2.

0 Carpentry shop
Introduction
Carpentry is a common term used with any class of work with wood. Timber is the
basic material used for any class of woodworking. The term ‘timber’ is applied to
the trees which provide us with wood. Wood is one of the most valuable bio-
degradable raw materials of industry and daily uses. It is available in a wide choice
of weights, strength, colours and textures. Wood is having good machining
characteristics and can be sliced, bent, planed, sawed and sanded.
Indian timbers most commonly used for various wood works are babul, mahogany,
mango, sal, sissu, teak etc.
Seasoning of Wood
The advantages of seasoning are that it makes the timber lighter in weight, more
resilient, and less liable to twist, warp, and split. It is also in a better condition to
retain its size and shape after being made into a piece of joinery. Wood increases in
strength, hardness and stiffness as it dries. There are two methods of drying or
seasoning.
Natural seasoning
This is also known as air drying. In this method the balks (roughly squared logs)
are stacked under cover with spacers in between, so that a free circulation of air is
provided all round them. This method is slow, but gives the best results. A further
period of seasoning should also take place after the balks are cut by sawing and
converted into planks or boards. This is to help dry out the interior of the timber
which has been exposed by sawing.
Artificial seasoning
In the artificial seasoning method, the period of seasoning is very much reduced, a
matter of two or three weeks being sufficient, according to the size of species of
timber to be seasoned. The timber is stacked on a special truck and wheeled into a
chamber which is then sealed. Hot air is circulated by fans, and a certain amount of
steam is added in order to retain the correct humidity. Samples are tested at
intervals to ascertain the percentage of moisture remaining in the timber. Seasoned
timber still contains a proportion of moisture, which varies from 16 to 22%
according to the seasoning conditions, and this need not be dried out any further is
intended for use out-of-doors.
Carpentry Tools
In order to successfully work different forms to accurate shapes and dimensions,
the woodworker must know the use of a large number of tools. Some popular tools
are described illustrated below:
i) Marking and measuring tools
ii) Cutting tools
iii) Planning tools
v) Striking tools
vi) Holding and miscellaneous tools
Making and Measuring Tools
Rules
Rules of various sizes and designs are used by wood-workers for measuring
dimensions. They generally range from 0 to 60 cm. This is graduated on both side
in millimeters and centimeters. For larger measurements carpenters use a flexible
measuring rule of tape. Such rules are very useful for measuring curved and
angular surfaces. When not in use, the blade is called into a small compact, watch-
size case.
Try Square
Try squares are used for marking and testing angles of 90°. It consists of a steel
blade, riveted into a stock. Sizes vary from 150 to 300 mm, according to the length
of the blade.

Fig.2.1: Try square

Marking Gauge
Gauges are used to mark lines parallel to the edge of a piece of wood. It consists of
a small stem sliding in a stock. The stem carries one steel marking points or a
cutting knife. The stock is set to the desired distance from the steel point and fixed
by the thumb screw. The gauge is then held firmly against the edge of the wood
and pushed along the sharp steel point marking the line.

Fig.2.2: Marking gauge

Cutting Tools
Cross Cut Hand Saw
When cutting across the grain, a different action is required from the saw teeth than
when ripping with the grain. Therefore, different types of saws are used, as one
type cannot do both jobs successfully. A saw is generally specified by the length of
its blade measured along the toothed edge, and pitch of teeth, expressed in
millimeters. Cross-cut saws, or “hand saws” as they are sometimes called, are used
for cutting across the grain in thick wood. They are 600 to 650 mm long with 8 to
10 teeth per 25 mm. The action of the teeth is that of a series of knives which sever
the fibres and force out the waste wood in the form of saw dust. A saw should
never be forced and it is kept moving steadily for nearly its full length. Its own
weight plus the slightest pressure is all that is needed.

Fig.2.3: Cross cut handsaw and Rip Saw

Rip Saw
It is used for cutting the stock along the grains. The cutting edge of this saw makes
a sleeper angle about 60o whereas that saw makes an angle of 45o with the surface
of the stock.

Fig. 2.4: Rip Saw

Tenon Saw
It is used for cutting tenons and in fine cabinet works. The blade of this saw is very
thin and so it is used stiffed with back strip. Hence, this is sometimes called back
saw. The teeth shapes similar to cross cut saw.
 Fig. 2.5: Tenon Saw
Compass Saw
It has a narrow, longer and stronger tapering blade, which is used for heavy works .
It is mostly used in radius cutting. The blade of this saw is fitted with an open type
wooden handle.

Fig.2.6: compass saw

Chisels
Wood chisels most commonly in use include firmer chisel, either square of bevel
edged and mortise chisels.
Firmer Chisel
The firmer chisel is the most useful for general purposes and may be used by hand
pressure or mallet. It has a flat blade about 125 mm long. The width of the blade
varies from 1.5-50 mm.

Fig.2.7: Firmer chisel

Mortise Chisel
The mortise chisel as its name indicates is used for chopping out mortises. These
chisels are designed to withstand heavy work. They are made with a heavy deep
(back to front) blade with a
generous shoulder or collar to withstand the force of the mallet blows on the oval-
sectioned handle. Many mortise chisels are fitted with a leather washer at the
shoulder to absorb the hard shocks of the mallet blows. Blades very in width from
3-16 mm.
 Fig.2.8: Mortise chisel

Dovetail Chisel
It has a blade with a beveled back, as shown in Figure, due to which it can enter
sharp comers for finishing, as in dovetail joints.

