Advice For Cutting Wood

[The Suzuki Method]

I'm trying to create a centre section for a 3 piece body, I've cut it from the sycamore log that I have,but fot the life of me I cannot get the edges right,I can't get 90 degree angles,I've planed it,I've used a surform,I've tried putting sandpaper on a flat surface and trying to square it off with that which created good flat edges but at slight angles which would obviously throw off the other sections when tryin to glue! Can anyone help because this is driving me crazy!

[Woodenspoke]

Try using a square to make sure its 90 deg. If you cant square off a board maybe wood working is not for you, or your tools are as bad as your skills are. Sorry if this is offensive but its the abilty to work with the materials that allows you to build a guitar. there is no trick to it.

[The Suzuki Method]

Haha no thats fine,just struggling with the tools I have at my disposal. I intended to buy better tools, just trying to work with what I have at the moment, just wondered if there was a way to make it easier,some kind of jig or template, I don't doubt that with decent tools I could do it.

[Tim37]

try the sand paper a agian with a fence set 90 degrees to it that way you can hold your board to the fence.

Just a thought.

[Hedley]

So, you are trying to joint the edges for gluing?

Do you own a table saw?

Edited April 4, 2010 by Hedley

[Southpa]

Trying to achieve a square corner, flat surface etc, ie. general "uniformity and symmetry" with hand tools requires much discipline and attention. There are rules you must follow.

Utilize any existing machined edges and surfaces as reference points for cutting / shaping adjacent edges and surfaces. If you don't have anything to use as a reference then you have to make one. Concentrate on getting just that one surface flat and oriented with the grain the way you want. Then shape adjacent surfaces. This requires that you have the proper tools to closely monitor what you are doing. That is, some good straight edges for flat surfaces and carpenter's square for corners.

Here is a setup I use occasionally to get a square edge.

Just a flat sanding table w/ 36 grit sheets glued down and a hunk of angle iron. Its not as easy as it looks. You have to be aware of what you are doing throughout the operation as just a few swipes at the wrong angle could ruin a perfectly square edge.

Check your work often, mark areas that you are sanding with pencil.

[The Suzuki Method]

So, you are trying to joint the edges for gluing?

Do you own a table saw?

Sadly I do not own a table saw, I wish I did!

I've tried using the set up shown above in south pa's post and Ive pretty much got it a few small bits to tidy up,the problem was thay this piece was essentially a log so it was a question of trying to get a board from it.