Accuracy - general hints and tips ?

8949 Views 40 Replies 17 Participants Last post by steamingbill, Jan 27, 2013

steamingbill

Discussion Starter · Jan 23, 2013

Hello,

Was wondering how other people approach making accurate cuts.

If I am making some sort of 3d object and I make relatively small errors in my cuts then by the time I have either "gone round a loop or a carcass" or gone around a few 90 degree bends in different orthogonal directions then I find that bits dont quite meet up with other bits and things arent quite square.

I try to be as accurate as possible in my cuts but I can mess something up - it seems to me there are 2 issues

1. How do I organise myself top make measurements and cuts as accurately as possible ?

2. Ways of correcting or even hiding things - for example - I noticed when I was owner builder of my house that I could hide a poorly cut plaster edge with the final architraves and skirting boards - ie the very last thing done is the most visible and needs to be perfect but the stuff underneath has some "slack"

Any good general tips or threads or web sites or hints for measuring and making accurate cuts when doing normal jobs in the shed ?

ie use of story sticks instead of rulers ?

empirical measuring rather than using a tape measure or ruler - ie take the thickness directly off a piece of timber rather than measure thickness (possible error) and then mark up using ruler ( another possible error) ?

use of a marking knife or gauge rather than a pencil ? How many people do this ?

use of jigs to make all relevant pieces the same length, width, holes in the same place etc

I often think to myself things like "cut so that you can still see the edge of the pencil line"

How do the rest of you organise yourselves to be as accurate as possible ?

Regards

Bill

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Jerry Bowen

· #5 · Jan 23, 2013

steamingbill said:
Hello,

Was wondering how other people approach making accurate cuts.

If I am making some sort of 3d object and I make relatively small errors in my cuts then by the time I have either "gone round a loop or a carcass" or gone around a few 90 degree bends in different orthogonal directions then I find that bits dont quite meet up with other bits and things arent quite square.

I try to be as accurate as possible in my cuts but I can mess something up - it seems to me there are 2 issues

1. How do I organise myself top make measurements and cuts as accurately as possible ?

2. Ways of correcting or even hiding things - for example - I noticed when I was owner builder of my house that I could hide a poorly cut plaster edge with the final architraves and skirting boards - ie the very last thing done is the most visible and needs to be perfect but the stuff underneath has some "slack"

Any good general tips or threads or web sites or hints for measuring and making accurate cuts when doing normal jobs in the shed ?

ie use of story sticks instead of rulers ?

empirical measuring rather than using a tape measure or ruler - ie take the thickness directly off a piece of timber rather than measure thickness (possible error) and then mark up using ruler ( another possible error) ?

use of a marking knife or gauge rather than a pencil ? How many people do this ?

use of jigs to make all relevant pieces the same length, width, holes in the same place etc

I often think to myself things like "cut so that you can still see the edge of the pencil line"

How do the rest of you organise yourselves to be as accurate as possible ?

Regards

Bill

Bill,
You are dealing with, what for me, is the fasinating part of woodworking. I'm new at it and am enjoying very much finding ways to accomplish what you are addressing in your thread on this forum. For me anyway, having accurate tools and knowing their limitatition and/or boundries is a must. I am not sure what you mean by the term 3d projects. My challenges have been primariy with cutting angles. The answer in doing the angles has been with the use of the Incra Miter Gauge, getting it exactly calibrated, and dealing with the flutter of the blade in the TS. This was accomplished, again for me, with finding that first of all I had to use a full kerf blade with a stabilizer. A thin kerf blade would not work for me. This was not true for simple 90 degree cuts, but when it csme to 30 degree cuts for example it was different story. I know that other members that read this will be tired of hearing me talk about my quest for that level of accuracy, I'm just saying that learning about such things is part of what has made woodworking so interesting and challenging for me. There is indeed a difference between being a carpenter and a fine woodworker, at least that is so in my view. I'm just starting to learn how to make toung and mortise joints. Making one is easy but am waiting to see how making eight of them so that the project stays squard and level is my present challenge. If it were easy, being very accurate with everything I mean, anybody could do it. It's not easy and that is what makes it so interesting.

Wishing you the best in your quest for accuracy,

Jerry

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Jerry Bowen

· #8 · Jan 23, 2013

Stick486 said:
I'm with you on the mechanical pencils only they are Pentels in .05, .07, and .09mm complete w/ slip on triangle shaped silicone grips... Have a .03mm but that doesn't get used much.. the leads are too fragile for woodworking..

Drill sizing gauges to verify diameters... (wait till you try and figure out the true dia of an off shore bit)... different from bit to bit even with the same size declaration..
A wide array of drafting triangles, circle templates, protractors, (adjustable and not) curves, compasses, dividers, (IS/OS) Wixey..

Squares, saddle squares, machinist squares, speed squares, machined rulers from 6" to 72", centering rulers to 48", straight edges, trammels, folding rulers, calipers, marking gauges, brass gauges, cutting gauges, array of marking knives, set up dial indicators/bases, thickness gauges, fixed angle gauges and on and on....

What do want for four generations of tools/machinery...

Stick, you and Mike talk in terms that absolutely foriegn to people like myself which just makes knowing how very much there is to be learned about woodworking. It's good thing that the enjoyment that one gets out of woodworking is not based on one's knowledge, but rather learning about such things as you two wizard and others on the forum like you already know. Sure do appreciate your vast knowledge and willingness to help folks like me.

Jerry

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Jerry Bowen

· #14 · Jan 23, 2013

Stick486 said:
How so on the fore.ign terms???
How may I break down what I post to benefit you or make for a better understanding???
Be happy to, just ask...

Stick, I am not capable of understanding every term that you guys use from time to time. What I am happy about is that you are available when specific questions come up and my learning is best done as I need it.

Thanks,
Jerry

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