Popular Woodworking 2006-02 No. 153

DISPLAY UNTIL 1-30-2006
Learn How
Discover Why
Build Better
SPECIAL BONUS SECTION: 18 STRATEGIES FOR EASIER ASSEMBLY
HATE YOUR DOVETAIL JIG? 5 QUICK & EASY TUNEUPS FIX EVERYTHING
FEBRUARY 2006
ISSUE #153
BUILD
BETTER,
BUILD
FASTER
Blend Hand,
Power Tools
In ANY Shop
PLUS
5-minute Chisel Fix
Ultimate Hand Tool Shop
Want Bowls? Get a Chainsaw
FAST
FIXES
for Drippy,
Spurting
Spray Guns
4 TRUTHS
About
SCREWS
And 13
Tricks for
Tighter
Joints
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765l
G0576 ONLY
S
615
00
G0444Z ONLY
S
575
00
G10238LX ONLY
S
1250
00
G10238L ONLY
S
975
00
G0452 ONLY
S
325
00
G0586 ONLY
S
655
00
G0593 ONLY
S
995
00 G0490 ONLY
S
750
00
G0453 ONLY
S
775
00
G0529 ONLY
S
450
00
G0459 ONLY
S
425
00
12" BABY DRUM 8ANDER
O8CLLATNG 8PNDLE /
12" D8C 8ANDER
15" PLANER
6" JONTER
INCLUDES A FREE PAIR OF
SAFETY PUSH BLOCKS
THE ULTMATE 10"
CONTRACTOR-8TYLE TABLE 8AW8
W/CA8T RON WNG8 & TABLE
RIGH77IL7
10" LEFT TLTNG 8AW
W/ 7' RAL8 & EXTEN8ON TABLE
10" LEFT TLTNG 8UPER
HEAVY-DUTY TABLE 8AW
8" X 75" JONTER8
LI77IL7
lN7R0dC70RY PRlCl
lN7R0dC70RY PRlCl
4 8LAD CU77RHAD
SPIRAL CU77RHAD
8" X 76" JONTER
lN7R0dC70RY
PRlCl
lN7R0dC70RY PRlCl
lN7R0dC70RY PRlCl
- Sandlng motor: l
l
/2 HP, ll0/220v, slngle-phase
- Conveyor motor:
l
/l0 HP, ll0v, slngle-phase,
varlable speed 0-l5 PPM
- Drum speed: 2300 PPM
- Max. stock slze: l2" w x 3
3
/4"
- Mln. stock length: 8"
- Drum slze: 4"
- 8elt: 3" hook & loop
- Approx. shlpplng
welght: l99 lbs.
INDUSTRIAL-DUTY
CONVEYOR BELT &
SIDE HANDLES FOR
PORTABILITY
- Motor: l HP, ll0v, slngle-phase, TLPC
- Cast lron tables tllt to 45
- Osclllatlng sander table:
l4
l
/2" square
- Dlsc sander table:
l7
l
/2" x l0"
- Splndle slzes:
l
/4",
5
/8",
l
l
/2" & 2"
- Splndle speed:
l725 PPM
- Stroke length: l"
- Approx. shlpplng
welght: l80 lbs.
FANTASTIC
PRICE!
MADE IN
ISO 9001
FACTORY!
BUILT-IN
"KICK STAND"
MOBILE BASE!
- Motor: 3 HP, 220v, slngle-phase
- Preclslon ground cast lron table
slze: l5" x 20"
- Max. cuttlng helght: 8"
- Mln. stock thlckness:
3
/l6"
- Mln. stock length: l2"
- Max. cuttlng depth:
l
/8"
- Peed rate: l6 PPM &
30 PPM
- Cutterhead dlameter: 3"
- Number of knlves: 3
- Cutterhead speed:
5000 PPM
- Approx. shlpplng welght:
66l lbs.
- Motor: l HP, ll0v, slngle-phase
- Table slze: 6" x 46"
- Max. depth of cut:
l
/8"
- Max. rabbetlng capaclty:
l
/2"
- Cutterhead knlves: 3
- Cutterhead dla.: 2
l
/2"
- Cutterhead speed:
4800 PPM
- Cuts per mlnute:
l4,400
- Cast lron fence
- Approx. shlpplng
welght: 270 lbs.
BUILT-IN
"KICK STAND"
MOBILE BASE!
- Motor: 2 HP, ll0v/220v, slngle-phase
- Preclslon ground cast lron table slze:
27" x 39
5
/8" w/wlngs
- Arbor:
5
/8" - Plp capaclty: 30"
- Cuttlng capaclty:
3
l
/8" Q 90, 2
l
/8" Q 45
- Shop Pox
'
Aluma-
Classlc
"
Pence
- Approx. shlpplng welght: 298 lbs.
- Motor: 3 HP, 220v, slngle-phase, 3450 PPM
- Lxtenslon table slze: 27" x 44"
- Arbor:
5
/8" (accepts dado blades up to
l3
/l6")
- Cuttlng capaclty: 8" left, 54" rlght
- Max. depth of cut: 3" Q 90, 2
l
/8" Q 45
- Approx. shlpplng welght: 540 lbs.
- Motor: 3 HP, 220v, slngle-phase
w/ 2 cast lron extenslon wlngs
- Table slze w/ wlngs attached: 27" x 40
l
/8"
- Arbor:
5
/8" (accepts dado
blades up to
l3
/l6")
- Cuttlng capaclty:
8" L & 26" P of blade
- Max. depth of cut: 3"
Q 90, 2
l
/8" Q 45
- Approx. shlpplng welght:
465 lbs.
- Motor: 2 HP, ll0v/220v, slngle-phase,
TLPC, 3450 PPM
- Cutterhead knlves: 4 HSS,
8" x
3
/4" x
l
/8" (G0586)
- Cutterhead speed: 5500 PPM
- Cutterhead dlameter: 3"
l
/8"
- Max.
rabbetlng
depth:
l
/2"
- Cuts per mlnute:
22,000 (G0586)
- Approx. shlpplng
welght: 558 lbs.
INCLUDES
FREE PAIR OF
SAFETY PUSH
BLOCKS
MADE IN
ISO 9001
FACTORY
INCLUDES
SHCP FCX
CLASSIC FENCE
INCLUDES SHCP FCX
CLASSIC FENCE
PARALLELOGRAM
TABLE ADJUSTMENT
SYSTEM!
- Motor: 3 HP, 220v, slngle phase, TLPC, 3450 PPM
- Total table slze: 8" x 76
5
/l6"
- |nfeed table slze: 8" x 43
3
/8"
- Cutterhead knlves: 4 HSS, 8" x
3
/4" x
l
/8"
- Cutterhead speed: 4900 PPM
- Cutterhead dlameter: 3
3
/l6"
l
/8"
- Max. rabbetlng depth:
l
/2"
- Cuts per mlnute: l9,600
- Approx. shlpplng welght: 46l lbs.
INCLUDES
CAST IRON
FENCE
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2003 Forrest Manufacturing CIRCLE NO. 120 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD.
contents
popularwoodworking.com 3

