Orientation marks are not the same thing as reference marks, which are used to identify a flat, straight, and square face, edge and corner. So today, I want to go over the reference marks.
Some additional thoughts and perspective on reference marks and layout from reader Willard “Bill” Anderson and myself.
When working by hand, minor inconsistencies in thickness or parallelism between faces or edges can cause major problems with joinery if the reference face and edge are ignored.
You can never have too many squares in the shop, and wooden ones are super easy to make, in any size you need, even if you don’t already have a square.
In this video, I discuss reference faces and edges, combination planes, dado planes, and rabbet planes.
On today’s show, I discuss paring yellow pine end grain, using cambered irons to square board edges, making moldings with a combination plane, more on reference surfaces, and sliding dovetails.
On today’s show, I discuss a method for ensuring that large workbench leg mortises are square, controlling rust on items that can’t be stored in a tool chest, saw wrests, and and proper use of reference surfaces.
On today’s show, I discuss mouth opening on wooden planes, marking knives, leveling the bottoms of deep mortises, cambering a plane iron with a honing guide, and sharpening systems.
On today’s show, I discuss tool acquisition as a new woodworker, cutting up old saws, repairing a twisted frame and panel door, accuracy vs. precision, and dust control.