Carpentry Tools & Techniques

Study Notes

Pull-push rule (tape measure): flexible ruler for measuring.
Plumb bob: weight suspended from a string used as a vertical reference line.
Carpentry pencil: used for marking lines and shapes.
Bar level: indicates the horizontal plane.
Try square: tests squareness of materials and enables marking right angles (90°) and angles up to 45 degrees.
Chalk line: for marking long, straight lines on flat surfaces.
Steel rule (straightedge): fundamental measuring tool used in various fields.
Plane: hand tool for smoothing and shaping wood surfaces.
Chisel: hand tool with a sharp beveled edge used for cutting, shaping, and carving various materials.
Bench chisel: versatile tool used for variety of woodworking tasks.
Mallet: used for driving chisel handle and assembling jobs.
Cross-cut saw: cuts across the grain of wood.
Hammer: one of the most commonly used woodworking tools.

Milling: process of taking rough lumber and creating precise geometric blocks.
Jointing & Planing: Jointing flattens one face and edge of the lumber. Planing smooths wood surfaces and removes excess material.
Drilling & Boring: Drilling creates holes, while boring enlarges existing holes.
Scrollwork: uses a scroll saw to create ornamental designs in wood.
Shaping & molding: Shaping carves wood into non-rectangular shapes. Molding uses decorative strips of wood to cover transitions between surfaces.
Lathe turning: art of shaping wood into cylindrical shapes using a lathe.
Veneering & Lamination: Veneering adds decorative thin slices of wood to solid wood. Lamination combines layers of wood for increased strength.
Sanding & Filling: Sanding smooths the surface of wood using sandpaper, often in a sequence of grits. Filing shapes wood by removing rough spots and shaving wood in hard-to-reach angles.
Finishing: protects wood from scratches, dings, dirt, and liquids.

Eye protection: Wear safety glasses at all times while working in the woodshop.
Clothing: Avoid loose-fitting clothing and jewelry to prevent entanglement in machinery.
Substances: Avoid drugs and alcohol while working with dangerous tools.
Power tool safety: Disconnect power before making any changes to tools.
Stock safety: Check for metal pieces before cutting to prevent tool damage.
Work against the cutter: Ensure saw blade or router bit is cutting against the motion of the wood.
Blade safety: Never put hands near moving blades, especially when removing waste.
Distraction prevention: Focus on the task and avoid distractions.