Learn How
Discover Why
Build Better
IN EVERY ISSUE
16 Making a Brass Hammer
Q&A
Brass works easily but is it sturdy enough to make a
Warrington-pattern hammer with? Plus, the latest CAD
programs for home use and resharpening Forstner bits.
20 Zero-clearance Circular Saw
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
A clever insert plate helps your circular saw cut plywood
without tear-out. Plus, tweak a drill bit for plastic and
soft metals, extend the workholding capacity of your
workbench, and check your table saw for square in a snap.
26 Makita 18-volt Cordless Drill
TOOL TEST
This new Lithium-ion drill from Makita squeezes its power
into a small package. Also: The Veritas router plane tweaks
joints for a perfect ft and the Luthiers Friend helps you
produce thin stock safely and effciently.
30 The Lathe Dancer
INGENIOUS JIGS
This modern interpretation of an old-school turning jig
helps you make a perfect set of spindles every time.
by Eric A. Hedberg
34 The Ultimate Hand Tool Shop
ARTS & MYSTERIES
Ideal bench placement, convenient tool-storage solutions
and a dedicated sharpening station are key considerations
when creating the perfect shop.
by Adam Cherubini
88 Preparing Green Wood
AT THE LATHE
A pile of wet wood can quickly become a pile of moldy
wood. Heres how to make the most of your green wood,
and how to prepare it for drying and turning.
by Judy Ditmer
92 Dovetail Jigs
POWER-TOOL JOINERY
Not ready to tackle hand-cut dovetails? Heres how to get
the most out of your router and jig.
by Bill Hylton
Popular Woodworking (ISSN 0884-8823,USPS 752-250) is
published 7 times a year in February, April, June, August,
October, November and December by F+W Publications
Inc. Editorial and advertising offices are located at 4700 E.
Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236; tel.: 513-531-2222.
Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and artwork should
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Canada Publications Mail

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Copyright 2005 by Popular

Woodworking. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati,
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R122594716
Produced and printed in the U.S.A.

16
30
88
26
34
92
20
DELTAs new hybrid saws are designed to make your heart race.
Their powerful 1 3/4 HP motors are enclosed in full-size cabinets
for enhanced stability and space-saving footprints. Additional
features include a left tilting blade, fully integrated dust port,
large table surface and your choice of three fences including
Biesemeyer
or DELTA
UNIFENCE
. This is the saw to get your

blood pumping. For more information about DELTAs complete
hybrid saw line-up, visit deltamachinery.com/hybrid.
DUST PORT ACCESSIBLE MOTOR 3 FENCE OPTIONS
CIRCLE NO. 112 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD.
POPULAR WOODWORKING February 2006 6
ON THE COVER
The trick to becoming
faster and more accurate
is to combine the brute
force of power tools
with the nesse and
accuracy of hand tools.
We show you how to get
started down this path
by combining bench
planes with power
jointers and planers.
Cover photo by Al Parrish
DEPARTMENTS
10 Out on a Limb
There is no shame
in using sandpaper
14 Letters
Mail from readers
86 Endurance Test
The Powermatic 66
98 Flexner on
Finishing
Common
spray-gun problems
104 Out of the
Woodwork
Success and the
one-man shop
by Jim Tolpin
38 Coarse, Medium & Fine
Hand tools arent inherently slow, but the
way we use them can make them that way.
We explore a system that blends hand tools
and power tools to allow you to surface
lumber faster and more accurately.
45 Casework Construction:
Smart Assembly
WOODWORKING ESSENTIALS
In this fourth chapter of our series,
discover the best methods for effcient case
construction. Learn how assembling projects
in stages can ease your stress when the glue
bottle is open.
61 Modifying Stock Chisels
Many modern chisels are unsuitable
for proper dovetailing in their stock
confguration. You can easily
improve the balance and
accuracy of your chisels with
our quick tutorial.
by Lonnie Bird
64 Tri-fold Media
Cabinet
This clever and attractive
cabinet takes care of all your
modern-media storage needs
without taking up much foor
space. Plus, it folds up to hide
your movies and music into a
traditional-looking package.
by Glen Huey
72 Rethinking
Shaker Design
Close examination of furniture
from the Pleasant Hill, Ky., community
reveals that we need to expand our long-held
assumptions of what Shaker really is.
by Kerry Pierce
82 Successful Screwing
Most woodworkers struggle to drive a screw
properly. Clearance holes, pilot holes,
countersinks and even different types of
screws all consipre to make it a challenge.
We offer simple and common-sense
solutions.
PROJECTS, TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
38
64
82
SETTING THE STANDARD FOR
MITER SAWS. AGAIN.
The best miter saws in the shop are now even better as DEWALT introduces the re-designed line of 12" miter
saws. Each of these saws delivers greater accuracy and capacity, with the durability, portability, and easy-to-use
features that you expect from the leader in miter saws. The DW718 Double-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw
has best-in-class capacity and a tall fence design for the highest vertical capacity available. In addition, the DW715
Compound Miter Saw and DW716 Double-Bevel Compound Miter Saw provide greater capacity, plus 11 miter
detents with override capability for repeatable accuracy. Also available is the DW7187 adjustable laser accessory,
designed exclusively for each of these new 12" miter saws. With innovative features for better performance,
DEWALT has set the standard for miter saws. Again.
INTRODUCING THREE NEW MITER SAWS FROM DEWALT.
2005 DEWALT. The following are trademarks for one or more DEWALT Power Tools and Accessories: The yellow and black color scheme; the D-shaped air intake grill; the array of pyramids on the
handgrip; the kit box configuration; and the array of lozenge-shaped humps on the surface of the tool.
SEE ALL THREE SAWS
IN ACTION!
/pw
SAFETY NOTE
Safety is your responsibility. Manufacturers place
safety devices on their equipment for a reason. In many
photos you see in Popular Woodworking, these have been
removed to provide clarity. In some cases well use an
awkward body position so you can better see whats
being demonstrated. Dont copy us. Think about each
procedure youre going to perform beforehand.
February 2006, Vol. 26, No. 1

