http://www.woodreview.com.au 41PROJECTChecking the sticks
After I glued the inlay strips in place (photo 4), I planed
them flush on all sides (photo 5). The accuracy of any
winding sticks depends on how parallel they are. I checked
that before I bevelled the sticks with these steps:
- First, hold the two top edges together and look for
any gap. - Next, place both sticks on a flat surface and run a finger
or two along the two top edges to feel for any difference.
Our sense of touch is more acute than many realise:
fingertips can feel ridges as small as 13 nanometers.
(A sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick!)
However, for machinists-turned woodworkers or folks who
demand visual precision, a caliper may be more reassuring
(photo 6).
Shaping and finishing the sticks
To bevel the faces, I turned to my skew rebate plane. The
shorter pair has a less acute bevel than the long one, as
I used two different angle fences to create their profiles
(photos 7, 8).
After bevelling the faces (use shims to stop them rocking),
I angle-cut the ends and drilled the centre holes for the
aluminium rods (photos 9, 10). Finally, I broke all the
sharp edges except the crisp top edges, and applied a few
coats of oil finish to bring out the contrast.
- Gluing the inlay strips in place.
- A high angle plane or cabinet scraper will deal
with wild grain. - The sticks were carefully planed to be identical
in width. - Turn a skew rabbet plane into a shaping plane
with the use of an angle fence. - A rubber finger cushioned my thumb from the
hard surface as I gripped the fence. - Press down on the front of the file as you push
forward, but lift it up when you pull back. - I used a card scraper to remove any filing
marks left on the surface.
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