finishing and joining techniques

Question 1

joining techniques

Answer 1

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Question 2

screws

Answer 2

pilot hole - into the piece of wood the thread goes into which is smaller than the screw
clearance hole - into the piece of wood you want to attach which is larger than the thread so it goes straight through but is smaller than the head
countersink - hole at an angle so the head sits flush to the surface

Question 3

nails

Answer 3

hammered into the wood grain which pinches onto them holding the tight, nails are quick to use and can be hammered below the surface so aren’t visible
round wire nails - have flat heads so don’t pull through thin materials
oval nails - spread the grain less so are less likely to split the wood
panel pins - small nails that hold small pieces of timber

Question 4

adhesives

Answer 4

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Question 5

PVA

Answer 5

thick white liquid that dries clear, makes a strong joint when clamped tightly together however it is almost impossible to disassemble a glued joint

Question 6

contact adhesive

Answer 6

is good for sticking flat pieces of different materials together by putting a thin layer on each surface, allowing to dry and then press the parts together
pros - very fast adhesion
cons - almost no time to reposition

Question 7

wood joints

Answer 7

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Question 8

butt

Answer 8

one end of wood is glued directly onto another
pros - easy to make because it is just square ends glued together
cons - weak, there is no mechanical strength just glue, not aesthetically pleasing

Question 9

dowel

Answer 9

holes drilled into both sides and a dowel put in between
pros - machines can accurately and quickly drill holes, stronger than butt because more SA
cons - hard to line up the dowel by hand

Question 10

lap

Answer 10

a cut is taken out of one and the end of another is glued into it
pros - quite easy to cut, slightly stronger than butt because more SA
cons - not very strong

Question 11

housing

Answer 11

notch is cut into a piece of wood and a piece of wood is slotted into it
pros - holds a shelf or divider securely, pairs well with lap joints
pros - only works in the middle of the wood, quite tricky to cut, very accurate marking needed

Question 12

mitre joint

Answer 12

similar to a butt joint but the timber is cut at 45 degrees instead
pros - looks good - no end grain shows, good for frames
cons - weak

Question 13

mortise and tenon

Answer 13

a square hole is drilled into one piece and a tenon is cut out of the other then they are slotted together
pros - strong joint, good for furniture
cons - time consuming and difficult to cut

Question 14

dove tail

Answer 14

angles pieces are cut out of one and angles slots are cut out the other and are then slotted in
pros - very strong - dovetails lock together securely, good for draw fronts which get pulled hard
cons - very difficult to cut precisely

Question 15

hinges

Answer 15

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Question 16

butt hinge

Answer 16

used to fit doors where a slot is cut in the door and frame to house the ends
pros - hidden from sight when the door is closed
cons - hard to fit because the slots need to accurately be drilled

Question 17

flush hinge

Answer 17

used for small cupboard doors
pros - easy to fit as no slots needed
cons - leaves a gap between the door and the frame

Question 18

butterfly hinge

Answer 18

an often decorative hinge that screws onto the surface
pros - easy to fit
cons - the whole hinge is visible

Question 19

t-hinge

Answer 19

used for gate sheds and doors which spread the weight over a larger area
pros - long bar is good for supporting the weight of a large door/gate
cons - on the surface so is completely visible

Question 20

finishing techniques

Answer 20

wood is porous so it will absorb water and grease so will become damaged and look dirty a finish fills the pores and makes it water resistant and easy to clean/wipe

Question 21

painting

Answer 21

a pigment suspended in liquid that dries out
pros - available in a range of colours
cons - chips and scratches so need reapplying, covers up the natural grain of the wood

Question 22

staining

Answer 22

a coloured liquid that soaks into the woods surface
pros - makes paler cheaper wood look darker and more expensive
cons - doesn’t look like completely like expensive wood because the grain still shows

Question 23

varnishing

Answer 23

a clear coating that dries on the surface to a shine
pros - gives a hardwearing finish that still shows the grain of the wood, can be high gloss or matt
cons - can scratch/chip so needs to be reapplied

Question 24

wax

Answer 24

a soft liquid that is rubbed into the surface wit a cloth
pros - easy to apply, gives a plain natural look
cons - rubs away and needs reapplying, not a glossy finish

Question 25

oil

Answer 25

is rubbed onto the surface and soaks in pros - good for waterproofing timber, vegetable oil is non toxic so can be used for kitchenware cons - surface feels oily

Question 26

shellac (French polish)

Answer 26

a cloudy liquid made from resin secreted by a beetle, lots of layers are rubbed on and polished to create a thick finish pros - glossy and looks expensive cons - easily damaged by water and heat

Question 27

veneering

Answer 27

a thin layer of wood is glued onto the surface pros - an expensive decorative wood can be applied to a cheaper wood to make it look more expensive cons - the veneer is still natural wood so needs another finish applying