popularwoodworking.com
Editorial Offces 513-531-2690
Publisher & Group Editorial Director
Steve Shanesy
Editor Christopher Schwarz
ext. 1407 [email protected]
Art Director Linda Watts
Senior Editor David Thiel
Senior Editor Robert W. Lang
Managing Editor Megan Fitzpatrick
Associate Designer Susan L. Smith
Project Illustrator John Hutchinson
Photographer Al Parrish
Contributing Editors
Adam Cherubini, Nick Engler, Bob Flexner,
Glen Huey, Don McConnell, Troy Sexton
F+W PUBLICATIONS INC.
David H. Steward, Chairman & CEO
Peter Saretsky, EVP & CFO
Andrew Levy, SVP Development & Strategy
Barbara Schmitz, VP, Manufacturing
F+W PUBLICATIONS INC.
MAGAZINE GROUP
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Susan Du Bois, VP, Consumer Marketing
Matt Friedersdorf, Director of Business Planning
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PRODUCTION
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ADVERTISING
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OUT ON A LIMB
Christopher Schwarz
Editor
There is No Shame
In Using Sandpaper
A
mong many of my hand-tool friends,
theres a notion that real woodworkers
dont use sandpaper. Instead they use cutting
tools only hand planes and spokeshaves to
prepare a surface for fnishing. A dirty cheater
will use a card scraper to clean up a bit of tear-
out. But woodworkers who pick up pieces of
sandpaper, well, there are even worse names
for those people.
In some ways this
intolerance is under-
standable, if not forgiv-
able. Many hand-tool
woodworkers began
the craft as power-tool
woodworkers with a full
array of random-orbit
sanders, drum sanders,
detail sanders, pad sand-
ers and most important air scrubbers.
Then they had something thats akin to
a religious conversion. Either someone put a
well-tuned hand plane in their mitts or they
got sick and tired of coughing up the fne sand-
ing dust that clogs many nasal passages.
They threw out their sandpaper and
decided that if the woodworkers of yore could
build nice furniture with hand planes alone,
then they could, too.
But there are some problems with this
approach. First, the woodworkers of yore
actually did use sandpaper. Early inventories
of woodworking shops and tool dealers show
sandpaper in signifcant quantities in the early
1800s. Some high-style furniture demanded it
especially with the advent of French polish-
ing, which requires a fat surface.
The second problem is that finishing
straight from the tools can be as ineffcient as
power sanding. Your smoothing plane (the last
tool to touch the wood) has to be tweaked out
to an extraordinary degree to fnish straight
from the tool. That means an iron that is
wicked sharp and set perfectly in the mouth.
CONTRIBUTORS
GLEN HUEY
Glen Huey started his media career on the
pages of Popular Woodworking eight years
ago with a Shaker hanging cabinet. Today,
he is also the author of three books as well as
host of a series of project-
specifc DVDs (available
at woodworkersedge.
com). He also finds
time to teach week-
end classes at Wood-
craft stores around the
region and is teaching
weekend and week-long classes at American
Sycamore Retreat in Cloverdale, Ind. But
Glen still builds custom furniture for clients
(hueyfurniture.com) and also fnds time to
offer clever furniture projects on our pages.
On page 64 Glen takes a kitchen storage
concept and turns it into a multi-media stor-
age cabinet thats perfect for his DVDs.
DAVID THIEL
Long-time subscibers to this magazine know
that David Thiel is a power-tool maven, and
that his mind is an encyclopedia of model
numbers, motor statistics and quotes from
Monty Python movies.
But hes also a profes-
sionally trained cabi-
netmaker who came
up in his fathers shop,
building everything
from custom furniture
to chili parlors in the
Cincinnati area. So when it came time
for us to publish our seven-part series on
building casework, David was the name
at the top of our list. He knows how to do
it quickly and effciently. To read part four
of our series, which covers smart carcase
assembly, simply turn to the section in the
center of this magazine.
Our Privacy Promise to You
We make portions of our customer list available to
carefully screened companies that offer products
and services we believe you may enjoy. If you do not
want to receive offers and/or information, please let
us know by contacting us at:
List Manager, F+W Publications
4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cinncinnati, OH 45236
And it assumes your wood is fairly mild and
easy to plane. I dont know about you, but
every project I work on involves wood that
has reversing grain, a few knots, some curly
fgure and boards that are simply ill-mannered.
Getting all of these to behave under a smooth-
ing plane involves superhuman effort. Sure,
some woodworkers can do it, but most of us
will struggle and won-
der what we are doing
wrong or why this all
takes so dang long.
You see, sandpaper
is a logical and smart
part of the wood-prep-
aration process. Its all
about removing mate-
rial in an effcient way.
Jointers, planers, hand
planes and scrapers all remove wood pretty
quickly and leave a decent surface. But when
it comes to taking your surfaces to the very
last, a few swipes with #220-grit sandpaper is
remarkably more effcient than endless experi-
mentation with a plane.
And if you need guidance from the wood-
workers of yore for this, look to the Egyptians.
They invented saws, cutting tools, plywood,
dovetails and mortise-and-tenon joinery thou-
sands of years ago. They often fnished their
furniture straight from the tools, too, accord-
ing to Geoffrey Killen in his book Egyptian
Woodworking and Furniture (Shire). But
when they needed a project to be nice, they
turned to sandstone and rubbed it with the
grain, according to a wall relief in Tis Fifth-
Dynasty tomb. And if it was good enough for
them, its good enough for me, too. PW
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FAST. EASY. ACCURATE. PORTER-CABLEs new dovetail jigs take all the traditional
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THE CURE FOR PERSISTENT JOINT PROBLEMS.

