Most historical texts don’t have much to say about the process of resawing, or the tools that would have been used in the joiner’s or cabinetmaker’s shop to perform this task. This usually begs the question, “How did they do it?” However, before we address the question of how they did it, we should first understand IF they did it.
One of the questions most often asked by new woodworkers, and most often waffled on by experienced woodworkers in not HOW to sharpen but WHEN to sharpen.
The question of how much set to add to a hand saw is a common one for new saw sharpeners. Tooth set is a critical component to the performance of a hand saw. But how do you know if your saw has the proper amount of set?
Contrary to what many of the woodworking books and magazines would have us all believe, not all of the furniture and cabinetry of old was built using dovetails and mortise and tenon joinery.
One inconvenience with a solvent based finish like shellac is getting the brushes used to apply it thoroughly clean when you’re done. However, there is a very simple solution to this little conundrum.
The final step in putting our vintage in-cannel gouge back to work is to re-grind and hone the bevel and back of the cutting edge.
It is often said that the true mark of a master is that they can repair and hide their mistakes in such a way that they are invisible to the observer. I tend to disagree with this cliché.
Even if you have no intention or desire to regularly work on a pole lathe, I encourage you to at least try one out for a bit. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the improvement you see in your electric lathe work.
In this video, I discuss using a frame saw for resawing, and planing the end grain of thick hardwood pieces.
In this video, I discuss drawboring a mortise & tenon, work holding for planing small stock, and hand sawing and planing veneer.
The more you use your brace and bit in different situations, and at different angles, the better you will get at boring straight by eye. Until you get there, here are a couple of aids you can use that will help you along as you practice.
How small of a space can you really work with?
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