Knocking on wood: Carpentry Class 1, Session 2

This week the second session of the first carpentry class, we learnt all about joining wood to form good stable and load bearing joints. I introduced the gang to my favourite topic, "Building without fasteners". As with the previous week, chatter was little and slogging, a lot. Everyone tried their hand at planing before we went to the carpentry wood shop and zipped through the wood like butter.  The machines are quick, fast and accurate, but they are for mass production, this carpentry class, correctly this session was about working wood by hand, designing without a computer and finally developing the assurance that carpentry isn't only for the "professional". After planing, and thinknessing the lengths I showed them the basic plan and each of the gang has gone through the rigour of creating their own dimensions and choosing their own types of joints. Let the images speak of the dedication of my favourite gang.              For the coming week, we will see some tips and tricks for the various cuts, we will take a look at how sandpaper works and why it is required when polishing and varnishing. Ofcourse we will also varnish the table and finally we will cut the tops to size and perhaps, if possible have some laser engraving done. Oh we may also be working on an interesting material called particle board. Something I havent seen in the shops since I was a kid. I wonder why it went away.