Hand working of wood: measuring tools, saws, chisels
For measuring and marking wood we use a ruler, metre stick, tape, try square, marking gauge and gauge templates. A template is a batten made to measure the same length many times, or a finished sample. Saws are hand saws, two-man saws, pit saws, bow saws and fret saws. By job, a cross-cut saw cuts across the grain and a rip saw cuts along it; they differ in tooth shape. A fret saw has a very thin blade (0.6–1.25 mm) and cuts shapes in plywood and thin board. Chisels are paring (thin, 4–40 mm wide), mortise (thick, 6–20 mm wide) and gouge types; they are ground on one side, with a sharpening angle of 18–25° for paring and 25–35° for mortise chisels. The handle is made of maple, birch, elm or walnut with a metal ring on the end; a chisel is struck with a wooden mallet. When sawing or chiselling, the wood is clamped firmly in a vice, the holding hand stays behind the blade, and the chisel is never wider than the hole. Work under the teacher’s direction and wear safety goggles.
Sorting tools: the teacher gives 6–8 tool pictures (ruler, try square, fret saw, chisel, two-man saw…). Teams sort them into «measuring», «sawing», «cutting» groups and state one rule for one tool. Real chisels and saws are shown only in the teacher’s hands.