Fine Woodworking 226

TAUNTON ' S

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Fine WoodWorking" .-.-.-.-.

MAY/ JUNE 20 12 - ISS UE 226

features Build a Hayrake Table Timbcr-fr.lffiC joinery is

:l

real pleasure

BY MICHAEL PEKOVICH

14

TR IM EDGING PERFECTLY

Bench Grinders for Woodworkers Slow-spt.:ed grinders give a fresh c....dgc quickly, without hurning

up front 6 On the Web

BY CHRIS GOCHNOUR

46

8 Cont ri butors

Speed Up Your Work with Spacer Blocks Little blocks simplify all kinds of joinery

10 Letters

BY ALAN TURNER

14 Methods of Work Trim edging dead·f1ush every time Where tenons meet, box-joint fingers

52

Full-cxtension slides that arc as pn...1.ly as the rest of rour pit."CC

add strength

BY ROB HARE

18 Toots & Materials New dovetail jig is fast and affordable A new kind of paint

All-Wood Drawer Slides

58

Better than Paint PigmcnK-d bequef

i.~

22 Fundamentals

:.mOOlhcr, brighter, and mort: dur.. hlc for fine l"abincll')'

TIps for square glulHJps

BY SEAN CLARKE

28 Handwork Turn your shoulder plane into a star performer

64

Dado Jig is a Cut Above Clcvcr guide guar-omtt:cs a rcrft."Ct fit for shelvcs of any th ickness BY KENT SHEPHERO

70

Build Your Own Front Door Easie r than you think to m:lke and a custom door stand~ out

in~talJ,

BY JOSH FtNN

76

Pens Make Great Gifts With a few spt.°t,:ialty tooL~, you can tum

19 GREAT BENCHTOP ROUT£R TABLE

your nicest SCf'".lpS into kt."t..-p8:lkcs BY BARRY GROSS

1

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my lACQUER

FOR ANE CABINETRY

58

in the back 82 Readers Gallery 86 Q&A • How handle cross-gra ln veneer • Why a mallet beats a hammer

90 Master Class Applied carving

97 How They Did It The back cover explained

Back Cover Refined Over TIme

.

52

MAKE WOODEN DRAWER SLIDES

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THIS MONTH ON

FlneWoodworklng.com/ extras

Fine

Visit our website 10 a""""" f ..... web 1;""';n5, available AprilS. While you're there. dDf'l't miss our collection of free conlent. including tool reviews, an extensive project gallery. and must-noad blogs.

WqqQWorking Editor

Art Director Managing Editor Senior Edit"'s

~ssoclate

Edit"'s

ASlI CM"til,,,,, Mithae! Peko.ich MarkSchol1eld ThOn\M McK.m"" Matthew Kenney Jooa thlln Blnzen SteYo. Scott

KenSt 0...., Se!1lor Copy/ PtoductIon Editor

Ellztlbeth Healy

MSOC!ate Art Direct"'5

Kelly J. D.nton .John Tet,,,,,.lt

4dmIn15tr:ative Assistant

. . VIDEO: Not Your Dad's Dado Jig Supe,,,,'mple adjustments, zero-dearance ,ails, and the Bbility to work wlthj"'" about 811)' bit size make this dado Jig (pp. 64-69) one for the long haul.

Shop Manager ContrIbIJIlng Ed it"'5

Beer,s>""'t

SteYo. Latta Mlthael Fortu,"",

Metr.ods 01 Work

perfect bevels on your chisels and plane Irons. Leam how to use a conventional bench grinde, (pp. 42-.45) to get the Job

Jlrn Richey

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done. wltllout gouging your wallet.

Free e tter

Chr"~an

Rola'" Johnson

You don't need a hlghi>rfced. slow...peed, wet grinder for

1'<>, over 30 years, John " ..... 11 FDJI ""5 been building furnHure thai blends Easle,n and Western Influl!nC115 In a style thai Is distinctly his own. Go beyond the back cove, of Fine Woodworldnt magazine In this audio slide show.

WW i8 m Peck

Garrett Hack

. . VIDEO: Bench-Grinder Basics

Masters of the Craft

Betsy Engel

SenIor Web f'rodorer

Web f'roducer

Ed Pimlk ...... Mo,gan

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Build a coffee labia uslng lechnlquas Irom legendary fumllure maker Gustav Sllckley. In <>." lalest Video W<>rksh<>p, Greg<>ry Paolini dem<>nslralas a varfety of constructl~n techniques, Including:

C.Mda Re{urn undel_1e canadian addresse5 to Fine _ I n g . C/o _ MailerS, Inc .• 2835 r<.ew 0rM!, WIndsor, ON NaT 387, or email to rm/aotauntM.mm

lamlnaled legs wllh figure <>n all four slc!es, straightforward roul",""ul Joinery. .nd IIaditional breadboard ends accented with ebon")'.

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contributors ,.

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WqqQWorking M.Ievertlstng Direct<><

Stephen Giannetti

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Opemtlons 1.1""",..

Kent Shepherd ('Dado Jig Is a Cut Above") grew up working In his father's shutter company. After the company expancled Into raisedpanel cabinet doors, the two operations were eventually divided, and Kent took over the door shop, which he stili owns. He later opened a woodworking tool and supply store In lubbock, Texas. Shepherd also has Dulll custom furniture, and even a few new homes, doing the trim and cabinets himself. His passion now Is custom boxes, Including jewelry and keepsake boxes, and humidors. If you weren't a woodworker ... "' might make a IMng!"

Alan Tumer ("Speed Up Your Work wtth Spacer Blocks') learned woodworking from his father (he was the 'take-off" man on the tablesaw at age 6). Now mostly retired as a lawyer, he teaches at the Philadelphia Furniture Workshop (phlladelphlafurnltureworkshop.com), which he founded In 2006 to provide woodworking Instruction to all skltllevels. He finds time to wrtte a bit and take on the occasional furniture commission. Something you love about your shop? "There's plenty of room , but all my hand tools are within easy reach.'

Assistant Mwrtlslng Marketing M""",er MYertlslng Ma rketing Associate Memt>er .o.udll Bureau of Circu lation

Soolor Consumer Ma rkell", Dlrec:tor Olglta l Ma rlcetlng

Soolor Consumer Marketing Manager

Direc:tor, eCommerc:e

go to FlneWoodworklng.comjauthors.

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FI N E woonWOkK1 N G

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We are e reader-wrltten megazine. To I h rtI eern ow to propose en a cle, go to FlneWoodworklng.comjsubmlsslom...

SlIm Ezrin L.a ,......

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For more Informatlon on our contributors,

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Sw, CreatIVe

An Interest In woodworking took a lucky tum when Will Neptune (Master Class) slgned up for summer classes at Boston University's Program In Artlsanry In the late 1970s and a shop assistant told him about North Bennet Street School. Attending the two-year program at that fabled furnlture-maklng school was his start In fulltime woodworking. It's the problelTMOlvlng that keeps custom work Interesting, he says. 'You never know what the next Job will bring.' Strangest thing you've made recently'? ' A decoding device prop for the film, The Albino Code, which Is a parody of The DaVlncl Code.'

Kondace O
.lily Annis Nano::y Hall","",:

W8yn" ReynoldS KIIt hy Wo,t/o Corol Mo ,OIII P8'~ da

WIlliamson

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MAY/]lJ:-
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letters

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From the Editor HAND VS. POWER? NO CONTEST Some see hand tools and power tools as two schools, or two religions, or as a pure thing and a polluted thing, and so on. I'm In the school that sees them all as tools. Not so many tiny Idols, each with Its own shrine dug Inlo my shop wall. Just tools, each born to do a specific Job well. like most woodworkers, my main motivation Is to build things, as flawlessly and as efficiently as possible. As I get smarter and more skillful, I get more done, get better

New tablesaw rules for pro shops only? One of the argumcnt~ against the govcmmem mandating SawStop blade-braking technology i~ it~ cost. A reasonable compromi<;e ~\"{lUld be that one-person production shops and hobbyist~ could continue to u<;e whatever equipment they choose. But if we can afford to hire employees, we can also afford to give them the gaj'est equipment. I think we should have to. ApparL-ntly that iury did, too [in the recent MassachusetL~ decision favoring a contractor seriously injured on a job-site tahlesaw]. - ROBERT PIRMANTGEN, New Bloomfi eld, Mo .

results, and enjoy this craft more and more. That's my definition of mastery, and I

Other than noise. I don't see a meaningful difference between the physics of my NO.4 bench plane and my bandsaw. I've learned to tune the chlpbreaker and sharpen the blade of the former, and tune the wheels and guides for amazing results on the latter. After that, both offer a similar symphony of reference surfaces and controlled cutting action. Both also require finely tuned muscle knowledge and Perfect s llees. TIle bandsaw

McKenna's article on the tablcsaw safety controversy (FWW 1>'224) was a fine piece of journali~m: thorough, informative, well-\\Tinen, objective, and di~passiooate. If McKenna has any person al opiniom in the rnaTIer-and it i~ hard to imagine he has not-he kept thenl entirely to him.<;elf. A.~ one who spent hi~ working life as a reporter and editor on daily newspapers , I would give McKenna and hi~ edilors at FWWanA+. Now, my personal opinion; It was a miseaniage of justice to punish Ryahi (or ils corporate avatar) when clearly the tort was commincd by [injured contractor] Carlos Osorio's employer for failing to instruct him adequately and impose strict rules on the use of a tablesaw. Enfordng workplace safety i~ not impossible. At every newspaper where I've worked. the urge to ride on the conveyor belt leading 10 the loading dock, though very tempting because it would save steps and looked like fun, was a firing offcn.<;e. In 50 years in the newspaper game I never saw anyone riding the bell; tlleY preferred to keep Iheir jobs.

TIlOrna.~

use every tool al my disposal, plugged In or not.

conslderable finesse. With the bench plane, I've learned

resaws quickly and smoothly;

how to position my body, transition the pressure from the

with very little waste.

toe to the heel, and skew the plane's body on tough grain.

WHh the bandsaw, I've learned to apply gentle side pressure for smoother curves, plvoUng off the back of the Dlade to keep h on track. (Try It. you'l be amazed.) Each tool has earned Its place In my shop. There Is simply no better

Of

faster way

to prep milled surfaces for finishing than my NO.4. Unlike a power sander. It creates a dead-flat surface that makes a finish seem world-class, and It works much more quickly. On the bandsaw, I rough oul stock, cut curves, and resaw. Technology has marched on since the 181h-century apogee of period work, but leI's not forget thai those guys were using the best tools available at the time. If the old masters had access to a Jointer, do you think they would have surfaced rough lumber by hand? Or turned their backs on a mortlser?

-E . F. PORTE R, S1. lou is, Mo .

Am I not walking In their footsteps?

If you get your woodWorking bliss from using exactly what Chippendale, Goddard, and Townsend used. go for II. I gel the romance . But If you are In Ihls game to build things, you 'll do It faster and better by seeing tools as tools, each one as hallowed as the next. -Asa Chrlstlana

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FI N E woonWOkKI N G

SUrface ptfffJ. My No.4 removes milling ma rks Instan tly. leaving behind a dead41at surface.

Low-quallty Chinese plywood In ' Plywood for Woodworkers" (Fundamentals. FWW 1>'225), the most serious i<;sue in oblaining plywood nowadays wa.~ nO! mentioned, the influx of Chinc.<;e product. Within a tOO-mile radius of San Antonio, I am now un able 10 fi nd any source of Y4-in. hardwood plywood that is not Chi nese. While the product i~ les.~ expensive, I have found

Fine

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MAY/]IJ :.< E 201 2

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letters 00",""" it to be of unifonnly poor quality. The

Woodworking for mental health

most recent example i~ some pl~TxxI r purcha<;ed that ha~ a veneer layer about as thick as a sheet of paper and i~ oversandcd along the edges, making it almost

I am 64 years old and started carving about 10 years ago as a fonn of anger managemenL Rather than employ a shrink, my husband thought it cheaper and \\iser to provide me \\ith an 8-ft. pole, an angle grinder, a Dremel with carbide biL~ , and a grinder. When a woman feels disempowered, a wise man provides her with power tools. The pine poles I use (see photo at right) are smoke-da.magcd survivors of the Prescon "Indian Fire," which destroyed five homes and 1,365 acres of vegetation. I used them mostly to express my loye of the cultures of the Southwest Indians and of Arizona in general. I've killed seyeral Dremel tools in my quest, but it i~ still much cheaper than a psychiatrist. And it released my anger: My ' Viking Pole" starts with Odin and dragons and tTa.11scend~ to feathers and the ~. I paint the poles with colors made ftom natural minerals and planL~, and used by the Hopi on their Kachina dolls. I then seal them with several coaL~ of Man-O-War clear varnish ,

transparent there. The internal layer.; are full of void~. and even the "good" side has

hadly filled knots. Often the sheets warp so badly once out of the shipping stack that they are unusable. They mlL~1 be u~ing green v.'l)Od for filler byers: J have seen :Y"'in. birch Shecl~ that look like lasagna noodles. Ye t it i~ sold as "Baltic hirch." - JAMES CAM ERON . Medi na, Texas

Dangerous bevel cut In FWW .2257 [n "Build a Curved-Front Desk" (FlVW -225), a phQ[o on p . 54 shows a bevel being ripped on a leg with the blade tiltcd inward toward the fence. TIli~ can be dangerous. If the workpiece lift~ , it can jam between the blade and the fence and be shot backward with lot~ of force. Also, any Ufring cuts into the workpiece, nor the scrap, affecting the quality of cut. Set the fence on the other side of the blade, leaving a wider opening at the top edge of the workpiece , - JOHN

B URR In , O ~ enta l, N.C .

Editor replle.: '!be author agrres. It takes a hit of extra work wilh his style of fence, bt,1 he say., he often does place it to the left side of his right-tilting iJlade to make these types of cut.,.

- JE RI YOUNGREN , Prescot!. AriL

Pull a honing JIg? I use the Verita.~ honing guide that A<;a Christiana reconUllend~ (Handwork, F\l7\V " 225), however, I tum it around so the blade is held down with my thumbs. 11tis makes it more stable so the blade doesn't acddcntally gouge the honing surface. -JA NET YANG , RldgewoGd, N.J.

toward the fence, thfl workpiece can Jam and shoot bai:kward If allowed to 11ft slightly.

A.a Chrl.tlana replla.: I tkm~ tbink side-to-side sta bilily i" the maill callsc of gougillg {m waterstOlles. Bear in min d that some peq;le prefer a cambered roller 011 lhe \fuitas guide. Try movil/g tbe blade backward, I/O matter how)'OI/ are holdillg it, for the first couple of strokes. 'Ibis will safely esta blish the tilly flat at tbe tip (tbe beginnillg of the holled bCI:el), and should prevent the blm:1e from diggillg i1l as YOII begin to roll the gu ide back alld forth .

Wood tlleraP1, Turning pohis Into ert brought jeri Youngren a healthier state of mind.

Cyclone dust collectors Do you plan to review cyclone/multi-stage dust col lectors in the near furure? - KEVI N HE IN, Be ll evue, Wash.

Editor raplle.: We 've considered it, bul we haven't dolle so fo r olle ma in reason . Til our research for ~A Rcvoiution in Dust Colkctioll ~ (FW'''i #223), we found that cyclon e collectors we re indeed .'>tlperior to other types ill terms of efficiency allti aiiflow, bllt lhal the main di.ffell!lIce hetzveell Ibe various cyclones 011 the market is filtration . So if you're shoppillg fo r a cyclolle, simply lookfor one tbat bas a HEPA -level filter on it, certified by a tbird party. After tbat il is mostly power arid convenie/tce featlllT'S tbat stpamle them .

Clarification: Adckm riving knives In a recent Q&A (fW\V -:223) , machine expert John White noted that accessOlY riving-knife systems are not avaibble for American"style tablesaws. That's not quite true . General (wwv.'.general .ca) sells riving-knife accessory kil~ for a couple of il~ older-model tablesaws made in Canada, the No. 350 saw, and the 650. A kit will run you around $600, and requires a pretty major rebuild of the machine. We also know of one other riving knife add-on , the Bork system. However, you'll need to sign a waiver before purchasing that item . That fact, and the overall design of the system, give<; U~ pause

About your safety Working wood 15 Inherently dangerous. Using hend or power tools Improperly or Ignoring standard safety prectlces can lead to permenent Inj ury 01 even daath. Don't perfaIm operallons you learn ebout here

12

F IN E w oon W OkKI N G

(or elsewhere) until you~e certaIn they are safe for you. If something about en operellon doesn't feel right, find another way. We want you to enjoy the creft. so please keep safety fo remost In your m ind.

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201 2

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methods of work

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EDITED AND DRAWN BY JIM RI CHEY

...

AuSlH:uttl",

Best Tip Trim edging

fence

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dead-flush every time

Roland Mattison began woodwortdng asahobbywtdle

worklng.11 deYeloper of C:Dmputer-alded engineering soflwllre. Now retired, he deIIps and builds fumtture fort.mI" as ftfI as eomlRiloSlonecI pieces. He U)'5 that with iii pUJion for wwdwo.1dn(, you Ilwap h.e iii protect to keep "our /'lands and mind busy.

Balancing;J handheld muter on a workpiece edge i~ an awkw.lrd and error-prone way to nu.~h -lrirn soli,j.wood edging on a plywood paneL Here's a mutcNablc approach that'.~ fasler, safer, and more precise. The se(up Is simple; At the base of an au"Hlary fcn<:c,

CI.It

:l ~hallow

rabbet that i~ slightly wider th:1O the thicknes.~ of the edging you want 10 trim. Now chuck a nush-cuning hit into the routcr :and align the culler flush with dlC face of the auxiliary fence. To m:akc the CUI. finnly hold the ptf\\-'ood panel \'Crtically :lgainSf the fence so that the exce;.~ edging fiL~ neatly into the rabbet. Tum on the router and pu.~h rhe panel through to trim the edging perfectly flush with the panel.

"",","

_ ROL.l. NO M.l.nlS ON,

Unca ln, N.H.

~

_ _ Proud edging rides In rabbet.

A Reward for the Best Tip send your original tiPS (0 fWmow@

taunton.com or (0 Methods of WorII. fine

wooct.Iorldng. PO Bo~ 5506,

~0WfI.

CT 06470. we pay

$100 tor a published tip

""'-

with Illustrations; 550

~

tor

"""'"'for this iSSue's best tip Is 8 Bosch combination router kit.

14

Fl\P. WOOI)WOII IO\"

• Bit set flush with fllce of fence.

For a sanding block that Hts perfectly, use auto-body fliler

Cling-wrap

Pf_nts Hiler from stlcklng.

A recent job Cllled for me to ruUJ a short ru n of CU5l0m mo lding to match :10 exi<;ting

profile. I roughed oul lhc profile on Ihe tablCS3W, bUl nceded a .....:ly to refine and s moolh the shapes accurately. This sanding hlock wilh ;] mirror-image prom" , made from I3ondo auto-hody filler, helped me do juSl th:u. To make the block, J built a frame to fit snugly around a cutoff of the eXisting molding. With the cutoff at the hottom of The fr.:lmc and covered with pla.~tic cJing-WT:lp, ! filled the frame with Hondo, When the fil ler hardened, the cutoff left a perfect reve1"SC imprc.<;.~ion of the moJdlng'~ profile. I then

sanded the back of the block

ffeme

tlghtl~

surrounds

molding offcut.

nmand added bevels Block wrapped

10 help hold the sandpaper.

Afte r 'w orking the larger molding curves with a handpl:mc and a drill-mounted sanding drum, J began hand-sanding with my Bondo sanding block ~ning with 6O-grit paper :lnd then moving [ 0 fincr griL~. TI1C procc~s lOok .'iOmc thnc, hl.ll the result i~ a pcrfccr reproduction of thc origill3l crown molding.

with sandpaper

Molding

- MY RON MVIUWMA , EdmOftton, Altl ., Canada

Quick Tip I used to use plywood scraps to make patterns for my projects. But I couldn't see the grain through the plywood when I was ready to trace the pattern. To solve this problem, I now make a nega tive pattern by cutting out the pattern shape Inside a plywood frame. This allows me to place the pattern on the work, move It until I'm happy with the grain, then trace the outline. - SAEID URtMUD , tn4ne, CIIIII.

