Knowing the different hand tools in woodworking
In todays times, technology allowed us to have powerful tools that can do things for us with ease by consuming energy. Let’s not forget the pioneer hand tools that started it all and created marvelous wood pieces even before man learned how to harness electricity for woodworking.
Here is some of the basic hand tools used in making wood furniture.
1. The hand saw
The term hand saw refers to a tool with a metal blade that is capable of cutting wood. It can also cut other materials like plastic, and metals. The saw blade has teeth that protect the cutting edge. It can be observed that the cut being made by the saw is wider than the saw blade itself. It is because the teeth are curved alternately on the sides of the blade. This feature of the saw blade avoided the instances of the saw blade being stuck between the wood being cut.
There are different types of handsaws depending on the use and physical characteristics
- Crosscut saws and ripsaws are physically identical, with the blades (approximately attached to a wooden handle. But crosscut saws are designed to cut across grains; Ripsaws cut with the grain.
- Backsaws have rectangular blades that are reinforced with a metal strip to keep them straight while cutting across wood. This saw can cut across or with the grain. It can be used with a miter box for precise cutting.
- Coping saws are used to create curved cuts in woods. It is made possible because of the flexible blade of the saw attached to a U-shaped frame.
2. Planes
Planes are hand tools used in smoothing wood surfaces and in reducing the thickness of the wood. It is composed of a sharp steel blade protected by a wooden housing. The blade is adjusted to achieve a specific angle against the surface to be planed. The cut depth is determined by the length of the blade protruding the surface of the housing.
Special blades can be attached to the plane to create special channels and grooves in the wood surface. Files can also be attached to the plane for customized shaping and smoothing.
Planes can be categorized according to length, and the materials that comprise it.
- According to length
Smoothing planes are usually up to 10 inches in length. Jack planes are generally longer with a length range of 10 to 14 inches. Fore planes come after jack planes, with a maximum length of 18 inches. The longest among the planes is the jointer plane with a length that reaches up to 22 inches.
- According to materials used
Wooden planes are completely made of wood, except for their metal blades. The blade is attached to the body by a wedge. To adjust the blade, the wedge must be hit by a hammer.
Transitional planes also have a wooden body, but a metal cast takes the place of the wedge. It is easier to adjust the blade using the metal cast.
Metal planes are made up of metal, except for their handles.
Infill planes have metal bodies, but the space in which the blade is resting is filled with wood.
3. Chisels
Chisels are tools with a flat beveled blade with a square cut edge attached to a handle. It is used to remove unwanted parts of the wood, may it be for form or function purposes. The chisel is held by one hand, while the other hand is used in striking the hammer at the handle of the chisel.
A variety of sizes of chisels are used in woodworking. Larger ones are used before using smaller chisels to give detail. A framing slick, for example, is one type of large chisel that is used in frame construction.
Gouge, a variety of a chisel, is used when creating concave carvings in wood. The difference between the beveled-edge chisel and the gouge is the U-shaped cross section found in the latter.
A lathe tool, another kind of chisel that cuts wood that is spinning in a lathe. It has longer handles to allow more leverage to counteract the spinning action of the wood.
These are some of the hand tools that earlier generations relied on to get things done. It is right to give credit to these tools, for without them, woodworking wouldn’t have been the industry we know today.
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