As you must surely have seen, power drills like this are a real time saver. They can twist a bit into a piece of timber very quickly and easily, leaving a circular hole. It is easy to rush when using these though and burn the timber, or drill too deep so take care. When using a portable power drill also make sure to go in straight not on an angle, and large holes may need to be pre-drilled first as a guide. When drilling in the legs for our project you may wish to consider using a drill press if you have access to one; this may take a little longer but will get all the holes drilled straight in and to the same depth far easier.
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Another commonly seen powertool in the workshop is the circular saw. These are actually only rarely used, however the most commonly found machine in a workshop is basically the same as this; a table saw is a fixed circular saw that can have its exposed blade height varied to safely cut timber lengthwise (called ripping) or across the grain (crosscutting). This is much faster than cutting by hand but if you rush it can be very dangerous and slice through body parts in seconds! Always ensure all guards are in place and secure, and use a push stick when required. Do not force through too fast, make sure the piece is flush against a fence and flush on the table and only push from in front of the saw; never pulling from behind.
Another variation on the standard portable circular saw is the mitre saw used for crosscutting. These are often able to slide and have the angle altered. When using these again ensure fingers are well away from the blade and the job is securely clamped down. |
Rather than planing the edges for a desired finish, or sawing chiselling and planing a trench, we use the modern fast option of using a router. This powertool spins a bit at very high speed which is then forced into the edge of the wood or plunged down i some cases. For our project, we will also be using a jig which will allow us to cut dovetails with this very quickly and accurately. Take care with PPE especially when using this devise as it makes lots of noise and lots of dust/chips. Also ensure you move it in the correct direction and move it at the correct speed to avoid burning.
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There are numerous other powertools and machines with more specific functions but these are the main ones needed for our current project, especially since we will be doing the sanding by hand as much as possible and the timber is coming dressed all round, and removing the need for various sanders, thicknessers, planers and jointers. We can even make do without the bandsaw for this project!