Shield clamp pipes and bars with pipe Ins"laUDn r had

ju~{ flni.~ hed

in:>ul:u ing some plumbing pipe<; and had a lot of leftovers of round foom pipe i n ~u lation material. Hating to throw anything aW3y that might bc useful, I stumbled on the idea of usi ng them to wrap Ihe pipct; of my cbmps during glue-ups. NOI only doc.~ Ihe in.<;ulation kccp gluc off Ihe pipes or hars, Ixu il also prevents conuct with the v,'Orkpiccc Ih31 might !T\3.f or discolor the wood (pipes and oo rs lxw.' towa rd the work as [he clamp is tightened). The ma terial fiL<; snugly on bmh rypes of clamps and ca n be CUI to length easily with a Ufiliry knifc. AI about U for 3 6-ft. length 31 the h3rdware Slore, it i.<; ~-cry affordable. -J OE CARRmO , FI1.ndswood, T~s

w ww. finewoodwo r k ln g.co m

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Insulalion "po

.\tAY IJ IJ ~' P. 2012

15

methods of work ""'""" Where tenons meet, box-joint fingers add strength Chair and stool joine!)' L~ (ricky because the parts are narrow yet subjecred to great rncking forces. One problem area i~ where rail~ or stretcilers intersect a leg at the same point. The mortise-and-tcnon joint~ lose some strength because one or both tenons must be cut shorter to acconunodatc the other. You can miter the tenon ends, but on very narrow legs, a stronger solution is the inside box joint. ThL~ L~ done by making both tenons full length and then cutting box-joint fingers on their ends. To make the joint, first cut the mortises and the tenons to fit the full depth of the morti<;e , Now mark the depth of the box joint by inserting each tenon in the morti..e and marking it from the open mortise. Remove the tenons from the leg, bun them together, and then mark alternate fingers for the box joint. Finally, cut the fingers and remove the waste with a morti~ing bit or tablesaw box-joint jig. When gluing up, it's best to do all four legs at the same time, so you need to work quickly or use slow-sening glue. The fingers add extra long-grain glue joints and significant strength . Now you won't need to worry that the joint will crack, evcn whcn your hcaviest friend rocks back on the chair.

Co, Stretche r

Inter10cklng -:"'_ box-jolnt "ngers

Tenons meet In adjoining mortises.

-DAVID EK LU ND . Lethbrid ge, Alta ., Canada

Cabinet

Hinge side attached

Fit an Inset door In place

. .. .~"----

\

Block-plane edge until reveltlls

correct.

16

FI N E woonWOkKI N G

Pl)oWood keeps door open.

Here how J makc fining a newly made inset door a bit less stressful. After fining the door to the opening on the top, honom, and hinge sides. I find it bcst to sneak up on the final fit at the latch sidc after hanging the door. Here's how. With the door attached to the facc frame by it~ hingcs, J slide a scrap of thin plywood betwecn the door and the face frame and use a block plane to carefully remove what is needed. This approach eliminates the back and forth between the saw and the cabinet to make minor final adjustment~. As a plus, doing it this way let~ you put a shallow backhcvel on the door. which helps it open and close more casily. - PA ll L COM I, San Gabriel, Ca lif.

Spring Joints conslstenUy When handplaning the edge of a board for the purpose of edge-gluing, a limehonored technique is [0 plane a slight concave curve into the edge over it~ length. If done properly, the curve assures the whole edge will be light when glued. [t also reduces the number of clamps needed. The prohJcm i~ how to plane a predictable eurve thaI do.5CS unifOffilly under clamping pressure. Here i~ a simple solution: Stand the board on edge between a benchdog and the dog in your woodworking vise. Now put pressure on the board until the 101' edge curves upward. The curve should he quite slight, no more than 1;)~ in. or so for a 2-ft.-lang board. Plane the edge straight and square. When the pressure i~ released, you will have a unifonn concave cun.'c that will work perfectly for edge-joining the board. The curve should he slight so that you don'! build unwanted stress into the glued joint, -CA RL SWENSSON, Timonium , Md.

r

II

I

¢:J h I

Pinch workpiece between dogs to create slight bow in top edge.

Plane the top edge flat.

NOTE : Curves are e~ aggerated

for clarity.

Release

pressure.

I~-lir ---------T~ ~ _-----jf---, Uniform concave surfaces create reliable spring Joint.

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Cap 0Ir_2atcap, wIltIa sttinless steel pin and a pn!Cision .........:tsdogliliand ImprMs reusability.

ARROWMONT "h.-I.r 4'" ~~J "4/,,

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www.fin .. woodworking.com

MAY/JlJ~E

2012

17

tools & materials £.

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Tebletop joinery. Unlike many other dovetail jigs. the R9 can be used wtth • router table .

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ACCESSORIES

New dovetail jig is fast and affordable of board, :ln adY:lotlgc O\"CI' other Leigh jigs that limiI boord widlh. Thi~ fc:lturc could come in Itlndy on brgcr cao;e; and chest.... OUi of the oox, the jig CUl~ l/;z.in .·v.~dc dovetails. Btu you can purchase accessory bilS to cut '~in . and ~6-in. dovetails. Ii t:lke-; a couple of 1C.~t scrups to get: the jig dialed in for

ElGH 'S R9 PLUS JOINERY JIG i.~ iI dream 10 use, whether with:l handheld roUiCT or on a tahle. It makes it easy to

L

CUI through-do''Ct3il~ land hox joint~ in material up 10 ' }'16 in thick, in any width. On top or {hat, it is .~ignifi­ cantly less cxpcnsi\'c than pa~t y(>rsion..~.

One reason the

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unit is so affordable, IlOWL>','CI", i~ mat you'll have to do some 'wrxxlworking 10 get it up and running. Unlike other Leigh jig-;,

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perfect-fining joints, but you only have to do thi.~ once, and once done , I was able 10 knock OUI a Ihrough-dovetailed dr:I\\"CT in Ic.o;,s than 10 mioutes. The R9 can a lso m.1ke box joint.~. but }'OU ' II need 10 purchao;e the appropriately sized spiral bit (sold .o;cparalely). Por more infonnation about the jig, go 10 leighjigs.com. -Gregory Paolini Is (I pro woodworker tll.'fIr Asheville, N.C

such as the D4R and Super Jigs, which come ready \ 0 go (lUI of me bo:(, you have to mount the included aluminum template to a shopInadc ,,-oodcn bc:Im and backer 00an:I. WOfkpicccs arc clamped to the beam, and the replaceable backer helps elimilUte tcamlil. lhc task i'i straightforward, thank.. 10 detailed inSlructions, and all hardware i'i included. By making the beam CXtr.l long, you can cut ck'f>'et1iL'i in virtually any widlh

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HAND TOOLS

The ultimate bit kit No . 5675 MIISter lilt from Chapman Manuf aeturln, CO.

I ASS EMBLE A LOT OF STlJFF IN MY SHOP, from tools for Fine Woodworking articles to

.90

electr1cal panels for my motor home, and I otten find myself seramblln, to lind bits for

chapmanmfll.com

non--typlcal fasteners. Chapman Manufacturing's MlISter lilt No. 6576 solves those Irustratlon5. The kit Includes an Impressive ermy of drtvar bits-Phlillps, Allen , stralCht, square-drlve, and star--es well as an aMOrtment 01 metric socket-heed drivers and Torl( bits. The 5J..pleca kit also Includel !I ''''"In. socket edapter. a screwdriver handle. II 3--In. extllnslon . and a mld,e! Iow-prolile ratchet handle for those hafd.tcHeach lastenerl Inslda tOOl eablnets. The Nt !!Ildeel for assem. blln, end fine-tuning woodworklna: aqulpmant. and It will come In handy around the house lind pra,e. too. It comes

$Marl dHIp. 1lIe bits seat secuRIty

hi both the ~rlWr lind michel h8ndles. A knurllld knob 011 l1Ie end lets you tum II bit w1ten l1Ie fllslenllf"S too loose for the ratchet to work.

18

Fl\\l WOOI)WOIIIO\"

MiltI)' P.I!Ieked In II durllble plastic case

with removable bit trays.

-RoO"''''''''''''

.Is a contt/lJutIng l!ditoc

•

FINISHING

Enliven your furniture with a new kind of paint

,,\l\.....

CHALK PAINT

ANNIE SLOAN. A WELL-KNOWN DECORATIVE PAINTER In England ,

has been seiling hili' "chalk" paint since the esrly 19905. This water-basad paint Is mixed with calcium carbonate (chalk) and Is similar to milk paint, In that It Islow-VOC and fast-drylng, offers graat coverage, and lets you layer colors for unique ef· fects. Unfortunately, tha paint was not RYaliable In tha UnIted Statn untll recently. Selng a fan of milk

paint (MIl my Finish Una, "Accentuate carving with color,~ FWW #22.1), I was eagar to try the productand was hooked 85 soon as I did.

The paint Is &IIsy to apply, and one coat gives sufll.

clent covarageln almost every case . It's also eaay to layer different colors and then sand areas to raveal underlying coats. I was even able to paint over an 011 stain, without a primer. Chalk paint must be sealed with wax . and Annie Sloan sells both a dark version,

•

~'-----Solt wax, around $2 5/500m1 For relailers. visit annil!5loanunfolded .com

which gives an aged patlna, and a clasr wax, which can be buffed up for 8 high shine or left matte.

Though It hsa characteristics similar to milk paint, chalk paint Is Isss quirky, with no problems of short pot life, no la __ of matel'llng 8 surface that has already dried, and bettar covarage , which offseta the high cost per quart. There are 28 colors 8\lallable. I tried Emperor's Silk, a red that was 50 deep and saturated that I was Instantly smitten and wanted to paint everything In the workshop. -Michael Cullen builds studio

rumltufl! near Petaluma. Calif.

ACCESSOR IES

A better benchtop router table

Heavy Ro uter amazOn.com

BENCHTOP ROUTER TABLE IS HANDY for small shops. because it can be stowed OUI of the way when nOl in use. OUI Ihese units are notorious for poor quality and inaccuracy. JcssEm's new benchtop router t:lble gets it right , however, with quality where it mailers most; up top. The high-dcnsity MOP 101' is 1 in. thick by 19/4 in. deep by 23 5A1 in. wide, with a miter track in front. Tbe beefy top i~ nat, and should remain that way. The insen plate is adjusted nush to the top from underneath. The adjustment i~ a bit cumbersome, bUl not a deal-breaker because it's ~nething you should have to do only once. The extruded aluminum fence i~ nicely made and designed. Besides the usual T-tracks for mounting the sliding melamine faces, it aho spons two extra T-tracks--one on the front, and one on the top providing ample room for jig.<; and/or fcatherboard~. The fence i~ square to Ihe table and the faces stay perfectly aligned, which is critical for

A

T,O{> Id\ l~.""

"""""'J' ,f

('JOO lk><"'"

q..,,,, "C=oting d.. """"'b tn. .. ' loy Annie. SI<..n:

dL~'.,,*' . oomJ

smooth toUling. The dusl collection is also excellent. Besides the fencemounted 2I;"'in.-dia. vacuum port, the JessEm fea tures a canvas bag underneath the table that has il~ own dusl port. The hag has zippers in fronl for access to the roUier. The tubu lar frame i~ sturdy and lightweight, hut I wish it were easier to clamp the table in place. One solution i~ to clamp boards on either side 10 keep it from walking as you rout. All in ali, though, the key parts of Ihe table are high quality, making it a good value. For more infornlation, go to jcsscm.com. - Matt Stern is president o/the long l~lnlld Cabillet and Furniture Makers. MAY/JlJ~E

2012

19

tools & materials ""'' "'' •

ACCESIORIES

HEAD TO HEAD: $50: $25 lor self-cenlering bit

Shelf-pin shootout

em81on.c:Gm HEN DRi lliNG SHELf.PIN HOt..ES, you

W

nced an accurate jig to en~ure preci-

sion. If the holes all' off, you 'll end up with v.wbly shelves. J compared rwo new commercial jigs; the Woodpeckers Combo Shelf Pin Template and the RockIer Pro Shel f Drilling Jig. Both help m:lkc precis./! holes. hut they do it in

very diffcrem w.tys. TIle WOCIdpcckcrs Combo Shelf Pin

Ro ut_

_ dy. The Woodpecke" Jig Clln

be used with 8 plunge router equipped with a ¥ .4n.-<1II1. guide bushing and II Y..In. or Smm bit. JlIe setup makes clean holes but takes longer than drlllint ~Llse the router obsUllcts your view of the template.

Templmc Is a one-piece phenolic jig. You need to buy the IIClf-ccntcring hit~ separately (S25), in si7.c.~ 5mm or 114 in. d ia. However, the jig c:m a lro he used wilh a plu n ge router fitTed with a o/A-in.-dia. guide bushi ng and :I IA· in. or 5mm u!x:uning bit. The router method m:lkc.~ marginally cleaner holc.~, bUI it takes longer. The \1('oodpcckers jig L~ very accurate and allows you 10 in.<;c( the holes 1!1:z in., 2 in. , or

2Y~

In. fmm the edge of lhc ....urkpiccc. lfs a simple ~Ign that relic:> on locati ng pins for alignment, but the .-.ystem work.~ flne. Unfortunately, the jig L~ tirnc-consu ming to uS(' because you can only drill one column of pin holes at a time. The Rocklcr jig has the adv:lnt:lge of drilling flo(h coIumn.~ of holes with one scru p, a big rime-saver. The clamping mcchanL~m on the extension tracks tightcns and loosens easily, and when usccl with the 10000tor pi ns, lock., the ~g .'lCCUrely in place on the workpicce. The jig can be adjusted to handle cabinct sides fmm 81,4 in. to 25\4 in. wide. The clC:1r acryHc templates makc it casy to align thc jig wilh marks on the workpiCC<' below. For drilling, the jig uses spring-loaded, scJf-ccnlcring hil.~a lso sold separately ($22), in 5mm, Y, -In .. 7.12-ln., and %2-in.-
JWo rw _. The Rockier Jig can drill both columns of holes with one setup. .~..ell!c' 1M J-. sJeaHk. fttfY..

fundamentals j,

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Tips for square glue-ups BY

S TE V E

L AT T A

he ah:;olulc wo~ time \0 try to solve a problem l~ when the glue is starting 10 tack. 1 w.ltch my students scurry like mice in (\ maroC, [rocking down extra d amps to puillogcthcr a join! that iu~t won', budge. In desperation, out willes the claw hammer and then things really sUit :1 downward s lide. Framic glue-ups crcalc open joinL~ and oUI-of-

square assemblies, wh ich In rum means that doon; and dmwcrs don't fil . Sad to say, these wounds are usually .sclf-inOicl:cd. Ho ....'C\'Cr, if roo follow a few baSic s teps before and during the glue-up, you el n approach I hi.~ MI"Cssful time calmly and confidently. Laytng the foundaUon Fi~ and foremost , gluing up a project needs to be \~cwcd

as me end of a procc:ss, nOi an i"Ol:ued cveru.

Proper alignmcm doesn't jusr magic:llly happen, but rather L~ the outcome of a wcll-executed plan. leI's .'It3rt with dc:<;ign. Por example, if I'm building

a Frcc-sunding, open-fronl hookcasc wilh fixed

Get a good start

You can 't get $quare glue-ups I. the components don't mlltch lind the assembly surface Is twisted ,

use a 4-/t, lel'el to 1M If your Mnch fir fIUtfHd table (abo¥eJ Is llat If If Isn't. c1/ttnp a pleca fit ~n.-thlek MDF fI( plywood 10 a pair fit S8WtIorses aM/use shims to bring Ihat surface llat (tfIJIl).

22

Fl\P. WOOI)WO IIIO\"

EQUAL PARTS pleca must be tile

56" , .

ensure square eotners.

Parb on opposite sides fit a /eIIeh between shoulders to

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'[Your blades] cut true, with no vibration. I can say with crofKlenca that Forrest blades are the bast.·

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Ask for Forrest blades at a fine dealer or rataiIar, order 0011l1li, or call the

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• MAY/]lJ :-< E 2012

23

fundamentals "'""""" Make the right clamping block WIde block

,"p

You can 't perfoml the Impossible II sounds obviou~, but the piece you're gluing up should have the potential to be square! For example, if making a small tahle v.~th a single drawer opening, the shoulder-Io-shoulder distance on the rear apron better malch the shoulder-Io-shoulder distance on the dr::lwer rails in the front If not, the table ""ill be a trapezoid and the joint~ may show gaps. Likev..ise, the shoulderto-shoulder distance of the upper and lower drawer rail~ better be the same or the opening, no maner how much tv.>ea king i~ involved, won't be square.

Clamping pressure

Too wide . Using a wide CBLlI directs

the force of the clamp to the front of this leg. twisting It out of parallel with the reer apron.

Cau l, same thickness as aplOn

-

.-(

Have g ood-flttlng}olnts and use tile right cauls Joints that fit properly need minimal clamping pressure. If an assemhly can only come square by ovcrtightening the clamps, the object will not remain square when the clamps come off but will evenruaJ ly creep back into distortion , You should prepare properly size d clampi ng blocks and cauls to direct the pressure accurately. Gra hbing randomsize hlocks misdirects the pressure and just doesn 't get the job done. For large r cases, corner braces with clamp holes along the edge ensure 9<)0 com ers.

Nogap

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Clamping pressure

shelves, I'd feel comfortable using slat~ for the back. The g lued shelves make up for the sl:!t~' lack of rigidity. However, if inset doors arc part of the design , and if the shelve s are adjustable. I'd go with a frame-and-panel hack , especially one "vith glucdin panels, It will help make the main box square, which makes finin g the door:s much easier. II also will keep it rigid , preventing the doors from b inding.

~.

Tools to check for squareness A comhination square is useful for checking to sec if comers are 9<)0. For larger pieces, plastic 300_60°_9<)0 comer drafting triangles come in a variety of sizes. However, even if a comer is 90°, the p iece as a whole can he out o f square. Measuring the diagonal distances is a foolproof way to check. A tape measure works great for exterior comer-lo--comer dimensions. Howevcr, if clamps are ohs.curing the exterior comers, you cao measure the interior diagonals using two sliding sticks with ends cut to a JXlint. DItect tile foree. A clamping b/ocJ( the same thickness as the apron and placed In line with It (left) k8flp5 the leg straIght (above). llIpe the cauls In place to 181M! your hands free for c/amplng.

24

F IN E w oonWOkK1 N G

Practice ma kes perfect 111e number one rule th at should never, ever be ignored: Always do a complete

ca."..".. , _ ft_"... Jhe vts/ble outside of the faee "-ma must Joln seamlll$5/y with the carC8H; the hidden IMer sJde of the }oint Is 111$5 critical. To direct the damp'", force to the outside, place the callI $0 Mat It CIWfIIanlf,s the exterlot of the

cabinet. Afr.J liP here will be hidden.

......... -

rwo ct.Jnps, twa

Put a COIlYI!JI' Ctln'e the face of a calli to get awn 011

pn!SSllre across a wide }oint Elevating the caul 011 a block

of wood brings " even wftII Me joint, Iftaring your hands free to work the clamps.

A CLEVER CAUL Casa side Face 01 ca ul Is co nye ~ to app ly pressure acroS! the whole Joint as clamp force Is app lied at both endS.

dry-fit With all cJ:lrnp..~, bJocks, and comer .~upports. I f you can't gCI the piece squ:lre during a dry-fit, you'll ncver get it squ:lre with the :lctu:lJ glue. Aftc r a b:ld rehears3J, :lctors m:lV comment. -It'll be :Ill right on thc night," hut for v.'()()(!workCr5. all me lines must be perfect before the glue i.~ :lpplicd Contributing editor Steve lana teaches furniture making alThaddeus Stevens CoIJege in lancaster. Pa.

J Block taped or glued to caul ele'illtes It even wtth the Joint.

.\tAYIJ1J~' P. 2012

25

fundamentals """""" to check for Combo aqua,..

A combination square Is II great tool to check fhst corners are squiJrs

In small openings.

AeJdble choIce. A raised panel may Interfere with

rigid squIJre but II plastic triangle can be bent downward to contact the frame. II

clamps are blockIng tha outside comers, YOLI can

Make your clampIng cauls shorter than the sIdes so

that you can hook II tape mlNtsure CMtr the corner (Inset) and measure each

check the Interlor diagonals using two sliding sticks wtth pointed ends (ln56/). Measure the first diagonal and draw II line IICross both sticks. Then measure the oppo-

•

dIagonal. 11rey should be withIn V. ln. of each other.

site diagonal.

Move the ends of clamps that are near the longer diagonal

out toward the earners.

are different lengths, shift the clamps

Attack II corner. Clamping II square braCfl Into one of the comers can brfng an entIre

to pull the frame Into alignment.

assembly back to square.

