80 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking October 2019 http://www.getwoodworking.comSurface checks on a woodturning blankTurned box made by Ron Brown, with chatter tool
detailing on the lidRobert Sorby #RS215KT Chatter ToolWOODWORKER’S
ENCYCLOPAEDIAPART 8
Chattering, chivs, chonkers and clapboarding
are a few of the interesting things Peter Bishop
covers and describes in this latest instalmentChattering
The result of ‘chattering’ can sometimes be seen
on the machine planed surfaces of wood. It’s a
defect, really, and most often caused by mis-fitting
planer blades, which cause the wood to bounce up
and down. The result is an uneven, rippled surface,
which is difficult to finish off. It might also be
caused by blunt cutters being used on hardwoods
so that rather than make a clean cut, the wood,
once again, bounces. On a fixed planing machine,
chattering can occur when the pressure guides are
incorrectly set, thus allowing the wood to move as
it passes through. If you want a good finish, then
chattering should be avoided; however, on lathe
work, you can use a chatter tool to create
an attractive, alternative surface finish.
Check &/or checking
A surface check or, if more than one, checks, are
small, shortish splits or longitudinal cracks that
don’t go right through the piece of wood they are
found on. There are several reasons why they
occur, but the most frequent is too rapid drying.
This can be caused by a surface being exposed
to extreme heat while the rest is not. The affected
surface will shrink against a more solid core, thus
creating tensions that then result in the checks.Chfd
A short abbreviation for ‘chamfered’.Chipboard
This is one of the original particle boards that
make use of waste wood or timber specifically
grown to manufacture it. As the name suggests,
it’s a composite board made up from small chips
of wood that can be either hard or softwood.
The chips are mixed with resin and compressed
under pressure to produce a sheet of material,
of various thicknesses, that is cut to specific
sizes. For general purposes, a standard sheet
of this material is easily worked and suitable for a
variety of jobs. These can include flooring, carcass
work and base panelling. If there is a possibility
of water ingress, then moisture-resistant boards