# Face side and face edge



## colinj (20 Jan 2007)

Could someone please explain what the Face side and edge means and it's importance in woodworking. Is this a basic skill needed when making anything from wood. How do we actually decide on face side and edge in the first place.
MTIA
Colin.


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## Steve Maskery (20 Jan 2007)

Hi Colin
These are the parts of the workpiece from which references are made. I was taught, "Take the best and broad side, plane it flat and smooth". This then becomes the face side, and is marked with and old-fashioned curly _f _for Face.

Then the best-looking edge is planed straight and square to this Face. That becomes the Face Side, and is also marked, I use a V. The Face Mark and the Edge Mark are usually drawn adjacent to each other. With these two straight, square and true surfaces, all the others (like thickness and width) can be gauged, cut and planed. Without them, it's difficult to ensure that a piece of wood is anything like the drawing says it should be!

I hope this is a start.


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## Philly (20 Jan 2007)

Colin
Face side and edge are very important! Without these you cannot accurately make joints.
When preparing timber you flatten a face, removing any wind. This is then marked face side. Then you would plane a straight edge 90 degrees to this face and mark.
It sounds simple but it is a very important step in timber prep. You then use these datum surfaces to do all marking and measuring. 
Hope this helps
Philly


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## Steve Maskery (20 Jan 2007)

Philly
Beat you! Nah, nah, na-nah, nah!


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## Philly (20 Jan 2007)

Dang it, Steve :lol: 
Philly


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## Alf (20 Jan 2007)

Colin, you're in serious need of a good book I reckon. I hope someone has just the thing in mind, 'cos all the ones I'd suggest are a bit ancient and may not appeal.

Cheers, Alf


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## Shultzy (20 Jan 2007)

colinj - From the posts you have made, may I suggest you look in the library for books on woodworking. "The Works" bookshop has a book called "The Practical Woodworker" on offer at £4, lots of basic woodworking procedures, pictures, practical hints and projects. 

Sometimes its better to read a book, and then post for any information you are not sure of, as "a picture is worth a thousand words"

Best of luck with your coffee table and don't forget the pics.


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## Lord Nibbo (20 Jan 2007)

Made me smile when I first read this post and both Steve and Philly have answered perfectly in explaining (split the honours) Why did it make me smile? well first thing is I'm left handed so me curly F comes out more like a curly d if you get my gist, second thing is and I don't suppose I'm the only one to do it but when I'm thicknessing (thicknessing machine)I have been known to put the board in up side down and promptly plane off the face/edge marks, which leaves me searching for them and wondering if I marked them in the first place. Do other people own up to doing this trick? :lol:


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## Alf (20 Jan 2007)

Oh no, I never do that... 8-[

A picture being worth a thousand words and all, some additional info on the subject.

Cheers, Alf


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## Anonymous (20 Jan 2007)

You must enter a message when posting.


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## colinj (20 Jan 2007)

A vis tto the Library is forthcoming in the morning, Thanks so far, much appreciated.
Colinj


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## Anonymous (20 Jan 2007)

In addition I find the face side/face edge marks extremely useful when laying components to a rod, it helps ensure they are aligned the same way every time, from initial posiitions for mortice's, tennons etc and when doing any necessary fettling or trimming to fit. It is so easy to lose track of orientation for each piece when theres more than a few components involved and inadavertently mark a joint in the wrong place. I mark the face side onto the rod, also with an identifying number EG "Stile # 1" "Rail # 2" etc so I dont get 2 or more "similar" components mixed up. I find it's just a useful aid to minimise costly mix up's!!


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## mailee (21 Jan 2007)

Lord Nibbo":3c1lskkx said:


> Made me smile when I first read this post and both Steve and Philly have answered perfectly in explaining (split the honours) Why did it make me smile? well first thing is I'm left handed so me curly F comes out more like a curly d if you get my gist, second thing is and I don't suppose I'm the only one to do it but when I'm thicknessing (thicknessing machine)I have been known to put the board in up side down and promptly plane off the face/edge marks, which leaves me searching for them and wondering if I marked them in the first place. Do other people own up to doing this trick? :lol:


Yes been there done that on more than a couple of occasions I have to admit.


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## Steve Maskery (21 Jan 2007)

Alf":2d7lhf2y said:


> Colin, you're in serious need of a good book I reckon.



Yes, or a good DVD. David Charlesworth tells you everything you need to know in one of his DVDs, here:

It's not exciting, I know, but you are starting in a very good place. Get these sorts of basics right and the exciting stuff comes quicker and is easier, too!


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## David C (21 Jan 2007)

Thanks Steve.

I have developed my face and edge markings so that they store *more* useful information.

My face mark stores the planing direction of the surface, and I use a similar mark on edges so that it stores the planing direction of the edge as well.

Fibre marks are also added to both faces.

You now have the entire information for the component stored on each face. If one set of marks is inadvertantly planed away, (as it surely will be), they can be easily replaced without having to look closely for grain/fibre directions again.

There is nothing more frustrating than going for a fine set of clean up shavings just before glue up and getting the planing direction wrong and causing massive tearout!

Boring but useful?

David Charlesworth


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## Paul Chapman (21 Jan 2007)

David C":1h26lejr said:


> Boring but useful?



Very useful, David :wink: I now always mark the grain direction when planing because it can sometimes be very deceptive, and can be a real problem if you are doing the final cleaning up and get it wrong. If fact I now rate grain direction marks as important as face side and face edge marks. Mind you, mine are probably not as neat as yours, David :lol: 

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## Anonymous (21 Jan 2007)

I dont think it's boring at all. I just think any orienting system that spreads the mental load a bit and stops your concentration from getting lost so easily so that you are less likely to make errors with setting out etc are very useful. 8)


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## Shivers (21 Jan 2007)

Sometimes the grain orientation of a board has dominant factor on which surfaces should be planed/edged first,it's always a good thing to choose grain direction first if possible,--therewill always be some boards that dont allow you to do this,but nevertheless it's good policy to have & think thru before you commit to the machine.


cheers.


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## David C (23 Jan 2007)

Agreed.

With some "very difficult to read boards", the "suck it and see" method can be useful.

I take a very light cut on the surface planer in either direction and see/feel which direction gave the better surface.

Another tip is to look for the steepest fibres to the surface, and machine to smoothe these down, even though they may be a minority, they will give the worst tearout if planed the wrong way.

David


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## joesoap (23 Jan 2007)

As I remember it at night school (pre college & day release times) it went something like 1 Shoot, measure, and cut to length. 2 Plane the face side . 3Plane the face edge. ie plane and mark as alerady described ie an old fashioned f without the cross stroke : and the edge mark ^ towards the dressed face. In cabinetmaking the grain was of prime importance as the least cross grained side became the obvious Face. Yes undoubtedly that is the true starter for newbies to gain the accuracy required for a good finish. A'hmm must check the volume rating on that bottle .For (night school) read, junior secondary school woodworking classes , one four hour period per week. Amazingly it stilll sticks . At the trade if if the timber is , 'broken out ' properly in the fisrt instance ripped and dressed face side up then life is just a dream for beginners. These days I see skirtings , mouldings , dados , etc , cupping out and not in due to poor machining. There's no substitute for basics . Cheers !


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