Angle file clemps. If the diagonals

26

FI\' E WOODWORKI/I,' G

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n my .~hop, the ~houlder plane i.~ the go-to tool for trimming tenon checks. The low.;mgle, hcvel·up hlade works grc;lt acl'OM the gr;Jin. And becau<;c the blade is as wide as the plane body, it can CIlt all the way into the comer where the check mcet~ the shoulder. Thi~ ability is al-.o essential when ( U'iC my plane on r;Jbhet.... However, despite ifs name, ( typically don't usc a shoulder plane on tcoon shoulders. That's because most tenon shoulders are shorter than the plane is long-nO( [0 mention narrow. II's hard to balance the pl:lOe on [he shoulder and get a good CUL Instc:Jd, I usc a chi'iCl. To r.ce how I do it, take a look al "4 Chisel Tricks" (H:md9.'01'k, FWW "221). For beSt rcsult.~ o n tcoon c hecks, a shoulder plane needs a nat sole and sides th:u are square 10 it. ALo;o, the width of the blade should match tile width of the body. You mighl think they come that WllY from the m:l1lufacturer, but it's acrually Z8

Ft\P. WOOI)WOIIIO\"

common for the bl:ldc to he a bit wider. So, I'll show you how adjust the blade's width, and give you some tips for setting it up for square cuts. If you don't already own a shou lder plane, get onc that"s at least 1 in. wide. Most tenOns are hctween 1 in. and 11,1]: in. long, and a narrower plane i~ more likely to taper the tenon. Check the plane body, then tweak the blade A shou lder plane WOO't CUt a square comer unlcs.~ il has a dead· flat sole and sides that :lre Clfactly 90" 10 it. So, the first time you

pick up the plane, cbeck the sole wilh a straightedge and use a comhin:nion square to chcck th:llihe sides arc square to the sole. If the sole isn', fbt or the sides :lrcn'( square to it, return the plane. Correcting those problcm.~ is nO( worth the has.'ile. After c hccking the body of the p13ne, tum your focus [0 the blade. Take it OUI of the pl:lne, then tay the plane on its side on

Three step tune-up Intended to cut Into square corners,8 shoulder plane needs a flel sale, square sides, end 8 blade 85 wide as Ihe plane.

StraIght and aquo .... Hold the plane up toward a light source. Ugh! sneaking between the plane and a rule meansltli not flllt. Rep/ace the rule with a combinatIon square

to dstermlne "the sides lire 90 ' to the so/e.

Ink .'ong a na e dge. 1t:S much easier to see the scribe line you11 create against e dark backglouncl than against the steel of the blade.

Ute aGle '. w/lftlt. l owe uses the scribe from his combination square. hold/ng Its tIp slightly above the plane body as a precaution against grinding the blade too narrow. ~rk

a flat surface. Hold the flat side of the hlade against the plane's sole and look to make sure the blade is wider than the hody. If it's not, send the plane hack. If the hlade i~ too narrow, one side won't cut into the comer, creating a wider step and pushing the plane faMer away fmm the shoulder with each pass. However, a blade that's too wide i~ al'iO a problem, because it can dig into the shoulder. Ideally, the hlade should be the same width a.~ the body, hut if it's 0.001 in. to 0.002 in. wider, that's OK. Mark one edge of the flat side of the hlade with a pcnnanent marker. Then, with the plane on il~ side and the b lade pressed against the sole, scribe the hody's width on the blade. Grind it down with a bench grinder (or on your sharpening stones). It's critical that the two sides of the blade are parallel to one another, so usc calipers to check them as you grind, Next, check whether the cunin g edge is square to the factol)' edge, If not , grind it square. Finally. sharpen the hlade. I recommend

'h_

Grlnd to line. Set the tool rest at 90 ' to the wheel. Grind sway most of tfle excess. then smooth Itlft rough edge on your sharpening stones.

Look Into tile /llfIIt. Register tile square on tile factory edge af tile blade (the ane you didn't grind). If the cutting edge Is aut af square. regrind It.

M"'Y/JtJ ~ E 2012

29

handwork " "u"",, Set up for a square cut A $I\Ouldef plane's prlmary use Is to trfm Joinery, so It's critical thal li take II $hav1n, the full width of the blade and of II QOMlstant depth. Here's how to set the blade 10 get Ihlll JOb done.

""""n

s.t fll. fINo.bod)'. Plrleh the blade between your fingers to center It, lind flpten lhe holcklown to keep It In place (left). Then adjust the mouth, If thet's po5S/ble on your plane (above).

..---

bad. A b11Jde that .. curtinl $qUare tJlkH II $ltavfnt actOSS Ib width. This

b11tde Is euttJnC

too deep 011 fhe rltht.

a hollow grind for the hevel. Because of the hlade's shape, il doesn't fit well in hon ing guides. The twO h igh poinl~ created by the hollow grind mllkc il easier 10 hone the blade fn'ehand.

Set up for a square shaving Now thai the hlade is sharp, put it oock in the p la ne. When sliding il into the Ihroo!, [:Ike care 001 10 nick the edge, a nd be cena in that the adjuster IlUtes solidly with the b lade. VLqJally check thai iI's centered in the th roat N'en, sqU':IrC the CUll ing edge in the mouth. Firs(, gel il roughty $C\ by turni ng the plane sole u p with the blade pmiccting beyond the sole. Sight down Ihe sole o f the plane

HeN .. how to ,.. ".. ~ .... looMn til. hoId4own just enough to allow you to shift rile blMf.lJ tang. Move It lowaro the side o f the blade that _$Ill cutting (left). Wl'Htn Ih. blllde Is euttlng square, It cuts /I full-

width

shIIWIt thaI hal /I tmlfonn thickness (/lbove).

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handwork """"",, Keep the plane vertical in use A simple bench hook holds wo rkplaces on their side so you can hold the plene upright, where Ills easier to control.

1'wo . teps for stre /Jlht cheeks. First. place the toe of the plane on the tenon and slide It forward until the blade}ust touches. 11Ien take a shaving, keeping even pressure on the plane throughout the cut

sr.rt .t tile Moulde r. And don 't overlap cuts. Other· wise, you TI get cheeks that aren't parallel.

from the front. Make lateral adjustments to the blade until it projects equally across it~ entire v>~dth , Now retr:act the blade so that it doesn't cut. Then begin pu~hing the plane across a piece of scrap and increase the depth of cut a.~ you go. When you stan to get a shaving, notice where the blade is cuning. If it's making a square cut, the shaving "'ill be the fuJj width of lhe blade. If not , adjust the tang of the blade in the direction of the comer that isn't ('lining. Pinch your fingers around the plane and blade near the ('lItting edge to keep that e nd still. Loosen the hold-down and nudge the tang over. Tighten the hold-down. Test and adjust the blade until it's right. Finally, sct the mouth- if that's possible on your planc--narmw for figured a nd hard woods and wider for soft woo ds. 0 Philip C. Lowe is a furniture maker and teaCher in Bevet1y, Mass.

Keep H upright. For the WIlli parallel to the board's face (le ft). clamp the board between benclldogs and use your off hand to keflp the plane tIght against the rabbet:s vertIcal WIlli. Use a vise for the other WIlli (above). WIth the board on edge, there:S no need to lay the plane on Its side.

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Timber-frame joinery is a real pleasure BY

MICHAE

PEKOVICH

W

en it ca me tim e to make a new dining table, J knew J wanted it

in the Arts and Crafts style, hut J was alw looking for a twist. For inspiration, J looked 10 the English countryside, the birthplace of the Arl~ and Craft.~ movement. What I found wa s a hayrake library table by Sidney Bamsley, one of the pioneers of English Art~ and Crafts design . The tahle gel~ it~ name from the unique lower stretcher system, which splays out at the end~ like a hayr.lke. I really like the table 's massive timber-frame look, with it~ obvious through-tenons and heavy chamfers, and building it is a refreshing break from typical woodworking projects. Another distinctive feature of the table. though it may not be apparent at first, is the orientation of the legs. They're a t 45° instead of parallel to the edges of the tabletop. This makes the joinery to the hayrake strct<:her simple-just a single through-mortio;e. Things get a little more interesting at the top. Ea<:h pair of legs i~ eonneaed with end aprons that slot into their tops. This requires a slot cut diagonally across the top of the leg as well as a wider stopped <:hamfer. It looks like a tri<:ky joint, but a handsaw simplifies the task (see photos, thi~ page).

How to get thick stock The ba.o;e of tbL~ white-oak table requires 12/4 stock. If you can find it, buy rift~awn stock for straight grain lines on all the faces. If you can't find these massive planks,

Start with the legs The through-mortlse et the botto m Is standard. 50 we·1I focus on the diagonal Joinery at the top. Stopped chamfer. 1'10 in. wide ~-

CUT THE STOPPED CHAMFER Slot , '1'1 In. wide

Chemfer, """ In. wide

Morti se, V. In. wide by 2 In. long

BIInd. .w then hand. .w, mt the bandsaw table to 45 ' and cut tile flats (top). Clamp the leg In a vise and use a handsaw to cut the shOllldars. 7l1en clean up the sawn surfaces with a shoulder plana and ch/sel.

THEN THE SLOT _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Saw, drl", chisel, WIth the bandsaw table stili tilted to 45 ' . cut one side of the slot, rotate the leg, end cut the other side (left). 7l1/s ensures a perfectly centered slot Now make a 45 ' cradle 10 hold the !eg, and drill a hole at the bottom oflhe saw cuts (center) to remove the waste. Finish up with a chisel (right).

MAY/]lJ :-< E 2012

35

TABLETOP PROFILE ~~_

1V.ln. '"

, ....

. ...

....

~_ Tenon.1v.l n.

"'gIn.. dla.

sQ.

by 1% In. long

I~

Top, 1t,j, In. thick by 361n. wide by 761n. long

End aprons, lV. ln. thick by 3 in. wide by 341n. long

Front and rear aprons,lV.ln. thick by 3 In. wide by 57'1> In. long-

Y·stretcher,2 In. wide by

2V. in. high by 20'1•• In. long-

•

Center stretcher, 2 In.

~-- wi de by 2'1. In . high by 51'1. In. long·

- - - ' - - End cap, 2 in. wide by 2V. In. high

Tenon,'l, In. thick by 1'1. In. wide by 1'/. In. long

To p
2 1n.

Stopped chamfers on stretcher parts. 'I. In. wide

Tenon, 14ln. thick by 2 In. wide by 3'1. In. long

-

ANATOMY OF

Leg, 2'~ In. square by 29 In. long

A HAYRAKE TABLE Thick stock, through·tenons, and heavy chamfers add tlmber·freme charm. Use rlft-sawn stock for the legs and stretcher to get straight grain lines on all the faces of the parts.

lln.~

1'~

In.

36

•

•

, Mortise. 1'1, in.

(,,,,.,,,.'1'1. In.

Mortise. lV. ln. sQ.

Shoulders,

in. high

6'1> In.

i-<'- 3V. In.

11n.

)1

341n.

10(

c:::;:

--'- f.

. :~. .

f-
*Not e: On dimensions marked with an asterisk. exact lengths of parts wil l be determlne<1 during the construction process.

T2 In.

C/' 14"11.. In.

.

2'1. In.

ENOAPRON

(~ 'I>ln.

CENTER STRETCHER

,.

.~

~

2 In.;.j f-o;2141n.

-

..-. c'i. .

.

:>, .-:

[] ) ,I

-

11<-,------,, ;,.~·-----~,I

FINE woonWOkKING

10(

13'/, in.

r-

. '. J T3 In. :(

Tackle the hayrake stretcher The stretcher BrrQY gives the lable It5 farmhouse lIelr, but the angled stretchers and curved cap on each end also present t he biggest Joinery challenge 01 the project. Breaking down Ihe constru ction Into simple steps 15 Ihe key to success.

Leave the center stretcher and

Y-stretchers long until after cutting the joinery that connects them.

Cenler stretcher V-stretchers start out 211n. long.

_ /

starts out 54 In. long.

MAKE THE ANGLED MORTISES Start by cutting a througlHnortlse In the center stretch"r. To create the 45 • angled shoulders. clamp a 4 5 ' block In place (above) to use as a guide. Chop out a bit at /I tIme until the chl5611s restIng on the block (right).

you can get by 'with 8/4. Here's how. Reduce the thickness of the hayrake stretcher parts just Iii! in., to 171i! in., and glue up the 21'ft-in-.thick Icg stock from mn l llz_in._ dlick layers. Make sure the layers are f1atsawn so the glueline will be hidden in the straight grain lines on the edges. Mill all the parts to final \\'idth and thickness but leave all the stretcher pieces alxlUt 1 in. exrralong at thL~ point. Now you can launch into the stocky joinery, walking in the foot~teps of timberframers past. TIle legs are the p lace to start. Cut out the stopped chamfer at the top of the leg, and then create the slot. When the lower morti~e on th e leg L~ complete, chamfer the comers on the tablesaw.

Rake section Is easier than It looks The lov..'Cr stretcher system is where the fun begins. The Olrved and angled parts look daunting, but if you tackle the joinery o n e step at a time , it's really nO{ th at tough. The Olrved end cap actually simplifies the joinNOW THE ANGLED TENONS

leave the stretchers long end mIter one end using an angle guide on a tab/esaw sled (above). Install a dado blade lind adjust your m~ ter gauge so thll eml of the piece Is flush with the rip fence, lind cut the tenon (rlgJrt). You'll have to relldjust the gauge for the o~ poslte face, but thll rfp fence can stay put. lllst, trim II triangle off the end, to fit the IIngled mortise (fllr rIght). Once tha IIngled and 15 dona. cut the sttetchar to length. tenon the opposlta lind. and flnelly cut the mort/sa for the end CliP.

MAY/]lJ :-< E 2012

37

Hayrake stretcher continued 2. END CAP: CUT THE TENONS BEFORE THE CURVES The end cap starls as a block with mitered ends. All of the Joinery Is cut at 45 ' engles, which the teblesew and bendsaw handle easily.

,~"~

;1 tl{~~~";~~,".~~'~I ) Tenon, 'Y. In. thick by 1'1. In. wide

More angled ahouldol'L Start by mitering the ends of the end cap on the teblesaw using the same sled that you used for the Y"<'ltretcher ends. This will ensure an exsct angle match between /III of the joints. TIIen cut the tenon chlHtks with a dado b/adfl as before (right).

cry. It allows you to cut mortises in the angled V-stretchers at 90° instead of 45°. The first task i~ to join the Y-strctchers to the center stretcher. The end~ eventually will be tenoned to fit the end caps, but leave the stretcher long for now, taking all measurement~ from ;t~ midpoint. Start by cuning th e through -mortises. noting that one shoulder on each side is cut at 45" to receive the diagonal stretchers. Cut a simple through -mortise, then chop the angled shoulder w ith a chisel as shown on p. 37. With the mortises done, tenon the Y-strctchers as shown on p. 37. Finally, use a backsaw to cut the tenon ends and clean them up 'with a block plane. With the angled tenons done, it 's quick work to cut the stretchers to length and

SCRAP BLOCK 16 THE SECRET " mortised bIoek aROws )VU to .~ tI'Ie Y·abett:hera end II'IIUtt tI'Ie efld.eep tllnone end QIf'IIt MthouI. the IOfIIi e.nter sb-.teher _ . In the

-.

..

=====~

lily out tire tenonL Dry-fit the Y-c'ltretchers to a mortised scrap block. TIIen place the end cap over the stretchers. slidIng It forward until Its shoulders are snug. Use a square to mark the mortise locations on the ends of the tenons.

Cut tIJe tenon ends on tile IHInd'saw. Use a miter gauge to guide the workpiece. flipping It backward In Its slot.

Now cut tIJe curve. Dr~fIt the end cap to the assembly and layout Its curves (Ieft).After sowing out the center of the end cap so you can mortIse for tha center stretcher tenon, cut the curves on the bandsaw (above).

38

FI N E woonWOkKI N G

With the end cap complete , you can use It to scribe the shoulders on the center rail and cut It to Its final length. Leaving the center rail long until now 15 the key to a gap-free assembly.

Transfer the carve. To scribe the curllfld tenon shoulders. dry-fit the stretchers and clamp on blocks

Cut • squ.,. shoulder, then pare to tHo

evan with the enrkap mortises (left). This elevates the end cap and lets you align It with the mortises so you can scribe the shoulder accurately on the center rail (right). To marie the bottom, extend the scribe marks down the rail sides. flip the rail and align the end cap to the marks, and scribe.

Cut the tenon with a dado blade, stopping short of the curved shoulder. Then use a chisel to pare to the scribe line.

tenon the ends to fit the leg mortises. While you're at it , bandsaw kerfs in the tenons for wedges. The last task is to cut the mortises that the end cap goes into.

How to handle the curved end cap The fi na l component of the hayrake stretcher is the end cap iLself. It~ construction is pretty simple because the joinery is cut while the stock is square. Miter the ends of the end cap o n the tablesaw, then tenon the end~. Set the end cap against a miter gauge and adjust the angle until the mitered end is flu~h 'with the rip fence, then cut the cheeks with a dado blade. Now locate the tenon ends using a SCT:J.p block as shov>'Il on the opposite page. Next, you'lI mortise for the center stretcher and cut the end cap to shape. l.ay out the curves a~ shown, but handsaw out .<;ome of the waste on the inside face to make mortising ea~ier. Cut the curved profile on the band~aw and clean up with a b lock plane and spokeshave. A spindle san der or sanding drum mounted in a drill press aLo;o works well for the inside face. With the end cap shaped. tenon the center stretcher and cut it to length (see photos aoove).

Drawbore pins replace clamps It would be difficult to get clamps on thi~ odd-shaped stretcher assemhly for glu ing. So, I created a self-damping joint using drawbore pegs. It looks like a simple pegged joint. but the holes in the pans www.fi .... w oodworki ng .co m

All togetltel_. All of the pieces come together at once. bit by bit. When flnfHunlng the fit, keep In mind that the top face of the stretcher Is most crltJcal. Fel free to flip It to put the best side up.

are s lightly offset so that when th e peg is d riven in, it pulls the joint together tightly. I also added "''edges in most of the throughtenon~. They add extra strength, and also close any visible gaps. I don't angle the moni-;es , but just kerf the tenons, drive in thin wedges. a nd trim t hem flush.

Smart methods for thick chamfers The last task before a ssembly is to chamfer the parts. These chamfers were origi-

nally made by hand wi th a drawknife . I wanted to keep the han dmade look, but I sped things up a bit by using a router for most of th e work. The trick is to rout the cha mfer, stop short of the en d lines, and then usc a chisel to fini~h it. This way, the c hamfer flows smoothly from pan to pan. T find it ea~iest to dry-fit the parts and rout the chamfers a~ a unit. J U.s e a light touch and rout in the climh-cut direction to avoid tearout. As long as you don't t::Ike too heavy MAV/JlJ :-< E 2012

39

Offset pins take the place of clamps The angl ed and curved parts of the hayrake stretcher are nearty Im possible to clamp fo r glue-up. Instead, drawbore pegs driven Inlo Intentiona ll y misaligned ho les pu ll the Joints together tightly. It's 8 time-tested method fo r both assembli ng an d rei nforcing Joinery.

By offsetting the tenon peg ho les slightly toward the shou lder. the

Get ready for glue-up

mortised Joint wil l be drawn

tight as the peg Is driven In.

Tenon hole Is offset.

DrHl through tile mortIHd ~rtL In5M! e scrap Into the mortise to prevent blowout Inside.

VIDEO WORKSHOP watch Pf!kovlch build this lable from

start to fi nish In a membe rs-only video at FlneWoodworklng. com/extras .

Mark e nd d rill tINt tenon. With the holes drilled. dry-flt the parts again end Insf!rt the drill bit Into each peg hole, giving It a twist to mark the center point (1). Disassemble the parts end mark a new center point '..i:z In. toward the shoulder of the tenon from the drlll-blt mark (2) . Insert a plflCfl of scrap below the tenon to prevent blowout when drllllng (3).

40

a pa<;s, the router vvon·t get away from you. Stay well away from intersections. After routing the top and OOllom faces o f the stretcher assemhly, mark the joint in tersections and disassemble the parts. Use a chisel to complete the chamfer. Small irregularities are a good thing , hut avoid chiseling deeper than the routed chamfer.

FI N E woonWOkKI N G

I make my own pegs, ripping stock to ~f!-in. square and then pounding it through a dowel plate (lie-n ielsen.com). I cut the pegs long and taper the leading end w ith a pencil sharpener so that it can dear the offset holes. I lightly chamfer the top of the pegs because they are left slightly proud of the surface. To ensure a consistent peg height, I drill a shallow hole in the end grain of a scrap block and position it over the peg when driving it in. Assemhly begins by gluing up the hayrake streteher (see photos, opposite). When both ends are assembled, flip the stretcher over and trim the bottoms of the pegs nush. With the stretcher glued up, dry-fit the legs and measure for the upper stretcher frame. llcc:ause of all the odd an-

Assemble from the stretcher up

G,ue up th. ".)Teke stretch.r. Wipe a thin coat of shellac on the end grain of the throLlgfl-tenons to prevent glue from 5{)8klng In. let It dry. thftn glue and assemble the parts one em/at II time. Start thft pegs In the ho/e and gradually drive them In until the Joints are fully seated. 11111n drIVe them 1111 the way home.

A..emb,. tile re.t of tile be.e. Start by gluing the legs to the hayrake stretcher, but don 't drive In the wedges Just yet. Before you do thet, Its Important to Install the upper eprons to help square up the entire assembly. Then drive W&dges Into the througlHflnons In the legs, and peg the IIpper frame Joints.

g1es, it's bener to take dimensions from the workpiece rather than a set of plans. Start by measuring between the legs to locate the bridle joinL~ on the end apron~. CUI the bridle on the tablesaw with a dado blade. Then cut dlC corbel profiles on the cnd~ and morti<;e for the front and rear apmn~. Fit the end aprofl~ in place and measure between them to detennine the shouldcr-to-shouldcr length of the long aprons. Tenon the long aprons , then roUl sJoL~ for the wooden hunons that secure the top. Finally, glue up the apron frame and drive wedges into its through-tenons. Assemble the rest of the hase as shown.

