I am privileged to teach a class in furniture joinery with hand tools this fall. I had originally intended that the ten adult education night school students build a stool or bench, with dovetailed corners, and a M&T stretcher. 4 pieces of wood. These are the joints I will be teaching. But, when I got to thinking about it and drawing it, I decided that a stool without a top overhanging the ends might not be aesthetically pleasing. But, done this way, dovetails would not be used. So — Anyone have an idea for a smaller project that uses both joints? Or, a design for a stool/bench that would be attractive? My range of students seems to be slightly experienced (mostly with power tools), to “what is a chisel?”
I am really looking forward to teaching this class, although I have had to study a bit for it since I commonly use both tailed and untailed tools for the furniture that I build. I always hand cut dovertails, but a HCM, and TS, are more common for the M&T for me. I found the Ingram articles on M&T to be quite good (F&CM).
BTY, I will be providing four square stock for the project.
Thanks for any help!
Alan
Replies
How about a stool/sawhorse abt 30-32" high, 10-12" wide, legs the same width, held in with wedged through M & T, stretchers on each side of the legs dovetailed in at each end, with maybe a bottom between the stretchers to form a tool tray. Hold the bottom in with countersunk screws and cap with contrasting wood plugs like purpleheart or padauk.
S4S,
Sounds like a fun environment in which to build a small end table or nighstand with a single dovetailed drawer and a stretcher (or two) connecting the sides.
Good luck with your class!
Paul
Jewelry box 4 columns at the edges m&t rails to the columns and draws are dovetails joints.
Alan,
Have you a syllabus or course outline you can post - with that I could make a few suggestions
Cheers,
eddie
Eddie,
I always value your posts, and your question is a good one. This class is 10 weeks, 1/wk, 1.5 hrs, and can't be longer as the upholstery teacher has the slot right behind me. Preliminary inquiry of the students reveals that there are 4 men, 6 women. 3 of the men, and one of the women, have a serious beginner to low moderate amount of experience, mostly with machine tools; 6 have very near to zero experience.
Given the 15 hr. allotment, my thinking on your question of a syllabus is as follows:
Week 1 -- Intro; the nature of wood as a material, types, buying, movement, etc. The need for sharpness in a hand tool. I have asked each to take a chisel or plane that they already have, and to sharpen it as well as they can. We will then cover the basics of sharpening, the nature of intersecting planes, the line of light, etc. Types of stones, grinding, blueing out, etc. Measuring, knife lines, pencils. Will try to get into adhesives a bit. While I am lecturing and fielding questions, I will ask the students to do some sawing, without any instruction, so that I can see what the skill level is, and so that when I do teach a method, it will be more understandable.
2 -- Continue on with adhesives if needed; the nature of hand tools, types, with concentration on saws, chisels, planes. Sawing techniques. Begin proper practice with rip and cross cut sawing. Begin the nature of furniture design, why to use particular joints in particular applications. Design your project for week 3.
3 -- Review students' furn designs so that I can acquire wood and 4 square it for week 4. Chisels, types, uses, practice.
4. Planes, nature and types, practice a bit. Layout, marking. The dovetail joint. Design, layout, and cutting.
5. The M&T joint, and practicing it. (While easier to understand, I think the M&T is much more difficult to master in terms of technique. I fear that if I start with the M&T, there will be discouragement.
6-10 Build the project. Individual work, and I will assist and train as the construction goes forward. I am hopeful that students will continue to work at home, but for some this will be difficult. While this is happening, I will demonstrate but not teach too much some of the other hand tools such as a drawknife, spokeshave, some of the more interesting planes, a beading tool. I hope to teach that a hand tool is as, and perhpas more accurate, than a machine tool. I know for me that if I shoot endgrain, I can get a better square end than with any of my too many power tools. And, I would like the students to understand and know that wood shaped by hand has a certain character that is only partly achieveable with power, as shown by the great 18th century makers.
I also would like to at least briefly cover finishing, primarily with pigment and dyes, and shellac and varnish, wiped.
