# Tips for improving woodworking accuracy



## tibi (18 Aug 2021)

Hello, 

Can you please provide me some useful tips and tricks for improving accuracy in woodworking? For measuring,layout, planing, chiseling, sawing, etc. Whatever comes to mind. This list maybe useful for someone else too in the future. 

e.g. When you place your chisel for mortising, place it not directly on the line, but with the edge a little bit inside. Once you hit the chisel, it will wedge the wood towards the line a bit.

Thank you. 

Tibor


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## thetyreman (18 Aug 2021)

the key is always very sharp tools, good quality squares and marking gauges, if a square is out even a tiny amount everything will be out. When chopping a mortise by hand sometimes you have to wrestle a bit with the wood and stop the chisel from twisting. I also like to use very thin pencils where possible and marking knives because it's a thinner line and therefore more accurate. I hope that helps.


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## Spectric (18 Aug 2021)

Unfortunately a lot of it comes with practice and finding how you do the job best, from these forums I learnt that decent chiesels will make a difference and keeping them sharp, well yes I am a lot better but do not have the surgical skill that some people have but compared to what I used to achieve with cheap chiesels I am a lot better. Also when cutting I cut close to a line and then try the fit, then may have to remove a hairs breath to get a nice fit, takes more time but a lot better than a sloppy fit done quicker.


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## TheTiddles (18 Aug 2021)

Mostly you don’t need accuracy, precision on the other hand is really important, like getting all the parts the same size. Think of a set of Jenga blocks, the only thing that needs to be accurate is the length is 3x the width, thickness is academic but they do need to be precise in terms of length, width and thickness.

So single fence/stop block settings, thinking about your manufacturing order so those fences don’t need to be moved will give high precision as well as faster and lower stress making, at the penalty of thinking up front time


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## jcassidy (18 Aug 2021)

Very sharp tools, decent quality wood, and taking your time.

Specific tips - I never learnt the knife-wall technique in vocational school - I saw that off Paul Sellers (not discussing who invented it so let's just move on...) and I love it and I use it frequently. I've made a handful of marking knives from old Sheffield cutlery, so I always have a sharp one handy.

I also took on board his advice to cut a channel with a chisel to guide the saw. I learnt using-your-thumb-and-pull-strokes-to-establish-the-kerf technique, but the cut-a-channel technique is way more accurate for me.

I don't pay much attention to any of the Americans who seem to shove everything into a table saw, except Chris Swarz who's kind of goofy and fun.

A solid bench.


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## Stevekane (18 Aug 2021)

All I can say is try to start with stock thats square and flat,,its a bloody headache otherwise, 
Steve.


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## Mike.R (18 Aug 2021)

A digital caliper was a game changer for me.... and a pair of spectacles.


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## Jacob (18 Aug 2021)

Mark everything up from a rod and don't miss any marks. 2H pencil not a marking knife.
The knife is only for cutting those few lines which need a precise edge e.g. tenon shoulders on the visible side.


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## MARK.B. (18 Aug 2021)

All good advice given above , i would add when marking out make yourself comfortable so as you are not for example overstretching your reach so as to slip and pipper your line. Good lighting has not been mentioned but is important


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## recipio (18 Aug 2021)

I can't get on without a digital vernier but have gone through about six in recent years - my last cheap Chinese job lasted eight months. I finally splurged about £80 to buy a Mitutoya off Amazon. Made in Japan of course. The difference in quality is amazing, Finally I can trust the readings especially the depth function and use it constantly to ensure accuracy. Well worth the money imo.


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## johnnyb (18 Aug 2021)

I reckon the key is marking everything that needs to be the same size at one go(on large quantitys mark 2 and put them at the ends of the stack and mark across.
that way no matter how dodgy your cutting the accuracy is essentially built in. if a bit doesn't fit properly check the lines that should tell the story.


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## Jameshow (18 Aug 2021)

Practice practice practice!!! 

Keeping up the concentration it's not the first mortice that gets you but the one where your mind drifts to another subject! 

Marking the waste I know it's basic but how may times have we cut out the tail and not the waste. 

Im only a wood butcher so what would I know! 

