When cutting up small pieces for a project, an easier way to doublecheck for accuracy is to measure a number of the pieces at once. If you have four pieces which should be exactly 8 in. long, lay them end to end and measure. This multiplies small errors hard to detect on only one piece. For example, if the four pieces measure 32-1/8 in. instead of 32, then you know that each of the pieces is 1/32 in. too long.
Before you glue up wood for a project, examine the parts. If at all possible, start out with cleanly cut, perfectly straight boards of the proper thickness. Take out any bow or warp before you begin your gluing work. By using straight and true stock, you won’t have to force the boards in one direction or another, and you won’t have to get into tricky, complicated clamping set-ups.
If you’re using a handsaw and find that a board you have just cut is 1/16 in. or 1/8 in. too long, here’s a way to re-cut the board without making a mess of things. Find another board the same width and clamp it over the top of the board you want to trim. Then mark the cut line on the top board and make the cut. The kerf of the top board will keep the saw in line for a perfect cut below it.
When you need to duplicate multiple measurements on a larger project, it can be helpful to use a length of 1×2 or similar stock as a story pole. Cut or select a piece that is longer than the longest cut required. Carefully mark the height, width, depth and length of various parts onto the 1×2. The story pole will speed up marking for cuts, and matching parts will be cut the same.
If your wood gluing work is less than successful, check your blades. If the blade in your saw is getting dull, it can loosen (but not remove) a layer of fibers on the edges to be joined. Later, glue may not be able to penetrate through this debris to solid wood, resulting in weak joints. A signal that this may be the problem is if ruptured joints are coated with fibers.
Try to avoid what pro carpenters call a “growing pattern syndrome.” This can occur when you are cutting a number of studs or other pieces to length, then always use the most recently cut piece to mark the next piece. The catch is that after two or three generations of cuts, the length can begin to grow longer. If, for example, each stud is off by 1/16 in., after you cut four studs, you will be off 1/4 in. For accuracy, it is better to use one master pattern and use it for every cut.
Apply wax to straight edges and skill saw bases for nice smooth cuts.
Before turning on your table saw, make sure that the height of the saw blade is no more than 1/2-in. and no less than 1/8-in. above the surface of the workpiece. When setting the height of your table saw, you want to balance the need for safety with effectiveness. The goal is to leave as little exposed blade as possible while still being able to cleanly saw through the wood. When too much of the blade is exposed above the workpiece, friction is increased and the chance of chipping is greater. Also, the higher the blade height, the greater the severity of injury.
When you cut longer pieces, miter saws are best used with supports on both sides. One way is to cut in a drop-down section into a bench for the saw. Another is to build up raised supports on both sides of the saw on top of the bench. An upright along the back of the supports will let you use a stop block for repetitive cuts.
When sawing wood, take time to consider which side of the material to having facing up. Keep the good side up when you are using hand saws, scroll saws, bandsaws, tablesaws and radial-arm saws. Keep the good side down when using a portable circular saws or sabersaws. The principle is to have the tooth of the blade first break through the rough side of the board or panel.
