Boxelder

Shop-Tested Techniques

Any exceptions, and special tips pertaining to this issue's featured wood species, appear elsewhere on this page

• For stability in projects to be used indoors, always work wood with a maximum moisture content of 8 percent. For outdoor use, wood of 12 percent moisture content is okay.
• Feed straight-grained wood into planer knives at a 90° angle. To avoid tearing, feed figured wood or that with twisted grain at a slight angle of 15°, and take shallow cuts of about 1/32".
• 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. They tend to wander in the wood and cause breakout. Use a backing board under the workpiece to reduce breakout.
• 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?15° to 20°?and shallower cuts.