Cheers James


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## Peter Sefton (18 Aug 2021)

Hi Tibor

Put up a video on my YouTube channel a couple of weeks ago, hand cutting dovetails, it shows some of the techniques I use including marking out, sawing and chiseling and most important checking those elements before final assembly.



Cheers
Peter


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## Fitzroy (18 Aug 2021)

Learn about face side and face edge. I used to mark out from any old edge, that caused me no end of problems.

A knife line to chisel to was another winner for me.

A decent saw helped my cutting. I have developed a love of vintage saws, cheap to buy, easy to renovate and file with a simple rip pattern they really helped me cut true. 

But key is practice and more practice. If I am even just breaking down to rough size I will mark a line and try to cut to it, gives the opportunity to practice speeding up and maintaining accuracy of cut.


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## Richard_C (19 Aug 2021)

Really good lighting and sensible clear clean space to work in.

Work carefully but be decisive - if you are afraid of getting it wrong and hesitate you are more likely to get it wrong.

Or - make it, measure it, and tell yourself you always intended it to be that size


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## baldkev (19 Aug 2021)

If you are cutting a mortice, you can use a drill bit to take out the worst of the material and then just clean up with the chisels. ( im a site carpenter, not joiner )
As said above, practice is the only real way to learn. You have to fail to see where you went wrong.... we've all been there! 
Get some nice planed all round stock 3x2 or 4x2 , 4x1, make a list of joints and then get going..... when i was taught to saw, i was told to hold the saw with my index finger stretched out along the side of the handle, line saw up with line ( on the waste side) keep wrist straight, forearm in line with the saw and concentrate on the action of keeping your arm all in line with the saw.... after squaring off a ton of hardwood in the workshop, i was getting pretty good


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## Ttrees (19 Aug 2021)

The good lighting part really is the most important thing that everyone will agree on.
I tried some glaring bluish LED lighting and I couldn't see anything with the shine.
I thought all the new types of bulbs were the same until I tried an expensive, probably near a fiver
economic or whatever, standard/regular bulb which is as good as the old style incandescent type.








I was glad to get these on the bay, it's so nice to have a light source behind the chisel sometimes,
See the shadow between the face of the tool and the work, as emphasized with the gaping shadow line gap with the aluminium block.

Two benches would be very nice to have, so you can rig up operations and work on constantly evolving the workholding to be as free to do whatever you may think of, it just may be a good idea.
That way you can spend some time on a certain procedure should something be not as good as it could be, and you can get on with other things on the go aswell.

I don't have a surface planer, nor really plan on getting one for the foreseeable future.
For mainly this reason a flat workbench is a must for me, this composite countertop has got me by, 
but I have to keep a check on it especially before planing long stock. 
What I'm trying to say is plan on what your ideals are, and focus on figuring out the weakest points of your work, whether that's getting things done timewise or want for better results.

Tom


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## ian33a (19 Aug 2021)

From a measuring perspective I find that these have been a game changer : INCRA TOOLS :: Measuring, Marking & Layout :: Precision T-Rules 

I also agree that a digital vernier caliper is well worth the money.

Being able to get square edges and square corners is a big one too. There are many ways to achieve this but an MFT grid (with dogs) and decent fences (and stops) on a square top bench has worked for me.

My background is technology where accuracy and precision is measured to a silly number of decimal places. It took me a while to realise that wood does not need such precision but it does require consistency.


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## pidgeonpost (19 Aug 2021)

Plenty of good tips above, and to those I would add the importance of holding the workpiece securely. All the care taken in measuring, marking etc. can amount to not very much if the wood slips as you make that crucial first or last cut. It could also cost you an injury as well as damaged stock and a damaged chisel if you drop it in the process. 
Enjoy your woodworking.


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## tibi (19 Aug 2021)

Peter Sefton said:


> Hi Tibor
> 
> Put up a video on my YouTube channel a couple of weeks ago, hand cutting dovetails, it shows some of the techniques I use including marking out, sawing and chiseling and most important checking those elements before final assembly.
> 
> ...



Thank you Peter, I will definitely watch your video.


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## pe2dave (19 Aug 2021)

Mike.R said:


> A digital caliper was a game changer for me.... and a pair of spectacles.


