Edge Join Two Boards Using Only Hand Tools
Edge joining two boards can be one of the more intimidating techniques in woodworking. If the edges on each board aren't completely smooth and flat, your panel will have a big, ugly crack in it.
In this post I will describe how to get a perfect joint every time using only hand tools.
If like me, you have an inexpensive table saw, or just work with boards with the 'factory' edge on them, they probably don't have a clean enough edge to just glue them together and call it good. With some very simple tools though, you can accomplish the same thing that a $400 jointer can.
Tools For the Job:
- A Jack Plane. This is really a nifty tool. I just bought the cheap one from Home Depot. It works okay,
although the blade needed to be sharpened right out of the box.
- A Dowelling Jig. This isn't strictly necessary, but will let you make a much stronger joint. I bought the self-centering one from Rockler. It's a little bit pricey, but when I bought it, it was on special and came with a bottle of glue, 4 sizes of dowel and dowel centering pins. Also it's a top quality tool that is completely worth the money.
- Clamps, to glue the panel together
-A carpenter's square
-A drill, (or a hand drill for true power-tool-free bragging rights)
Creating clean edges:
1. Put a razor sharp edge on your jack plane. The sharper the better here, if the blade is dull it will just tear up the board.
2. Set up the blade so it barely extends beyond the plane. It should create thin little shavings as you drag it across a pine board. You can also adjust the angle to get the blade parallel to the plane.
2. Clamp the two boards you are jointing together with the good faces (the table top, for example) together.
3. Pull the plane across edge in long, steady motions. Try to avoid taking too much wood off, or starting in the middle of the boards.
4. Ideally you will keep the board's edges 90 degrees from the board faces, but if you don't it shouldn't matter. Since you are planing both boards at once, the angles will be complimentary, so the joint will still fit together perfectly.
5. Take the boards apart periodically and check that your joint is shaping up the way you want it, without any gaps at one end or the middle.
Dowelling and Jointing the Boards
1. Use a square to mark across the edges of each board where you want your dowels to go. I recommend using at least 2 or 3 dowels, depending on how long your boards are.
2. Line the dowel jig up with the marks you just made and drill out the holes. Be very careful to line the jig up with the marks, or the dowels won't line up when it's time to assemble the panel.
3. Drill all the holes for your dowels. Drill them deep enough that the dowel pins won't hold your boards apart when assembled, but not so deep that one side of the other will swallow the entire pin.
4. Dry fit the panel to check that everything aligns properly.
5. Spread a thin layer of wood glue (I use regular old TiteBond) across both surfaces and on the pins and clamp the boards together tight.
6. I wait about 20 minutes for the glue to partially cure and then scrape the excess off with an old chisel (not one of my nice woodworking chisels).
6. You're done! You have now built a solid wood panel the same way carpenters have for hundreds of years.
In this post I will describe how to get a perfect joint every time using only hand tools.
If like me, you have an inexpensive table saw, or just work with boards with the 'factory' edge on them, they probably don't have a clean enough edge to just glue them together and call it good. With some very simple tools though, you can accomplish the same thing that a $400 jointer can.
Tools For the Job:
- A Jack Plane. This is really a nifty tool. I just bought the cheap one from Home Depot. It works okay,although the blade needed to be sharpened right out of the box.
- A Dowelling Jig. This isn't strictly necessary, but will let you make a much stronger joint. I bought the self-centering one from Rockler. It's a little bit pricey, but when I bought it, it was on special and came with a bottle of glue, 4 sizes of dowel and dowel centering pins. Also it's a top quality tool that is completely worth the money.- Clamps, to glue the panel together
-A carpenter's square
-A drill, (or a hand drill for true power-tool-free bragging rights)
Creating clean edges:
1. Put a razor sharp edge on your jack plane. The sharper the better here, if the blade is dull it will just tear up the board.
2. Set up the blade so it barely extends beyond the plane. It should create thin little shavings as you drag it across a pine board. You can also adjust the angle to get the blade parallel to the plane.
2. Clamp the two boards you are jointing together with the good faces (the table top, for example) together.
3. Pull the plane across edge in long, steady motions. Try to avoid taking too much wood off, or starting in the middle of the boards.
4. Ideally you will keep the board's edges 90 degrees from the board faces, but if you don't it shouldn't matter. Since you are planing both boards at once, the angles will be complimentary, so the joint will still fit together perfectly.
5. Take the boards apart periodically and check that your joint is shaping up the way you want it, without any gaps at one end or the middle.
Dowelling and Jointing the Boards
1. Use a square to mark across the edges of each board where you want your dowels to go. I recommend using at least 2 or 3 dowels, depending on how long your boards are.2. Line the dowel jig up with the marks you just made and drill out the holes. Be very careful to line the jig up with the marks, or the dowels won't line up when it's time to assemble the panel.
4. Dry fit the panel to check that everything aligns properly.
5. Spread a thin layer of wood glue (I use regular old TiteBond) across both surfaces and on the pins and clamp the boards together tight.6. I wait about 20 minutes for the glue to partially cure and then scrape the excess off with an old chisel (not one of my nice woodworking chisels).
6. You're done! You have now built a solid wood panel the same way carpenters have for hundreds of years.
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