Miodrag Trajkovic asked:




Wood working has been in vogue since the Neolithic age, even before the recorded history. Fine woodworking or the art of using wood to build and carve items of utility has progressed rapidly from the prehistoric epoch and has played a major role in the development of the modern age civilization.

A large part of a successful popular woodworking excursion involves the right measuring and lay outing implementations. It is well known that planning and correct measurements and layouts help in organizing and efficiently executing the project. Not to mention, the correct selection of tools for use and an in depth understanding of the wood also plays a great role in the ultimate success of the woodworking project.

There are numerous popular woodworking measuring and layout tools available in the market, which have evolved from the measuring and layout tools used by the primordial man ages ago. Amongst the earliest and the oldest measuring and layouting tools used by man, the knotted cord deserves a special mention. This was used by the ancient Egyptians, Ancient Inca Empire and Ancient Greeks and served as their measuring and layout tool. The ancient surveyors used the knotted cord to measure area distances.

The knotted cord is basically a length of cord with knots at regular intervals. This primitive measuring and layout tool was succeeded by its chain version, which was more precise and accurate. It also scored an advantage over its ancestor in the fact that it did not stretch with the passage of time.

The universally found measuring tape, a familiar tool for measuring and layout amongst woodworkers has evolved from the knotted cord. This tape is simply a ruler, which can be rolled out over an area, then rolled back once a measurement reading is taken.

These days there are various types of measuring tapes manufactured by different brands. They all possess different attributes and characteristics. Some boost of a laser pointer, for added guidance, while the others display a “memory” function, which enable multiple measurements in one go.

However, the fundamental concept behind the measuring tape is similar to that of its predecessor knotted cord. The measuring tapes are quite accurate and error free as a measuring and layout tool.

Another type of measuring and layout tool in existence is the calipers. Often mistaken for the compass due to their appearance, they are actually suitable for taking detailed measurements. Calipers help in imbibing more accuracy and precision in the measuring and layout work as they are able to compute measurements within a 0-6″, 0-150 mm range, with an accuracy measure of up to 0.001″ or ± 0.02 mm.

These days digital calipers are commonly available and help in making the measuring and layout jobs quick, simple and more accurate.

The measuring and layout tools are very important in fine woodworking and help in the making of correctly fitting wood pieces. They also ensure that the project is accurate in terms of measurement, thereby ensuring the success of the job.

The combination of the right tool for the right job is quite important for the desired result, nonetheless proper measuring is also crucial to ensure the success of the popular woodworking excursion.

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tomfidgen asked:

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Miodrag Trajkovic asked:




Despite the fact that portable or hand-held woodworking equipment is in vogue these days, woodworking stationary machines have still not lost their utility value. There are two phases of any woodworking project. The first phase is “shaping” phase. In this stage, the wood pieces are cut and carved into the desired shape with the help of these woodworking stationary machines. It is only after the shaping of the wood pieces, that it becomes possible to put them together like building blocks to build the desired structure. The putting together part is accomplished by the hand-held or portable wood working tools.

In other words the popular woodworking stationary machines can be called the block builders and help the woodworker in competently making the “pieces” that build the entire project. Following are a few stationary machines that are commonplace in a woodworker’s shop.

Bench Grinder

Bench grinders are rough wheels, which serve a variety of purposes. To get a clear picture of what a bench grinder looks like and its functioning, imagine a wheel placed next to a motor. The work piece is “supplied” to the bench grinder for procedures like sanding, polishing, buffing. This machine cannot be moved, however the material fed to it can be adjusted as per the woodworker’s requirement.

For instance, in case a woodworker needs to sand a chair armrest, and then the wood piece itself is fed to the bench grinder as per the requirements of the woodworker’s blueprint for the chair armrest.

Based on thee type of grinding wheel used the bench grinders can polish or sand many metals and specific types of plastics. Due to their versatile and multiple uses, bench grinders are one of the most commonly found wood working machines.

Jointers

Jointers are used for making joints quickly, accurately and easily. Jointers are considered an inseparable part of any woodworking excursion. These jointers help the woodworkers to meet their deadlines as using jointers guarantees a perfect joint cut and helps them to concentrate on other areas of the woodworking project. Apart from this jointers are also adept in making mortises and biscuit joint setups.

Drill Press

This woodworking stationary machine’s function is not just restricted to drilling. A drill press can be used in a similar fashion to a bench grinder by fitting it with grinding wheels instead of the drill bit. A drill press consists of many parts such as a base, a table, a pillar/column, a spindle and a drill head. When the material is placed on the machine’s table, the drill head moves down a fixed path via the machine’s pillar/column.

The tool can also work as a grinder or polisher by substituting the drill press’ drill head with a grinding wheel or polishing wheel.

The main advantages of woodworking stationary machines are speedier construction, precise measurements and easy make of the tools. These “pre assembly” tools help wood workers to focus on enhancing the visual appeal of the woodworking project, thus making them surpass competition in the trade.