Wallclock 2024: Episode 2
Posted 18 July 2024
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This project relies on the appearance of simplicity for its final looks. As we work through the various elements, we start to see how the joinery complies with other considerations, like the grooves we create that will take the stub tenons and the side beads that correspond with the front edges and rails, slimming down the face view. These are additionally a few new tricks to learn as you work through this project. We take you step by step through each stage to guarantee success.
I find it a little disconcerting that your Imperial to Metric conversions posted on the screen can only be classified as “close enough”. If a 1/16″ is 1.5mm, then how does half of that equal 1mm as you claim 1/32″ does. 1/32″ is half of 1/16″, it can not possibly be, nor is it, 1mm. 3/8″ is 9.25mm, not 10mm. If accuracy is important, then be accurate, if not, then a “good enough” disclaimer should be noted. I use both systems, they do not have equivalencies that interchange. The process of forming the bead was clever, nicely done.
Generally, in woodworking, precision is irrelevant, as moisture content can change a lot of things… by saying close enough, or pretty good, the craftsman knows what to anticipate…
The beading technique is really great! Paul has showed how it’s done. You take a block of wood, drive a screw in, file the screw until the screw head starts getting a very sharp corner, then retract the screw a little to get the half round of the shank… works out all the time for me! Thanks to Paul! 🙂 and now George too!
You are of course totally correct but those conversions are actually pretty standardised(ish). In the UK, calling 1/4″ 6mm or 3/8″ 10mm as a rough close enough has been common for a long time in my experience (I say ish because in engineering 1/2 got rounded to 13mm usually but in wood work it often seems 12mm).
Two decimal places of accuracy isn’t really going to work here either, few will have the precision to measure to it and wood moves.
It is ultimately up to the person working in their piece how they handle this. With an old plough plane which has fixed width cutters, the worker will have to make the adjustments as they are.
It’s woodwork, not metalwork.
Paul works in imperial units but gives approximations so us metric bods can have a notion as to what these thirty-seconds etc are in real life.
The proper way to show an approximation is to use the “~” instead of the equal sign. As in 1/4″ ~ 6mm.
On the other hand, 1″ is exactly equal to 25.4mm in the US, by definition. That is because our Congress changed the original inch slightly some time in the long past. About the only thing they did to adopt the metric system. Sometime in the mid 1800’s.
Hello Paul, not seen that wooden addition to the plough plane fence before?
Hello Paul, I’m 64yrs old and been trying to build furniture & woodworking for the past 40yrs. I always learn something from you That screw in the block of wood to create a Beautiful bead detail, I love that Thank you from the U.S.A.
Thank you again for sharing your excellent woodworking techniques. God Bless You!