Hay Shop Worth the
Price of Membership
LETTERS
Patience Just One of Their Virtues
Thank you for your article in the November
2005 issue (#151) about the Anthony Hay
Cabinet Shop in Colonial Williamsburg. It
is a real treasure. I am fortunate enough to
live within a short driving distance from Wil-
liamsburg and am able to take advantage of
this wonderful resource. The craftsmen at the
shop are not only masters of their art, they are
more than willing to talk with amateurs like
me. They have infnite patience and really
appear to enjoy helping others. They are one
of the main reasons I maintain an annual
membership.
Mike Garner
Richmond, Virginia
Were Wiping Varnish Photos Reversed?
I liked the article by Bob Flexner on wiping
varnish (The Basics of Wiping Varnish,
November 2005) and I believe that he is the
world guru on fnishing.
However, the picture on page 73 is totally
reversed and upside down. It looks like you
rotated the image of the wood samples and
showed the frst coat of fnish as the fourth
coat. Also, the 25 percent- and 75 percent-
photos are reversed.
Dave Kraatz
Gladstone, Missouri
Actually the photos on page 73 are correct. We
checked them three times (and had Bob check
them as well) because there was some confu-
sion on the staff at frst, too.
In our new shop here in Cincinnati we dont
have a spray booth anymore, so we use a lot of
wiping varnish when fnishing projects. Whats
shown in those photos is exactly how wiping
varnish behaves for me.The frst coat is dark
and dull. Then as the sheen comes up in succes-
sive coats it appears lighter to the eye, although
its not, really. Its just a trick of the sheen.
Christopher Schwarz, editor
Left-tilt Table Saws Were Made by
Companies Other Than Powermatic
Your answer to Right-tilt? Left-Tilt? Should I
Care (Q&A, December 2005, issue #152)
has the statement that, Until about 10 years
ago, the Powermatic was the only saw that
leaned to the left.
Actually, Sears also sold a left tilt-table way
back when. It was manufactured by Emerson
Electric Co.
I own a Craftsman 100 saw Serial #113-
29990 with a vintage date of about 1960. I
cant yet pin that date down for sure. However,
it is defnitely a left-tilt saw. It also has another
number stamped on the tag, 1257, that is not
identified. My guess is that maybe thats a
production number.
I use it ever day and still use the origi-
nal miter gauge and rip fence, which are very
accurate. (Might I also add that I bought it at
a fea market for $100.)
John Timms
via e-mail
Oops! I wasnt aware of the Sears saw, although
a quick check on eBay revealed one for sale (at
time of publication). Im going to do some dig-
ging to fnd out when it was made.
Robert L. Lang, senior editor
WRITE TO US
Popular Woodworking welcomes letters from
readers with comments about the magazine
or woodworking in general. We try to respond
to all correspondence. Published letters
may be edited for length or style. All letters
become the property of Popular Woodworking.
How to send your letter:
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Mail carrier:
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Lonnie Birds Chest(s) of Drawers:
The Story Behind the Story
Lonnie Birds chest of drawers on the cover
of the November 2005 issue and the accom-
panying article raised some questions on one
of the Internet newsgroups and we wanted to
share the story with you here.
In the article, Lonnie comments on his
being able to use a single 22"-wide board for
the sides and top of the chest. The question
arose from the cover photo, which obviously
shows a two-piece side on the case.
There is, of course, a fne explanation.
The chest on the cover is actually one of
two matching pieces that Lonnie made for his
two daughters. The pieces were made from a
tree that had special meaning to the family,
so having all the wood come from that one
tree for both chests was important. Even more
important was making sure that both daugh-
ters felt the pieces were equally special. (Those
of you with children will surely understand
this.) Lonnie had enough of the wide lumber
to make two single-board tops and two sides.
To be fair, each chest ended up with a single-
board top and one single-board side. Unfortu-
nately, the photo angle that we needed for the
cover showed the pieced board on this chest,
while the other side is a single board.
Also, during our printing process, the cover
photo came out a lot more reddish and with a
lot more contrast than the original.
Heres a photo from Lonnie that shows one
of the fnished cases with the single-board side
showing and (we hope) more accurate color
reproduction. PW
PW Editors
Details and Materials
For Making Hammers
Q & A
Is Brass a Good Material for
Making Your Own Hammers?
Ive read and watched with interest as your
magazine continues to explore the once-
abandoned frontier of hand tools. Of particu-
lar interest to me right now is the hammer
that old-fashioned, oft-ignored and overly
abused tool that has been around forever.
Since seeing and admiring the Glen-Drake
Tite-Hammer that you wrote about (Tool
Test, June 2005, issue #148), I sketched some
designs and am making my own versions of
a chisel hammer. In the past few weeks, Ive
found that brass is easy and quite fun to work
with. I havent used my 3" x 21" belt sander in
years and was about to purchase one of those
1"-wide belt sanders to do some woodworking
and metalworking when I came up with an
idea. I took some scrap wood and a few hours
of thought, and converted my Porter-Cable
belt sander into something more stationary
that can be used for shaping metal, wood, etc.
The belt runs vertically and I have an adjacent
work surface that can be tilted when the need
arises. It even has dust collection.
But back to my original topic, hammers.
I was on the verge of buying a Warrington-
pattern hammer when I decided to make one
myself out of the extra brass I now have lying
around. Hammers have a new-found place of
honor in my shop alongside my dovetail saw
and hand planes.
Dave Brown
Washington, DC
My personal hammer collection is completely out
of hand. Im up to 20. All are being used (I swear
it), and Im learning loads about the Warrington
cross pane and its proper orientation to the work.
Warringtons are nice because the pane (we some-
times call it the peen in North America) is
useful for starting small brads between the fn-
gers. It allows you to hold the brad and strike the
continued on page 18
nail without striking your fnger. There are other
English patterns with a cross pane, including the
Lancashire and London patterns.
Ill be curious as to how your Warrington
hammer performs. Id be worried that the brass
wouldnt do well when struck on nails or other
harder metals. Although a brass hammer should
be fine for striking a plastic or wooden chisel
handle, my brass hammers get beat up just from
the hoops on my Japanese chisels.
You might want to try making a Warrington
hammer from an old ripping hammer the ripping
hammers have a straighter claw, which might give
you some meat to make the cross pane.
Christopher Schwarz, editor
What Happened to QuickCAD?
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furniture-design program to use to make illus-
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1. The cross pane allows
you to start small brads
without striking your
ngers.
2. Once the brad is seated in the
work, turn the hammer around
and drive it home with the face.
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Where the Contractor,
Woodworker and Cabinetmaker Meet.
trations of my projects. I remember reading
in one of the articles about a program called
QuickCAD that cost around $50 (now prob-
ably $75) that a home-shop woodworker can
purchase to use to design their projects (CAD
for Woodworkers, June 2003, issue #134).
It was a neat software program with which
you could actually draw your project with
dimensions, change the view, etc. Where can
I purchase this program?
Hank Jacob
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
QuickCAD was produced by Autodesk, the par-
ent company of AutoCAD. I say was because
it no longer exists. But dont worry, there are
other inexpensive software packages out there
that are probably better and more user-friendly.
Lately, Ive been suggesting that folks look at
TurboCAD (800-833-8082 or turbocad.com).
The company has a line of products from entry-
level to advanced and it seems to have a good
tutorial system.
The bad news might be that there is no free
lunch in the world of CAD. All of the software
packages are just as dumb as a pencil until youre
comfortable with them. There is no now-make-
it-a-great-design button. My best advice is to
take a CAD class, perhaps at a local community
college. Thats how I got started.
John Hutchinson, project illustrator
Can You Resharpen Forstners?
Over the years, my Forstner bits have gotten
dull. These bits are expensive, so I would like
to get them resharpened. Do you know where
I can send them for resharpening?
Also, what is the recommended speed for
using a Forstner bit on the drill press?
Trevor Anderson
Bronx, New York
Your Forstner bits can be sharpened by any repu-
table sharpening service, but youre just as well
off to do it yourself. A set of diamond honing
stones will help you touch-up the cutting edges,
but you can also use a fne mill fle. Different-
shaped stones, such as a gouge slip, will let you
touch up the interior, curved edges. Dont sharpen
the outside diameter of the bit or youll change
the diameter of the Forstner.
As to your speed question, its tied to the
diameter of the Forstner bit. Smaller bits (
1
4"
or
3
8" in diameter) will operate best at higher