Keep the color light English Arts and Crafts furniture tend~ to he lighter in color than Stickley-style furniture. So, even though I fumed the white oak with ammonia, I didn't fume it as long as I normally do, jusl a couple of hours. I also used the weaker janitorial-strength ammonia instead of the industrial-strength. The result was a nice golden tone. I warmed it up further by wiping on a thin coat of garnet shellac before finL~hing with Waterlox, a rung-oil-hased wiping vami~h. 0 Michael Pekovich is the art director and a professional woodworker on weekends.

n.e top I. eHeched wlUl buttons.. The tabletop won ·t be attach&d to the base untJ/ after finishing, but Pekovlch pre-drilis for the buttons now.

M"'Y/JlJ ~ E

20t2

41

ver the years I have reviewed many wonderful hand tools for Fine Woodworking, from handplanes to chisels to spokeshaves to hacksaws, So when they asked me to take a look at electric grinders, I was a bit befuddled and hesitant. It didn't take long to reconsider. After all, grinders are a vital [001 in the woodshop, for shaping plane irons, ch isels, gouges, and knives before they arc honed to a poli~hed edge. They also excel at reshaping tooL~, such as ~ralch stocks and scrapers, and creating skew chisels for dovetailing, For this TCview, we narrowe d the field to 8-io. variable- or slow-speed machines. [ prefer 8-io. models. The shallow hollow leaves more material behind the bevel. We capped [he price at 5200, a point we thought made sense for such a o n c dimensional tool. That left us with five grinders, from Craftsman, General International, Penn State Industries, Porter-Cable, and Woodcraft. To evaluate the machines, I first considered the usefulness of the stock tool rest, the most important feature. Then I judged the overall quality of the wheels, checking them for roundness and for runout. Finally, I evaluated other features and accessories, and then judged the machines on how well they performed the basic tasks of shaping plane irons and bench chi<;cls.

O

has the biggest mol-rest platforms. Both It and the Porter-Cable are easily adjusted. Unfortunately, aach ana has detentsln the adjustment machanlsm that limit the angle settings. A simple fill Is to place a washer spacer over the detents (above).

NOT USABLE

Are the tool rests good enough? A tool rest should be sized to accommodate wide plane blades as well a s chisels, and should move in and out to ensure that the platfonn stays \I,~thin 1,1\ in. of the wheel for safety. The platform needs to he flat so that tools slide easily on it. It also needs to he adjustable to handle different sharpening angles, and the angle should remain fixed as you grind. Unfortunately, woodworkers are not the primary market for these machines, so most of the tool reSL~ fall shon _

Made for meta#Worl(el1l7 Most of the tool rests we ... subpar, Including one on the Porter-Cable (left). which has a trough for drill bits raking across the platfonn that worn let you grind chisels accurately. Platfonns on the Penn State (right) and General International can 't be angled at all.

BEST FIX

The dual with wheels Years ago , when you purchased a grinder you did so knowing tha t you would immediately replace the hard, hot-running silicon-carbide wheels on it with softer wheels. Not anymore. Each grinder I reviewed is equipped with soft but long- wearing aluminum -oxide

Easy IIPtr_des.. 11Ie best soM/on to a faulty tool rest Is to Invest In an aftermarket model, such as tha Varttas (ieft, $50), which took Best Overall and Best Va/ua ln a head-to-head comparison (FWW 11174). Another o~ lion Is the WolVerine Jig (above, $88), which comas with both a flat rest and a claver arm for turning tools.

MAY/]tJ :-< E 20t2

43

While their wheels are state-of-the-art, all of the grinders In Ihls group have problems with the other critical part of Ihe machine: the tool rests. Because 01 Ihat, we decided to award only a Best Value. to the Porler-Cable.

CRAFTSMAN 21162 Street price : $ 170 Source: c rafts man .com Speed: Va riable. from 1,745 t o 3 .450 rpm Wheels : 1 in . wide; 60..grit, b ras s wi re Runout: 0 .0 0 5 In.

PORTER -C ABLE PCB5 7 5 BG

Tool rest: 4 1{, in, by F l. in .

Street price : $119

This grinde r has the biggest tool-rest

Source: Lowes, lowes.com

plalforms 01 alilhe grind ers. and they were flat. Angle adj ustm ents were easy to

Speed: Variable , f rom 2,000 to 3.400 rpm

make via a thumbscrew, but detents In the

Wheels: lin. wide: 120 grit, 36 grit , Runout : 0 .005 In . (a fter f lange adjustment )

machanlsm had to be overridden by a washer spacer (see p. 43 ). Once set. the platforms

Tool rest : 2;-, In. by 1;-, In.

held their seltlngs. But depth adjuslments.

The Porter-Cable has one usable tool reslthat's ground flat; the other has a dr1l1lrough cast

which are needed whenever the angle Is changed. require a wrench, wh ich Is a hassle,

Into tha platform , making It useless for narrow chisels. That 's too bad because the rests are the easlast of the group to adjust via thumbscrews. The only Inhibit ing factor In the angle

The grinder was the only one In the grou p Ihal did not experience severe runout. so

edjustments Is Ihe detents In the mechanism that limit the settings; I had to override them with

no flange adjustmenl (opposlle page) was

e washe r spacer (top right phOIO, p. 43 ). Once sel, the platforms held their settings. The grinder ra n with very little vibration. after adjusting Ihe flanges to correct wheel wobb le. The Porter-

needed. But the machine's brass wire wheel 15 essentially useless for woodworkers and

Cable comes with a diamond wheel dresser and a handy work I!gtlt. At $120. you 'lI have some money left over 10 replace one of the tool rasts with an excellent aftermarket version (see p. 43).

caused a lot of vibration. The work IIghl

wheels. The wheels run cooler and are friable, meaning they break down in u-;c, exposing new sharp edges. Over:all, the quality of the wheels was good, though each machine required some wheel work C-;ce opposite page). Most grinders in this review come "'~th a coar.-;c wheel (34 or 36 grit) and either a medium (60 grit) or fine (120 grit) wheel. For grinding tool steel, you are hener off with a coarse or medium-gri t wheel.

Speed changes are rare, but it's nice to haye the option When spinning at the same rpm, 8-in. wheels generate higher surface speed~ than 6-in. wheel~. That's an advantage and a curse. The bigger wheel removes metal quickly, but the by-product of that increa.-;cd speed i~ increa.-;cd heat. With the high-carbon 1001 steel in plane irons and chi-;cl blades, excessive heat can ruin the temper and hardness of the cuning edge. That's why you want

44

FI N E

woonWOkK1NG

comes In handy.

slow speed w ith 8-in. machines, which I use for most sharpening jobs. But h aving a higher specd option comes in handy for rapid stock removal, say if I were blunting the tip of a chi.-;cl to make a skew. High speed is also preferable for dressing the wheels.

Best of the bunch While testin g the macbines, I discovered that none is perfect. Each has major flaws with it~ tool rest~, and in all cases I'd recommend replacing at least one of the stock rest~ w ith an aftermarket one. Because of that fatal flaw, we decided to choose only a Best Value, the Porter-Cable. On e o f its tool rests was usa ble, and it comes w ith a dresser a nd work light. It also was the least expensive, making the cost of an aftemlarket tool rest easier to swallow. 0 Chris Gochnour is a professional furniture maker in Salt Lake City.

GENERAL I NT' L 1 5-825 M1

PENN STATE INDUSTRIES GRIND 2 X

WOOD C RAFT 150780

Street price: $190

Street price : $160

Street price : $125

Source: toolking.com

Source : pennstateind .com

Source : woodcraft .com

Speed: 1,725 rpm

Speed: 1,720 or 3,450 rpm

Speed: 1 ,725 rpm

Wheels : >f. in. wide; 60 grit, 34 grit

Wheel l : 1 in . wide ; 120 grit, 60 grit

WheelS : 1 in . wide; 120 grit, 60 grit

Runout: 0 .014 In. (after f lange adjust ment)

Runout: 0.007 In.

Runout: 0 .006 In . (after flange adjust ment)

Tool relt : 2'11 In . by l'o'.ln .

Tool relt : 2"/1 In . by 1'1. In .

Tool rest : 2'/. in . by 1 V. in . like those on the Genera l International , the The Generellnternatlonal grinder Is the only machine with a "A-In.-wlde wheel. The too l rests can move In or out by loosening end

tool rests on the Grlnd2X are not a bright spot. Each Is a one-pIece casting that can move In and out, but lacks an adjustable

tightening two bolts with 8 wrenCh, but they are cast roughly end can·t be angled In any

platform (one platform also has a drill bit trough cast Into It). The platforms are

way, making them almost useless. On the

relatively flat, but beca use they can't be

other hand. the Generalis a very smooth-

angled, grinding a chisel or plane Iron evenly Is a big challenge. The plastiC shields had

runnIng grinder, with very little vibration (after adjusting the flange).

a hard time staying put while the mach ine was running.

The Woodcraft grinder has two-plece tool rests with relative ly f lat bu t small platforms. The rests and platforms can be edJusted, but the j ob requires a wrench. which Is a hassle. But once dialed In, the tool rests held their settings well. The biggest prob lem with the Woodcraft In this review 15 that It vibrated a lot. even after I corrected the w heels for runout and dressed them.

Before you grind A grinder will give you fitl If It'l vibrating excesllvely. somatlmes the vibration Is caused by the grinder not being mounted securely. But often vibration can be traced to the wheels .

A common cause Is run out , a situation in which a wheel wobbles from side to sIde . Runout often is caused by the pressed steel flanges , which h-oId the wheel on the shaft, not allOwing the wlteel to run true. Vibration elso can be caused by an out-of-i"ound wheel . Fortunately, both problems have simple solutiOns. If neither fix works , the shafts of the machIne could be

a reference III1ft on the Inside flange (top). In a spot you can see while the wheelis on. Then mark the outer flange and place It on the shaft (bottom). Spin the wheel by /land. checking for runout by eye or with a dial Indicator. "you find It. rotata tha outar flange about an elgllth of a turn, and re-checll. Repeat until the runout has been minimized.

liet dressed. A diamond wheel dresser not only trues the wheel. but It also exposes fresh abrasives, making tile wheel run coo/ef and more

efficiently.

t. Onlin e Extra For a free video on how to grind perfect bevels with no burning. go to FlneWoodworking.comjextras .

bent and youlhould ratum It. .I ,1AY/]II N E 2012

45

Speed Up Your Work with

acer TENONS

Little blocks simplify all kinds of joinery BY

ALAN

TURNER

he old :>:lying "mell.~urc twice, cut once" is certainly sound advice, hUI if you need 10 parts of identical length fOf a project, your accuracy-and your speed-will go OUI the door. To make these repeal Clll~ quic kly and accurotcJy, mO~1 woodworkers rely on fences and SlOp block~. nut what If you could change the position of a stop block fOf other CUI.~ on the same piece, without having 10 unc1amp, rcmeasurc, and rc<::lamp? Enter spacer blocks. UI!Cd with fences and stop hlocks, spacer block.~ proVide a quick way 10 1110\'e dle workpiece exact distances for cutting, boring, mortising, and rnhcr tasks. You can usc them 10 move your work closer to, or ranhcr away from , the hlade or bit. So you can lock in a final setting on the fence and then rake multiple passes as you remove spacer bJock.~, rather than readjusting the fence. J've developed 10l~ of ways to U.o;c spacers to speed up my machine setups. Once )"01.1 try a few, you'll find even more great usc.~ for these righteous rectangles.

T

Alan Jilmer teaches at Philadelphia Fumiture Worlcshop.

ONE - STOP ACCURACY FOR MORTISES

M

ost woodworkers who own a hollow-chlsel mortlser will lay o ut every mortIse In pencil and cut to the line. This Is not only tedious but also Increeses the chances

f or InKcurae)', especIally at the e"ds of the mortise. However, It Is easy to cut Identical mortises us ing a specer block and a stop block-and you 'll only have to layout the Joint o nce. Clamp a stop block to the fence to position the chisel at one end of the mortise. Then cut a s pacer block equal to the full length of the mortise, less the size of the mortise chisel . Now you can quickly make the end hol es and then nibble out the middle. You will not have to cut to a penc il line agaIn , end all of ),our mortises will be Identical In length and position.

stop block • • ta tIN nrst Set

.mf.

the stop block to cut the bottom of the mortise.

Slap block, clamped 10 tence

Workpi ece

____ .J

3".... In. S~eer

II" •• up

til. other &lid. Next, Insert a spacer btock that Is the length of the mortise minus the wfdth of the chisel.

Spacer block

L

\:

2 ........ In. (morllse length min us chisel width)

QuIeIc and easy; After you\te cut the top ofthe morttse (rlgtrt). remove the spacer bIoek and nibble out the rest freehand. Make a serles of cuts leal'Ing small webs of wood between them (the chisel cuts straighter that way), and then clean out the webs (far right). MAY/]lJ :-< E 201 2

47

TWIN MORTISE-AND-TENONS THAT FIT PERFECTLY utting a twin mortls_nd·tenon can

a couple of spacers add speed, accuracy,

be a trtcky affair. The joint has t o be

and repeatability.

C

aligned in different directions , the morti s-

Cut the mortiSes before the tenons.

es must be spaced evenly, and the tenons

As in the earlier mortising example, set a

have t o fit them perfectly. When USing this

stop block t o cut one end of the mortises,

joint to Join a drawer rail to a case side or

and then make a spacer that is equal to

leg, any slop In the fit will translate to a

length of the mortise , minus the size of the square chisel .

weak Joint or a crooked rail . laying out

the mortises In pencil, as most wood-

That takes care of the length of the mortises; now space them out. Set the

workers w o uld, Invites error. But

.........

Add. second

....... t. TIlls spacer

~::~:::~:~~~;:;:~:~~~. ~"~se mortise. b

lengtll of this first

II

sets th& distance between the mortises and Is cut long to fully support th& workpiece. Note that If th& mortises are not precisely c&nt&red on the leg. you'll have to /'8VD/'S& th& S&tup for th e opposlt& leg.

spacer a lind

stop

~ j, [top block

block ~.o-In.

mortise

chise l

spacer block

48

+rl-

' - - aAo In. (length of mortlse minus the width of the chisel)

FI N E wo o nWO kK 1N G

Mortise length. ." In.

-->

""

spacer block

Long spacer block

'Ao In.

It"mI

~

\

-

% In. distance between (he

two Inner e<1ges of the mort ises plus the width of the chisel)

••

Jlg:.:;':"~m~.~'::.~:',":'.:,~,::":~,"~,~:,~;,~,e:~~~'~:,::;:.:;~~~~;:.,:~,

workpiece In your tenoning (rlgJIt), checking the fit by InsertIng the workpiece partway Into one of the mortises.

fence to cut the mortise ferthest from

It , and rip a second, long spacer equal

C;, ,.. ..m" cheeks. Use a sIngle setting on your Jig and Just flip the workpiece. TIp: You can keep the toggle clamp at the seme setting throughout /fyou use a caul the width of your future spacer (see below).

1<--- Tenon Width, "Ao in.

to the distance between the two inner edges of the mortises plus the width of the chisel. Cut the outer mortise,

1.,/11--

Spacer b lock

and Insert the long spacer against the fence to perfectly position the leg for the second mortise.

--11--

V.. ln. (tenon width plus blade kerf width)

With the double mortises complete , another spacer setup ensures perfectfitting double tenons. After cuttIng the shoulders at the tablesaw uSing the miter gauge, you normally might set your tenoning JIg to cut the outer cheeks of the tenons,fllpping the workpiece over

Blade width, 'AI In.

in the process, and than readjusting the fence to cut the two Internel cheeks. But the eddltional fence adjustment adds the risk of meking your tenons too thick or too thin. Instead, you can simply set the Jig once to cut the outside and inside cheeks . After making the cuts that form the ends of the tenons , set your tenoning Jig to cut the outside cheeks the normal way, end check to be sure they line up with the outsides of the double mortise. Then, Without readjusting the jig,lnsert a spacer aqual to the thickness of the tenon plus the blade's kerf, and cut the inner cheeks of the tenons, again Just flipping the work over between cuts. You should end up with perfectly mating mortises and tenons. www.fi .... woodworking.com

Spacer bloc/( . .m up the I"s"" cuts. The blade will next cut the Inside cheeks, so the spacer should be the width oHhB tanon plus the blada kerf width (left). As with the tenon cheeks. youJust flIp the workpiece to make the second cut (right).

MAY/]lJ :-< E 201 2

49

A COMPLETE BRIDLE JOINT WITH SPACERS or bridle Joints, many woodworkers

spacer and cut the outside, and nibble the

use a stack&d dad o head and careful

remaining middle waste , If any. Aip the

F

layout to make a series of cuts In the rail , f orming a tenon of sorts , and then moving to the bandsaw t o cut the matching slot

workpi&e8 over and do the same on the othor side to form a centered tenon . Spacer blocks simplify the deep s lot

In the post. Gettfng a perfect fit this way

in the post, too. Flrst, make a test cut on

Is not only difficult, but tedious.

the bandsaw and measure the width of the

Again, a spacer block Is the answer and by now, you probably can guess at

kerf. Set the bandsaw fence to cut one

the process. For the rail dadoes, set a

the width of the tenon you alr&ady cut ,

s ingle stop block Just once so that the cut

minus the kerf thickness. Place the spacer

farthest from the end is defined by that

between the work and the bandsaw fence,

distance. Then use a spacer block as wide

and make the second cut . With just two

as the dado you want (here the width of

quick cuts, you have outlined a slot that

the post), minus the width of the stacked

will fit the tenon perfactly. All that's left Is

dado head. Make the Inside cut, Insert the

removing the waste .

side of the slot, and then make

a spacer

Stop block for 0". side. Cutting against the stop block daflnes tha first wall o( thlt two opposJta dadoes. Sto p block "'~o,~,' to fence

,--------, Da do Wi dth,

'" .

Oado-head width.

'I, In.

,1 k--

Spacer blockfor tile oUNN" aide. After you'Ve ma de the first cuts on both sides o(the rail, add the spacer to maklt the cuts at the other end o( the dadoes. Then Just nibble away the wood between them.

Spacer block

1ln. (dado width m inus da do blade Width)

50

F.~P.

MAKE A MATCHING SLOT

"',.t"'.

Cut the At tM b611dS3W. the stoj:J b1oc11 sets the depth. 11Ie fenee settlnt determines the

~tlon

of the slot.

fence to cut the first side of the slOl

M_,. tIM

,., ..........

AlJd tIN spacer

/(Mf

tllref.,Iy. Measure the kerf width 01 your belldYW bI.MIe end IISII that measurement

cart. Sized correct/)'. It gllBflIntees e perfect mbetween tenon end slot.

to CIIlculete tM

spacer width.

Spac er Kerf width,

~. I n. _~~.~

7

Width of slot. ~ In.

~u In. (width of slot minus kef! wkttll)

""" tohIt arnW )'HI lilt tIN bIoc:k. Me1/4 sure your stop b1odr. Is thlckef Ulan YOllr specII', or It won't stoj:J the WCJf1(pIecfI durlng

this seoolld cul.

www. f inewoodwo rkln g .co m

.\t A Y IJ IJ ~· P.

20 1 2

51

~I\I!

WOODWOIllo;f\G

any in my career as a furniture maker, a client asked me to design and huild an entry table. The client 'wanted an elegant piece and the practicality of drawers that would open aU the way, giving full access to the content~. If I didn't come up with a unique solution, I would be stuck with those convenient but ugly commercial meul slides. With some forethought and trial-and-error, I developed a system that supports a drawer when pulled completely out of the case using attractive hardwood slides that hannonize with the piece. J huilt my first set of these slides 25 years ago. That set is still gaing strong, and I am still building and installing these drawer slides the same way. The process isn't hard. Beyond a couple of spedal tapping bil~ and a full-si7.c plan, all it really cajL~ for i~ a linle eXira care and patience. In the example I built for this article , I used thick , solid case sides, bUl the technique can also be adapted for u<;(' with a framc-and-panc1 case or a traditionally framed opening

E

WORK FROM A FULL-SIZE PLAN Pick up measurements fro m the drawing to guide mach ine setups. Then compare cuts In test pieces directly with the plan to make any needed adjustments.

SLIDE RIDES IN MATCHING GROOVES Hare's slide system carries the drawer on lengths 01 hardwood that ride In dovetailed grooves In the case and drawer side. An oversize drawer Iront conceals the slides and acts as e drawer stop when the drawer Is closed. LO(:ate stop sO rear half of drawer Is suppOrted by slide when

__

_--- ;'";"~';~r:stop: Brass round·head .... In. long. '1..20 NC

Outer stop Is an Allen setscrew, ... In. long. Y.·20 NC Access ho le

", ;;"~;,;,,

Make slide length about equal to drawer length.

