Beech

Shop-Tested Techniques

• For stability in use, always work wood with a maximum moisture content of 8 percent, with 6 percent preferrable.
• Feed straight-grained wood into planer knives at a 90.
• For clean cuts, rip with a rip-profile blade that has 24-32 teeth. For crosscutting, use a blade with about 40 teeth.
• Avoid drilling with twist drills. In wood, they tend to wander off the mark as well as cause breakout. Use a backing board under the workpiece.
• Drill pilot holes for screws.
• Rout with sharp, preferably carbide-tipped, bits and take shallow passes to avoid burning.
• Carving hardwoods generally means shallow gouge bevels.