Techniques of a Set Builder
There are many techniques used when building a set. There are different ways of cutting, joining and sculpting materials to the needs of the plans.
Cutting:
There are many different types of saws that can be used for cutting wood.
There is a handsaw that doesn’t require any power, but does take time to cut.
Another saw that can be used is a table saw. This can be used to cut big sheets of wood, as it is easy to push the sheets on the table while the saw cuts it.
Another saw that is used to cut big pieces of wood is the circular saw. This can be used to cut long thing beams of wood as you bring the blade down to the wood, instead of pushing the wood over the blade.
The last major saw that is used is a jigsaw or bandsaw. These are both very similar machines, which can cut out more intricate lines, instead of just straight lines.
There are also many other methods for cutting, which differ depending on the materials. For instance, to cut polystyrene, you have to use a hot element, like a heated wire, or a serrated knife.
For metal, a grinding wheel must be used as it uses the friction to create heat to melt through the metal. If something sharp were used, it would become blunt straight away.
When using the electrical saws, care must be taken to ensure hands are nowhere near the blade, and glass/goggles must be warn to prevent small splinters of metal or wood, to go into your eyes. Ear defenders must also be worn when the saw creates an excess amount of noise to prevent damage to the ears.
Joining:
Same as with cutting, there are many different ways of joining materials to each other. The most common way of joining materials is either screws or bolts. These are good because it makes the join temporary so that you can disassemble the set and use pieces of it again.
Another way of joining materials is by using glue. Many different types of glue can be used, depending on the materials. This can often not be as strong as other means, but is a cheap alternative.
Another method for joining can be welding. This only works for metal but is the best method for attaching two pieces of metal permanently.
When welding, extreme care must be made, wearing a proper visor made to prevent the intense light from damaging your retinas in your eyes. People around must also be warned so they do not accidentally look into it without the visor on.
Sculpting:
To add detail, you can sculpt away some of the material. This can only be done to a few of the materials. For instance, polystyrene can be sculpted using different shaped pieces of hot metal. This can help you to create curves or cuts, to create the detailing you want. Wood, however, can be sculpted by many different methods. A planer can be used to reduce the widths of wood, or to take off some layers. This can also be done with sandpaper. Depending on the situation, one may be better than the other, for instance, a planer wouldn’t work on a curved surface as well as sandpaper would. A dremel can also be used to carve small sections out of the wood to create very detailed decorations. It is a rotating tiny sandpaper, that can be held like a pencil to remove small bits at a time.