WRITE TO US
Every day we get questions from readers on
all subjects about their woodworking. Some
are letters; many are e-mail messages. We
are more than happy to share our wood-
working experience with you by answering
your questions or adding some clarity to
whatever aspect of the craft you are unsure
about. In addition to the hundreds we
answer privately every month, we want to
share the best questions here with readers.
Send your questions via e-mail to
[email protected], or by mail to:
Q&A Popular Woodworking
4700 E. Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
speeds around 2,000 rpm for soft woods and
1,400 to 1,600 rpm for hard woods. Larger bits
(2" in diameter) prefer slower speeds ranging
from 500 rpm in hard woods and 400 rpm for
soft woods.
David Thiel, senior editor
I Need Clues to Working Wenge
I am going to build a jewelry box out of some
wenge that came my way. I have never used
this exotic before and would appreciate any
hints you could clue me into. It seems to be a
mild wood other than the fact that its very
hard. It seems to machine well also. I guess
my concern would be with glue.
Chuck Fatula
Ellwood City, Pennsylvania
Wenge (millettia laurentii, and pronounced
wen-gee) is a hard, strong and beautiful dark
wood that planes very well. It also has a coarse
texture that makes it prone to tear-out when
shaping it with a router. The wood has a higher
resin content that, as you suspect, will interfere
with gluing (and fnishing).
Water-based glues can be less effective with
resinous woods. A polyvinyl acetate glue (PVA)
such as Titebond II will work for your joinery,
but a little preparation beforehand will improve
the joint. First its best to machine the joint just
before gluing, then wipe the surface to be glued
with a thinner, such as alcohol or acetone, and
let it dry for 10 minutes or so. You could also use
one of the polyurethane glues, which are excellent
with resinous exotics (as long as the wood isnt too
dry; poly glues need moisture to cure). PW
Q & A
A Tool
is Only as
Good as
its Edge
The latest abrasive technology
has been combined with Norton
craftsmanship to produce a truly
superior sharpening system.
Norton waterstones are a
cleaner, easier way to sharpen
your woodworking tools because
they cut fast and resurface
quickly. Tight quality control
means these stones have a
consistent structure and cut rate,
so you can achieve the same
perfect results time after time.
D-I-Y/Contractor Market www.nortonabrasives.com
Norton
Waterstones
continued from page 16
The new FEIN
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Your tools
turn it on.
Introducing our new, small vac with auto-start.
Plug in your tool and turn it on. The new FEINTurbo I Vac is one of the
world's quietest, most powerful vacuums.Very portable at only 18 pounds,
it reaches every corner with a lengthy 16-foot. hose. And it comes with a
brush and crevice tool. Whether you use it as a conventional vacuum or as
part of a sanding system, youll love the Turbo I.
For more information, a free brochure and a dealer near you, call
1-800 441-9878 or visit us on the web at www.feinus.com.
P o w e r e d b y I n n o v a t i o n
CASH AND PRIZES FOR YOUR TRICKS AND TIPS!
Each issue we publish useful wood-
working tips from our readers. Next
issues winner receives a set of three
specialty planes from Veritas Tools
valued at $500. This quality woodwork-
ing set includes a low-angle jack plane,
apron plane and a bullnose plane that
can also be used as a chisel plane.
Runners-up each receive a check for
$25 to $100. When submitting a trick
(either by mail or e-mail) you must
include your complete mailing address
and a daytime phone number. If your trick is selected for publication, an editor will need to
contact you. All entries become the property of Popular Woodworking. You can send your trick
by e-mail to [email protected], or mail it to Tricks of the Trade, Popular Woodworking,
4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.
Zero-clearance
Circular Saw
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
THE WINNER:
When working with plywood, I typically
rough-cut project parts with my circular saw,
then trim them to fnal size on my table saw
to clean up the rough edges and tear-out.
However, when a fnished part is too big to
maneuver on my table saw, Im forced to cut it
to fnal size with my circular saw, which is why
I developed this subbase for it that includes a
replaceable zero-clearance insert plate. Just as
with a zero-clearance table saw throat plate,
the insert plate presses down the wood fbers
adjacent to the saw blade during the cut, mini-
mizing tear-out.
Begin by making the
1
4"-thick plywood
subbase. (Mine is covered with plastic lami-
nate for easy sliding.) Cut it to the dimensions
of your saw base, then use a jigsaw to cut out
the opening for the blade and guard. Next,
rout the recess for the
1
8"-thick, clear polycar-

