Working with Timber: Cutting, Drilling and Planing
The hand and workshop tools used to shape and finish timber: the saw for cutting to size, the chisel for removing waste, the drill for holes, the plane for a flat surface and sandpaper for a smooth finish.
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Free interactive practice on the decisions the assessment actually asks you to justify.
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Shaping timber by hand
To turn a rough piece of timber into a finished part you shape it with a set of workshop tools. Each tool does one job well: some cut, one makes holes, one flattens a surface and one smooths it. This module looks at the main hand tools and when to use each one.
Tool vocabulary
Learn these four tools before you study the techniques.
Shaping and finishing
The tools fall into two groups by what they do.
Right tool, worked safely
A top answer picks the tool by the job: a saw to cut to length, a chisel to pare out a joint, a drill for a hole, a plane for a flat face and sandpaper to finish. Work safely too: clamp the timber, cut away from your body, and keep both hands behind the cutting edge.
Match the tool
- saw
- chisel
- plane
- drill
- cuts a length of timber to size
- pares out the waste from a joint
- shaves a face until it is flat
- bores a round hole through the wood
Match the technique
- cutting
- drilling
- planing
- sanding
- separating timber into the sizes you need
- making a hole for a screw or dowel
- taking thin shavings to level a surface
- rubbing the surface smooth with an abrasive
Which tool for a hole?
A maker needs a round hole in a piece of timber to fit a dowel. Which tool is best?
- A drill.
- A saw.
- A plane.
- Sandpaper.
Tools that cut
Select the TWO tools used to cut timber to shape.
- A saw.
- A chisel.
- Sandpaper.
- A try square.
Order the making
Put the steps of making a timber part in order, earliest first.
- Mark out the sizes
- Cut the timber to size
- Drill any holes
- Plane the edges flat
- Sand the surface smooth
Complete the facts
A toothed blade that cuts timber to size is a _____. A blade tapped to remove waste wood is a _____. A tool that shaves a surface flat is a _____. A tool that makes round holes is a _____. To finish, you rub the surface smooth with _____.
Cut to length
A plank is 1200 millimetres long and is cut into 4 equal pieces. Divide 1200 by 4 to find the length of each piece. What is the answer in millimetres?
Spot the safe habits
Tap the TWO habits that keep you safe when working timber.
- clamp the timber before cutting
- cut away from your body
- hold the timber loosely in one hand
- keep a hand in front of the blade
Pick the tool
Read what each maker needs and choose the best tool.
- A maker needs to cut a long plank down to a shorter length
- A rough sawn edge needs to be made flat and level
- A square recess must be cut out to form a joint
Explain the tools
Explain the main tools used to shape and finish timber and when a maker would use each one.
- Describe a tool used to cut timber to size
- Describe a tool used to make a surface flat or smooth
- Explain the order you would work in to make a part