The Industrial Arts is a course that develops one’s manual skill and familiarity with tools and

machines. Students get to learn technical work such as repair and installation, welding, carpentry and
wood working, construction/masonry, and plumbing.

Industrial Arts has an important role to play as part of general education in our modern society.
Each day our world becomes more mechanized and technical with the invention and production of more
labor-saving devices. Many tradesmen and technicians are needed to install, operate, and service these
modern pieces of equipment. Industrial Arts offers the student an opportunity to acquire some insight
into various technical and trade areas.

Lab or shop classes are not designed to turn out tradesmen or technicians but are for the
purpose of acquainting the student with various occupations requiring some type of mental manual skill.
Industrial Art class experiences will have carry-over value in later life, in job situations, in consumer
knowledge, or possibly in home maintenance. Vocational Building Trades provides students an
opportunity to explore twenty areas of pre-apprenticeship training for those that are considering
construction as a career. Craftsmanship is not dead; it just has to be taught and honored

CARPENTRY AND WOOD WORKING

Carpentry is the term commonly referring to technology and science of cutting, fitting, and
assembling related materials in the construction of boats, bridges and piers, or any other structure made
from construction materials.

TYPES OF WOODS

Lumber - woods that came from trees, either softwood or hardwood.

Yard Lumber – prepared lumber for variety of uses. Select and common
Softwood – it comes from the evergreen or needle bearing trees. These are called conifers because many of them
bear cones.
Hardwood – it comes from broad leafed (deciduous) trees that shed their leaves at the end of the season.
Select grade – is lumber of good appearance that can take different finishes such as stain, paint, and enamel.
Common grade – it is suitable for rough carpentry. It is not of finishing quality. (eg. Coco Lumber)

PARTS OF WOOD

Sapwood – the part of the wood that is close to the bark

Heartwood – inner part of the wood which is made up of accumulated dead cells.
Cambium layer – a thin layer that divides the inner part of the wood and the bark.
[a] Sapwood
[b] Heartwood
[c] Cambium layer

LAYERS OF WOOD

LUMBER DEFECTS

Split or Check is a lengthwise separation of the wood

along the grain like small crack or split
Knot is a branch or limb of a tree that has been
exposed when the log is cut.

Pitch Pocket – internal cavity that contains resinous

materials. (Usually attracts ants)

Stain – discoloration of the wood surface

Shake – separation between the annual growth rings.

 QUALITY OF WOODS

S2S – planed or smooth on two sides

S4S – planed or smooth on four sides

UNIT MEASUREMENT OF WOOD

The unit of measure for lumber is “board foot”.

(T” x W” x L’ )/ 12
How many board feet are there in 7 pieces of 2” x 4” x 12’ lumber?
56 bd. ft.

WOOD PREPARATION

Seasoning – the process of drying the wood in preparation for use.

Air Seasoning (Sun Dried) – filling the wood in open air
Kiln Seasoning (Kiln Dried) – the used of oven to dry wood
Treated – Use of Chemical compound before seasoning
The approximate moisture content of drying hardwood for home furniture is
20 % for softwood, 6-12 % for hardwood
 CARPENTRY TOOLS (FINISHING)

Scraper is tool made of steel. It is used to produce a

very smooth surface.

Wood Fillers - this are used to eliminate deep cuts and holes
in your finished project, so that surface can be made even and
smooth.

Stain - is a wood finishing material; derived from

different color of woods such as walnut,
mahogany and natural color.
 Shellac - a finishing material came from gums substance
of insects.

Varnish - a finishing material when applied produces high

glossy finish to a project. It came in different forms, from gum,
linseed oil, resin, turpentine and or chemical drier.

CARPENTRY TOOLS

Introduction

Carpentry hand tools have been used for hundreds of years and, in many cases, their basic
design has changed very little. They can be divided into three categories:

• hand (manual)
• power (electrical and battery)
• pneumatic (compressed air).

These days, carpenters tend to use power and pneumatic tools, because they’re faster and
require less physical effort. However, having a selection of hand tools available and knowing how to use
them is important as there may be occasions when a power source (electricity or compressed air) is not
available, or a job has a particular detail that requires the use of a hand tool.

Types of hand tools

Hand tools can be divided into categories, each with a specific function or purpose. In this section, you’ll
look at tools in the following categories:

• measuring and marking out

• saws
• impelling
• planes
• chisels
• shaping
• boring
• holding and supporting
• setting out
• levelling.

