Thread: Standard Timber Sizes / Cutting Diagrams

Hi Paul

Welcome to the best WW forum on the net.

No easy answer to question 1. Magazines sometimes print what tools should be required to complete the projects they feature. If they don't, they should. Rarely are projects comprised solely of the standard timber sizes that sell commonly at Bunnings and other stores. More often than not some dressing is required. Magazines will mostly assume that people building their projects can do this, or get it done somewhere, eithe by hand tools (planes etc) or machinery depending on individual preference.

The only thing you can do if you need to use "standard" size timber is to re-jig the measurements to take this into account. Two potential problems exist here. One is that larger sized "standard" timber may alter the look of the finished product and make it look "clunky". The other is that even dressed timber straight from a supplier is rarely truely flat and square all the way down the length, and this will leave gapos at joins and compromise the final squareness of the finished product.

Long term, if you wantto build medium or high complexity projects, is to have the capability to dress down timber, either by a jointer and thicknesser, or by hand planes.

On the second question. Cutting diagrams should be used only to understand the placement of the various finished lengths and should be cut from one edge to the other, measuring width with each new length. It's no good measuring and marking up the whole diagram first as the gaps for the kerfs will never be right all the way across a board or a sheet.

Good Luck with the project. Post Work in progress pictures. Plenty of pictures.

Trouble with Aust Woodsmith is that it is basically a reprint of the American edition,many times I have picked up a copy only to find Yankee dimensions (Imperial),dado blades,etc,etc many other things which the average Aussie would not have in his workshop.

Originally Posted by acmegridley

Trouble with Aust Woodsmith is that it is basically a reprint of the American edition,many times I have picked up a copy only to find Yankee dimensions (Imperial),dado blades,etc,etc many other things which the average Aussie would not have in his workshop.

Yep, They list the board widths as 191mm!! It's just a straight conversion.

Welcome,

As far as I know, 25mm is a standard size, along with 19mm, 32mm,38mm and 50mm. The problem is that often the timber is rough sawn to these measurements and so, in planing, you lose a few mm. Find a good timber yard and they will be able to advise you regarding your requirements.

Regards,

Rob

Originally Posted by acmegridley

Trouble with Aust Woodsmith is that it is basically a reprint of the American edition,many times I have picked up a copy only to find Yankee dimensions (Imperial),dado blades,etc,etc many other things which the average Aussie would not have in his workshop.

The very reason that I stopped my subscription