And then add a cheap magnifying glass to read the micrometer


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## MorrisWoodman12 (19 Aug 2021)

When cutting mortices I will, when I can, clamp a piece of wood outside of, but on, the side line. This serves two purposes. It's quicker and more precise to just butt the chisel up to the wood and if it's an inch or two high it helps keep the chisel vertical. Hope this makes sense.


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## CatIII (25 Aug 2021)

tibi said:


> Hello,
> 
> Can you please provide me some useful tips and tricks for improving accuracy in woodworking? For measuring,layout, planing, chiseling, sawing, etc. Whatever comes to mind. This list maybe useful for someone else too in the future.
> 
> ...





tibi said:


> Hello,
> 
> Can you please provide me some useful tips and tricks for improving accuracy in woodworking? For measuring,layout, planing, chiseling, sawing, etc. Whatever comes to mind. This list maybe useful for someone else too in the future.
> 
> ...


Hi Tibor.
I see there are quite a lot of ideas already so here's mine for what Its worth.

Like you, I struggle sometimes (most of the time) with accuracy and I find I have to resort to power tools some of the time but what I find helpful are these tips which I've picked up along the way.

1. When I try and make a straight cut with a saw, I use a guide (3x2 inch wood cut with a chop saw) which I rest the saw against. I clamp it in position so I know its firm and I only cut into the waste wood. I used to use a block of steel but it blunted the saw.
2. When chiseling a hole (a mortise), I clamp the same piece of wood to one side of the hole and rest the chisel against it to make sure the chisel is upright.
3. After I've cut the wood and I need to neaten (square up) up the sides and ends, I've used whats called a shooting board (why its called that I don't know). The only problem with using one of these is you need a really sharp wood plane. If you see the videos on YouTube, they make it look simple. I've spent a lot of time trying to sharpen my plane blade to get the same effect...its bloomin hard! Also the board does go out of square after a while so bear that in mind. 
4. Dovetails...best avoided if you ask me. Its taken me many attempts to get anything worth looking at!
5. You tube. Lots of stuff to look at and lots of power tools too. Mostly American but I've found Paul Sellers (English) quite good to follow and good tips but quite long videos.

When I'm woodworking in my garage, sometimes my neighbour ask if I making another heirloom and I do wonder if shes right!

Best of luck and thank heavens for old pallets to practice on. Oh, a wood burner, you'll need one of these till you get good at it.

Regards....Geoff


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## Jacob (25 Aug 2021)

Peter Sefton said:


> Hi Tibor
> 
> Put up a video on my YouTube channel a couple of weeks ago, hand cutting dovetails, it shows some of the techniques I use including marking out, sawing and chiseling and most important checking those elements before final assembly.
> 
> ...



Just had a look at the vid. Very clear demo etc but a but too long for me, this time of the morning!
Just for the record - this not how the majority of DTs are cut in trad joinery - they were almost always freehand and would have been cut using just a few bits of kit, no coping saw etc. The one essential being a cutting gauge - the simple wooden ones are best.
The trad way is faster /easier but less perfect and relies on hand/eye skill, but if you can do it the easy way you are well placed go the extra step for a perfect result, if the work demands it.
The problem with learning the "high end" way is that it isn't easily reversible if you want to just be fast and efficient
I've been experimenting with DTs and don't use a marking knife, I mark through with a craft knife chisel square end, little tap with a pin hammer rather than a slicing cut.


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## Jacob (25 Aug 2021)

johnnyb said:


> I reckon the key is marking everything that needs to be the same size at one go(on large quantitys mark 2 and put them at the ends of the stack and mark across.
> that way no matter how dodgy your cutting the accuracy is essentially built in. if a bit doesn't fit properly check the lines that should tell the story.


Yep. You draw out all the details on a board a.k.a. "the rod" (I use lengths of white MFC shelving) and mark from that to your stack of components sitting them on the board. You keep the rod throughout the job so that you can always refer back to it.
The main advantage is that once you have drawn up the rod you don't have to measure anything during the marking up - you are on auto pilot. It means you can mark up for the whole project and then set about making the bits and pieces in any order, knowing they will fit. e.g. If it's for a set of sash windows you can end up with hundred or more component pieces all marked up ready to go, and do all mortices in one session, all rebates in another, and so on.


