Woodwork: Tools, Joints, Marking Out and Finish
What this domain covers
The Woodwork paper tests tool identification and safe use, reading working drawings, producing a cutting list, marking out and cutting joints to tolerance, and choosing and applying a finish. Expect short definitions mixed with practical reasoning about sequence, grain direction and accuracy, plus questions on workshop safety.
Core rules and concepts
- Timber is softwood (conifers, e.g. pine) or hardwood (broadleaved trees, e.g. meranti); the label describes the tree, not the hardness.
- Seasoning lowers moisture content so timber stays stable; air drying is slower but gentler than kiln drying.
- Name defects precisely: knots, shakes, splits, and warp (bow, cup, twist).
- Mark the face side and face edge, then take every measurement from those two faces.
- Match joint to function: mortise and tenon for frames, dovetail for drawers, halving for crossing members, dowel for edge joints, housing for shelves.
- Saw on the waste side so the line stays visible; clean up with a chisel or plane.
- Work in order: true the timber, mark out, cut joints, dry-fit, glue and clamp, clean up, then finish.
Worked example
A 44 mm square leg takes a through mortise and tenon from a 44 mm rail. The tenon should be about one-third of the rail thickness: 44 ÷ 3 ≈ 15 mm. Set the mortise gauge to 15 mm with the stock registered on the face side, so the mortise is central and leaves roughly 14 mm cheeks. Make the tenon 2 mm longer than the leg is wide so it can be planed flush after gluing. Cut the mortise first and fit the tenon to the mortise, not to the drawing.
Traps that cost marks
Planing against the grain tears the surface; check grain direction before every stroke. Mixing up face side and face edge shifts every later measurement. An over-tight joint squeezes out glue and starves the bond. Skipping the diagonal check leaves a frame out of square even when each joint looks right.