Hand Production Techniques - Lesson Ten

I never realized how many different types of Dovetail joints there were, but I learnt another one today. This Dovetail Joint was a Mired Corner Dovetail.

This is very similar to the Through Dovetail, apart from (as the name says) mitered pins on each end. To help understand see below for diagrams of each piece of wood.

The Tail Board:

Above: Shows end of Tail Board with areas to cut out

Above: 3D image of Tail Board

The Pin Board:

Above: Shows end of Pin Board with areas to cut out

Above: 3D image of Pin Board

Above: Side view which will be the
same on each end of both boards

I think that aesthetically this is the best looking Dovetail Joint that I have made. It was very hard to understand how to create this joint initially, but with an example joint that I could take apart, I soon learned just how easily it really is. The hardest part of joint was getting the mitre correct on both pieces of wood, and therefore getting it to joint squarely.

 I will add some photos later, as they are on a different camera ;) .

Hand Production Techniques - Lesson Nine

Today was a lesson about how to create a rebate in a piece of wood. This will be used in future modules and pieces of work for things such as a cupboard back, drawer bottom or even shelf's and dividers to sit within the carcass.

There are a variety of different ways such as a Plough Plane, Rebate Plane or Combination plane. To create the groove I used the latter.

Above: Combination Plane

It is made up of a guard which runs along the edge of the piece of wood, a depth stop which you set to the required depth, and finally the actual blade, which can be removed and changed depending on the size or style of groove that you require.

Along the edge of the guard you normally attach a piece of hardwood with rounded ends, as this allows stops the metal rubbing against the wood and creating marks.

To create a rebate, the first thing you have to do is to start it on the furthest edge, and work backwards to to other side, as shown below.

Above: Groove at one end, and planing away to other edge.

Once you have created this, it will look something like this:

Above: Groove created by Combination Plane

Creating the groove was simple and easy to do, I had no problems, however I learnt from some that they hadn't done the guard up tight enough, and ended up with the groove running out of a true straight line from the edge of the piece of wood.

Finally I also learnt about a machine called a 'Wood Welder'. This cures glued pieces of wood in seconds, as is done using microwave energy.

Above: Wood Welder

PPD - Task 2 "Why Am I Here - What do I want to achieve?"

For Task 2 of the Personal and Professional Development (PPD), I have to answer five different questions about the course, why I picked it and how I feel about my abilities on the course. Below are the questions, along with the answers.


Five reasons why I chose to study on this programme:

1. I have always enjoyed making and being practical, whether in class or outside in my own hobbies.
2. I enjoy the feeling of being proud of something I have created.
3. I wanted to do something which involved making pieces of work which will last for years, and can be passed down from generation to generation.
4. I have always wanted to be multi-skilled, and wanted to have this alongside my computing abilities.
5. I have always wanted to either be self employed, or become a teacher, and this course will give me the abilities to become involved in either career.

Five things that I want to learn during my time on the programme:

1. How to produce furniture that can either be mass produced, or one of production for certain clients.
2. To learn how to effectively communicate my ideas and thought processes though drawings and mood boards.
3. Learn how to effectively teach and / or run a successful private business.
4. How to use all the hand tools properly, including maintenance (such as sharpening).
5. Learn how to correctly assemble all the different types of joint, either using hand tools or machines, depending on what I can access at the time.

Five skills that I think are my strengths: 

1. My ability to communicate successfully and help / learn from people on the course and the course leaders, as this is something that I have been doing for many years helping at groups such as the Scouts.
2. I have a very keen eye, which means that I like to get something completed to the best of my ability and time.
3. I feel that I have good computer skills, which means I have been able to carry on with my blog and design images on the different posts easily and successfully.
4. I have previous experience in wood craft and furniture making, and feel that some of this knowledge is very helpful for this course.
5. I am quiet a tidy person, which means I keep a tidy bench and always know where a tool is when I need it.

Five things that I want to improve:

1. My organisation skills, as I tend not to manage time very wisely.
2. My drawing skills and getting my ideas onto paper and making them look realistic and proportional, as I struggle with this a lot.
3. Hand production techniques, as I struggle with simple things such as sawing accurately.
4. Improve my knowledge of the general course, especially designers and the history of furniture making.
5. My understanding of all the types of tools, including the machines which are available to me, and how to use them correctly and most efficiently.