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## tibi (25 Aug 2021)

Jacob said:


> Just had a look at the vid. Very clear demo etc but a but too long for me, this time of the morning!
> Just for the record - this not how the majority of DTs are cut in trad joinery - they were almost always freehand and would have been cut using just a few bits of kit, no coping saw etc. The one essential being a cutting gauge - the simple wooden ones are best.
> The trad way is faster /easier but less perfect and relies on hand/eye skill, but if you can do it the easy way you are well placed go the extra step for a perfect result, if the work demands it.
> The problem with learning the "high end" way is that it isn't easily reversible if you want to just be fast and efficient
> I've been experimenting with DTs and don't use a marking knife, I mark through with a craft knife chisel square end, little tap with a pin hammer rather than a slicing cut.


Hi Jacob, 

I have an engineering background and this is the first time ever I have seen someone to layout dovetails by marking dimensions from a single reference point. This is exactly how I would do it if I had a CAD drawing and how I have thought that it is being done before I have learned the dividers method. Some people can produce beautiful furniture just by setting some basic proportions and then they adjust the dimensions as they build. Others need to have a detailed drawing of everything before and they produce in accordance with that drawing. And change the dimensions only if something backfires during the production process. 

I will know what I need with experience.


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## Jacob (25 Aug 2021)

tibi said:


> ,,,,, Others need to have a detailed drawing of everything before and they produce in accordance with that drawing.


Thats the way to do it!
You have to make all the decisions anyway so you might as well work them out in advance, not least to make sure everything will fit. Though I guess in the old days when stuff was repeated then workers would have a repertoire and know what to do from some basic instructions


> I will know what I need with experience.


Experience yes but also look closely at pieces of furniture and joinery, old and new, and ask yourself how they were made.
Older stuff is likely to be more hand made, and made as quickly efficiently as possible, with a few simple tools


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## tibi (25 Aug 2021)

Jacob said:


> Thats the way to do it!
> You have to make all the decisions anyway so you might as well work them out in advance, not least to make sure everything will fit. Though I guess in the old days when stuff was repeated then workers would have a repertoire and know what to do from some basic instructions
> Experience yes but also look closely at pieces of furniture and joinery, old and new, and ask yourself how they were made.
> Older stuff is likely to be more hand made, and made as quickly efficiently as possible, with a few simple tools


As I am restricted to mostly hand tools, I would like to visit some museums with antique furniture to explore how the furniture was made and what quality was acceptable then. They would not probably let me run around with a straight edge and calipers, but I can still get the general feeling of quality of the furniture. And I am always studying new wooden furniture when I am in a furniture shop. Last time I have seen in a furniture shop on a laminated table top that the boards were rotated in random order, as far as I know, the growth rings should be rotated in the same manner on all the boards. - I see it on instagram many times to be done this way.


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## Jacob (25 Aug 2021)

tibi said:


> As I am restricted to mostly hand tools, I would like to visit some museums with antique furniture to explore how the furniture was made and what quality was acceptable then. They would not probably let me run around with a straight edge and calipers, but I can still get the general feeling of quality of the furniture. And I am always studying new wooden furniture when I am in a furniture shop. Last time I have seen in a furniture shop on a laminated table top that the boards were rotated in random order, as far as I know, the growth rings should be rotated in the same manner on all the boards. - I see it on instagram many times to be done this way.


Perhaps start by looking at your own furniture and household joinery and the ordinary stuff around you?
It's handy to pull old stuff apart, for repairs, or for the wood-burner if it's too far gone.
Ordinary stuff made to a price with cheaper materials can be more demanding of practical skills than high end stuff made for wealthy clients! Hence the interest in "vernacular" craft and design.


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## tibi (25 Aug 2021)

Jacob said:


> Perhaps start by looking at your own furniture and household joinery and the ordinary stuff around you?
> It's handy to pull old stuff apart, for repairs, or for the wood-burner if it's too far gone.


