Woodworking Projects

Squaring an edge with a jointer plane

Video

Continuing with the jointer plane, Michael squares the first two edges to the face of the board.

Author Headshot By Michael Cullen Nov 30, 2022

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Videos in the Series

  • Flattening a board with hand tools

    November 30, 2022

    All it takes to make a perfectly flat board is a jointer plane and some patience.

  • Squaring an edge with a jointer plane

    November 30, 2022

    Continuing with the jointer plane, Michael squares the first two edges to the face of the board.

  • Sawing and truing up the final edge of the board

    November 30, 2022

    In order to create a perfect octagon, the last edge of the board is sawn and planed to be perfectly square to the face, and the other edges—a difficult task.

  • Bringing the board to final thickness

    November 30, 2022

    Michael's jointer plane is the tool of choice for finishing off the milling of this perfect board.

  • Laying out an octagon

    November 30, 2022

    Michael demonstrates how to lay out a perfect octagon using only a compass and straightedge.

  • Planing an octagon

    November 30, 2022

    Michael planes the facets of the octagon using—you guessed it—the jointer plane.

  • Adding beveled facets to finish off the octagon exercise

    November 30, 2022

    Bringing it all together are the beveled facets, which will only meet up as they should if everything up to now has been done perfectly.

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About This Video Workshop

Michael Cullen demonstrates one of his favorite hand-tool exercises— making a perfect octagon—which tests a woodworker’s skill from material selection and careful layout to tool preparation, blade sharpening, and sawing and handplaning skills. Making the octagon was the final exercise of the first segment of the year at Leeds Design Workshops in Massachusetts, where Michael Cullen trained to be a furniture maker. Up to that point, the class had focused solely on tool preparation, sharpening,… More about this Video Workshop

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