.'"~"'"

In drawergroove s ide

grooves on each side

J

Sliding dovetail attaches front. FRONT VIEW

Dovetail grooves In case side

hides slide.

Case side

Allen setscrew stop

Brass screw stop

--~

Case side Sl ide

Drawer side 11n.

¥.In.

www.fi .... woodworking.com

MAY/]lJ :-< E 2012

53

One slide per side A single hardwood slide

~

,

Groove for stops

maillS wit h doveta iled

v. total length

'I

grooves In both the drawer

lind elise s id es to create

-~ ----

full.extenslon action. Stopped grooves and screws limit the trave l.

'Y' ln~

~

I'

'I. total length

------------

------

• Case slde.-J

----

setscrew, 'A In. dla.

, --

--------

TO P VIEW

for a table drawer. In any case. the results, as you'll see, arc beautiful enough for a finely made piece of furniture.

Fence

Dovetail bit, 14° angle

A blueprint for success

11n.

Slide

-

I Rout ate V. Mark the midpoint of the stock lind set the bit helgJIt so that the cut doesn't touch the top half. With the top and bottom of the dOVfltal1 cut, you may be left with a thin line down the center that can be snapped off by hand.

ROUT THE GRO OVES Fence

)

cut the . topped grooves. Use a stop on the router table fence and pivot the workpl&ee up when you reach It. Remember that the groaves are on opposing faces and start at opposite ends of the slide.

"'III . cee. . b o .... In IIIIC/) slide. drill II IhrougJr-lto le centered In the stopped end of one groove. This hole provides access to the Inside of the elise slae during Installat/on of the drawer stops.

FI N E woonWOkK1 N G

When bu ilding tbe piece. it's important to locate the dovetailed grooves that hold the slides aa:urately so that the drawer hangs properly in iL~ opening. A full-scale drawing helps with this by showing exactly where to cut each groove. It also leL~ you check each machine setup by cutting a test piece and laying it directly on the plan for comparison. Finally, a drawing helps you pl an the layout for the dovetails at the drawer's baek come rs. The cente r pin, on the drawer's side, should be wide enough to let you cut the groove for the slide without cutting into the joinery,

A sliding dovetail that really slides

Core box b it, 'f. In. dla .

54

oJ

Drawer side

ROUT THE BEVELS ~

~ ~ccess ho le lor

SI DE VI EW

I begin building by cutting the dovetailed slides, hecause I can ll';e them to check and adju<;t the fit of the dovetailed grooves that v.ill house them. For the slides, use a hardwrxx:l with straight gt":lin. Maple works well, but I favor wenge because it lasL~ forever :Ind the dark color contrasts :Ittractively v.ith :I variety of other wo(xls. To extend a drawer fully, the slides must be as long :IS the drawer i~ deep , excluding the front. I make most slides 0/4 in. thick by 1 in. high. Keep the grain straight when milling; any runout ca n evenrua1iy cause the slidc.~ to bind. Be sure to mill up a couple of test bJank~. I profile the slides at the router table , using a 14° dovetail bit to rout a V-shape into the top and bottom of e:Ich slide. Precise setup is crucial. Set the bit height :It :VB in. :Ind position the fence for a test cut just deep enough to angle the e ntire bottom half of the 3/4_in. face , without touching the oUL~ide comer. Now nip the test piece and make another pass to create the V. IL~

Slot the case sides and drawer sides Work from your full-s lze plans to determ ine exact ly where these grooves should go.

1. Starting with t he drawe r sides, use 8 dado set on the tablesaw to waste away the center of the dovetail groove.

WorkpIece

2. Finish at t he router table w ith a doveta il bit. Use m easu remen ts f rom the fu ll~ca le drawing to locate the fen ce.

'-'A.o In.

Wor kpiece

Dado blade

'V•• In.

BuIld III aom e play. A slIghtly oversize groove wlI' help prevent the slide from Jamming due to humidity changes. Sat the bit a bout 'I.. In. lower than you did for cuttIng the slides. Sand the grooves with an anglBd block for

11n.

Dovetail

'"

..

"'I.. in.

CUSTOMIZE A SANDIN G BLOCK For th e grocwes , creale a sand ing block by rippi ng the edges 10 Ihe same angle as the dcwetall bit. Dovetail

smooth travel.

bonom should be perfectly centered and show no lapping of the CUK Use a ma chini~t's square [0 check thaI the out~ide comers remain square after cutting a complete tail. Once the serup is right, profile all the slides at one time for consistency. The Ia.~t step is to cut a stopped groove in each side of the slide to house the stops. Use a 3/i:1_in. core-box bit in the router table. Adjust the bit height to 3116 in. , and set the fen<:e to <:enter the bit on the slide. For each slide, rout a threc-quaner-length groove on one side. then flip the pie<:e and rout a mat<:hing groove on the opposite side and from the opposite end. Afterward. drill a 3t11-in.-dia. hole at the stopped e nd or one groove on e ach slide.

The slide Is only as true as Its groove Your carefully machined slide;; now need a carefully matched set of dovetailed grooves

ease aides follow suit. Use YOLir full~lze plans again to carefully locate the grooves In the case sides, and Lise the same tablesaw and routar-table techniques to CLit them.

MAV/]lJ :-< E 20t2

55

Assembly. step by step There are slops In the case that keep the slide from coming all the way out, and similar ones In the drawer sides.

.

-. -UtnNNfL 71Ie setscrew

DrIll for th_ first afop. Mark the case side at the point wIIere the access hole falls when the slide Is Inserted II Ilttlll more than II quarter of the way Into the case. Use /I guide bloc/( liS shown to keep the drill straight; II piece of tape marks the bit depth. A ~...In. brlld-polnt bft centftfS easily lind cuts cleanly.

to amy them. The grooves mu'it he cut to the right .~ize for the ~lidC!) 10 move smoothly, and located accur:alely for the drawers 10 hang properly with even gaps between them. Fortunately, the task L~ str:Iightforv.:ard and essentially the same for both drawer sides and case sides. It involves taking measurement~ from the full-scale drawing for machine setups that are then fine-tuned with cut~ on full-si7.e test pieces. Start at the tablesaw, using a dado set that i~ l,.1I in. narrower than the n(lCk of the finished groove. Set the height 1/16 io. lower than the finished depth of the groove. On the drawing, measure from the top of the drawer side to the groove opening. Add 1/16 in. to account for the narrower dado stack, and use this measurement to set the fence. After plowing a groove in a test piece, check the groove's location by setting the workpiece directly on the drawing for compari.<;(.m . When the fence is located correctly, cut the grooves in all of the draw_ er sides. Now repeat the entire process for the grooves in the case sides, using the top of the case side a~ the starting point for your mea.~urement on the drawing. (By the way, if you are making your case from open-pored \Vl)(x:! or veneered plywood, it's a good idea to inlay a strip of maple in each groove location before

56

FI N E woonWOkK1 N G

that serves as the stop In the case side can 't cut Its own threads, so you 'll need to cut them using 8 standard '1'....20 NC tllp. available at Amazon.com lind online hardware dealers. Follow up with II Vo-20 bottoming tap to thread the hole aI/ the way to the bottom.

Inat.II the

setaerew. With the slide In the groove. Insert the screw through the access hole and Into the threaded hole In the

case. Continue turnIng the screw until the

slide moves freely In Its slot but Is halted by the

stop.

cuning the grooves so that the slide has a smoother bearing surface to ride against. Cut the inlay morri-;c with the dado head. making it 1(4 in. ""'ider and I/S in. deeper than the finished groove will be) With all of the square grooves cut. move to the router table to finish the dovetail. Measure on the drawing from the top o f the drawer side or case to the dovetailed comer at the txmom of the groove. Usc

these measurements to set the fence for each angled ""':Ill in rum, using the lip of the router bil as a reference. Sel the bit about 3/64 in. higher th an you set the dado cutter at the tablesaw, to deepen the entire groove as you are cuning Ihe angled walls. After cuning the ang led walls in a te st piece, check the fit of the slide and adjust if needed. The fit should be snug, not tight. A light sanding will create a little

Locst. til • •• cond stop. To locate the stops In the drawer sides, extend the hardwood slides completely and place the drawer on them In the posItion where you want Its travel to stop. Make sure tha top of the slide Is markad to show where the Inner groove ends.

extra space. You want ahout breathing ITX>m all around.

\132

in. of

Fit each slide with a pair of stops Each slide gel~ two slOpS. One keeps the drawer atrached to the slide and the other keeps the slide from coming om of the case. Each stop consisl~ of a screw that bonoms om in one of the grooves on each side of the slide. To keep the slide in the case, I use an Allen sel<;erew driven into the case side through the acces.~ hole in the slide. First drill and tap the hole in the case. Install the sel~crew, then check the clearance by moving the slide hack and forth while holding it tight against the gITX>ve. If you feel any friction from the ~rew, set it in a little deeper and check that the slide doesn't skip past the stop. If it feels loose, hack om the screw a linJe hit. To keep the drawer on the slide , I use a hras.~ round-head screw driven from inside the drawer. Where you locate thi~ stop determines how far the drawer will open. Stan hy mounting the drawer on the slides in the case and then pulling the slides and drawer om until you reach the desired opening- it should come OUl far enough www.fin .. woodworking.com

Install Ute stop. Transfer the marl! from tha top of the slide to marl! tha drawer side for drilling (left). Drill with a "'..In. Fuller taper bit. cut tha threads with your standard tJJpered tap. and then Insert the stop (right) from Inside the drawer while the drawer Is resting on the slides.

that you can see it~ entire contenL~. With the drawer fully extended, the slide should be roughly halfway OUl of the casework. Mark the drawer sides at the spot where the stopped grooves end, then remove the drawer, drill and tap through the side for the stop (see photo, above). Then put the drawer back on the slides and install the stop. To remm'e the drawer from the slide, unscrew the stop.

Sand all surfaces of the grooves and slides to P220-grit and lightly bevel all cornen; at the end~ of the slides. Don't apply finish, It can get sticky from the friction . Instead, ligh tly rub the surfaces with bar soap. The small amount of oil and vvax it contains works perfectly. 0 Rob Hare builds custom furniture in Ulster Park, N. Y. MAV/]lJ :-< E

20t2

57

"

ones because mey are non-yellnwi ng and retain brilliance bener. I"m goi ng 10 u.o;c a prc-c:U:lI}'7.00 version here, which has hctler dUr:lbiliry man a non-c:ata lyzcd bcquer :lOd is easier to apply man a pno;t-cataJyzcd b cquer. You can buy mi.~ type of Jacquer from Sherwin Williams or M.L C:lIllphcJl palm STores and, if you like, they Cln tint it to match an cxi.~ting color in your house.

PREP THE SURFACE A painted fin ish Is far less for"",,lnll 01 any surface defects Ihan a clea, finish 11,10 deal with these 1I"t.

A flawless finish needs perfect prep work Th e he .. t wood.~ for painting a re do.-.cpored, such as poplar, maple, pine, o r birch plywood. T he high-solid~ primcr that I'll use can fill medium-pore woods, but If you find yourself having to paint an open-pored 'w ood such as oak it wo uld he best to apply an oil-based grain filler first. 1 begin to prep the surfaces by filling any imperfections with water- or .'iOlvent based, natural-colored wood filler. Using a utility blade or flat sparula, J lay the wood filler imo any indentations, lcaving me filler .~Iightly proud of me surfacc. For minor indentations OCSli man '/16 in. deep and ~1I6 in. Wide), let the filler dry for one or two hours. Larger fills will require more drying time. N('J{{. I sand me whole surface up 10 PlfIO.. or P220-gril. Wrap the sandpaper around a sanding block for a .~rnOOl"h , even su rface. The block also ensures that the filled areas end up even witll tlleir surroundings. Since this project i.~ made fmm pine, 1 next apply a 2-lb. cut of shellac as a t;ealc r on any knot.. or .'iap pockct.~ . Wit hout ii, m e.<;c areas can emit resin m:1I e\'CnruaUy leac hes throUgh me finish. I apply a generous COOt of dcwa:xed shellac 10 any knots, spreading it away from me center of each knot to blend into the unsealed surface.~. I.et the shellac dry for about four hOOTS, o r untllltis nOlI:l.cky to the touch , th en 1Ight-

SOURCES OF SUPPLY

.'" ....

MOP BRUSHES Dlwis Intemal ronaSGroop mylands.com

'"

www. flnewoodwo rki ng.co m

Fin dents and ~ Oarke uses a IurIfe blade press wood filler Into a knothole.

'0

WHY IS THIS CAN UPSIDE·DOWN?

The manufacturer 01 Plasllc Wood Intentionally Inverts the label to encourage people to store the can lidslde-down. This old nnishe,'s trick keeps air from leaking In, and worl<.s well lor any finish thai tends 10 lIel Of harden In the can.

S.nd It flush, Usa P15O-grlt paper WflJpped around a corl<.faced blocH 01 a sanding sponge to IIMII tha filled area.

Iy dull the shellac with a purple abrasive pad, being careful not to cut through it.

Primer creates a smooth foundation

A pri mer formu lated for lacquer creates II flat. un lfom,-color ed surface for th e topcoat.

White lacquer primer i~ one of the hig secreK It builds a film that overcomes any imperfections too small to fill and it sands easily, leaving a flat, seamless surface devoid of grain texture, critical for a flawless finish. J work in a large, well -ventilated area; otherwise, I'd use a respirator. J reduce the primer approximately 40% with the manufacturer's recommended solvent. Thi~ i~ slightly thinner than for spraying but it makes the primer more workable

PRIMER RECIPE 60% Primer. 40% Thinner

-

r ....

""/nrted for bnlsh/~. To make It easier to brush. Clarke thins the primer with a lacquer thinner.

..., t.cllnIq_ fw ,.., . _ lInIoeIf, IIfNfI .",. .... Load the brush lind then ~ down a thick strip of flnlsll away from the edges (left). l7ten come back lind sprelld the finish out on both sides of the strip (center).After relolldlnt the brush, /lInd It an Inch or two from the wet arell (right). Now It, too, CIIn be sprHd out 0/1 both sides and will not create a ridge of excess finish.

.............

,...., .... AI'IIrr !lie I'IrIf coet "" dry, fIIIPIy!lle -.eond oo.t 01 ",1+, .. MCh tfIII ~ lKt,,1Ique. bIIt ptlipen.4I(''',rtotN hto,"*,,- tIM 1M "aopolbfwh nwtrI.

60

f ' ,\ P. WOOI)WORK I :"< G

and forgivi ng for a hand application. I prefer a large lacquer mop brush (sec sources of supply, p. 59) because of the amount of finish that it can carry, but a quality 2-in. narural-bri~tle flat brush is also a good choice. If possible, work on a horizontal surface, as this greatly reduce.~ the chance of runs. Tip cabinet~ onto their sides and let one side dry before ruming it over. Brushing tips for primer and lacquer-Both the primer and topcoat are app lied in the same way. I apply the first coat with the grain, staning a few inches from an edge and applying the finish about half the length of a nOTfT\a1 brush stroke. Then I go back and fonh to spread it out on each side of the initial brush stroke. After recbarging the brush, I land it about an inch or two away from the wet area. ensuring even mverage without a ridge of surpllL~ fin ish. On narrow moldings or details , I use a smaller "'6 or "'8 lacquer mop or a I-in.

n:lCUr;J.I·hristle flat bru~h. I lei this whole first coat dry at leas! one to two hours, depcndlng on tcmper:lture :lnd humidity, and then cv:lluatc the ~urface. Fill :lny im· perfections that may ha\OC been missed in the initial filling; let the mler dry one to ","'0 hours (or longer for larger areas), and then block·s:md the filled SpoL\. If the surface t~ f:lirly slllOOl:h (:lnd didn 't nccd more mUng), you can skip sanding as long as you apply the next COOl Within 60 to 90 mlnutc.~, tr you wait longer, or the ~urface is rough, sand it with P22()...grit pal>cr to smOOfh the SlJrf:lce ::lOd 10 create a mechanical bond with the next coal. To apply the ~ond primer COOt, r work perpendicular to the gr:lin, using the same technique. By applying coats alternately with and aero.'i.~ the grain, you minimi7.c a buildup of hrush line~ . If you are brush· ing a confined area, apply all the coats in the longer of the two directions. I allow thL~ coat to dry for :I minimum of twO to four hour.~, depending on temperature and humidity, hut overnighT is fine too. I repel! the horironral application for the third primer coat, lei that dry for two to four hours, :lnd then block·sand all the primed surf:lCC:S with P22()...grit sandpaper. IlL<;C a v:Jcuum with a bru.~ attachmenlto carefully rcmo\'c all the sanding dusL Wipe your hand aCfOS.'i the surface. If it comes up white. gently usc a tack cloth 10 remove any remaining dust.

Sand Ihe surface and deal wtth any remain ing

probtems before applyi ng a third coal of pllmer.

s..INI' ..ar coat.. ~uar primer Is deslgnfKI to be fIB5/1y sanded.

Wrap P22O-grIt " . per around a block for flat areas, and hold It In your f/f)+ gers for moldlnp.

R •• o•• ." doet. AItet" VllCUumlng tile surface. /fthtly wipe It with a tad! cloth 10 remove any remaining

...""'.

Apply topcoats until you get the desired look It's lime to apply the limed bcquer lOp-coat~, Start Ily thinning the lacquer by ap--prOlrimatcly 30% with the manufacturer's recommended sol\ocm and then add a fur· ther 10% in retarder. Thi~ gi\'es the lacquer time to flow out hcfore drying, minimizing brush marks. I apply the first coat across the grain. as dei\Cribed above, and leI it dry for a minimum of tWO to four hOUTS. Using P22()...grlt .'I::Indpaper :lOd :I block, I lightly ~nd thL~ coot to remove any surface dcbri~ and bru.~h marks, and then vacuum away the du.~t. I apply a second COJI of lacquer wilh the gr:lin, and then allow the workpiece to dry ovemight. Stop h ere? The next d3y I as.<;C..~ the ·workpiece. As long as there t.. no .~trcak· ing, and if you like a litlle grain p3l1Cm showing, then you can SlOp here. If de· sired, you can rub thc su rface with 0000 steel wool wrapped around a cork block

_ _ "-we ........ Jhe 1IIIIfotm.".. peatlIInaI

at !tie ptfmctr wfII ~

_ I surfac:e defed:s 111M _ _

.............

~

outIafIMI by !tie ,..,.".. wood. Fill and

DMIf . . . . . . "you can"f catch a drip « I'WII~. don"t wipe !tie sticky surface. Lef It dry, ItHm sh-." f7usII with a sIIafp /t.ntfa. a.rlIe _ II utfIIry blade.

and then apply wax, to both level the surface and then even out the sheen.

Brush two more coats and then pad on a topcoat for a flawless finish

like the pri mer, th e lacquer topcoat 15 Ihlnned and applied In mult iple coats.

BRUSHING RECIPE 60% lacquer, 30% thinner, 10% retarder

Doctor It for IJrusbl~. Thin the topcoa t to m ake It easier to apply and add retarder to leave fewer brush marks..

8raab III lI ...n~ •. When finishing complicated surfaces, do tbe large SUrfaC85 first wltb a big brush. then cover molding and trim with a smaller one.

on..,.. .........

..... ". til ' ... to I'IdIa tbt,.. fII ,...,

62

fI ''\I! 'WOODWORk I SG

s.JId bal•••n _IlL Sanding not only

removes dust nibs /tnd brush mar1!5, but It al50 Cntlltes a mech/tnk:al bond bMween layers of finish.

p.. CI.,""" ,oD'S"', - " Oft. boilloolCllftcrrfac:e

Even if you aren 't set up to spray, you can still achieve the fonnal look of a factory finish; it just takes a linle longer. Ughtly block-sand all the surfaces with P220-grit sandpaper to remove dust nibs and brush marks. Then rub all the surfaces with a maroon abrasive pad, dulling down the finish to make really sure that a mechanical bond can be achieved with the next coat. Follow up by wiping all surfaces with a tack rag to remove any fine sanding debris. I apply two more coat:;; in the same manner as the first two, sanding after each and allowing for an overnight drying peric:xl. To approach the smoothness achieved by spraying, pad on a final application of lacquer. To foml the pad, I cut a cotton bed sheet roughly 8 in. square, removing any hCTn5. I then cut a piece of cotton wadding (available at fabric stores) about (, in. square and fold it into a '\\'3d roughly 2 in. wide and 3 in. long. '\\ith a point at one end. I further thin the topcoat by 10%, and then add it directly to the core of the pad. After squeezing out the excess, I place it in the center of the shee l, bring each corner of Ihe sheet in to the center, twi5t the comers into a grip for the pad, and make sure that the polishing side of the pad is tight and free o f creases or wrinkles. I start the process perpendicular to the grain, hcginning at the far e dge. working the pad left to right and slowly moving to'\\'3rd me. When you hcgin to feel some resistance, it's time to charge the pad with more lacquer. Open the pad and add lacquer to the inner face of the '\\'3dding, let it absorb, re-wrap the pad tightly, and gently squeeze the pad to remove any excess material. When working in an area where the light source i5 fluorescent rubes , place the workpiece in a pos ition so that your strokes are perpendicular to the light source for a better surface reading. Worki ng a small area such as the side of a cabinet, I cover the whole surface two or three times, let it dry for about 10 minutes, and then repeat the process with the grain. I pad in alternating d irections up to four times, with a 10-minute drying break after each application, until I am satisfied with the build and evenness of the surface.