Unfortunately, the only wooden furniture that I have is the table that I have made myself. All other furniture is made of MDF joined by dowels. My woodworking mission is to replace all the MDF furniture with wooden furniture made by myself. And move from firewood quality to heirloom quality with destroying as little wood as possible.


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## Jacob (25 Aug 2021)

tibi said:


> Unfortunately, the only wooden furniture that I have is the table that I have made myself. All other furniture is made of MDF joined by dowels. My woodworking mission is to replace all the MDF furniture with wooden furniture made by myself. And move from firewood quality to heirloom quality with destroying as little wood as possible.


My heirloom quality is low! These dovetails are the first thing I see every morning on a bedside bookshelf inherited from grandparents, probably 120 years old.
Obviously freehand but in spite of appearances these would almost certainly have been done at high speed by a highly skilled woodworker quite capable of much better stuff if called upon.
All the saw cuts are overcut which makes things faster. No trace of a shoulder line so it would have been planed off - the board end would not have been trimmed on a shooting board but would be planed flush on the finished drawer.
There is a shoulder line on the inner face
With ordinary stuff you get to see how they did things - you can see the tool marks as they didn't cover their tracks by over finishing


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## tibi (25 Aug 2021)

Jacob said:


> My heirloom quality is low! These dovetails are the first thing I see every morning on a bedside bookshelf inherited from grandparents, probably 120 years old.
> Obviously freehand but in spite of appearances these would almost certainly have been done at high speed by a highly skilled woodworker quite capable of much better stuff if called upon.
> All the saw cuts are overcut which makes things faster. No trace of a shoulder line so it would have been planed off - the board end would not have been trimmed on a shooting board but would be planed flush on the finished drawer.
> There is a shoulder line on the inner face
> ...



Maybe this furniture was made just for function. There were certainly pressures to produce as many pieces as possible in the shortest period of time. People were satisfied with almost anything, because resources were scarce. I cannot imagine a local woodworker producing André-Charles Boulle's style furniture for ordinary people  He would not feed his own children this way, if he wanted to keep the price affordable.


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## Jacob (25 Aug 2021)

tibi said:


> Maybe this furniture was made just for function. There were certainly pressures to produce as many pieces as possible in the shortest period of time. People were satisfied with almost anything, because resources were scarce. I cannot imagine a local woodworker producing André-Charles Boulle's style furniture for ordinary people  He would not feed his own children this way, if he wanted to keep the price affordable.


They are all functional and all made with a view to price. My cupboard above is good quality but "ordinary". Quite attractive with pitch pine and has lasted 120 years in daily use - probably about 20 times as long as an IKEA piece will!


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## TheTiddles (25 Aug 2021)

If you want to replace MDF furniture because you want to, go ahead. If you just want quality furniture, that doesn’t exclude using MDF.


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## Bristol_Rob (26 Aug 2021)

Another vote here for using rods.
I don't see any videos on YouTube teaching this method any more.
Trade Colleges did used to teach this and I wonder if they still do?

One trick I was taught was to layout my rods using paper on the rod.
It was simply taped down.

Then at the end of the job we cut them off and they were stored away.

This meant they could be easily retrieved if another was needed to be made in the future and also an apprentice could retrieve one if they want to see how a master had previously laid out a particularly tricky detail.

I'd love to see someone produce a quality set of videos reviving this under talked about method of joinery preparation.

I do believe if new joiners to the craft were taught this early, they'd never go back to not using them on projects.
It prevents mistakes on expensive materials


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## Jacob (26 Aug 2021)

Bristol_Rob said:


> Another vote here for using rods.
> I don't see any videos on YouTube teaching this method any more.
> Trade Colleges did used to teach this and I wonder if they still do?
> 
> ...


Absolutely agree. It's also the last part of the design process where you are sorting out the details and making sure things fit. Once finished you are on auto pilot like a human CNC machine; no need to think - just do the work!
It gets rid of all those back of envelope calculations and all the mistakes that ensue
I'd been reading woodwork mags and books for years but had never heard of 'the rod" until I did a C&G course. Other stuff too about which I had learned nothing previously.
So I stopped buying mags.
Later I dumped the stack I'd saved except for some torn out articles. Later I dumped them too!.
Haven't read one in 20 or 30 years!
PS The paper idea is good, there are a few I wish I'd kept
With hindsight I realised that some of the first things I ever made were with the help of a form of "rod": Kiel Kraft model aircraft came with a full size paper pattern on which you laid your bits of balsa and marked or cut them, to fit.