Five ways that I will evaluate my progress:

1. The marks and grades that I get for the assignments and furniture that I produce for the different modules.
2. The verbal feedback that I receive from family, course mates and course leaders.
3. My personal opinions on my work, and how well I feel that a module as been completed.
4. The subject knowledge that I have gained, and how this will help me to quickly and easily find the answers or ways to carry out pieces of work.
5. How successful a piece of work has gone, and how professional it looks, such as a written assignment, or a joint.

Five questions that I want to find the answer to:

1. How do I turn my interest in furniture making into a successful and profitable business?
2. How do I find good places to purchase my tools and raw material from?
3. How do I build up positive feedback and a large client base?
4. How to set up and use a hand plane properly?
5. How to apply wood finishes properly and aesthetically?

Hand Production Techniques - Lesson Eight

This lesson was very similar to yesterdays lesson, however rather then a through D/T joint, it was a Lap D/T. This means that the tails do no go all the way though the other piece of wood. I started of by making a singular Lap D/T joint.

Step 1: 

To make the the Lap D/T, you first mark of 6mm from the edge along the top edge were the tails will slot into.

Step 2: 

Using the measurement of thickness of the wood left after the 6mm inlay, make a cut line all the way round the piece of wood that is going to be used for the tails.

Step 3: 

Use the instructions in previous posts to cut a normal tail into this piece of wood.

Step 4: 

Using the tail as a guide, mark out and then cut out the groove, making sure you leave the 6mm to create the lap for the D/T.

Step 5: 


Use a chisel to clear out any excess wood, and then it should sit together as shown below.

Overall the joint went reasonably well, all though there were some gaps and it was slightly loose. However before I had to try it again we were told to do a multiple lap D/T joint.

This joint went really well, and would be a really strong and aesthetic joint once clamped up. It is made very similar to to the previous two joints, so I will just include a few photos of the different stages.

The tails have been cut out and the waste cleared.

Marking out the pins to be cut.

Clearing out the grooves for
the tails, not going all the
way though.

The finished joint ready to glue up.

After making this joint, I will be spending more time to perfect it, as it will be used throughout future projects and pieces of work. Although for my first attempt I think it was very successful

Inspiration

http://www.dylangold.com/work/stinktree.php

Hand Production Techniques - Lesson Seven

Once I had successfully created a single Dovetail joint, the next was to make a through D/T. This involved similar cutting techniques, but very different marking out initially. Below shows all the measurements in one diagram. These are then explained in the step by step instructions.

Step 1:

I first cut the board into two sections, and by using a plane and shooting board, smoothed off the edge so it was completely square.

Above: Shooting board being used to plane square edge

Step 2:


Once I had planed both pieces I then began to mark out the tails. To begin I measured 2mm in from both sides, as this would be the width of the pins on the other board, and any smaller would mean they would snap off. I then made a cut line all the way round the piece of wood, using the thickness of the piece of wood. Finally using a ruler, measure across the piece of wood until you can easily divide that by the number of tails you require. As I wanted four tails, I measured 120mm across, and then marked every 30mm.

Above: measuring and marking every 30mm.
Starting from 10mm as the end of the ruler may not be accurate

Step 3:


Once you have marked on the required distances for your tails, use a Try Square to draw them up to the edge of the wood.

Above: Lines meet the edge of board and cut line
is clearly visible

Step 4:

Then I marked on each side of this line 1mm, as this is where the pins will end.

Above: 1mm has been marked either side of the line.

Step 5:

I then used the Dovetail Marker to draw the angled lines from each 1mm marked points across the top edge of the board, and also from the 4mm lines. Mark all waste which is to be removed. I then used my D/T saw, and coping saw to remove as much waste between the tails as possible.

Above: Tails are clearly marked.

Step 6:

Then using different sized chisels, I removed the remainder of the waste, and used these to mark out the pins on the edge of the other piece of wood.

Pairing down the joins to remove waste.

Step 7:

The image below shows that I have marked the pins by using the tails as a guide, and I then removed this with a D/T saw, coping saw and chisels.

Above: The pins marked out.

Above: The pins cut out and finished.