As with clear coats. you have a cho ice of final shee n. You can use

steel woo l en d waK for a low-luste r look, or ped on th e last coat for a high gI055.

LOW LUSTER St• • '-'end wax. Unwrap a pad of 0000 steel wool and fold It around a sanding block. Rub the surface In one direction to smooth and dull the surface (right). Wipe on and buff off a coat of paste wax (far right) for an even sheen and a pleasing feel.

J

HIGH GLOSS Pad on • f'IneI coat. Make a pad with cotton cloth and cotton Wlldellng. To get an even flfIW of finish, always add the finish directly to the core (right) and not to the outside of the pad. Pad on a last coat (far right), wiping lightly to keep the coat very thin.

50% lecquer, 40% th inner, :10% retarder

In tight comef'!;, moldings, and narrow surface areas. you can try using a smaller pad. Or you can allow the larger surface areas to cure overnight, and then !:Ipe them off with low-tack hlue tape hefore padding the adjoining smaller areas. Let the finish cure for two or three days before moving it into the house. This will allow it to olT-gas in the workshop and avoid the ri~k of heavy ohject imprinting into the finish while it is still soft. 0

Isolate u.. trfnt. /fyou can 't pad the whole surface at once cleanly, let the large areas dry overnight. then mask orr areas adJacent to the trim, and work on n with 8 smaller pad.

Sean Clarke is the owfierofClarife Restomtion

and Refinishing in Columbus, Ohio. www.fi .... wood workin g .com

~

20 I 2

63

Dado ig 801 my firsl job in woodworking when [w::lS 9 year:<; o ld, cleaning u p the ~hop ,11 my faIhcr'~ shutler Ims incs.s in Lubbock, Tcxa.~. When J wa~ 12, Dad let me Sl3rt using the 1001.'1. Early on, ] lea rned a lesson that J carry w ith me today in my own cabinct-door business-the value of ii8-i for both speed and ,o;afcty. At voork and in my home shop, I usc dadoes often in a v:uicry of v.'3ys, from housing fixed s hcl\'C.i and vertical case pal1itions to drawer construction. Traditional router Jigs im'oive wre.~tlin8 with C-clamps \0 hold them in place and requi re calculating OffSCli In :.IlIgn the jig, and in lum the hil, with the location of the d1do. Neither of thosc requiremcnli appealed 10 me,

1

3 STEPS TO A DEAD-ON DADO

The chImps are underneath. 10 $Iay ollt of til. fOUler's way. 50 you have 10 11&\'818 the 1II/l)rkplece. But efter thai III. Jli Is foolproof: You use on. of you, actua! shelYes to adjust It for II perfect-flltlng dado.

D USE A SHELF TO SET rr UP s.t ttl. t

ra"" Th"

u/d.

ALIGNMENT IS SIMPLE AdJustebl e rail

lower pa rts of !he l ulG" ralls

Slide

show """ctly

rail against stock and

..... ",.

.

roul", wIN cui.

"' ..-

adjustable

lock it

Fixed

"~"'

-7-"'1-

rkNI:::':~.

tlt, snulthe

ralls up to a sllelf. tll" n tlp!" n til" adj us fabl" rail.

" -""1- Slid ing feoce and clamp

Locking , , , _

64

fl\P. WOOIlWOkKI\""G

Just. pane" II,.., All you need Is a mark on one edg" of fila dado, with an 'X' to show tile wash! side.

so 1 crealcd Ihis rOUler jig instead. I started wilh :m adjustable, twin-rail design that calL~ for using a guide hushing in the muter. By custom· filling the jig with the bit and hushing 1 planned 10 use for cuning the dadoes, it's easy to locate and set up the CUl~ by eye. The inncrmasr edges of the rails show exactly where the bil will run, so you don'l have to factor in the off.o;ct between the hit and bushing when sening up a CUI. The twin raiIs-one fixed and one adjustable-make il cao;y to cut a dado to custom width , exactly matching the thickncs.~ of the [XIrt it will house. To do a90.':ly with C damps. I added an integral clamping .~yslem that makes it ea.o;y to secure the wo rkpiece and lock the jig in place. These built-in damps ca.n handle stock from }AI in. to 1 in. thick, and they work from underneath, so they don't interfere ""~th the router's rravcL With them, I can quickly release and reposition the jig while keeping the setting for my dado's width. This makes .~peedy work of tasks like cutting multiple shelf dadoc..~ in a ca.'iC side. The adjustable rail lel~ you sct the jig for a dado Ihal will precisely match the thickness of the mating piece It will hou,'iC. And one final benefit of Ihe jig i~ that il~ inner edges act to prevent chipoul along the edges of the cut. It's a bit ofwork to build, bul the fC"-':lrrl is having Inc wo rld's most relia ble dado jig.

TWo ralls make for straight cuts The rail,~ arc made from two la~Trs of l/2-in ._ thick pl)l9o.'OOC!, face-glued together. The inside

lEI

LOCK IT DOWN AND ROUT

Tile ,enlul of tile )1, Is th e offset rells, which both ,ulde th e bu shln, end show exactly where the bit will cut. Guide bushln, rides upper rell,

- ---------::~;:-

•.

Ills

a.mp

aINf"

1he cem clamps lock the Jilin piKe quIckly, and It'$ easy to ride each rail for a

perfecl..ffttJng dltdo every time!

.\tAY IJ IJ ~' P. 20 t 2

65

Making the jig: Rails first RAIL OETAIL

1----' "' " ,., ~¥eln.

----·"1 '1'. In.

Trim with

router after g/IIfHJP·

n L..J.- • .-i=::;::t-~- ---1 -1'

."., 1 ~,'--------- 3¥. 'n. Top layer

Bottom layer

•

--"I3· ,

ULTIMATE DADO JIG

with two falis IlIlI! iulde

Ihe router bushing. one flud lind Dna adjustable. Each filII

aullt to ..st. fUmlwood ed",." gives the routen tulde bushing a longwearing surface to ride 011. Ed",'u8 the strip In piau and sand It f'lush.

'1',. In. dla. with

Top plata Shepherd'll Jlgls built around B rigid squar.,

'h In.

,

,

Camaga

,

,

hal two leyars, wllieh offset to account for Iha distance between Iha bit's cuttIng edl'

fiXED FENCE ASSEMB LY

."

Rail bottom layer, ..... In. thIck by 3'A1ln. wide by 33 In. IoRg

"J

Bonom fence plale , ..... In.

lockIng bar. ..... In. thick by 2 ..... In. wide by 7 ..... In. loog

1'1\0 In .

/~

,~.

Sliding fence. In. long /_~

Front clamp, V> In. thick by 7V> In. wlde by 5'1. In. long _ / 'I. -In. wooden , ,

Drill rod. V. In. dla. by 1V.ln. long ¥, In.

" In. ::~,:,:.:,:~,;~,:'-_ I. . counterbore

Cam hO I \wn

dla.

y

Cam hold-down

!

"''''''''.; " _ _ Rear clam p, V> In. t hick by 7 ..... In. wide by 4 In. lo ng 2 ..... In.

¥"a In. dla.

I

"A. In. dla.

2V. ln. 1'4 1n.

¥'In·~L~:...j_ __ _ _+,:=~

lV. ln. 1'10 In.

1\-_":::1-l in.

LOCKING BAR

WOOflW O ItIU\G

"II In. dla.

REAR CLAMP

3'ii ' •

thick by 4 In. wide by 11 In.

T-trlICk flts 2CJ..ln.IoRg dado. _ _~/

.... -In.-dla. stopped hole for drill rod

~T\P.

~,

Bottom

and the guide bushing. Built-In clamps IIfB undernslllh, onll on tha tilled fence. and the ot her attlKhed to. slldlnl fence. Thera Is also a locklnjl blr that keeps Iha far end of the gulda ralls In allcnrnant.

66

_ _

Top fence plata, on, In. t hick by 3 In. wide by 11 In. long ~_ _/

BfB

SliOING FENCE

bolt$'~,

'A, In. by 31n.

% In. dia.

~"" In .

2 In. FRONT CLAMP

L,,_

onrser ,.,.,.. "",k. up t:M ,.".,. tile bottom layer wide "t tills poInt Alignment Is not super
edge of the IOJ> layer hali a strip of hardwood for the guide bushing to ride again.~t . The bottom layer of each rail L~ longer, for attaching to the jig's right-angle fence, and wider 10 accommodate the off~t between the muter bit and the guide bushing. Whcn the jig Is a.-.scmblcd, one rail is fixed and the otber adjust~ to set the Width of the dado. An elongated mounting hole drilled in the sliding r3i1 lets it tr3\'C1 back and fOl1h while the damps arc loose. When face-gluing the lap and bottom layers of each rail , pay dO/;C attention to how the layers are oriented. Viev.·cd side-byside, the two raiL~ .~hould milT01" one another, ·with the extra length of the bottom layers at the same end and the extra width toward Ihc center. After the glue dries, U.'>C a routcr to lrim the insidc edge of each lov.'Cr rail, tailoring it to fit the bit and bushing that you'll usc 10 makc dadoes. SOURCES I u.~e a ~/8-in. bushing with a OF SLPPLY Ih_in. upcut spiral routcr biL later, if you want to cut dadoes CARRIAGE BOLTS, NUTS, WASHERS, SPRINGS. AND narrower than ~III in., be sure DRILL ROD to usc a bit-and-bushing comAVIIllable III local hardware bination with thc samc offset that you cut into the jig. T·TRACKS, T-NUTS, RXTURE With the hit and bushing inKNOBS. AND CAM HOLD.~talled , make a pass against DOWNS each rail , w ith the bushing rockler.com riding light against the upper woodcnlfl..com rail. The trimmed lower rails will perfectly define the lim its of thc bir.~ travel and, therefore, can be u.<;cd for pcrfCdly aligning the jig for dado CUt~. LaSt, usc the mUler table 10 CUI a stopped groove in the 0010m of each rail. Once IhL~ is done, you can install the lengths of T-track that will hold the sliding fence and locking ba r. A square glue-up is key-l1le nexI step is to gluc the fixed feoC{! to the fixed rail. The longue end of the fixed rail fits between the lOp and bottom plales of Ihe fence. The bottom plate of the fence ao;scmhly L<; Ille reference 5Urface Ihat ensures your dadoes will be square to the edge of the v.ropiccc. so it must be perfectly 90" to the rued rail To keep things squ:lTe during glue-up, anach the top and bonom plates or the fence one nt a lime, Icning the glue dry belwecn www. f inewood wo r kl n g.eom

Put r,ad!.

urtde, 11M ,..11.. ROUf

II ¥.-In.-wII1" stof1fHJd groove on the underside of IIl1Ch r,11 (e~), then square up the "nds of the 1100IIII with II ehlSllI (rlIht). MOlInf , 1&I111h of T_ trllck (below) frK SIIeurlnl fhe slldlnl clamp and Iocklnl bIIr.

CWfom maori!\(. Trim f1Ie bottom IlJyer of the ralls with the same bIf lind buslIlng)'OUTf l1$li to cut dadoes.. A smooth. streight cllt Is crltJcaI, so be cereflJl not In tip thfI rooter.

. guide bushing

layer.

.\tAYIJIJ~' P. 2012

67

steps. Apply the glue and lightly damp each fence plate in place with a single damp. After checking for square, usc more damps to apply greater prc.'lsure.

} :F

Install the hardware

Gfllt 1Nl_.... or eI, •. If the flJlIId rellis not at 90' to the bottom plale of th e 'ence, your dadoes won·t be cuI square to th e

case sides. Apply glue and clamp IIghlly at first, checking for square frequently as you add clamps. AftKtI rile fv9 of rile The top pMta of

r.-.

the ffiIce & only theIe to support the router .t the beginning of the

",'

Underneath. a pair of damps .o;ccurc.~ the v.'Ork to the under.~ide of the jig and against the fi:l"ed fence. One is halted to the fi:l"ed fence and the other i~ attached to a sliding fence that ridc.~ in the twin T-trad(.~. Each damp applie.~ pressure via a piece of plywood. A dowel glued along the plyv..-ood's blck edge leL~ the dlmp pivOl freely during ldjustment, another lttlched along the fmnt edge grips the workpiece. A spring keeps the clamp open before tightening, making it much easier to reposition the work nctwcen cut~. Also underneath the jig arc several fasteners used to lock down the sliding fence and the adjustable raiL Tn install thi~ hardware, fiTlil drill two counlcrborcd hnles Ihrough the fixed fencc.l1lese holes will ho ld a pair of carriage bolrs--one to .o;ccure the rump underneath and the other for the adjustable rail. With Ihe holes drilled, inscn the slOlled end of the adjusuhle rail between the open ho les and epo:l"}' the carriage bolt~ in place. Use a wa.~her and ~16-in. nut 10 temporarily tighten from the bono m to .';cat the bolt.~ into the jig. After the epoxy sets up, remove the wa.~her and nut. Another carriage bolt mounts the .o;ccond clamp to a sliding fence, which rides in the T·tracks on a pair ofT·bolts. A .o;econd block also siL~ in the T-!racks and i~ u.'iCd to lock down the "outboard" end of the adjustable r:lil.

The Jig Is simple to use file top dOU'" IMo ".,.". Use the same plywood for the top surfaces of both the fixed fence and flJlIId rail. This ensures smooth tntYftl for the rootlll .nd no unWilntlld 1'iJrl&tlons In the cut.

68

Fl\P. WOODWOIIIU\"

To use the jig, you'll need to elevale the workpiece off the bench to accommodate the clamps underneath. A pair of simple T ..shaped ri.~rs works great. Mark rour workpiece exactly where you want the dadoes, and sct the jlg on Ihe workpiece. Don't fasten it in place just yet. Start by setting the dado'.~ width. Place in the jig a scrap of the stock that will need 10 fit into the dado. Bring the adjustahle rail tight against thi.~ scrap and usc the slar knob and T-n uL~ underneath the fixed fence and the lock ing bar 10 secure both ends of the r:liL For a dado [h!l\ will still be snug but a lillie ea~iCT to assemble. use a piece of masking tape as a shim herween the scrap and the adjustablc rail. With the Width SCI. go ahead and posilion the jig. Sel the inside edge of the fixed rail o n the appropriate layout line and bring both the fixed :lnd s liding fencc.~ tight against the edges of the

AHKII the I I . , . ..... The bolts hold the cam IIokk1own for grasping the workplllCfl and tha sta, knob that se<:ures

Drfll . tId coulrterboN. Drill tile l(trter IIoles In the fence first. to accommodate the heads of tile carriage bolt5. and then bore tllrouglWloles.

tlta adjustable rail.

Adjusl8b le rail - - ,

FIxed rail

A••• mble tile cNmpS. Tl'Ie)I are a smart assembly of cam clamps, pins,

elamp

bolts. knobs. and sprlngs. SIDE VIEW

WOrltplece

attaches to fixed feflce . Fixed fence

Locking bar keeps end of guide ral ls In poSition.

Rear clamp

downs

Springs keep clamps open when loading workpleces.

I

(j)

1 Rear elamp attaches to slidi ng fence.

Front clamp

roo

DrIll keeps clamps aligned.

workpicce. Now use the c:lm clamp.~ and the ()(hcr fa"tencrs on the ft:xed and sliding rences to lock the workpiece in place and hold it snug to the bottoms of the r:J.iL~. Now you are ready to CUI. Start at the end closest to YOU. with the router on the jig; rout down the left ~ide. and come back to"W:l.rd you on Ihe right side. To avoid Clt(CS.<; strain on the router, take repeated p:lsscs al incremental depths until you ha\"e the proper deplh. www. finewoodwo r kl n g.com

.

For mul ti ple da d oes, t he cam clamps make il easy 10 release the clamp prc....<;ure on the workpiece while keeping your dado-width scnings. This mean.~ you can quickly reposition the jig and then retighten it ror the next CUt. 0

Kent Shepherd operates Shepherd WoodworlIs in lubbock. Tel:as. .\tAYIJU~' P. 2012

69

Top rlIlI, 61n. wide _ - _ , /_ ,.,o,'. ,~

In. by 1 .... In.

GLASS MUST

MEET COOE

5" bevel

In most .r.al,

00 " " .

.~t.rlor

,

Center dMde, s, 31n. wide

, _ ::::,,;;""'n. th ick by 11'V. ln. 2OV.ln. long SlopS, 'V. In. deep by

C"n,"r rail, 6 In. wldl

- i .,.U

dOOfI

mUlt uMllllulatfil

and templre(l

01"

I.mln.tfilul.ty (I.... but ctllCk the cod. In you r

V..ln. th ick

" ". Thermopan. p.nel. (shown ) .re

----.-

• ,ood chOice , .nd

Tenon, 40,<, In. wide t)y 3 In. long

wl dlly,v.lIable.

h>1,. '''Ita''. Apply (I cle.r silicone be.d .round the rabbit. set tn. gl(l$$ In plllCl . • nd add the Slops. Fmn lleures till long sfOpS I'IBf. pl"MIrllllng (lnd set·

57 In.

flltl till ",,'/s,1fIId then finishes with the short stops.

Rabbet. V. In. det!p by 1~

In. wide

Bottom rail,

10 In. wide _ _'

Groovl. .... In. wl(le by 'V. In. deep

Note: Frame parts a 'l 1 .... In. th ick.

Haunc hed tenon, 9 '1. In. wide by 3 In.

lon g

MORTISES 0 ... groove do •• It a". With a dado blade In the tableS8w, Finn cuts the groove for the panels/n the ralls. stiles. end centerdMders (above). Then, where the ralls Intersect the stiles. Finn uses e hol/ow
TENONS Hauneh." tenon "". tlte groove. Cut the cheeKs on the tablesaw. supporting the ralls uprlght with e tall tenonlngjlg (left). end then establish the haunch shoulder using the miter puge (above). Complete the haLlneh on the bandsaw (right).

•

•

72

FI\' E WOODWORKI/I,' C,

purchased e<;Onomically at a home ceoter, but I suggest buying hardV>'llre as distinctive and sound as the door you'll make. I get mine from Horton Brass, WhitcChapcl, or Restoration Hardware. Unless you can reuse some of the old stuff. you will need hinges. a mortise lockset, and a handle (lever or knob). Design-Building the door yourself gives you a blank slate to design an originaL You may want to match the style of your house or create a really unique door that captures anention. I chose a flat-panel style for thi~ door because r felt it suited the house. But you could chOOl)e to bevel the panels or add other details. By the way. even though thi~ i~ an exterior door, you aren't limited to outdoor woods. Most homes prm~dc some sort of overhang to protect the door from the elemenL~ , but if yours doesn't, marine spar vami~h (see "A Durable Exterior Finish; PWW #179) or paint provides adequate protection. Quality-This is obvious. but when you build your own door you control the quality of the materials, adhesives, hardware, finish, and craftsmanship.

,_rt

the pane 'a. Pre finish them, or seasonal movement will expose sectlOlls of unfinIshed wood In the rabbets. Then epoxy and clamp the center dIviders In place as shown. and slide In the penels.

A note on R-value The truth is that the R-value of a solidwood door ( R-T.8 to R-3.0) will never match that of a fiberglass insulated door CR-7 to R-9). But a new solid-wood door v.~th a double-gla:zcd light and beefed-up weatherstripping is much bener than a leaky older door. Add a stann door for even more weather protection.

Add the .U.... As a defBnse agaInst the

Tum _ groove Into a ra bbet. The glass sits In

elements, Finn uses fwo.part marine epoxy when gluing exterior doors. Once the door Is In clamps, you can peg the tenons.

a rabbet, held with stops. Use a handheld router with a bearlng.gulded bit to cut away the top of the groove. creating the rabbet.

Familiar constructIon There i~ nothing about making an exterior door (or an interior door for that maner) that i~n't a common woodworking practice. It is just like making a cabinet door, only bigger. While the door is still on the drawing board, choose the hardware so that a large mortise lock won 't cat away most of your stiles or the joint of your center rail. When selecting hoards, choose the very straightest for the stiles to reduce movement as much as possible. Mill all the frame pieces at the same time for consi~tency. I start at the tahlesaw by running a groove down the length of the stiles and raiL~. This not only receives the panels hut also creates a haunched tenon, which is bener for big doors because it eliminates wobble and adds glue surface. Then J extend the groove into mortises wherever the rails www.fi .... woodworking.com

Beve' the IlItch

.Ide_A 5 ' bevel on the back edge of the latch slda keeps that edge from scraping on the Jamb while opening and clos. Ing. Rip the bevel on the tablesaw using a big outfeed table or a friend to help catch.