This is ambitious, I think, and perhaps greatly so. I am told by the school, an adult educ. foundation started in the 30's, with much experience, that an end result is necessary. Hence, the "project." It would not have been my choice to bite off so much.
In light of the foregoing, I was trying mightily to keep the project quite manageable. Hence, my initial thought of only 4 pieces of wood. and only 4 joints. Perhaps I should go with that thought, and bag the idea that the piece needs to be an attractive design.
The thoughts others have shared seem too difficult and time consuming to do other than as to start such a project. This is my first wood teaching experience, and will vaule the comments of others who have attempted it. I will say that one of my principal goals is to try to share and transfer my passion for the craft to others as it is such a valuable part of my life.
Alan
Alan,
My $.02 cents. Might I suggest a small step stool with the top dovetailed into the sides and a stretcher mortised in the sides...could do half blinds..but maybe that is a second project.
Also, its nice to give homework that helps build skill. I like the Ian Kirby suggestion that you mark the end of the board with 10 cuts to the left and 10 cuts to the right and go at it with a dovetail saw....cutting along the line. Ian also suggests two pieces of Mahogany 18" long by 4", cut dovetails, cut off and start all over...great practice. This really helps the student get acquainted with proper techniques and their own idiosyncrasies(sp?).
Hi Alan,
You're right, you don't have much time.
I've just opened up & printed off your post (7am here)
I'll give this a little thought - we make a simple stool, but that's bridle and M&T joinery.
Will post later
Cheers,
eddie
EDGREGG, good to see someone similar here, I teach high school woodwork now, ages 12-18.
Alan,
The small step stool is a good idea from BG, as is the practice cutting to a line, especially with the skill level that the class have to start with.
Attached images are my thoughts - I have a 1yo, so I pencil sketched while keeping an eye on him.
All the best with this - looks as though it will be fun.
CHeers,
eddie
edit: The other reason that I suggest you do a group project is that you will only have to demonstrate things once, and not have to account for fifteen variations on a theme.
Edited 9/12/2003 7:35:14 PM ET by eddie (aust)
Edited 9/13/2003 7:05:07 AM ET by eddie (aust)
Ed, and Ed
Thanks so much for the assistance. I will post a rough sketch later, when I get time, of what I have in mind.
Aust. Ed - I have printed your notes, etc., and will be looking them over.
Thanks to all that have offered guidance and suggestions. First class is Wed. eve., and I am excited.
Alan
I teach woodworking to high school students and we start with the project you describe - a small bench/footstool. Actually we start the first class with some real basics that touches on measuring, tool use and glueing. I have the students cut as precise as they can 5 pieces of 1x pine 1 inch by 2 inches. Measuring and cutting the small pieces introduces all the basic measuring and cutting needed for larger projects. Two pieces are glued end grain to end grain and clamped - I tell them nothing about grain at that point. The remaining 3 are put together like the first assembly but instead of glueing end grain, the 3rd piece is glued to the top of the other two - i.e. glueing long grain. Glueing and clamping techniques are introduced as well as cleanup, glue squeeze out, etc. All this is done in the first class - 85 minutes.
The second class starts with each student using a mallet and breaking what they glued - obviously the end grain joints break easily. The three piece assembly usually breaks near the glue line but in most cases, demonstrates the glue is stronger than the wood. I drive home several basics including never use end grain as a primary glue joint.
The rest of the second class is spent cutting 1 x 8 pine into rough size pieces for a bench/footstool. The bench is approximately 8 inches high by one foot long with the sides angled in about 10 degrees. The two stretchers are 1 x 2 that are mortised into the legs with a locking modified dovetail. The space formed by the stretchers and legs has a shelf that fits tightly from the bottom. The top rests on the two angled legs but because we don't depend on end grain for our primary glue joint, two glue blocks are attached to the inside top of the legs to create a long grain glueing surface for the top.
The bench may look simple but with all the angles, four mortises and corresponding stretcher joints, angled glue blocks and all the wonderful pleasures of working with 1x pine shelving, students finish the project with a new perspective on tools, wood and the finished product. Some students take an extra class or two and do some carving on the top - their initials or a flag or something relatively simple.
