say about 2". The result is an edge taper on a 2" wide board. Not a problem with edge gluing for I by habit flip panel pieces when jointing to cancel this angle of the edge. But if I am jointing 2" legs the error can be significant.
Trust no one.
Mark Hennebury
And nothing,
Check and reference everything.
I don't understand how you would trust anything without verifying each and every step.
Not complicated , doesn't require expensive equipment it is simple, some basic knowledge and a mindset.
If you want to check your jointer fence is square;
1. Mark face and edge.
2. dress two pieces of say ....2x2
3. set them on the jointer table
4. push them together, see if they fit
5.Flip one see if they still fit.
If your fence is 90 they will fit both ways, if its is not they will fit one way only.
To check your mitre fence and blade;
1. cut one 2x2 in half stand the two on end and push together, see if the fit.
2. rotate one around ( keeping the same end on the table) see if they fit
This will tell you if your mitre fence is 90 to the saw and also if your blade is 90 to the table.
Pay attention to the reference marks for face and edge to tell which way your equipment is misaligned.
Didn't cost you a cent , no fancy, expensive equipment and a lot more accurate.