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## NickM (26 Aug 2021)

We're getting a new kitchen. The guy making it for us (small 2 man operation with a nice big workshop - they were kind enough to show me around) came round yesterday to discuss some of the details. He said the next stage is for him to make the rods which he will bring back to check the fit and do some fine tuning/work out the final details. I'm intrigued to see more of the process.


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## Jacob (26 Aug 2021)

NickM said:


> We're getting a new kitchen. The guy making it for us (small 2 man operation with a nice big workshop - they were kind enough to show me around) came round yesterday to discuss some of the details. He said the next stage is for him to make the rods which he will bring back to check the fit and do some fine tuning/work out the final details. I'm intrigued to see more of the process.


At the simplest level it will be a paper pattern which you could lay out in the room and if necessary adjust to fit. Then the maker could add any amount of other design/construction detail to help the actual making, knowing that it will fit.

A typical rod would be just horizontal and vertical sections of the thing, not necessarily the whole plan, like these here: https://images.slideplayer.com/24/7303485/slides/slide_3.jpg
Once you have it you take all your marks from it by stacking similar components on top and marking with a set square and pencil. No more measuring or calculating!
If you were making a window to fit an existing opening the first marks you'd put down would be the width and height of the opening and its rebates or other details.
Slide show here Setting Out Joiners Rods “extracts from Practical Australian Carpentry” M. S. Martin Original 2005 Revised ppt download haven't gone through it but it looks good.


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## Bristol_Rob (26 Aug 2021)

Jacob said:


> Absolutely agree. It's also the last part of the design process where you are sorting out the details and making sure things fit. Once finished you are on auto pilot like a human CNC machine; no need to think - just do the work!
> It gets rid of all those back of envelope calculations and all the mistakes that ensue
> I'd been reading woodwork mags and books for years but had never heard of 'the rod" until I did a C&G course. Other stuff too about which I had learned nothing previously.
> So I stopped buying mags.
> ...


Indeed. 

I was taught 'if you can't draw it on a rod - you can't make it'

It proves you understand how to make what you are about to make before you start cutting expensive timber.

Mistakes and waste isn't tolerated in a joiners shop.


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## JAW911 (26 Aug 2021)

Mike.R said:


> A digital caliper was a game changer for me.... and a pair of spectacles.


Hah! I was going to post those exact words!!


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## thetyreman (26 Aug 2021)

+1 I used a rod for the first time last year for making some doors and it was so much easier, if you do it accurately everything will fit perfectly and it saves so much time. 

I'd still like to know a bit more about how to lay them out if anyone has any recommendations on books, or even better being taught face to face by somebody.


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## Jacob (26 Aug 2021)

thetyreman said:


> +1 I used a rod for the first time last year for making some doors and it was so much easier, if you do it accurately everything will fit perfectly and it saves so much time.
> 
> I'd still like to know a bit more about how to lay them out if anyone has any recommendations on books, or even better being taught face to face by somebody.


Basically the idea is to put down enough information on your board so that you can take off ALL the marks you are going to need on ALL your workpieces. You can even add hardware details - e.g. put the hinge you are going to use, on the rod, and mark from it. 
So a full sized sectional drawing will do it but as a rule I tend to simplify it so there are lots of marks but not necessarily recognisably a door/window etc. This is OK while it's all fresh in your mind but if you want to keep it and dig it our years later it might be difficult to work out exactly what it's all about.
It works for simple jobs too - if you wanted to mark and cut say 10 laths at 12" you put the 12" marks on a rod and take the marks off with a set square and pencil, probably in 2 stacks 5 laths high, depending on size etc.


