Day 1: The Three Machines (Harper)

The First Day

Today I learned about the process of how a tree can turn into a two by four. The way the wood board is cut determines the long-term strength of the wood and how it will warp in the future. After the lesson on wood processing, we were able to cut a piece of wood using three different machines. The machines used were a table saw, a plainer, and a jointer. The first machine we used was the jointer, as seen in the photo above. The jointer was very loud and scary to use; I was not a big fan. The machine can de-finger you very quickly. I also used the plainer machine that you can use to make wood thinner. And the last machine used was the table saw to cut the final product to size. When I started brainstorming, Mr. Grisbee and I talked about what defined a wood "plank" and how the "correct" way to say it was a wood board. I also started brainstorming what I wanted to work on. I decided to make a simple bedside table with black wood stain, and I cannot wait to finish it. It was an interesting first day, and I cannot wait to design my fantastic table.