Tip for Squaring Up Stock
Wednesday January 23, 2008
After recently posting the article on How to Square-up Wood Stock, I was asked the following question:
I have not understood the following part of the article on ‘Methods of squaring-up stock.’
“You glue up three pieces of 3/4-inch thick material, but three sides will need to be trimmed in order to obtain the 2x2 finished size.”
Will you please elaborate?
In this article, we discuss a table that requires four legs, each two-inches square by 36" in length. In order to make a two-inch square block out of 3/4" thick stock, one would need to glue three pieces of stock (gluing the flat sides together). Of course, this would yield a block that is 2-1/4" thick, with two flat, parallel sides and two other sides on which the three edges of the boards may not match up evenly.
To square up this block to the requisite 2" x 2" size, one would need to trim the 2-1/4" down to 2". Since one side should be flat, cutting the opposite side is easily accomplished on a table saw.
However, the other two sides would require a rip cut on each side: first, rip one side to square up the edge and to make sure all three boards are even. Then, adjust the fence on your table saw and cut the block down to the requisite 2" width.
As such, it takes three cuts to square the glue-up and make the 2" x 2" table leg.
Do you have woodworking questions like this one? Feel free to post them in the comments section below, or better yet, visit the About Woodworking Forum. It's free, and you can ask woodworking questions or provide answers to the questions posted by other woodworkers.
I have not understood the following part of the article on ‘Methods of squaring-up stock.’
“You glue up three pieces of 3/4-inch thick material, but three sides will need to be trimmed in order to obtain the 2x2 finished size.”
Will you please elaborate?
In this article, we discuss a table that requires four legs, each two-inches square by 36" in length. In order to make a two-inch square block out of 3/4" thick stock, one would need to glue three pieces of stock (gluing the flat sides together). Of course, this would yield a block that is 2-1/4" thick, with two flat, parallel sides and two other sides on which the three edges of the boards may not match up evenly.
To square up this block to the requisite 2" x 2" size, one would need to trim the 2-1/4" down to 2". Since one side should be flat, cutting the opposite side is easily accomplished on a table saw.
However, the other two sides would require a rip cut on each side: first, rip one side to square up the edge and to make sure all three boards are even. Then, adjust the fence on your table saw and cut the block down to the requisite 2" width.
As such, it takes three cuts to square the glue-up and make the 2" x 2" table leg.
Do you have woodworking questions like this one? Feel free to post them in the comments section below, or better yet, visit the About Woodworking Forum. It's free, and you can ask woodworking questions or provide answers to the questions posted by other woodworkers.
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