{"id":70,"date":"2023-07-28T16:34:29","date_gmt":"2023-07-28T20:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/tradeskillsforsuccessnumeracy\/?post_type=chapter&p=70"},"modified":"2023-08-04T17:59:37","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T21:59:37","slug":"mark-measure-cut","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/tradeskillsforsuccessnumeracy\/chapter\/mark-measure-cut\/","title":{"raw":"Mark, Measure, & Cut","rendered":"Mark, Measure, & Cut"},"content":{"raw":"https:\/\/ponyjorgensen.com\/blogs\/how-to-mark-measure-cut-wood\/\r\n\r\nHow to measure, mark, and cut wood<\/span><\/strong>\r\nMarch 23, 2019 Posted in How-to By Jerry\r\n\r\nWhen two pieces of wood are glued together using high-quality clamps, the bond between them becomes stronger than the wood itself. But before you can break out the power tools and start assembling your woodworking projects, you need to know how to measure, mark, and cut wood properly and precisely \u2013 every time. Because if even a single piece of paper can fit between two pieces of joined wood, the glue bond isn\u2019t as strong as it could be.\r\n\r\nBesides helping achieve good bonds and even contact, taking the time to cut every piece of your project correctly will help it all come together the way you envision, with minimal time spent sanding or making corrections. It\u2019s true that in many instances, not every cut is critical to the success of the job. But always striving to be as accurate as possible can\u2019t hurt, and being consistent will help build lasting good habits.\r\n\r\nMeasuring and marking wood before cutting<\/span><\/strong>\r\n\r\nMeasure, mark, then cut. Seems simple, right? Not quite. Whether you\u2019re using a ruler or a tape measure, always double-check (or triple-check!) your measurements. Then be sure to mark your wood properly. A pencil works fine as a marker, as long as the tip is sharp. And when accuracy is of the utmost importance, use a razor blade or a box cutter to make your mark. This will give you the tightest tolerance possible for perfectly accurate and straight cuts. Plus, this slight cut has the added\r\nbenefit of relieving the wood grain ever so slightly, meaning the wood has less chance of splintering as you make your cut.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re using a pencil to make your mark, you have three options to consider before cutting the wood: you can cut to the inside of the line, along the line, or to the outside of the line. In most cases, we recommend cutting to the outside of the line. You can always take more wood off, but you can\u2019t get it back once you\u2019ve started your cut. The saw blade should move just along the side of the line. If you cut to the pencil line, the thickness of your blade might take off more material than you expected. No matter what you choose, be sure to cut consistently. Follow the same approach for every cut your project requires, and you will be rewarded with accurate cuts.\r\n\r\nEssential woodworking cuts you should know<\/span><\/strong>\r\n\r\nNow that you\u2019re ready to cut your wood, let\u2019s review five of the main woodworking\r\ncuts and when to use them.\r\n\r\nCrosscut: A crosscut is any cut that slices across (\u201ccross\u201d) the grain direction of\r\nthe wood. To make this cut, use a miter saw or a table saw for best results. A table\r\nsaw will let you cut wider pieces of wood. Avoid using a band saw, as crosscutting\r\nwood is more strenuous on a blade and a band saw is more likely to burn the edges\r\nof the wood or result in rough cuts.\r\n\r\nRip cut<\/span>:<\/strong> A rip cut is a cut that follows the direction of the wood grain. Think of it as\r\n\u201cripping\u201d the wood apart. This type of cut is easy to perform with most saws, and\r\nmany professional woodworkers use a table saw with a rip fence for consistent,\r\nrepeatable results. But use caution when you hold the wood. Never try to push\r\na board through a table saw using just your hands; use a push stick to guide the\r\npiece forward. A good miter saw with a wide blade and a sharp edge can also be\r\nused for rip cuts.\r\n\r\nResawing<\/span>:<\/strong> When you resaw wood, you cut along the edges of boards to create\r\nthinner boards. This is an ideal way to turn thick pieces of wood into thinner slabs\r\nfor veneering or bookmatching. A finely tuned miter saw is the best tool for this\r\ntechnique. Once you\u2019ve resawed your wood, you can run your boards through a\r\nwood planer to ensure flat surfaces.\r\n\r\nMiter:<\/span> <\/strong>A miter cut is any cut made at an angle other than 90 degrees (i.e., not\r\na square cut). Typically this is a 45-degree cut through the wood and is used for\r\nmaking boxes, picture frames, and other framing structures. Unsurprisingly, a miter\r\nsaw is the best tool to use when miter cutting. A bevel cut is very similar to a miter\r\ncut, except a bevel cut is used to create angled or round edges. To make bevel\r\ncuts, hold the board\u2019s face against the fence of your miter saw. And to be safe, set\r\nthe fence so that the blade tilts away from it.\r\n\r\nCurved cut:<\/span><\/strong> A curved cut is any cut that is intentionally not a straight cut. A band\r\nsaw is perfect for creating curved cuts. Always cut to the outside of your mark line\r\nbecause you will have to round off your edges regardless. For thinner wood, a\r\njigsaw can provide better results","rendered":"

How to measure, mark, and cut wood without cutting corners.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n