top of page

Helpful Videos or Links

General steps to making your Folding Table

​Step 1 - Get wood  

Pick a 1" x 6" board from the back of the room.  Bottom shelf close to the concrete block wall.

​

Step 2

Layout out the cut pattern on your board.  An example layout out board is sitting on by the whiteboard.  When layout out your pieces make sure to leave 1/8" between cuts for the kerf of the saw blade (Kerf is basically the amount of wood the blade cuts up into sawdust each time you cut.

​

Step 2: Laying out your board

Step 3 - Rough cut on Compound Mitre saw  

If needed cut your boards to rough length on the compound mitre saw.  About 1/2" longer than the finished length of your cutting board.  Do not cut any boards shorter than 12", they will be too short to cut on the jointer or planer.  

​

Step 4 - Jointer face side

On the Jointer, joint a face side on all your boards.  Check and make sure the fence on the jointer is 90 degrees to the infeed table before using the jointer.   Using a pencil, mark your jointed side with an x.

​

Step 5 - Jointer face edge

On the Jointer, joint a face edge on all your boards. Using a pencil, mark your jointed side with an x.

  • If you are making an edge cutting board you will have to run your boards thought the planer.  They do not need to all be the same thickness.  Depending on the look of your cutting board, you might like pieces of wood to be difference thicknesses.  

  • If you are making an side cutting board, do not use the planner at this step.  You will plane your boards after they are glued together.

​
Step 6 - Planer

Plane your board after the jointer.  Keep them as thick as possible.  SO PLANE THEM ONCE unless they require more due to warping.  We are hoping to be about 11/16" or 3/4" thick in the end.

​

Step 7 - Table saw - Ripping

Rip your 2 boards that are 23.5" long boards into 1 1/2" wide strips.  You need to end up with 6 boards     1 1/2" wide by 23 1/2" long.

Step 8 - Table saw - Crosscutting

  • Using the boards you just cut. Crosscut 4 of these boards to 23 1/4".  First trim one end of the board, then crosscut to 23 1/4" long.  

  • With the two other boards, you will be cutting them into 4 rails 11 1/2" long.  Set the stop block on the crosscut box to 11 1/2".  On each board trim off just a little bit to make the end of the board square.  Then push your board again the stop block and cut once.  Then push up against the stop b block the remainer of the board and cut again.  Repeat with the next board. 

​

Step 9 - 3/4" Radius Corners

Using a compass, draw a 3/4" radius corner on each end of the rail and legs.  

Step 10 - Cut the rounded corners

Trim the rounded corner on the band saw.  You do not need to cut right on the pencil line, we will sand them to correct size.

  

Step 11 - Sand the rounded corners on the Disc Sander

Please use the disc sander closest to the back of the room.  Use the right of the machine to disc sand your shape.

 

Step 12 - Drill 1/2" holes in legs and rails

  • Legs and rails will each have a hole drilled at the centre of the radius you marked in step 9. 

  • The legs will require a second hole drill 12" down from the top of the leg. 

Step 13 - Drill 3/8" holes and 5/32" holes in the rail pieces

Just the example rail pieces to layout your holes.  

  • Drill the 3/8" holes first.  Use the layout board to set the depth of drill hole.

  • Drill the 5/32" hole all the way thought the board.

Step 14 - Cut the middle board for the table top in half on the table saw

You are setting up for a ripping cut (need to use the fence, splitter, and fence)

​

Step 15 - Glue half of this middle board to each full size middle board you have.

When you glue make sure your end grains go Happy, Sad to stop the board from warping.

​
Step 16 - Planer.

After one day of drying, plane your table top boards.  THEY NEED TO BE AS THICK AS POSSIBLE. 

  1. When you set up the thickness of the board on the planer, only turn the wheel half a turn.  

  2. Then run the first side of both boards through.

  3. Then turn 1/2, flip your boards over and run through the other side.

 
Step 17 - Sand all your project  (legs, rails and table top)

With the electric sander, sand 80 grit (blue), 120 Grit (red), 180 grit (green), 220 grit (black).

​​

Step 18 - Glue dowels

You will need to glue dowels into 2 legs and 4 rails.

  • Put your legs and rails together without gluing.  Use the teacher's example table to guide you as to where to put the dowels

  • Make sure your dowels are sticking out a little bit.  This is so we can saw off the dowel after and make it nice and flush.

Step Step 19 - Trim off the excess dowel

Put your legs and rails together.  Trim off the excess dowel left over after pieces are put together using the flush trimming hand saw.  There are two flush trimming hand saws in the middle cupboard hanging on a nail (black and with a blue button).

​

Step 19 - Using the Flush trim Hand saw videos

50 second video will how to use the saw.

More in depth how to use the flush trim saw.

Step 20 - !!!!!!!!!!!!!HAVE YOUR SANDING CHECK BY THE TEACHER!!!!!!!!!!

​

Step 21 - Varnish all your pieces using Minwax Wipe-on-Poly

You need:            

  • gloves

  • rag (goes in red flammable garbage once done the coat)

  • safety glasses

​

bottom of page