bonate plastic (Lexan) insert. Its important
that the depth of the recess exactly matches
the thickness of the subbase so that the insert
Smoother Turning
Cutting with a skew chisel or a gouge on
the lathe can be a tricky business. One
thing you can do to make things go a bit
more smoothly is to rub a little paraffn
on the backs of your chisels and on the
edge of the tool rest. It is amazing what a
little lubrication can do to help you make
smoother cuts.
Ken Burton
New Tripoli, Pennsylvania
Staining in Tight Spots
I make a lot of boxes, some of them fairly
ornate. This can present fnishing chal-
lenges, as it can be diffcult to apply and
wipe away stains and oils in tight areas.
Ive discovered a great method of appli-
cation is to use craft pipe cleaners, which
are longer and thicker than regular pipe
cleaners. Their thickness makes them
great fnish applicators and prevents the
wire core from coming in contact with the
workpiece and causing damage. They are
also very cost-effective to use. I use one
end to apply the stain, then the other to
wipe away the excess. Then I clip off the
used portions and save the remainder for
the next project.
Jim Durante
Bothell, Washington
contacts the workpiece during the cut. Finish
the subbase by gluing and screwing on a thin
sidewall piece for easy alignment to the saw
base, as well as improved bearing against a
straightedge during use.
Make the insert plate, and perhaps some
replacements for later or for beveled cuts. To
make the initial saw cut in the insert plate,
straddle the saw across a couple of 2x4s, and
slowly lower the spinning blade to its full depth
through the base.
Suwat Phruksawan
Pleasant Hill, California
Attach subbase using countersunk
athead machine screws, washers
and nuts
Glue and screw
subwall piece
Depth of recess
exactly matches
thickness of insert
1
8" clear
polycarbonate
insert plate
1
4" plywood subbase