Fig. 2.9: Dovetail Chisel

Planing Tools
Jack Plane
It consists of a block of wood or metal into which the blade is fixed by a wooden
wedge. The blade is set at an angle of 45° to the sole. On the cutting blade another
blade is fixed called cap iron or back iron. This does not cut, but stiffens the blade
near its cutting edge to prevent chattering and partially breaks the shaving as it is
made. It is the back iron which causes the shavings to be curled when they come
out of the plane. Some types of planes do not have a cap iron. Jack planes are
obtainable from 350 to 425 mm in length and with blades 50 to 75 mm wide.

Fig.2.10: Jack plane

Trying Plane
The trying plane is a finishing plane, and is set with a very fine cut. It is used for
producing as true surfaces or edge as possible, and is set to cut a shaving as thin as
the smoothing plane. The length of the plane varies from 550 to 650 mm and the
section of the body is 85 mm by 85 mm, with irons 60 mm wide
 Fig.2.11: Trying plane

Striking tools
Striking tools include hammers and mallets.
Hammer
Engineers generally use ball peened hammer. Claw hammer is more favoured by
the carpenters because it serves the dual purpose of a hammer and a pair of pincers.
The claw is used for pulling out any nails accidently bent in driving. These
hammers are made in numbers sizes from 1 to 4, weighing 375, 450, 550 and 675
gm.

Fig.2.12: Claw Hammer

Mallet
The mallet is a wooden-headed hammer of round or rectangular cross-section. The
striking face is made flat to the work. A mallet is used to give light blows to the
cutting tools having wooden handle.

Fig.2.13: Mallet
Holding tools
To enable the woodworker to cut his wood accurately, it must be held steady. There
are a number of tools and devices to hold wood having its own purpose according
to the kind of cutting to be done.
The carpentry holding tools are shown in fig.

Fig. 2.14: Clamps

Bench vice
The bench vice is the most commonly used. It’s one jaw is fixed to the side of the
table while the other is kept movable by means of a screw and a handle. The whole
vice is made of iron and steel, the jaws being lined with hardwood face which do
not mark and which can be renewed as required.
Bar clamp
The bar clamp (or) sash cramps are generally used in pairs in gluing up operations
at the final assembly of joinery work. It is made up of a steel bar of T-section, wine
malleable iron fittings and a steel screw.
G-clamp
G-clamp is made up of malleable iron with acme threads of high-quality steel. It
can be used for clamping small work when gluing up.

Miscellaneous tools
Rasps files
These are useful for cleaning up some curved surfaces. Scratches left by the file
can be removed with the glass paper. A rasp is coarse form of file used for coarsely
shaping wood. Typically, a hand tool, it consists of a generally tapered rectangular,
round, or half-round sectioned bar of case-hardened steel with distinct, individually
cut teeth. A narrow, pointed tang is common at one end, to which a handle may be
fitted.
Carpentry Joints
Some popular woodworking joints are halving joints, mortise and tenon joints and
dovetail joints.
Halving joint
The aim of this joint is to secure the corners and intersections of the framing, and
at the time keep all the face flush, that is, in the same plane.
 Fig. 2.15: Cross Halving Joint
Mortise and tenon joint
This family of joint is a large one and is probably the commonest used by the
woodworker. Woodworkers around the world have used it for thousands of years to
join pieces of wood, mainly a rectangular peg (tenon) fitting into a rectangular hole
(mortise) at an angle of 90°

Fig.2.16: Mortise and tenon Joint

Dovetail joint
The dovetail joint is probably the strongest of all the corner joints. It was primarily
a joint intended to take a strain in one direction, but it has several variations and
many applications: from small boxes to large pieces of furniture. Fig.5.12: Dovetail
Join
DRILLING AND BORING TOOLS:
Auger bit:-
It is the most common tool used for boring holes with hard pressure.
Gimlet:-
This is a hand tool used for boring holes with hand pressure.
Hand drill:-
Carpenters brace is used to make relatively large size holes, whereas hand drill is
used for drilling small holes. A straight shank drill is used with these tools. It is
small light in weight and may be conveniently used than the brace. The drill is
clamped in the chuck.
Fig.2.17: Auger bit

Fig. 2.18: Gimlet:

Fig. 2.19. Hand drill

 Procedure of writing the Carpentry shop lab

Aim: To make wooden halving joint ( Cross lap joint)

Materials Required: Rectangular wood having dimensions; 154 mm X 45 mm X 20 mm
Tools required: Jack plane, try square, marking gauge, steel rule, hand saw, firmer
chisel, mallet, and rasp file.
Sequence of operations: -
1. Measuring and Marking
2. Planning
3. Check for squareness
4. Removal of extra material
5. Sawing
6. Chiseling
7. Finishing
Procedure:
I. Prepare material to size, as per given dimensions by planning.
II. II. Part off the wood into two equal halves.
III. Mark middle lines across each surface.
IV. On each piece, mark two lines which are going to be spaced out as far as the
thickness of the other piece of timber.
V. Cut along the lines made in step (IV) with a hand saw. Make sure to cut only half
the thickness of the timber.
VI. Now remove the excess timber with a mallet and a chisel which should leave a
tight interlocking joint.
VII. Smooth the inner surface with a rasp file.
VIII. Finally check for the perpendicularity of the job by using a try square.
Conclusion:
The job was done with utmost care and the final product is very near to perfection and
can be used wherever required.
Precautions:
I. Always wear safety equipment.
II. II. Wear appropriate clothing. Avoid loose-fitting clothing. Remove jewellery such
as neck chains or bracelets.
III. III. Use sharp blades and bits.
IV. IV. One should not use defective or damaged carpentry tools and machines while
carrying out work in carpentry shop.
V. V. No carpentry tools should be thrown for saving time in handling.
Applications:
I. Low-cost frame type construction
II. Partitions in trays and drawers
III. Rails of table and chair