# Hand Cutting thin strips of wood.



## Michelle_K (10 Jun 2015)

Hi all another newbie question here. I am seeking advice on cutting thin strips of wood by hand. I want to try and build my first small box and I need to cut the strips for the sides and bottom. However I am having a hard time cutting straight even pieces. I know there are jigs for cutting small strips on a table and bandsaw but wondered if there was anything for cutting the wood by hand. 

Hope this makes sense and Thank you in advance!

Michelle


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## undergroundhunter (10 Jun 2015)

What sort of size are you wanting? If its thin wood you want then the scrub plane is your friend.

Matt


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## MIGNAL (10 Jun 2015)

Width, depth and length will be helpful. The greater the depth of cut the harder it is to cut things evenly using hand saws. Something 1 cm deep is easy, 15 cm's is another matter.


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## blackrodd (10 Jun 2015)

Unless you know someone with a decent bandsaw, you will need a vice and practice you're technique like this on you tube, there are others,--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_fvnSwhJuM
Regards Rodders


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## Jacob (10 Jun 2015)

blackrodd":kdhyefbf said:


> Unless you know someone with a decent bandsaw, you will need a vice and practice you're technique like this on you tube, there are others,--
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_fvnSwhJuM
> Regards Rodders


That's a good demo. 2 lines is the way. Rip filed saw will help but don't be put off if you haven't got one. If you can't stand at the end of the bench like he is then have the wood in the vice turned square on so you have room to move.
He's splitting a planed-all-round piece but if your board is just sawn *don't* plane it first. Split it first and then plane after it's settled down.


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## Michelle_K (10 Jun 2015)

Hi everyone and thank you for getting back to me. This is the simple style box I was hoping to make;
http://youtu.be/E0nwkYtgPEs

(Not sure how to add a video link!)
But the box is 3/16 thick and an inch and a half wide. I have a thick block of wood and need to cut five pieces for the bottom and sides.

Thanks


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## Corneel (11 Jun 2015)

The idea of using handtools is to draw a line on the wood and then cut to the line. There is really no more magic to it. Of course you will end up with a rough and probably uneven surface after sawing. That's what planes are made for, to smooth out the surface and make the board flat and square. 

So you need a sharp handsaw, a plane and some marking tools like a square, a ruler and a marking knife. And something to sharpen the blade from the handplane.


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## Michelle_K (11 Jun 2015)

Hi all,

Thank you for the video links I now know what I need to do. Sorry if my questions sound silly or obvious. I honestly do research before I ask but as I didn't know the term was 'ripping' I did not get any hits in my searches. I was only getting table and bandsaw techniques even though I did search 'by hand', anyway, now I know. 

Thanks again. 

Michelle


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## Droogs (11 Jun 2015)

I would suggest that you make yourself a "Kerfing Saw". This will allow you to create a groove all the way around the sides of the wood you would like to use to make your thin board. When I started cutting my own veneers I found it to be a fantastic aid to rip sawing. This is due to the fact that your saw will follow the path of least resistance as you cut down the length of the wood. You can make it with an adjustable fence so you can make panels as thin or as thick as you want. It will also help your wrist and arm muscles gain "muscle memory" for that type of cut. You can see an example being made and used here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAAtVRC ... Y9dn5tJ3sO

Yours doesn't need to be as fancy, but it will help you aquire the skills set for using your rip saw in an efficient and practical way. This vid also shows good technique for hand resawing a panel with a reip saw. The kerfing plane makes it easier for the starting process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_fvnSwhJuM

rgds
droogs

Edit _ OP answered while i typed ah well


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## Corneel (11 Jun 2015)

I don't know what kind of wood you have, but I have done a bunch of ripping and resawing of pine with a hardpoint "carpenters" saw i bought in one of the big box stores. Mine was a Bahco, but Stanley has similar saws. They are not very expensive and it gets you going without the need for a special rip saw.


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## AndyT (11 Jun 2015)

One of your challenges will be holding the block of wood steady while you saw slices off it.
How you do this depends on what equipment you have and what size your block is, so if you tell us a bit more we can give more specific suggestions. The most essential tool for hand tool woodwork is a bench, but there are ways round the problem if you don't have one.

If your block of wood is only about 6" long, for example, you won't be able to hold it vertically in a vice - you might be better off with a simple sawing board on top of the bench, and a tenon saw (one with a stiffener at the top of the back) working horizontally.


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## Philipp (11 Jun 2015)

Dear Michelle,

I found this approach quite interesing:

a-sort-of-ripping-plane-t42072.html

I recently built my own but due to a different blade construction my first results were not that satisfying, at least, when deep cuts are concerned. Unfortunately, the author of above post, Ikisumo, did not reply no my question concerning deeper cuts.

What I normally do I once described here:

ripping-by-hand-scribing-with-the-router-t56600.html

Maybe that helps.

Regards, Philipp


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## Jacob (13 Jun 2015)

AndyT":1yngok72 said:


> ....
> If your block of wood is only about 6" long, for example, you won't be able to hold it vertically in a vice .....


Why not? Saw half way in the vice, turn it over and saw the other half. No problem.


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## AndyT (13 Jun 2015)

Ok I should have said that it won't be quite as stable in the vice as a long bit would. And that for a six inch cut I would prefer to hold it horizontal on bench hooks and use a back saw.

But we seem to be talking to ourselves as the OP has heard enough.


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## profchris (14 Jun 2015)

I cut plates for ukuleles by hand, aiming to achieve 3mm thickness to be planed down to sub-2 mm. I always mark from a planed face. The plates need to be as thin as possible because suitable wood is rare. 

The method on the video is what I use, though I make the end grain cut with a backsaw to keep it straight and then switch to the handsaw. The most important tip is to cut upwards - as soon as I put downward pressure on the saw I cut unevenly. 

I can't keep hardpoint saws from wandering a little, but my car boot 26 inch ripsaw has made all the difference. £1 plus some hours cleaning and learning how to sharpen!


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