is covered with plastic
laminate
Compiled by Paul Anthony
Illustrations by Matt Bantly
www.woodworker.com/pw06
800-645-9292
When calling, mention source code: pw06
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American Cancer Society (cancer.org) and
The Nature Conservancy (nature.org).
Grind a
1
32" at on
the cutting edge,
parallel to the axis of
the drill
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Clean, Temporary Attachment
Making a cabriole leg or other shapely part often requires bandsaw-
ing different profles on two adjacent faces. After the frst profle is
sawn, the offcuts must be temporarily re-attached in order to pro-
vide support and to re-establish the cutline for sawing the second
profle. The traditional approach is to tape the pieces back together
for the second cut. However, the parts may start to collapse as the
tape is cut through. Another approach is to re-attach the parts
using hot-melt glue, which will hold the parts together throughout
the cut, while allowing them to be pulled apart afterward. Unfor-
tunately, the glue can tear wood fbers from the workpiece when
removing the support pieces.
Ive found that the best approach is to combine the use of hot-
melt glue with wide cellophane packing tape (available at offce-
supply stores). After cutting out the frst profle, I apply the tape
to several strategic spots on the workpiece, burnishing it in place
to ensure good contact. Then I squeeze an appropriate amount of
hot-melt glue onto the tape and press the offcuts back into place.
Now, when I pull away the offcuts afterward, theres no damage
to the work piece.
This technique works just as well when temporarily applying
templates for pattern routing. In that case, I also apply tape to the
template to prevent damage to it.
Paul Anthony
PW contributor
Better Drilling for Plastics and Soft Metals
Drilling Plexiglas or soft metals such as brass and aluminum can be
tricky. Typical high-speed steel twist bits have a positive cutting angle,
and tend to dig in and chip Plexiglas or jam and break when drilling
soft metals. The solution is to grind a small fat on the cutting edge,
with the plane of the fat parallel to the axis of the drill. This will
produce the 0-cutting angle appropriate for plastics and soft metals.
A
1
32"-wide fat is enough to produce the scraping cut necessary to

avoid snagging the material. The fat can be ground in seconds on a
fne power wheel, or by using a light touch at a sander. A bench stone or
stick wrapped with carbide paper is a little slower but just as effective.
Forget fling; high-speed steel is just too hard. Afterward, segregate
your modifed bits because they wont work well for wood or steel.
Ric Hanisch
Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Extend Your Bench
I recently built a new workbench with a fairly
typical face vise and tail vise arrangement.
However, due to the small size of my shop, the
bench is only 5' long. While that is suffcient to
handle most boards I work with, I occasionally
need to secure a longer board for face planing.
For those cases, I made this jig to extend the
clamping capacity of my tail vise.
Constructed from 2 x 4 scrap, the L-shaped
jig includes a
3
4"-diameter plumbing fange

screwed to the short leg. With the long leg of
the jig clamped into my face vise, the plumb-
ing fange aligns with the row of dog holes
in the bench top. The clamped leg is a bit
longer than the width of the face vise jaws to
prevent racking.
To use the jig, I remove the fxed clamp
head from a
3
4" pipe clamp, and screw the

pipe into the fange. The sliding clamp jaw
on the pipe serves as a dog extended off the
end of the bench, and allows clamping of long
boards using the tail vise at the opposite end.
I have found that an 18" length of pipe serves
my purposes. If I ever need to attach a longer
pipe, I plan to support it at its end with a roller
stand to keep the assembly from sagging.
Steven Sampson
Wilbraham, Massachusetts
Screw
3
4" plumbing
ange to the short leg
Use scrap 2x4s
Sliding clamp
acts as an
extended
bench dog
Screw 18" length of
pipe into the ange
Board is held at
opposite end by
tail vise
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Stopping Apron Chafe
Like many woodworkers, I wear a shop apron to keep certain tools
close at hand, and to stay a bit cleaner. I like the kind with a strap
that loops around my neck, because its easy to slip into. Unfortu-
nately, the strap chafes my neck, especially when my apron pockets
are loaded with tools. Ive found that the way to prevent that is to
cover the neck strap with a feece seat belt cover (available through
many automotive supply stores.) It sure makes the apron a lot more
comfortable to wear.
Linda Doyle
Plano, Texas
Checking for Square
When checking a saws 90 setting, or the alignment of a crosscut sled
fence, the best measure of accuracy is to check the cut rather than to
simply gauge the blades relation to the fence. And to check the cut,
you dont really need a terrifcally accurate square; all you need is a
reliably straight fence and a straight-edged board about 2' long, that
youve ripped to a consistent width.
Heres the old trick: Crosscut the board in half, making sure that
its in good contact with your saw or sled fence. Now fip one half of
the board over and push the two sawn ends together with the long
edges of the board frmly contacting the fence. If the two ends meet
completely, your saw is accurately set at 90 (assuming your fence is
truly straight). Any gap between the two boards represents twice the
error of your saw setting. If youre not sure about your saw fence, you
can double-check your pieces by registering them against a reliable
straightedge or jointer table.
Mick Vohrmann
Tampa, Florida
Step 1: Crosscut board
Saw or sled fence
must be straight
Step 2: Flip one half and
press against other board
Gap represents twice
error of saw setting
Prevent Painful Planer Pinch
The auxiliary support rollers on large station-
ary planers pose a hazard to hands and fngers.
If youre not careful when reaching for a board
exiting the planer, your fngers can easily be
trapped between the end of the board and
one of the rollers, causing serious pain. On
the infeed side, a board entering the planer
can shift sideways suddenly, pushing an errant
fnger against a roller and a metal side rail.
Chipbreaker Grinding Guide
When grinding the edge of a plane blade, you
need a guide of some sort to ensure a straight
edge and an even grind. Some aftermarket
tool rests include blade-holding jigs that run
in a groove in the rest. Alternatively, you can
simply clamp to the blade a short wood or
metal fence that runs along the front edge
of the tool rest. However, many typical metal-
bodied smoothing planes, jack planes and
jointer planes have their own built-in guide
of sorts. Simply switch the chipbreaker to
the opposite side of the blade and orient it
perpendicular to the blade. You can slide the
chipbreaker up or down the blade as neces-
sary to create the proper distance from the
cutting edge, then lock the chipbreaker in
place using its own screw.
Joe Wajszczuk
Platteville, Wisconsin
To prevent this danger, I flled in the spaces
between my support rollers with boards. Each
board is simply screwed in place through holes
that I drilled through the metal side rails. Use
at least two screws at each end of a fller board,
and make sure that the boards are slightly
below the level of the rollers. PW
Rob Mousel
Hanover, Minnesota
Adjust distance
of blade to
grinding wheel
by sliding
chipbreaker up
and down
Orient
chipbreaker
90 to blade
The height of the boards should
be lower than the rollers
Fill the space
between the
rollers with
boards
Use two screws
through the end of
each board
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Makita Offer Lithium-ion Tools in a Smart Size
N
ews of Makitas new 18-volt Lithium-
ion drill was well received in the Popular
Woodworking shop. While were always happy
to hear about improved performance in a tool,
were not so excited about it coming at the
expense of increased weight and size. An 18v
that is sized like a 12v is just right.
The LXT BDF451 drill/driver is one of
the tools in a new line of cordless tools from
Makita that are powered by the new Sony-
made Li-ion battery. The drill offers all the
best features available, including a
1
2"-key-
less locking chuck with a 16-position clutch,
three-speed transmission and a clever and
handy shift-lock to quickly move between
drilling and driving functions.
The LXT also includes a new four-pole
motor designed to increase the tools perfor-
mance. The motor generates energy every
90 of rotation rather than the standard 180
generation found in two-pole motors. This
makes it possible to use a smaller, yet more
efficient motor.
The 18v, 3-amp hour batteries are charged
by a fan-cooled 45-minute smart charger that
communicates with a computer
chip in the battery, recognizing
battery history and condition
to increase battery life. Plus,
theres a light for dark corners
and the drill is backed by a lim-
ited 3-year warranty.
We ran the LXT through a
test used in our recent 14.4v drill
review (December 2005). Using
a 1" spade bit to drill through
1
3
4"-thick poplar boards, the