M"'Y/JtJ ~ E

20t2

73

v.ilJ meet the stile~ . For strength, I like to have the mortises at least 3 in. deep. but the maximum throw on my drill press with the hollow-chisel mortising b it is only lYl in. , so I have to chisel the extra depth av.'":ly. By the way, if there i~ going to be glass in the door, I tum the groove into a rabbet after assembly with a handbeld muter. Once all the grooves and mortises are rut, I rut the tenons on the rail~: shoulders first, then cheeks, then haunches. Then [ make the panels, and I sand and finish them before assembly.

Assemble and add the hardware After a dry-fit. it's time to glue up. For exterior doors, I use two-part marine epoxy. Once the glue is dry, I pin the tenons, trim the door to size, and add a 5° bevel on the latch side. For a finish, I recommend an exterior varnish that is IN-resi~unt. If the door is going into an existing jamb, the hinge morti.'iCS already are in the jamb, so you need only morti'iC for the hinges in the door. I U.'iC the old door or a story stick to transfer the hinge locations to the new door. Then I place the lock.'iCt and knob and install the door. If there is a new jamb in place, put the hinges on the door first and then hold the door in the jamb to check reveals and mark hinge locations. Now, assuming everything went well, you should have a quality start to every day and a welcome rerum. 0 Josh Finn makes furniture in High Falls. N. Y.

From old to INW. To

transfer the hinge locations, line up the old door wtth the new one and use II square lind a knife to marK their locations (above). Finn routs freehand. close to thll knffll lines (111ft). and chl56/s the mortises clean. He uses a Vbr bit. a 56ff· centering hinge drill bit to predrill perfllctly centered screw holes (right).

74

f"l'\' E WQQnWORKI\' G

so:'~~,,~:~;~:::;:,:

would fall. Set tha new lock body side edges of tile lock body as shown.

A deep mortis. toT til. lock body. Use a handheld drill wltll a spade or Forstnar bit to waste away most of the mortise. Clean up the walls wtth a chisel.

centered over that mark, and marl! tile out·

.,..,/OW

A mortise tor tIN faceplat•. With tha dapth set to the thickness ofthe faceplate. rout close to the /lne and finish tha Job with a chisel.

line mark whare to drill the holes for tile lock and knob.

'nsert tIN IoekHt. Once tIIa holes for tile knob and cyt/nder are drilled. you can screw tile lock body In place and Install the ascutcl!eon plates and knob.

MAY/]lJ :-< E 2012

75

Pens Make Great Gifts With a few specialty tools, you can turn your nicest scraps into keepsakes BY

BARRY

orc flJrniture makers should try turning a pen. You already have most of the tools you need, you probably have the wcxx:l, and if you've done any wood turning at all, you have the skills. Not only is pen turning fun, but rem also make great gift~ both for the recipient and for the maker. Tn the lime you 'd spend making a box- never mind a small piece of furniture- you can make half a dozen pens and get six heartfelt thank-yous instead of one. Pen turning can be done on any lathe with a few specialized tools. I'll tell you whi<:h of these

OROSS

I

M

tools arc essential and which ones can be duplicated by tools you probably already own . I'll tell you what pen hardware to buy, what woods work well ,

how to rum and finish the blanks, and las!, how to assemble the pen.

Preparing the pen blank

Woodworke rs often ask me what wood makes the best pen and I half-jokingly reply any wood they rejected for furniture making. Examples include gnarly or crotch section~ ofboard~, i<;nlated patches of figure or curl, or even pieces of firewood 'with spalting in it. RemcmbeT, you 'want a blank that i~ less than I in. square by 5 in. long. For this reason, burls are a good choice because their tight, swirly grain panern i~ the right scale. If the scrap bin nr the firewood pile i~ exhausted, one of the benefil~ of wood turning i~ the opportunity to try new and exotic species such as amboyna burl, lignum vitae, or red palm for $2 to $8 a blank. You can also buy eye-catching composite woods and acrylic blanks. Once you've selected the pen kit and the material for the body, you can get started. Depending on whether your kit has a one-

THREE TURNING TOOLS Full-slze tools suitable lor turning a table leg are too big for delicate pen turnin g. Medlum-slze or small tools are more respons ive. The good news 15 that you only need three.

PEN-TURNING SuPPL IES bgartforms.com pennstatelnd.com woodturnerscatalog.com bereahardwoocis.com

76

Fl'P. WOOI)WOkKl"G

B

~In . skew chisel , $30 Used to profil e the blank, smooth the cylinder, and bring the ends almost flush with the bushings .

OR

'>2-In. Spindle master, $38 Designed to leave a smooth finish like the skew chise l without the risk of catching. Use Instead of the skew.

'B-In. parting tool, $30 Used to remove f inish from the bushings and to achieve a clean break with the blanks .

Quick to make

Buyer's guide to pen hardware

L.

All pens require a kit of metal

parts. Choices Include ball point, roller ball , or fountain; a pen that twists or clicks ASSEMBLE

open ; or one with a single Of

a double barrel. The typical

part or two-part hody (or barrel), place the pen ruhe(s) on the pen blank and mark it for length, adding V16 in. to each cnd. Label the sections and then cut the part~ to length. What makes pens different from a typical spindle turning is the long hole through the center, and the metal tube(s) you glue into il. You can drill the pen blank on the drill press or on the lathe. For the famJeT you'll need [0 damp the blank and ensure it is in line with the drill hit. On the lathe, a dedicated pcndrilling chuck i~ the easiest way to center the blank to the drill bit, hut you aL<;a can hold the workpiece in a four-jaw chuck. Once the pen blanks have been drilled, glue the tuhes into them , Roughen the out~ide of the pen rubes with SO-grit sandpaper. J also size natural or unstahilized wood by dripping iffimc thin cyanoacrylate (CA) glue down the holes. Both actions give the glue for the tubes a better surface to bond 10. When it is dry, place some medium-thick (".A glue or ;-minute epoxy on a piece of glossy paper or

plastic, roll a tube in it, and then use a specialized insertion tool or a nail punch to hold the pen tubes so you do not get glue all over your fingers. Push the tubes into the blanks until they are about lfl6 in. inside each end. You'lI bring the ends flush to the tubes later when trimming them clean and square. You can do this before or after mugh -turning the blank 1L.... ing either a barrel trimmer in a handheld drill or a squaring jig and a disk sander equipped with a miter gauge. Take olT the excess slowly until you just reaeh the brass tube.

place inside the drilled-out pen blanks , a top clip and cap

as..

sembly, a twist or click mechanism, a refill, and a bottom or nib section. I'd start with a ~ clgar-style~

kit (shown

above). It gives a good Introduction to wood selection , turning, and finishIng and

Turning and finishing the blanks

plating, which wears off quick-

To secure the

ly to expose the brass inside.

24-karat and 10-karat gold

Titanium nitride (TN) gold plating Is better. Even more durabla Is chrome or black chrome, but I prefer rhodIum (sometimes misnamed platinum) . It lasts essentially forever.

GLUE AND ABRASIVE PADS Super glue creates a very durable "nlsh. Special sanding pads bring It to a high shine.

7mm drill bit

Aerosol accelerator,

"'--PEN MANDREL

Barrel t rimmer, $18 - - - - "

or two brass tubes that you

only costs $6 to $10. Avoid

BARREL TRIMMER This 1001 ensures that the turned blanks wil l "Ilogether seamlessly with the parIS of the pen kit. Attached to a drill, the shaft removes any excess glue from Inside the lube and also aligns the culler as It trims the end of the blank flush with the end of the lube.

ball-polnt klt consists of one

A mandrel supports the blanks while you turn them on the lathe. Most come with a 7mm drill bit and a set of 7mm bush ings that match the standard pen kit. The step bushings mdlcate the diameter to which the blanks must be turned.

CA glue. $10 - - -_

Abrasive pads, $14 ---~~,,_::: .I ,1AY!Jll:-JE 2012

77

tIN bY,,"'. Eacll section should be a IIttla over V.I". lo"ger tha" Its respecttve tUlle. abel thll parts and mark tllelr relatlonslllp for inti" collflnulty.

La)' CHIt

Sgblila tIM bI." k-. In al1)' natural WI)Olod (ItS opposed to Impre,nated 0<' sr"blllxed woods sold frK pen tumlnl), you sllOI/Id "size" the 1101115 wltll tllin cyanoa-cryfltte (CA) flue.

Squ_,. u p tIM _rid.. To bring tile IInds of tile blank Rllsh wttll the ends of tllll tubes. you

can IIH a barrel trlmmllr mOl/nted In a handllald drill

as sllown. 0<' a mltllr "'lite on e dlslf SlIOOer.

78

Fl\P. WOOI)WOII IO\"

0rUHnt on tIM I.IItII_ 1s """t. Cut tllll parts to lenttll, tllen secllre each blank In a pen-drllllng cl!ucI< or a COIWIInt/onal four-Jaw rouck (shown).

Rou, 1t 8Q.gr1t SlIndpaper to five tflllm adlleslon when you glue them Into the blanks.

011 some flossy paper. Rolla tulle In the glue and tllen lise eltfler a dedicated Insllrtlon tool or a nail puncll to push It Into tflll blank.

you tum and fini~h it, you us.e a mandrel, which goes into th ose runes you inserted ea rlier. Hold the mandrel in the head stock of the la the via a Morse taper or an at" tachmem to a chu ck, and place the step 1)U~hing~ and prepared pen hlank.~ on the mandrel fo llowing the in~tructions in the pen kit. Do nor overtighten the nut on the m:mdrcl bcc3us.e this ....0(11 cau<;c the man" drel to bow ~ l;ghtly, and you 'll rum the bbnk.. out o f rou nd. I prefer to rum one pen hlank at a lime to rrouce the chances of vihrntioo. Wilh the bthe ~pccd set at approximately 2,000 tp.n, sta rt with a roughing gouge to gel the bI:mk round. Next, u<;c a skew

and tum the hbnk down to the step hu.~hlng~, adding a linle ..mape to the hbnk if desired. If )'01.1 are ~kew 'challenged; usc a Spindlemaster. 111i.~ tool L'i a beginner's he.sI: friend hccausc it does not have the ... harp point'i of a skew to catch and dig in. and it leave> alIl"IOL'iI a'i good a fini'ih, For the taM p3S.", u:o;c the skew or the Splndlemastcr as a scraper to lightly pass O\'er the blank and bring the ends almost flush with the hushing~ . Start sanding with PIM- or P220-gril sandpaper and work your way up to ROO grit. To remove the microscopic scratches that sandpapcr will leave, I gh'e the blanks a very hrief touchup with 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 4,OOO-gr;1 AI>ralon sanding pads. Super glue is the pen·tumer's secret finish_A hlgh .glos,~ finish he'it displays the wood 's beauty, hut bec ause of the frequent handling that pen~ get, it needs to be durable. You can usc solvem-bascd lacquer, buttbe most durnhle shine oomcs from CA glue, which i.'i in fact a type of acrylic, With the lathe turning at around 150 rpm, and wearing disposable gloves, dribble some medium thick CA glue Onto the blank while holding a paper towel again
the correct slze bushing (above). Usa a roughing gouge to turn the square blank round (left).

R."_1t.

Use a Splndlemaster (left), or "you are comfortable wttll It, a skew chisel to bring the blank to Its final slze and 5hape. To brlnl'he ends 0' the blank nush with the bu5h1ngs, usa the skew (rlght) or Splndlemastar like a SCf1Jpat,

Sand It. Smooth the wood with sandpaper to 800 grit. then switch to Abralon cushioned abf1Js/ve pads and go up to 4,000 grit. Each grit needs to be applied for a faw seconds only.

79

by grit. Place a towel on the lathe bed to pmlect it and we( a 600-grit pad with water. Usc

~:~~~~~~~~~~~~~: to blank as you spread wltlla pllper ~' disposable "ove or wrap your flnter In II plastic bag. Use an serosa/accelerator to'

a medium a mount of pressure and wet-sand for ahou! 10 seconds per pen blank. Wipe olT the rewiring white slurry, move 00 to the next grit, and repeal the proces.~. Rc mm'C the pen blanks from the mandrel. If a blank is sUlek 10 the bushlng.~. lightly lap it on the lathe to hreak the hond. Your b la nks wi ll almost ccrt::l inly have II h igher shl'cn than a nything else you 've made, but if tiny scratcheli are still \15il'>lc, you can buff them o ff. Hold 'he pe n h13nh perpendicular to a buffing wh eel treated with a compound (in thi s case a hlue acrylic po l i~h), and app ly a bit of prcs,~urc . Then polish the hla nks

Instant/), cure the CA flnlsll (Inse/).

SIn_tit file tlnlsh. M e<' four coats Df flnlslt lire applied, use 32().frlf paper to _ any

""....

UMtIcIc tfN; ",."k. Us. /I parting 100110 scrape off any glue from the bushIngs.

PoIltlt tIN " ..Ish. Use a series of /naeaslngJy fine abrasive p3ds desJtJted frN acrylic to polish !he finish.

on a CO{ton nanncl wheel to bring up the ultimate shine. Line up the pen part~ according to the instructions in the kit. Usc a pen pres,~, dri ll press. or bench vi.o;e to apply light prcs~urc to pres.~ (not glue) the pieces into th e pen blanks. Usc scraps of wood [ 0 avoid any melal-to-metal contact that might damage the pen componenl~ . CongratuLations, you' ve lust finished what I'm .'iUre wil! be the first o f many pens, 0

Barry GlOss tums and sells pens, demOOStr.ltes pen fUming at shows and eNOs. and sells pentumlng supplies.

Any wise -'Is. You can bu)' II pen press to assemble the pen, but as long as )'011 protect the components. /I mellllWorldnl (01" wooctwondnt) me works II/most as well.

80

Fl \P. WO OI) WO II IO \ "

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M"'Y/JlJ ~ E 2012

81

J~~g~rs gallery

CRAIG THIBODEAU San Diego, Calif. Thibodeau designed this dining set for a client wIlo wanted a slightly Asian/ Arts and Crafts feel. The top Incorporates a special four-way book· match of Carpathian elm burl that he had been saving. The base also has burl panels, as do the chairs. Other woods are cherry, Gabon ebony, and Macassarebony. The table Is 39 In. wide by 74 In. long by 30 In. tali, and the chairs are 17 In. deep by 17 In. wide by 37 In. tall. The finish Is conversion varnish and lacquer. PH OTO: C ~ A I G CA RLSON

MICKEY McCANN Morristown , N.J. This bedside cabinet (14 In. deep by 131n. wide by 30 In. tall) was Inspired by an old smoking stand McCann grew up wtth, which "made the perfect nlghtstand except for the fact It Ilad a hole In the center of the top where an ashtray IJsed to be.' WIth that Inspiration and the desire to do some curved veneer work, McCann created this cabinet du~ng his second year at College of the Redwoods. The prlmary wood Is African padauk, the Interlor Is Tazmanlan blue gum, and the door pull Is manzanita. The shopmade hinges are brass and the fin ish Is shellac and wax. Because of the color, McCann's been calling his piece 'Percival the Red Knlghtstand." PH OTO: MICHAEL PEK OVICH

Submissions Readers Gallery provides design Inspiration by showcasing the work of our readers. For submission Instructions and an entry form, go to FlneWoodworklng.com.

82

FI N E woonWOkK1 N G

RACHEL BRYDOLF-HORWITZ Cambridge, Vt. Brydolf-Horwltz calls this hanging wall cabinet her "calligraphy cabinet," because after all the design and construction was complete, she stepped back and realized It reminded herof AsIan calligraphy characters. She designed the white-oak cabinet (9 In. deep by 40 in. wide by 30 In. tall) for a carcase construction class at the Vermont WoodworklngSchool and used some of the techniques she had learned there In Its construction: tapered bent lamination to produce the curved top, and sliding dovetails to Join the top 10 the case sides. The drawer pull Is walnut and the finish Is shellac. PHOTO: JEFF CLAR KE

KEN KATZ Sail Spring Island, B.C., Canada - - Inspired by the designs of Sam Maloof, Katz built this dining chair as part of a sel ofslx chairs and a table. He made the chairs first, and says his goal was for diners to be comfortable sitting for long perfods, while running their hands over the curves and angles. The crest ralls are coopered, and the rear legs are swept Imckto prevent people from rocking backward. The chair measures 241n. deep by 20 in. wide by 34110 In. tall; the wood Is black walnut with ebony accents, and the finish Is a Deft 011 and polyurethane blend.

ALLEN JENSEN Loveland, Colo. These cottonwood vessels came from a treethat grew near Jensen's home. He's been turning local cottonwood for about 15 years, first wrapping the blanks In plastic until semi-dry, then turnlngthem and letting them dry completely In their own chips to slow the process and prevent cracking. He says the vertical tiger-stripe figure Is revealed when turning side-grain blocks, but If he had turned this wood In the end-grain orientation he'd have gotten a more hor1zontal figure. The walls are between V,.ln. and V.ln. thick. From left, these vessels are 41n. dla by Sin. tall. 6110 In. dla. by Bin. tall, and 41n. dla. by 31n. tall. The finish is lacquer.

www.fi .... woodworking.com

M"'Y/JlJ ~ E 201 2

83

readers gallery


JEREMY GRUBB OickinsOll, Texas

This Side table (20. In dla. b125 in. taU) won the Judges Special Award, sponsored by FWW, at the Texas FumibJre Makers ShIM In KerMIIe, Texas, thiS past Oeoember. Grubb said he wanted to make tile maf'QUWy on:tlld as realistic as possible, and tie ItSed a pac:ket-cuttlngtechnlque to do SO. That gave him 16 copies of each part, so he made two tabletops and stored the rest of the pieces away for future projects. The lop Is cheny and cherry veneer and the legs are poplar with a black lacquer finish. PHOTO: JOE

SKY~BA

ROBERT GALUSHA Austin, Texas _

-

0

~"

.ml",~

and maple rocker, which won second place In tile Texas

furniture Makers Show, Is based on a dining eha[rthat was a finalist In FMVs maple bulld-offoompet!tlon In 2008 (Readers Gallery. FWW 1201). Galusha has built two otherverslons of the chair using different woods and slightly different designs, but this Is the first rocket. Galusha used a long.grain lamlnallon technique Ina! he says adds strength that belles the dlail's fIlIgile appearance. The rockef Is 42 In. deep by 26111. wtde by 50 In. tall; the webbing is leat/Ier belting used on treadle sewing madllnes; the finish Is lacquer and wax. PHOTO: JOE SUMBA

GABRIEL SUTTON Biddeford, Maine Sutton'S goal In building this cherry and bublnga liquor cabinet was to display a harlequin pattern In a wbtle way. The wrved panels and legs are meant to contr&stlllith the hard lines of the diamond shape In the centef panel veneer, maintaining a softness to the 0Yef811 piece. The ebonydoot pulls are hand carved. TIle Inter1orof the cabinet (14 In. deep by 34 In. ~de by 32 In. tall) Is quartersawn ash. The ftnlsh Is shellac. PH OTO: TRENT BELL

84

Fl\P. WOOI)WO IIIO\"

DESIGN SPOTLIGHT DAVE BOYKIN AND TOM PEARCE Denver. Colo. Furniture designers Boykin and Peart:e (the latter now reUred) knew the book·matched walnut boards used forthls cantilevered coffee table were special when they ftrst laid e)'{ls on them. So they bought them, ~ght away. That was more than 25 years ago. "Typically we buy mate~als for each project and don't stockpile lumber, but In this case I bought them Immediately,' Boykin said. '1 thought about the boards off and on all those years but never felt the ~ght project had come along." FInally, du~ng a slow pel10d for commissions, Boykin decided to build the table that hewanted-one that exists to display the boards, following the example of George Nakashima. this canUlevered table (25 In. deep by 62. In wide by 18 In. tall) Is the result. While some makers build scale orfull·slze mockups of their pieces, Boykin designed this table completely In CAD. 'We rarely do mockups, preferring to work out design and englneertng Issues with a CAD program. Once the design and englneerlng are complete, shop drawings are printed and executed In the shop.' EmployeeJlm Prtce, a North Bennet Street School graduate, bultt the table. It Is finished with olt. Boykin has designed a few other tables using the same cantilevered base construction, but he feels this table (the ftrst) Is sUII the !}est. For more infonnation, go to boykinpeart:e.com. PHOTOS, JIM STAYTON

s... bas. npportlq roM. 111e angular cantilevered base 15 designed to be the perfect foil for the beautiful book-matched walnut boards that make up the top.

CAD "-'P. BoykIn used the VectorWorks CAD program to work out the deslgn and eng/n&erlng Issues In thIs table before even touching his prized walnut boards.

I

THOMAS STARBUCK STOCKTON Montgomery Creek, Calif.