Measuring tools

The first step in almost every carpentry project is being able to correctly transfer measurements from
working drawings or plans onto the materials being used. There are many measuring devices available and the
appropriate tool will depend on the type of work being carried out. Measuring and marking out are generally
carried out at the same time; however, we’ll look at them separately for now as the tools used for each are quite
specific.

• Retractable tape measure

Retractable tape measures have a built-in coil spring which automatically

retracts the blade into the casing when it’s released. They’re used mostly by site
carpenters but can also be useful on larger joinery projects. There are a variety of
sizes available but the most common are 5–7.5 m.

• Steel rule

Steel rules are used mostly in joinery workshops, rather than on building
sites, but are useful for a range of carpentry work. They are generally available in
lengths from 150 mm to 1 m.

• Scale rule
 Scale rules are used by carpenters to convert measurements between working (scaled) drawings and the
actual dimensions of a project, without having to resort to any mathematical calculations

• Folding rule

Folding rules are used mostly in joinery workshops. They can be made from hardwood or plastic
and are generally available in 1 m lengths.
Markings are placed at 1 mm, and numbers are written every 10 mm. These days, folding rules
have been largely replaced by retractable tape measures and steel rules.

Safety – Measuring tools

• The blades on retractable tape measures draw back automatically when released so you must take care to avoid
injury to yourself or damage to the blade.
• Folding rules should not be flipped open as this can cause injury to other people or damage to the rule itself.

Care and maintenance – Measuring tools

• Avoid using tape measures in wet or damp conditions. If this is unavoidable, wipe metal blades with
an oily cloth to stop them from rusting.
• Don’t leave measuring tapes or rulers exposed for long periods to the direct rays of the sun, as they
may buckle or degrade.
• When using tape measures in dusty or sandy conditions, don’t let debris be retracted into the case, as
this can cause damage to the retraction mechanism.
• Don’t be rough with the blade or the tape housing on retractable tape measures, and always retract
the blade gently. Don’t let it ‘fly’ back in.
• Safety – Measuring tools
• The blades on retractable tape measures draw back automatically when released so you must take
care to avoid injury to yourself or damage to the blade.
• Folding rules should not be flipped open as this can cause injury to other people or damage to the
rule itself.
• Avoid using tape measures in wet or damp conditions. If this is unavoidable, wipe metal blades with
an oily cloth to stop them from rusting.
• Don’t leave measuring tapes or rulers exposed for long periods to the direct rays of the sun, as they
may buckle or degrade.
• When using tape measures in dusty or sandy conditions, don’t let debris be retracted into the case, as
this can cause damage to the retraction mechanism.
• Don’t be rough with the blade or the tape housing on retractable tape measures, and always retract
the blade gently. Don’t let it ‘fly’ back in.

Marking out tools

 As you measure materials, you mark the cutting points, lines and angles. Marking out tools include
squares, bevels and gauges which are used to determine the angles and straight edges required, and pencils, spurs
and knives that create the actual marks.

Squares and bevels

Squares and bevels are used by carpenters to mark guide lines on timber at an angle. The square or bevel
a carpenter chooses to use usually depends on the angle required for the cut.

• Try square

Try squares are used to mark out lines at 90° to the face
and/or edge of a piece of timber. They consist of two
parts:

• the ‘stock’ which is held against the side of the timber

to position the square
• the ‘blade’ which provides a straight edge to draw the
lines.

Try squares are precision tools used mostly in joinery workshops where tasks require
greater accuracy or finer detail.

Note: In carpentry, the term ‘square’ is often used to describe a line that is at a 90° angle to another
surface. If a line or angle is described as ‘out of square’, it means that it is not exactly 90°.

Mitre square

Mitre squares are similar to try squares in that they have a stock
and a blade; however, the blade on a mitre square projects from
both sides of the stock to form angles of 45° and 135°, allowing a
carpenter to mark out lines on timber at these angles. Mitre
squares are used mostly in joinery workshops.

Try/mitre square

Mostly used in joinery workshops, this square is a

combination of the try square and the mitre square. While
this tool can be used to mark out an accurate line at 90° to
the face/edge of a piece of timber, the top inside corner of the stock is cut to an angle of 45° for marking
out lines at that angle.

As the stock on the try/mitre square is slightly shorter in length (due to the 45° angle), you must
take care to hold the stock firmly against the timber to avoid unintended movement.

