In a effort to get a better looking period wood working kit I had a few basic tools I wanted to add to my box. For these tools I was more interested in a period looking piece. I was not as interested in using only period methods. At this point I had committed to period wood working demo and simply wanted some good "set pieces" so construction techniques were completely modern.
The three tools I made took only a couple hours but as you see below power tools let you work faster, but also let you damage yourself faster!
I created a "Try Square" and two other squares. I made one 45/45/90 and one 30/60/90. Most of the joints were simple lap joints. I eyeballed the width of the material and set the saw height to about the half way point. I then nibbled away material to create the half lap joint. Once one side was complete I then flipped it and set the height of the blade to be the thickness of the remaining material and nibbled away at the other side.
You can clearly see the saw marks on the piece where I nibbled away material. I didn't even bother cleaning it up with a rabbit plane. I just coated both pieces with glue and clamped it up. Once dry I drilled and pegged each joint.
You can see here the joints are cut over length. Once glued, clamped and dried, I cut the pieces to length. Quick and easy was the agenda for the afternoon.
Checking the angle of the square with my modern equivalent.
Again I created the joints and cut the pieces long. Glue, clamp and then cut true.
Cleaned up corner with half lap joint.
In one case I did a bridal joint as you see below.
Clamped with overhang. I used a table saw to cut all the angles true once dry.
The finished 45/45/90 square made of maple and oak.
The finished try square made of maple and oak.
To true this one up on both the inside and outside I used my modern plane to ensure that the inside line was true and square. I then planed the outside bottom slightly to true up the outside square as well.
The finished 30/60/90 square made of maple and oak.
Note the small blood stain on the finished piece. Nope, not gonna clean that off. Just adds character.
