Rough to Smooth: Using the Miter Saw, Bandsaw, Jointer, Planer and Sanders

After selecting and purchasing unmilled lumber, the next step in any woodworking project is flattening and straightening the stock. Not that long ago, this work had to be done by hand. Fortunately, there are four tools specifically designed to take rough-sawn lumber and machine it into boards that are straight, flat, and true! The miter saw, bandsaw, jointer, and planer form a workflow that any woodworker interested in working with solid wood should know.

Then, the final step in your project might include sanding the final shape on a disk sander, or spindle sander. This class teaches students the safe operation and maintenance of these, including the techniques for using them to dimension rough stock, shape it, and smooth the final shape. Students will get checked out on the use of these tools at the end of the course, demonstrating that they are prepared to use these tools unsupervised as members at Artisan's Asylum or in their own shops.

Miter Saw, Bandsaw, Jointer, Planer, and Sanders.

Available Accommodations: Students with special needs, including hearing, vision, or motor impairments should notify education@artisansasylum.com advance to ensure that appropriate accommodations can be made available.

Students will gain an understanding of the material they will be using in the wood shop, referred to as lumber, stock, or just plain wood. They will know about the structure of a tree, how trees are sawn into lumber, and how lumber is graded, sized, dried, and sold. They will be able to identify grain direction on the faces and edges of boards. Students will gain the skills necessary to process rough or unmilled material into boards that are straight, flat, and true using the Asylum's compound sliding miter saw, Powermatic band saws, 16-inch Powermatic jointer, 22-inch Powermatic planer, Powermatic belt, and disk sanders, and the Jet oscillating spindle sander. Students will learn important safety precautions when using powerful and potentially dangerous machines, including principles of operation, routine maintenance and adjustment, and special techniques for dimensioning multiple boards for a project. Skills include:

• Bandsaw: setting upper and lower guide bearings, setting upper and lower thrust bearings, adjusting blade tension, adjusting blade tracking, adjusting and using the fence. How to rip long boards. How to cut curves. How to resaw boards into thin slices.
• Miter Saw: changing the blade, adjusting blade angle and miter angle, making 90-degree cuts and cuts of other angles, safe holding techniques, safe saw technique. How to cut rough lumber into shorter lengths before milling.
• Jointer: adjusting the infeed table, adjusting the fence. Determining grain direction. Use push paddles to push material through the knives. Planing the face of a board, planning the edge of a board to ensure squareness.
• Planer: how the planer feeds material, how to adjust the depth of cut, how to determine the proper orientation of a board to feed. Determining the starting depth of the cut. How to plane multiple boards to the same thickness. How the plane thin boards.
• Disc Sander: how to change the sanding disc, proper feed of material, sanding an angle, sanding a convex surface.
• Oscillating Sander: sanding concave surfaces, changing the sanding drum.
• Belt Sander: how to change the sanding belt, adjust belt tension, adjust table height, and proper feed technique. (not currently op) - trained later point
• All: proper dust collection methods and emptying dust collection barrels.

By the end of the class’s check-out session, students will be fully tested out and ready to use these tools without supervision as members at Artisan's Asylum or in their own shops!

Wood workers of all skill levels and/or folks wanting to get tool tested at Artisans Asylum. Students must be 16 years old or older. All students under 18 must be accompanied by and under the direct supervision of a responsible adult.

• Rough lumber, usually Poplar, for milling
• Pieces of hardwood plywood for cutting curves.
• Eye protection
• Access to A2's Wood Shop and tools for the duration of the session.

James Fluevog is a wood shop user and tool tester. He has been involved with the A2 wood shop for about three years and has taught a variety of classes, including a tool chest class. He has made several projects, including a sewing cabinet, a motorcycle-style rocking horse, cutting boards, and gift boxes.

He is a chef professionally and has been cooking for over 30 years.

James got into woodworking as a way to create gifts that would have lasting memories.