Sliding bevel

Sliding bevels are used to set out lines at any angle

other than 90°. They have a stock with an adjustable blade
which is set to the required angle and then locked with a
thumb lever. Sliding bevels are used in both joinery
workshops and site carpentry

Operating tips – Squares and bevels

• It’s essential that you hold the stock firmly against the face/edge of the timber when you’re marking
lines to avoid moving the blade and creating lines that are ‘out of square’.
• For greater accuracy, draw lines along the outside edge of the blade whenever possible.
• Draw lines slowly, and in a smooth, continuous stroke. Don’t apply too much pressure to the
pencil/pen.

Safety – Squares and bevels

• Squares and sliding bevels are generally considered to be low-risk tools. However, you should take
care with sharp edges, corners and ends – particularly with steel tools.bn

Care and maintenance – Squares and bevels

• Don’t drop squares. They’re precision tools that can be easily damaged.
• Store them out of rain or damp conditions, as steel components can become rusty.
• Maintain the steel blade by rubbing it with an oily rag to prevent rusting.
• Check squares regularly for accuracy.
Gauge

Gauges are used to scribe (scratch) lines along the length and/or width of timber. There are three types of
gauges that you’ll use in carpentry, and each has been designed for a specific purpose.

Marking gauge

Marking gauges are used to scribe a single line along the grain of the
timber parallel to the edge. They consist of a stock, a beam and a spur (a
pointed steel pin that creates the mark on the timber). Marking gauges
are commonly used in both joinery workshops and site carpentry.
Mortise gauge

Mortise gauges are similar to marking gauges but they have two
spurs instead of one. The distance between the double spurs can be
adjusted to produce parallel gauge lines along the grain of the timber.

Mortise gauges are used in joinery workshops to mark out

mortise and tenon joints (a common 90° joint used for corners and
framing), hence the name.

Operation

Operating tips – Gauges

• If you don’t hold the stock firmly against the timber, the spur can follow the grain. This will result in a
wavy line. You can avoid this by pushing sideways with one hand while holding the end of the gauge
between the finger and thumb of your other hand.
• Avoid digging the spur too deeply into the timber. You can produce a much straighter line if you scribe
the timber lightly several times rather than making one deep scribe.
Safety – Gauges
 • Gauges are generally considered to be low-risk tools; however, you should take care with sharp knife
edges or the points of the spurs.
• Care and maintenance – Gauges
• Don’t drop gauges. Spurs can be damaged and they need to be sharp to produce quality work.
• Maintain gauges by rubbing the beam with an oily rag to allow the stock to move freely.

Knives, scribes and pencils

There are a variety of other tools you can use to mark, scribe or cut lines on timber to provide yourself with an
accurate guideline to follow. These are an essential part of any carpenter’s toolkit.

Marking knife

Used mostly in joinery, marking knives are for cutting lines across the grain of
timber. They can be very accurate when sharpened correctly (on one side only) but you
must take care as lines cannot be easily erased if you make a mistake.

Utility knife

Utility knives are multi-purpose and have a retractable blade. In

carpentry, these knives are used mostly for cutting plasterboard.

Scribe

Similar to marking knives, scribes are also used to mark lines across the grain of timber. They
have a sharpened point rather than a blade. They’re good for marking out where pencil lines may be
hard to see
Carpenter’s pencil
 Carpenter’s pencils are large pencils which contain rectangular lead. These
pencils produce a thicker line than ordinary pencils and are ideal for marking out
on sawn (rough) timber.

Primarily used for site carpentry, their large size and shape make them
unsuitable for use on joinery work where finer detail is required.

Drawing/standard pencil

Drawing pencils are used primarily to mark out fine work in joinery and
cabinet construction. They can also be used by site carpenters for second
fix carpentry, eg doors, skirting boards, architraves. The grade of the
pencil is important – 2H grade pencils keep their sharpness for longer
than softer grades, eg 2B. However, they create very fine lines that may
be difficult to see on dark timber

Operating tips – Knives, scribes and pencils

• For greater accuracy, make sure that pencils remain sharp throughout the marking out process.
• Look for utility knives that allow you to break segments off the blade when they become dull or
chipped.
• Safety – Knives, scribes and pencils
• All tools with sharp or pointed ends can cause injury so you should always take care when handling
knives, scribes and pencils.
• Utility knife blades are extremely sharp and you should always retract the blade back into the knife
when you’re not using it.

Care and maintenance – Knives, scribes and pencils

• You can sharpen the blade of a marking knife with an oilstone. Utility knives have disposable blades
and these should be replaced regularly.
• A utility knife or chisel can be used to sharpen a carpenter’s pencil. You should always direct
the cutting movement away from your body to avoid injury.