Step 8:

After some adjustment and pairing, this joint should fit together perfectly, and be at a true 90 degree angle.

Above: The finished joint.

After finishing the joint, I had time to reflect on how I felt it went. I was really pleased with the overall joint, especially the edge you can see in the photo above, however the other side of the joint would need to be clamped up to get a neat finish.

Hand Production Techniques - Lesson Six

Today I used the Dovetail Marker made in the previous lesson to make a full dovetail joint. To begin I marked out the tail, using the normal tools such as the Marking Gauge, Marking knife and also the new D/T Marker. To use the D/T Marker, it is as simple as holding against the edge of the wood till the angle fits neatly, and drawing a line on either side of the marker, as shown below.

Once this was marked out, we cut off all the waste, include the half off of the back to just leave the tail.

 This was then used to make the slot where the tail would sit in the other piece of wood. This is done so even if the actual cut line is slightly off the marked cutting line, then it will still slot neatly into the joint. Once again to cut off all the waste I put the wood in the vice at an angle, which is how I find it easier to cut angled lines, and then cut straight down.

Once I had cut, chisel and smoothed of both section with a hand router, I put both pieces together, and found they came to be the best joint I had made so far.

The join (Although not fully pushed together)

 I was really pleased, and as I had some spare time I even made myself two bench hooks! This is because there isn't many in the workshop, and I had been using a left handed on, which made cutting difficult.

Hand Production Techniques - Lesson Five

This lesson was introduced that I was going to be making Dovetail Joints. These joints are one of the most decorative joints I feel you can make, but first I had to learn how to mark them out. I also learnt about a new tool, which is called the sliding bevel. This is used to set to a certain angle, and then use it to either draw or mark an angled line.

Above: Sliding Bevel

To produce the Dovetail joint we first had to work out the correct angle of the tails. This is either 1/8 for hardwoods, or 1/6 for softwoods.

Step 1:

Using a Try Square, draw a straight line up a scrap piece of wood, up to either 8cm (Hardwoods) or 6cm (Softwoods).

Step 2:

Measure 1 cm along the bottom of the board away from the existing line.

Step 3:

Join the the two lines together using a straight rule.

Step 4:


Using the Sliding Bevel take the angle from the wood.

After this, we were told to use this angle to make a dovetail marker. This allows you to quickly and easily mark dovetails on any piece of wood, without the need to use the Sliding Bevel.

Below I have included the dimensions and 3d view of the D/T marker.

This went really well and I completed the D/T Marker in good time, with no errors. I also had a chance to use my new saw, which was a cross cut saw and it was much easier to use.

PPD - Task 1 Lecture 1 " Who am I"

The first lecture for our Personal and Professional Development (PPD) Module was yesterday (3/10/2011). To begin with I didn't feel that it would benefit me, as who knew me better than myself. However as the lecture progressed it became more apparent about how little I actually knew, and now have a greater understanding how people perceive me, and how I perceive myself.

The lecture began by explaining a brief background of personality profiling, and then followed by us learning about Myer Briggs Personality Profiling and then assessing and our own personality. The Myer Briggs profile asks for four questions about key areas of personality, and then used a letter to signify which category we were. For example mine ended up being 'ISTJ'.

The first question which was asked was whether we were an Introvert or an Extrovert. Introvert means that you sometimes need downtime to clear your head and to recharge. An Extrovert is when you rarely need quiet time, and you gain energy from being around people. I found that after some thought I was an Introvert because I regularly need time to sit down and think alone, although I do still like to go out and socialize regularly. For this reason I made a made a note of the letter 'I'.

The next question we were asked was either being a 'sensing' or 'Intuitive' type of person. I fell into the Sensing category, as I'm a person who likes to make practical solutions to problems, and am not as creative with ideas as people who are intuitive. I also have a very strong mentality about living in the moment, and not worrying about the future or the past and don't often judge people until I know there personality. Therefore I was an 'S'.

The third question which was asked was about if we were 'thinkers' or 'feelers'. This meant did we base decisions and actions on defiant logic and facts, or do you act on more personal emotions and thoughts. For this I defiantly felt like I was a Thinker, as I always normally act upon logic rather then my personal opinions. I also feel that whilst I like harmonious  relationships between friends, I accept this is normal, and do not often get involved or upset by them. Therefore I was an 'T'.

