“Cut this board to 5 3/16th inches.” Sounds simple enough, right? Directions like this are seen everywhere, but they aren't as cut and dry (pun intended) as they seem.
There are three things assumed here:
1. You are aware of your project’s tolerances (and you know what tolerances means).
2. You know what “cut” means.
3. You have the proper means to reduce your lumber.
Tolerance Not every one of your DIY projects should have the same level of tolerance. My father-in-law often likes to quote his father-in-law with, “you boys and your tight tolerances,” mocking how Karly's grandfather might measure once, cut once. The type of project you’re completing changes how accurate you have to be. If you’re framing a house, being off by 1/8th of an inch doesn’t really matter. On the flipside, being off 1/8th of an inch on a picture frame really matters. Determine exactly what you’re making, why you’re making it, and how precise you’d like it to be before stressing on “do I have the exact right tools to make this project happen?!”
In woodworking, tolerance is defined as your acceptable margin of error. The general rule of thumb is: the bigger the project, the bigger the tolerances. There will be errors in any project you do. Don’t worry, you're likely to be the only one who sees them. Good DIYers, woodworkers, carpenters are able to mitigate mistakes and either hide them or make them seem intentional. The phrase “aim small, miss small” is a good approach for most basic home projects. Cut things to fit, never assume that measurements will be equal from top to bottom or left to right. This is especially the case with homes -- holding a true straightedge to any wall in your house will confirm this. But I should warn you, you may never be able to un-see any unequal walls if you try it. Shoot for the precise measurement, sneaking up on it with multiple cuts as needed, but know that getting it exactly correct is unlikely -- and that's okay!
Cuts
There are three basic terms when it comes to cutting wood: cut, rip, and re-saw. They are different and you achieve them differently. Cut means to chop a board across the grain. (Grain is the stripes, flow, or direction of the wood growth.) Rip means to split the width of the board, in the same direction of the grain. Re-saw means to split the thickness of a board, or butterfly the board the way you would butterfly a chicken breast.
Reducing Now that you have a better understanding of these three “shop terms,” how do you do it?
OK, better, best; how do you shorten wood?
Cut
Rip
Re-saw
Here's a graphic to give you a better visual:
Most home DIY jobs will only use cuts and rips so if you have a circular saw, you should be fine! I’ve cut and ripped boards with a circular saw riding against a speed square and the factory edge of an off-cut of ply wood. It helps to know the anatomy of your saw:
Final Tips:
NEVER CUT ON THE LINE. Because of the kerf (the thickness of the blade), you'll need to account for any loss of wood. Measure, mark, cut to one side of the line consistently.
USE STRAIGHT EDGE GUIDES. Whether a cross-cut guide (like a speed square) or a rip guide (like a long piece of angle iron clamped to your work piece), account for the distance to the side of the blade from the end of the shoe.
Take it easy on yourself if you're new to the DIY game. There's definitely a learning curve when it comes to learning to getting your wood pieces to fit perfectly within your project. When I was just starting out, I didn't account for the kerf on a wall mirror made to look like window panes. The result? My boards were consistently short on on the ends and corners, leaving gaps where the wood should meet. We still hung the mirror in our living room for several years. Every project will teach you something new, so embrace any mistakes.
Any questions?
-J
What other tips would you like to know? Put them in the comments!👇
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