This will be the third time I have used this combination - glueing exercise and bench - and I'm finding it works. With the experience from these two exercises, students then go on to woodturing, jig saw work or building a small piece of furniture (night table, kitchen table, cupboards, book shelfs. etc.). I'd be happy to share any info with you - and I could send you a template for the bench if your are interested.
Ed Gregg
Ed and BG too-
Thanks for the responses. Yes, BG, practice I will assign, and it is up to them to do it. I haven't read Kirby, but sometime before I start a big dovetailing job, such as a set of drawers, I do a bit of rip cutting to get warmed up.
Ed -- Great pointers. I hate (read HATE) pine. I have cut up a whole lot of shorts of various hardwoods for practice. Cherry, red and white oak, elm, hard and soft maple, mahogany, maybe others too. And I made a bunch of bench hooks, and will give them away as part of the materials fee.
Maybe I should start them with cutting the first night. Problem will be tools. None at the school, and I don't have 10 saws. A few will bring theirs, and I will bring perhaps 5 back saws, and a few bow saws. Maybe that will do it.
I like the stool idea, but since I am committed to teach the dovertail, I will need to use that as the corner joint. Two stretchers, and a tool tray, and a through handhold, and suddenly it seems like a useful item. Gives me the hand auger and coping saw to add to the process, which is not so bad. the bottoms of the legs would be scrolled to create 4 legs, from 2. I think I will keep the size small, although not too sure how small.
Another poster above suggested a tool bench also, but much larger; I think the smaller size will work better. Maybe 8" wide, 12-15"wide, 10" or so tall.
Thanks again, to you and others. Knots is such a freindly and helpful place.
Alan
S4s,
Congrats on the teaching gig. Here's a toolbox design which uses dovetails and a through tenon for the handle. The dimensions of this project have been around in woodworking classes for a long time. My grandfather built one in shop class with butt joints in the 1930s. This was a a prototype for me. In subsequent ones, I lowered the handle about a half inch and increased spacing between the tails. I made two for Christmas presents and folks use them for magazine racks. The widths of the boards are 6," 5.5" and 2." If you want to use the box as a CD holder, the 6 inch width needs to be increased to about 6.5." Also I used poplar and jarrah. I don't like the way poplar smells and jarrah was overkill. In subsequent ones I used pine and cherry. Good luck and congrats again! Ed
PS: Sorry about poor contrast on the pics. Batt just about dead on the digi-cam. Again!
Edited 9/14/2003 11:38:03 AM ET by Ed from Mississippi
Well, I certainly would like to take your class!
FWIW - I used to teach computer classes at Amoco. For each weeks course, I did 2 weeks of preparation. That was after the 2nd or 3rd class. For the 1st and 2nd, I'd spend 4 weeks getting all the visual aids ready and honed, handouts, etc. After the 4th or 5th class then only 3 or 4 days preparation was necessary. After the 6th or 7th, then we changed the subject matter and the whole process was started over.
Teaching ain't easy! Yet, we pay those molding the minds of our youngen's only half of what they need to live on.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
I have taught before in my "day" job, one day presentations mostly, but one course for a full semester to grad students. But is has been so many years that I forgot the level of preparation needed. In this case, though, the preparation has been fun since I have spent time tuning and sharpening my hand tools, and doing a good bit of practice and reading so that I would not seem the fool that I sometimes think I am.
This weekend I went to a used tool fair, and by prearrangement, bought 4 backsaws, pre-WWII Disstons, which I will sell to the students if they want (at cost). Better than they could buy today except for quite spendy ones. Also, some nice old chisels and marking guages for the "kids". If they don't go, maybe I'll throw them up for grabs here. Nice way to spend a Sun. morning. And, the tool companies that I asked sent me 10@ of their catalogues for distribution. L-N, Museum of Tools, Lee VAlley, and FWW threw in 10 copies of the curent issue, which has a good deal to do with hand tools. Can't wait. Hope the adult students are half as excited as am I.
Alan
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