Lastly we were asked whether we were judging or perceiving characteristics, which meant we plan ahead before acting and to avoid stresses of deadlines, or if we like to multitask and act without a plan. I felt that I was a Judging character, as I normally plan ahead to stop myself from falling behind or getting stuck along the way.

This meant I was recorded by the four letter ISTJ. We then had to compare this to a list of sixteen possible combinations, in order to find out what was said about our personality. I was skeptical at this point, as I believed what could possibly be found out by just answering four questions, and felt that it was not going to give an accurate representation of my personality. However I was pleasantly suprised and can only say that I felt it was incredibly accurate, as it went like this :

"Quite, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact,realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organised - their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty."


I felt this was an accurate reflection, apart from that I can work regardless of distractions, as I can find that hard sometimes, but all in all I was very pleased by what was said, and I do value loyalty very highly.

After the lecture, we also had a task to complete, involving the BBC 'Child of our time' website to carry out the 'Big Five Test'. I began the test, however after answering about two pages of questions I felt they were becoming irrelevant and very personal. Also some of the questions were completely irrelevant, but you could not skip them so just had to use the closet answer, such as whether I was employed, which I wasn't and picked student, yet it still asked what my income was and what was my occupation type was. However I carried on the test to produce five categories, and what I scored out of them. Below is my total score, and what was written about each category:


Openness:
You scored 2.7 out of 5

You scored low on Openness.Pople with scores like yours tend to have a less broad range of interests. They usually stick to what they know rather than being overly enthusiastic about trying new things.

This trait is sometimes known as ‘Openness to experience’.

You may find that generating lots of imaginitive ideas is not your biggest strength.

It has been suggested that Openness is related to a person's likelihood to hold unusual beliefs. People with low-to-medium Openness may therefore be less likely to believe in things like conspiracy theories.


Conscientiousness:

You scored 2.9 out of 5

You scored low on Conscientiousness.

Conscientiousness describes how dependable, organised and hard-working a person is likely to be. This may be the reason why, of all the personality traits, Conscientiousness is the most consistent indicator of job success. People with scores like yours can appear disorganised, but tend to be spontaneous and have a good sense of fun.

People with low Conscientiousness may be well-suited to investigative or artistic careers.

Some studies have shown the more Conscientious an individual is, the more disciplined they are likely to be about exercise and diet.

Extroversion:

You scored medium:

Extroversion is characterized by positive emotions and the tendency to seek out pleasure-stimulating or risk-taking activities. People with scores like yours are likely to be comfortable meeting new people and will usually enjoy social occasions.

You are likely to have a generally positive outlook on life and may display a greater gift for leadership compared to those with low scores on this trait.

People with high Extroversion are more likely to lead risky lifestyles and take greater risks in pursuit of rewards. Health studies have shown they are more likely to smoke and less likely to get enough sleep than people who score less highly on this trait.

Agreeableness:

You scored 4 out of 5:

You scored high on Agreeableness.

Agreeableness measures how sympathetic and considerate a person is likely to be. People with scores like yours are likely to find it very easy to get along with other people. You probably find that you are sensitive to the feelings of others and that people find it easy to warm to you.

As a 'people person' you will probably be very comfortable in situations that require teamwork.

Neuroticism:
You scored 2.4 out of 5:

You scored medium on Neuroticism.

In the context of the Big Five personality traits, the term 'Neuroticism' relates to a person’s response to threatening or stressful situations. People with scores like yours are likely to be comparatively level-headed about perceived threats, but you may find yourself worrying when faced with uncertainty or unfamiliar situations.

Some scientists have suggested that Neuroticism was beneficial in evolutionary terms. Early man may have found it advantageous to live in a population where certain individuals had a high sensitivity to threats to the group's survival.

There is evidence to suggest that Neuroticism, when combined with high scores in personality traits such as Conscientiousness, can result in a powerful work ethic and a will to succeed.

After completing the test, I felt rather confused, but did agree with all the categories and scores it had placed me in, However I also felt it took much longer the the previous test, and asked a lot of unnecessary questions, which therefore means I prefer the Myer Briggs Personality Profiling.