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Make a Wooden Straightedge |
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How to Make a Wooden Straightedge
The ideal wood to use for a straightedge is quartersawn,
clear, straight-grained, fully acclimated to your shop
and moves little as the humidity changes with the seasons.
Many tropical woods, when fully dried, are optimal for
straightedges.
Begin by sawing, jointing and surfacing your lumber to
size. A handy size to have for workshop chores is 3/8”
x 2-1/4” x 30”. The thickness allows you to balance the
tool easily on edge. The width allows you to grab it firmly
in one hand. Finally, the length can be adjusted to suit
your work.
To true the two faces of the straightedge, use a jointer
plane or other long handplane to flatten each face. The
time-honored way to ensure a flat face is to first remove
a few shavings from the middle of the face followed by
a few shavings along the entire face.
Now, true one long edge as best you can, either on your
power jointer or with a long handplane. Mark this edge
with a pencil to ensure you remember which edge is truly
straight.
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Fig. 2 - Flatten each face from the middle. Begin
by planing about 6" from the end and stop planing about
6" from the other end. Follow this with a pass or two
along the entire length of the board. Flip the board over
and repeat. |
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Fig. 3 - True one long edge of your stock – you can
refine the edge later if need be. Note how I use the fingers
of my left hand as a fence against the work. This encourages
a square edge. |
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Other Articles from this Issue |
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