Stockton worked with gallery owners Pat and Steve Klrldsh of Healdsburg, eallf., to design this sapele, walnut, and white oak wardrobe for an attorney's offtce In Washington, D.C. For the marquetry and Inlay design on the door panels, he used walnut for the branches, oak for the leaves, and abalone and mother-of·pearl for the flowers. The wardrobe, 20 In. deep by 38 In. wide by 71 In. tall, Is finished with olt. Stockton says It took about 100 hours to complete. PHOTO: STEPHEN KIRKI8H

MAY/]IJ :-< E 2 012

85

How to handle cross-grain veneer Q: I'd like to use ¥.1I~ln..thlck shopsawn veneer

on a solld·wood drawer front. Willi have any problems If flay the veneer perpendicular to the substrate? -N I CK BR YG IDYR , Montreal,Que., Canada

A:

VERTICAL GRAIN ON DRAW ER FRONTS can give a

flattering dTe<-1 to furniture, and it shouldn't create any problems as long a~ you kt:ep the velleen; hctween Yl6 in. and %2 in. thick. Anything thinner will be less durdblc and more difficult to \vork with hand toob. Anything thick er would rcac;! too strongly 10 SC'dsonai changes in humidity. Remember to vcneer both dmwer fa<.:cs with <--qual thic knesses of the same wood 10 balance any twisting or v.~drping cau.'iL-d by the glue curing. If you can, ll.'K' veneen; with similar gmin

VertIc., .p"..,. Grain lines that run north and s outh can give e dramatic look. 77115 drawer, built from spa/ted maple veneer on mah ogany, contrasts nicely with the case, which Is made of kwlla, an exotic hardwood.

orientation. Using a fl aL%lWn ven eer o n one

fuce and a quanersawn ven eer on the other, for im;tancc, will cre.l.le a pand that ~<; more likely 10 dio;ton. For a suh<;tf".l.te, I'd pick a wood that won't rea<-1: wildly to changes in humidity, prefef".l.bly one with quartersawn gmin a n d color si m ilar to the veneers. You Cdn att:l.ch the veneers with white or yellow PYA glue, b u t I prefer the longer setup time that while glue afforili. When making CUrvL'{,\ drawers that are bmimIK-xi, first glue togetll(~r the plies o f the suh<;trate before applying the veneers. If the curve is severe, the plies stiff, and the arc of the Lurve critical, use urea-fonnaldehyde g lue for both the laminates and veneer. It<; stiffness will min imize creep and ~pringhack. - David Welter is a n instructor at tbe College afthe Redwoods i ll California.

VENEER BOTH SIDES TO MINIMIZE MOVEMENT

, I

I

I

Ask a question Do you have a questIon you'd li ke

Cut dovetails after

us to consIder lor the column? Se nd h to Q&A, Fine Woodworking, 63 S. Main St., Newtown, CT 06470, or email [email protected].

applying veneer.

86

FINE WO O OWO kK IN G

(

Cross-grain Quarte rsawn solid-wood substrate

face veneer

Why a mallet beats a hammer Q:Whylre

A: THE HEFT OF A REGUlAR HAMMER is

mallets better ttlan hammers tot woodwofkIn(1 And should I get • square-beaded

greaT for driving nails, but its small head makes il easy 10 miss the bun end o f a

mallet or I round one? _ DAN PEREZ,

Mal\elm, Calif.

chL-.cJ or gouge when woodVlmrxing. The

large hc:ld on a square mallet allows you to .o;I:rikc a chisel hard and accurately, which is eSpecially usefu l for heavyhanded work like chopping mortises or dovetails. ror an cxtrn-hard Slrike, I o ften rotate the mallet 90" and use me widest side to be sure I'm on the mark. A round maliC! is lighter and allow:<; for a morc controlled cut. II's best for carving. where you're striking with light,

short blows. It's nO( a good choice for mortising or chopping dovetaiL~. however, since the round head can ca~iJy deflect, tilting the cutting edge of a chi-;el and crealing rniscut joinery.

. , . ' ."rfac. add. acc",acy. A squllre mlll/et'S wide, thick hll1ld helps delIVer hllrd hlt5 without mIssing. A round mllllet Is best for IIlhter work, sInce hllrd strikes with Its curved edp mllY mlldlr&d II cuttIng tool.

-Pbf/l.oll:e is aJrequenI contributor to Fine W(xxiv.:orking.

Handsaw is better for rough ripping Q: I'we heard that

A: NO, I DON'T RECOMMEND USING a half-

uslnl' IuiIf·feftCe, which extends to just the middle 01. talHeuw blade, is a safer WflJ to rip ,

fenee 10 solve me problem, and definitely not w itham a riving knife or spliner in pl:lcc. A h:llf-fence SlOPS supponing boord [ow:u d me end o f me cut, lcaving il free 10 ro1::ltC inlo me ooek o f me blade and kic k lxack ClII:lsU'Ophically. And even wi[h a riving knife sitting lOO5CIy in me kerf. the boord will begin to wobble :I bit [o\\':Ird the end, ruining me cut quality, r understand why people usc them. espcci:llly for rough ripping wide boards down the middle. Wide stock has a way of bowing thL~ W'.iy or that as inlemal len~ion is re leased , causing binding ag3inst the blade or fence. But mere is a beller way. Do rour rough ripping on me bandsaw, where the hlade L~ flexible and kickback is nonexistcnI, Then joint (or rejoin!) me bee that will go against the saw table and the edge that \\~Il go against me rip fenee. Now you can uim mal final edge on [he lablcs.aw v.~th no worries, using [he full rip fenee for a clean cur. -Kokmdjobnson isa cOlltrimlfjng editor.

especially with wide

stock. Should I be using one? _J ON Oo.IPS[Y, Myrtle Buch, S.C.

me

HALF FENCE IS ONE ANSWER

A hIItl.fence allows a sawkerl to open as Inner tension Is retellse(! In t he board, so there', no binding.

Rotation

, "'~

DOWNSIDE Wlthovt a splitter In place, a tlalf.fence allows a board to rotate lind potentially kic k back. But even with one, th e workpiece wil l wobble

a bi t. Bando.1s

"Her. RougJI out your stock on the bandsaw, getting It to within ~ln.ofRn8IMrldth

befora headIng

to the jointer lind planer to remlll It. and then to the tablesBw to trim the final edge.

87

Q&A

continued

Upgrade a compressor drain valve Q:The air compressor slMlWn InFWW122S (p. 88) appeared to haote Its drain 'laNe replaced with

a ball 'niNe. How do I do that to my own compressor? -N JoTH .... NIEl MYLES, low, CIt1, low.

tout"

UlNt.rslz. a nd to .,alp. 11Ie $mllil drain V/llves found 011 most compl'eUOfS lire dlfflcult to tet to, lind In lOme cases, hllrd

to open.

A: TME DRAIN VA.lV£S on compressors can he difficult to reach and open, but you can build a replacement from three part~ : a 90" street e lbow, a short nipple. and a ball valve, all common items at a hardW:lrC Store. The most common thread for compressor va/\'es is IA in. NPT, but remove the valve and cbeck your fining at IDe store. llcfore threading the piece.~ together, wrap two layers of white PlTE tape, also called Teflon tape. around the threads. Wind IDe tapc clockwise to prevent it fro m pulling up during threading , Connect the nipple to the hall valve. and then connect the nipple to the elbow hefore threading the elbow into the tank. If small leaks develop, try yellow PTFE tape in~ead. It's made for gas pipes and is thicker than the wnile type. - Man Kellney is a sel/ioretiitor:

W.1k _ , . _pty.. As 1I1r Is c:ompteSSed, CO/ldeII$/ItIon fonns inside the IlInk. To IM1Id nm. completely drain the

tanH efter e/ldl use.

""

Ball valve

90° elbOw

INEXPENSIVE UPGRADE For llbout $15 In pllrt5 al II 1I0 me cenl er or IIl1 rdwa re I lore. you CII n re place til e dra in va lve willi II Ill ree .•1ISy-tCHeach bll il valve.

Non-yellowing finishes Q: I Just built. talMe out of maple. What finish can I apply that won't

tum H reUow? -J IM DU NNE,

DelIVer. Colo.

JWo JwusIH;n ~ Blushing

.:oat 01 ~ .. pre-mlxlld Saa/Coat or two .:oars o f Mlnwa.-'s PoIyeryIIe will C/luse mlnlmlll 011 11

"'''''0£ 88

FI\R WOOOWORK/\(;

A:

the pure whilcnc:ss of just-milled ",'ODd, but there are several oprion.~ mat will get: you \-ery close whi le prolecting a stIrfacc from spills and scr:lIchcs. Thc casies( oprion is to apply a dear, Woller-based finL~h such as Minwax's Polycrylic. Two brushed coal~ ate enough for the tablc's base, out apply Ihree to the top for added protection, For more of an in-the-wood look, brush or wipe on a coat of blond shel_ lac. such as Zinsscr's pre-mixed SealCoat, Lightly sand the surface '\\~th 320-gril paper, and then apply a coat of paste wax after the single coaL This will allow Ihe lable to he wiped dean occasionally, but il '\\o'On'l protect thc wood from prolonged contact with focxl or drink , CAB-acrylic lacquer is non-yellowing but il is best sprayed . Bru.'ih-on lacquers. which are mOstly niuuccllu lose. will yellow with age. -!l fa'" Schofield '" 100 mal/aging editor.

CLOSE TO CLEAR Non-yel lowlng 'inlslles can

NO FINISH CAN PRESERVE

keep woods looking ctose 10 the ir orlglnlll hue.

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MAY/]lJ :-< E 2012

89

master class

,.

1

i

10

1

Applied carving BEST WAY TO MAKE CARVINGS THAT STAND PROUD OF A SURFACE BY

WILL

NEPT U NE

Canoe, tMn _PPI)!. By carving the pieces separately atop some scrapwood, lind then glu/ng them to the workpiece, you avoid having to relieve the entlra background and a/so the rlsk of carving Into It.

oodworkers often react to and fragile, you take a applied carving as ' cheating: a different path: After s3v..ing somewhat grudging admission of out the blank you apply it iL~ effectivencs.~ , It is a traditional to the workpie.:;c and can'c it in place. I'll explain the first approach but still vcry useful technique. Sure, every applied carving could and show you when to usc the alternative be done ' in the solid: with the carving outlined one. With a linle practice, soon you'll be by vertical stop cuts, and then the background accused of cheating, [00. lowered with numerous relief (."Ilts or perhaps with a router. But achieving the smooth background normally Wood selection Is crttlcal needed for furniture can be very time-(:onsuming. Grain that is straight and not pronounced generally gives bener With applied carving, the outline of the carving is cut with a resull~ than figured wood. In addition, the applique should coping saw or scrollsaw. You then temporarily attach the blank match the background. A carving with clashing color or grain panerns will look stuck on. to a backing hoard, carve it, and glue it to the workPiec"e~.....~~..._~ If the carving is particularly large .. One way 10 get a good match is 10 rcsaw a thick and complex or narrow piece, using one piece for the background and the other as the carving blank, Remember to mark the parts and keep track of the match when you saw and carve. The other way 10 get a good appearance is 10 slip-match. The carving blank comes from an adjacent seaion of the same board as the bac kground and sl ides on , lOp so that the groWlh rings nest , when you look at the end grain , This v,'{)rk~ best if the hoard has mild grain and a sim ilar look along it~ length. Before I cut the carving blank to the pattern, I lay it on the background piC«' 10 see where it best matches the groWlh-ring pattern on the end grain.

)

•

Another option: Attach the blank before carving For fragile pieces, you can attach a roughed-out blank to the workpiece before carving. You stil i avoid having to lower the background around the carving. See p. 93.

90

F IN E

w oonWOkK1 NG

In most cases carve first, and then apply Carving a blank before you attach it 10 the workpiece is the preferred method: Carving on a waste block reduces the risk of damaging the background. and mistakes can be discarded. Transfer the pattern to the blank-You have several cboices for transferring the pattern to the carving blank. Stencils are

'w orthwhile if the p:utem l~ one roo'll usc often. I cut these from thick oak t:lg or matboard. You can leave Silllll conncct:ing tl b:<; to secure thin, flexible al'C3:
Tape to backer and carve Attachln, the ctlrvln, blank to a plywood backer makes It all5Y to clamp the workpiece Ln any position and pfotects yout

benchtop 110m llou,es..

IfeHy to _rlr.. Use doublHlded tape to a ttltCh bandsltwn blanks to plywood backer boardS. These should be squate $I) tha t you can rotate them to carve from different sides with minimal adJustment of clamps. Cltn
"',,,'.

with finc me.~ and/or sandpaper. When you're done, a min puny knife and some solvent m:J kc il cao;y 10 di.'illlOI.Ini the

blank. Fa nning the carving w ith a hear gun wi ll aLo;o hel p to [
•

Cle ver tricks for gluing and clamping Attaching the ca.rving securely and com pletely is \"ery important. If you use too much glue, deanup 'will be almost impossible wi thout damaging the background. stop UNo .qulnn or corral the CIIrvlq. tf)'Ollr carvin, Is thick Too little glue or uneven The challenge 1510 securely !lllply e enough, y
Attaching the carving

Even"......,,. frw. good bond.

1lIe M".".,. trIdJ. RoJlllue then lower the clHVlngst,./ght doWn lipplkallon of glue 011 the Use the point of II knife to 11ft up Me edge of the camnt before flIfllovtng It

92

Fl\P. WOOI)WOII IO\"

Place the carving on the workpiece In the marked Ioc. tlon and apply the cold, sttff, molded calli followed by a ptyvwJod caLll1ben apply the clamps. 11111 clay wlU stay stiff long BOOLlgtl for the glue to set

s.w out UN IYttwn. Sprll)'fflOUnt the pattern to the blank and then cut It out on the band~. 1JIe plywood kIHIps the carving blank Intact.

Apply, then carve ".ed

Compl •• or dellctlll carYh'JI may 10 be carved In place. It 15 more tlme-consumln" but 'till easier than working In the solid. As belor.. the blank II tempol'1lrlly mounted on plywood.

LocM. UN .,.no~ On delicate carvings, tabs of

.. _wood etteched to

better than snIpped brads, which mIght split the workP/lICfI.

Add • b.Kker.,.d pia". to tfllcfmeu. Roll PVA or hide ,'u8 on the plywood and

PI)wood ada as

"'.. mpl~ caul. The plywood now dIstrlbutes the clampIng pressure. Once the /lIue Is cured. spilt the papar joInt

MAKE A SANDWICH Coarse brown shopplng.tlag paper

the cervln, !II.iInk, and tlNln clamp tlNlm with II layer of c:oat1lll broWn

with

sI!oppJ~g plIplIf

to remove the plywood, as shown.

In between. The paper holds moIstul'1I. 50 these joints dry slowly. Once dry. you can thin the bl.tnk In 8 plene, "

~".

a wide cII#se1

Roll glue Ofllo

cervillt ~n/c andblilckM.

oockground will 3b~orh it and you get messy sqUCCze-otll.

~:II'YC

".,...,.,., ",,,,.,,

the joint. Too much and

A variety of clamping technique. Clamping prc~surc Is 3~ Important as using the right amount of glue. The goal Is !O gel small dOl~ of squeeze-out along all of

me edges, wilhoUi any areas having a continuous bead. Simple shapes can be dam ped with cork or Homasote pads. On complex carving, one easy way 10 get even pressure is lO usc a vacuum hag without a cauL If there arc pointy areas, cover the carving wilh soft leather to protect the hag. Wha[cver clamping method you choose. remove the damps when the glue is dry hut not fully cured, so il is easy to remo\·c the squceze-out. I usc a Popsicle Slick sharpened like a skew chLo;cl. Don'tlry [0 W3sh off extra g lue v.>ith waleT and a brush This ris ks washing our glue fmm under the carving and weakening its hand , o r getting glue in the background ...."OOd, which will show up under a fini~h. 0

Wi" Neptune is a WCKIdWolfIer IMd ~ng teacher in Acton, Mass. www. finewoodwo rkln g.com

.st.rt n

~ TIl. carvlnt Is done as before but you have to WOIk next to the IInIshftd back/nMmd. Tl'Ie rfsk Is no tfeatfN then when carvfng

hom the solkl.-nd you"w lNOklBd the labor 01 rBIIHl¥fng an the back/lIOUnd waste.

.\tAY IJ IJ ~' P. 2012

93

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pp)V.trey did it Japanese lattice BY

JONATHAN

BINZEN

he decorative latticework in John Reed Fox's cabinet (back cover) is based on examples he ha.~ srudied in Japanese ~hoji screens and transom frames. Like the originals, his lanicework, or kumiko , i~ assembled largely without gluealmost all the parts are merely press-fit, puning a premium on perfect accuracy in the joinery. Made carefully, however, the laniccv,:ork is extremely rigid. Fox's work begins with a known opening for the Janice panel and a vcry precise full-scale drawing. He generally builds w ith 1'ort Orford cedar, which is straight-grained and relatively soft, hut will hold a clean, sharp edge. To the back of the lattice, Fox glues a sheet of handmade paper, available in a rtsupply stores.

Joints that will create

the spacing between the dadoes. Fox rips the dadoed blank (right) Into strips slightly thicker than thB final thickness of the grfd bars.

GrIdlock. After handplanlng the grid bars to final thickness with Just a few paSSBs on each side (see p. 98), Fox aSSBmbles the frame. Only the Joints around the perimeter ate glued. yet with all the snug. fttting half~ap Joints, the completed panel Is very rig/d.

%In. LATT ICE ANATOMY The size of the grid and the dlmanslons of all the bars vary from project to proJect. In this case , Fox made all the bars ~ In. wide . The grid bars are 8 bit thicker than the leaf bars. Dimensions are approximate.

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TOP VIEW

I

LEAF BARS TOP VIEW

Fit the diagonal piece first, with both ends cut a t 45·.

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thlekn ••• ' ng by h a lHJ. To make stock for the small bars that create thlt lea f pattern. Fox tacks strips of the des/red thickness to the bottom of /I handplane 85 depth stops (left). 11Ien. working on II dfIBd-flat surface, he gangs several workplaces (above). Note that he Is pulling an AsJsn-slyle plane, so the end stop Is at the rear.

8 egln with tile diagonal bit, • • The flt needs to be precise. If It Is sized correctly, the ceder will compress s lightly as It Is slid home. But It shouldn't be so tight that you can't remove It If necessary.

LIttle Jlp tor little bars. Fox cuts the pattern pieces to length using It simple miter boxJust It stepped piece ofwood--clamped to his bem:h (left). He miters and fits the ends of the bars on II shopmade donkey'S ear planlng)lg with an adjustable end stop (right). 71I1sJIg Is for 45 ' cuts; he made another for the 22'r.. · cuts. HInge. naxt. Fox esmbilshes the length of the hln~ bars and the key bars at the same time. working with one pair by trial and error until they fft Just right. 71Ien he planes all the parts to final length and Inserts them.

Fox cuts /I kerf to withIn /I whlspar of II full

through-cut to create hInge In one of the bars (above). 1118 strip of wood clamped to his saw acts 115 /I dflpth stop. He can fln&-tune the depth of cut by placIng tape beneath the workpIece. After moistening the hinge points with water, Fox bends the hinges open (right) over e wooden block. It

98

FI N E woonWOkKI N G

Tbe leaf I. tln/shed. When the key bar Is pushed home, all the small parts are locked In and the leaf pattern emerges.

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few ye:lfs after dropping out of college, John hand tool!> and western machines. "I use machines to get me need Fox wa.~ working all an auto mechanic in to the bench quicker,~ he says. Traveling in Japan, Fox was Boston and spending hill lunch hours browsing deeply impressed by the steadfastne~~ of craftsmen who tlmke in a hookstore. That'll where he stumhled across the same thing again and again. Ukewise, his own furniture James Krenov's A CahlllelllwJ.'<.'rs Notebook, with its heautifully style-distilled in this cabinet in cherry with Pon Orford cedar crafted furniture and it.s message aOOut the deep pleasure of latticework-has remained remarkably constant without losing handwork in an industrial age. KrenoY's book "lit the fuse,~ its freshnes."i. "rYe been criticized for making the same thing Fox says, and before long he had hegun building furniture for 30 years," Fmc says. "J'm \",orking with one aesthetic idea in hi.~ own di.~tinctin~ .style, with undenones of Krenoy, Ans and trying to make it hetter and hener. For me, a tiny little and Crafl.~ furniture, and Japanese architecture. Fox, whose change is a huge lhing.~ Here's to more of the same. -jonathan Binzen mother"s family i.."1 from Japan, hUllds his pieces with Japanese

.... How Th., Old II Turn to p. 97 to see how Fox makes the laWee.ork .., on this ceblnet, with Its lradlUonel Japanese hemp-leaf pattern.

I

Audio Slid. Show For mOle of Fo~'s furniture end e taste of the philosophy behind It, go to FlneWood'wor1dng.com/extras.