Construction Techniques

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Peter Dunsmore  |  Oct 30, 2008  |  0 comments
This technique is a simple method for joining two pieces of timber. Although this joint has many applications, it’s particularly useful for a bearer on the inside of a cabinet to secure a solid wood top in place. In this case, screws would fit into slots cut in the bearer to secure the top down. The slots allow the top to expand with the varying humidity in addition to preventing it from cupping or bowing. It’s most useful,…

Andy Standing  |  Oct 26, 2008  |  0 comments
The bridle joint is also referred to as an ‘open’ or ‘slot’ mortise-and-tenon joint. This is because the mortise is open-ended and the tenon may be slid into it sideways. The joint can be used on corners, either cut square or mitred, where it’s signifi cantly stronger than a halving joint by virtue of its large gluing area. Tools you’ll need to cut bridle joints: • Try square • Pencil •…

Andy Standing  |  Oct 12, 2008  |  0 comments
There are several varieties of dovetail joint, but perhaps the most common – and the most familiar – is the lapped dovetail. This is used when you want to hide the joint on one side, but make it visible on the other. Its most common use is in drawer construction. Here the mechanical strength of the joint is needed to fi x the sides to the drawer front, but you don’t want the joint to be visible when the drawer is closed.…

Andy Standing  |  Oct 03, 2008  |  0 comments
The housing joint is a useful structural joint, particularly in cabinets and shelving units. It’s sometimes also called a dado joint, and is effectively a trench that’s cut across the grain of the timber, into which the end of another component is inserted. The difference between a groove and a housing is that a groove always runs along the grain, whereas a housing runs across it.

A well-made housing is a strong and reliable…

Ian Taylor  |  Sep 20, 2008  |  0 comments
Dovetail joints can be pretty unforgiving. They are major showpieces - visible when drawers are open and sometimes permanently on display when they are used for carcase construction. A badly fitting dovetail is something that is difficult to live with. As for loose tenons, there's often a simple fix that can recover the situation, especially if you do it carefully.

Whether the problem comes from the tails being too narrow or the recesses…

Ian Taylor  |  Sep 20, 2008  |  0 comments
We all make mistakes from time to time, some of us more than others. There's nothing more frustrating than the job going wrong when you have invested many hours of work and committed expensive materials. Well, don't despair, there's often a well-tried escape route which lets you recover the situation. And if you're careful, only you need know that it nearly went wrong. This article sets out a few fixes that have worked for me -…

Ian Taylor  |  Aug 22, 2008  |  0 comments
If your workshop is tight for space, like mine, you might find that your projects can take a bit of a battering before they are complete. Knocks from banging into tools and machinery can take their toll. However, if the wood fibres aren't broken, dings and dents are easy to fix. What happens when you dent a piece of timber is that he wood cells get compressed. You can ‘plump them up’ again by infusing them with hot…

Ian Taylor  |  Aug 22, 2008  |  0 comments
The last demo shows the dangers of mixing iron filings with some timbers. Oak and chestnut and some other timbers have a high tannin content. If you add iron filings and water a dark stain is the result.

Why would you add iron filings in the first place? Well, if you used fine steel wool to burnish the surface after sanding, fine iron residues are trapped in the grain. Add water, a chemical reaction takes place and you end up with a black…

Ian Taylor  |  Aug 21, 2008  |  0 comments
Sometimes, even when your tenons are tight, the joint doesn't come together properly - there's a gap between the two mating timbers. The problem could come from the tenon being too long for the mortise, but that is easily fixed - simply trim the tenon. But more likely it comes from the shoulders on the tenon stock not being cut properly. If one side is cut at a shorter length than the other, the longer side will close up tightly, but…

Ralph Laughton  |  Mar 23, 2008  |  0 comments
In its simplest form, woodworking involves taking a large piece of wood, cutting and shaping it into smaller pieces and reassembling them in a different order to make something useful or decorative. The cutting and shaping is relatively straightforward bit. It’s when you come to join all the pieces back together again that the fun begins The Joint Genie System is the one I've used here Joining options Making a beautifully…

The Woodworker  |  Jan 23, 2008  |  0 comments
This one's definately worth a watch! It's a demonstration of the Joint Genie system. We've tested the system for The Woodworker and we're thorouly impressed with it! Ralph Laughton has also but togeather an article on using the Joint Genie system which will feature in The Woodworker magazine soon.

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