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## Gogsi (26 Aug 2021)

Jacob said:


> Absolutely agree. It's also the last part of the design process where you are sorting out the details and making sure things fit. Once finished you are on auto pilot like a human CNC machine; no need to think - just do the work!
> It gets rid of all those back of envelope calculations and all the mistakes that ensue
> I'd been reading woodwork mags and books for years but had never heard of 'the rod" until I did a C&G course. Other stuff too about which I had learned nothing previously.
> So I stopped buying mags.
> ...


I think you may be referring to a "story stick". It may be an American term .
But here's an old coot giving a very good example of what i think you're talking about:


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## thetyreman (26 Aug 2021)

Gogsi said:


> I think you may be referring to a "story stick". It may be an American term .
> But here's an old coot giving a very good example of what i think you're talking about:




that is the american term for it, we say rod or 'measuring rod' in the UK especially in england. Measuring rod - Wikipedia


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## Jacob (26 Aug 2021)

Gogsi said:


> I think you may be referring to a "story stick". It may be an American term .
> But here's an old coot giving a very good example of what i think you're talking about:


Sorry no he doesn't know what he's talking about! In fact very clumsy and amateurish, nothing like using a rod.
A "story stick" is literally that, a stick the height of story i.e. from one floor level to the next. This is essential tool for a stair maker on which he could work out and mark all the risings, landings etc. So yes that would be a "rod" too.
Also a similar thing for room interiors showing heights of skirtings, dadoes, picture rails etc.
I guess the term 'story stick' has got picked up over the years and misused by old American coots!
PS stair builder's story stick has to measure from floor level at first rising, to floor level at the top, which on a sloping lower floor would not be the same as the vertical from top to bottom.


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## Mike.R (26 Aug 2021)

Here's Jed with a staircase story pole.


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## KevinLycett (26 Aug 2021)

Rods. This sounds really interesting but I’ve no idea what the method is. Anyone care to elucidate? Or maybe link to some kind of instructions?


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## Cabinetman (26 Aug 2021)

White painted Venetian blind slats, are what I use, about 25 mil by 3, if you want to make a drawer front to fit a hole in a cabinet, you don’t measure the hole, you put your stick/slat against the end of the hole and mark off with a sharp pencil, same again for the height. I only use a tape measure right at the beginning of a job and from then onwards everything is made to fit the bits that came previously. I nearly always do a full drawing which helps to iron out methods of construction and obviously proportions. It’s sometimes the case though that when you have the wood in front of you things become more apparent. Ian


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## TheTiddles (26 Aug 2021)

KevinLycett said:


> Rods. This sounds really interesting but I’ve no idea what the method is. Anyone care to elucidate? Or maybe link to some kind of instructions?


It’s a stick.


no really. Ever cut up a cereal packet to make a template? Same idea


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## Sgian Dubh (26 Aug 2021)

Here are some scans of an old article on measuring room spaces using telescoping sticks to do the measuring and creating rods from the telescoping sticks to make fitted furniture to go into the measured space. Rods, of course, are useful for all sorts of furniture and joinery projects whether the finished item is free-standing or built-in, as has been said already by others.

Sorry about the relatively low level of the article scans, but hopefully they're good enough to just about read and to make sense of. Slainte.


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## Jacob (26 Aug 2021)

KevinLycett said:


> Rods. This sounds really interesting but I’ve no idea what the method is. Anyone care to elucidate? Or maybe link to some kind of instructions?


Rod slide show here joinery setting out and marking out
Not the same as the rods shown above, same name but different thing altogether.


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## tibi (26 Aug 2021)

KevinLycett said:


> Rods. This sounds really interesting but I’ve no idea what the method is. Anyone care to elucidate? Or maybe link to some kind of instructions?



You can find different Rods around the world. E.g. Rod Steward, Rod Dreher, Rod Brind'amour, etc .... You just basically draw required dimensions on the piece of wood or transfer them from an existing structure and then you transfer those dimensions to another object, or you create multiple instances of the same object by transferring dimensions from the master item, i.e. rod.


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## TRITON (26 Aug 2021)

tibi said:


> You can find different Rods around the world. E.g. Rod Steward, Rod Dreher, Rod Brind'amour, etc


Rod and Emu.
He really creeped me out. Entire act consisted of him using a puppet to grope people. I reckon he's lucky he's deceased, or he'd be up in court and the claims would be telephone book long


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