14.4v drills averaged 18 holes per charge (with
the best producing 25). The Li-ion Makita
produced 42 holes on a single charge. This is
a good increase in performance from a drill
sized slightly larger and heavier than a stan-
dard 12v drill. In the same test, a Milwaukee
28v Li-ion drill produced 66 holes.
Bottom line: This is smart-sized technol-
ogy for the wood shop. The LXT drill/driver
is well-made with solid performance and lots
of features. The price is steep when purchased
alone, but if you buy the drill in a four-tool
combo kit (LXT400 includes a hammer drill,
SPECIFICATIONS
Makita LXT BDF451 Drill/Driver
Street price: $309
Speeds: 0-300/600/1,700 rpm
Max Torque: 560 in./lbs.
Performance:
Price range: $$$$$
Makita: 1-800-462-5482 or
makitausa.com
TOOL TEST
impact driver and 6
1
2" circular saw) for $629,

youll make the price much more palatable.
David Thiel
For more information, circle # 180 on Free Information Card.
Veritas Router Plane Tweaks Joints for a Perfect Fit
The Veritas router plane wont replace your
electric router. In fact, its actually an excellent
complement to the power tool with which it
shares its name.
I turn to a router plane to clean up and
tweak the joinery created by my power tools or
the coarser hand planes that cut joinery. The
router plane absolutely shines at cleaning up
mortises for hinges, trimming tenon cheeks to
perfection and making the bottoms of dados
and rabbets fat and smooth. It also can clean
up the background of low-relief carvings, and
(with the help of a fence) produce grooves and
recesses for inlays.
The Veritas router plane is superior in every
way to the Stanley No. 71 Ive been using for
years. The Veritas has a precise adjuster with
an ingenious depth stop that is far better than
the odd depth stop on the old No. 71. And
the Veritas is made to a much higher level of
ft and fnish than my vintage tool.
The Veritas comes with
1
4"- and
1
2"-wide
cutters and a third cutter that has a V-shaped
1
2"-wide cutting edge (the skew cut from

the V-shape is supposed to leave
a smoother surface when required).
All of these are a bit of a challenge
to sharpen because of the post, and
so you can remove the cutter from
the post on both of the
1
2"-wide
cutters. Even with this improve-
ment and a small sharpening jig
included with the plane, its a trick
but youll get used to it.
The optional fence screws to the side of
the plane and works against both straight
and curved surfaces. You can screw a longer
shop-made fence to the Veritas fence to use the
tool as a small plow plane for making grooves,
although it isnt as ergonomic or fast as my
dedicated plow plane.
I found the balance of the tool and the
angled knobs to be superior to my old Stanley.
But if you dont like the handles, Veritas sells
an inexpensive kit that allows you to make
custom knobs.
All in all, Im thrilled that Veritas has
introduced another excellent plane for joinery.
SPECIFICATIONS
Veritas Router Plane
Street price: $125
Body: Ductile iron, 2 lbs.
Optional fence: Aluminum face, $15.75
Performance:
Price range: $$$
Lee Valley Tools: 800-871-8158 or
leevalley.com
And this one isnt just for the hand-tool crowd
a router plane can refne joinery created by
even the most fussy power-tool user.
Christopher Schwarz
For more information, circle # 181 on Free Information Card.
C
raftsm
en around the w
orld
have discovered the secret of
better quality w
ork. The R
azor
Saw
cuts by pulling and w
ill
give a cleaner, m
ore accurate
cut in half the tim
e.
Purchase a R
AZO
R
SAW
now
and w
e w
ill include our 102
page catalog of the w
orlds
finest w
oodw
orking tools.
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send $2.00 for a tw
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atalog.
www.japanwoodworker.com
Dept P1
CENTER for FURNITURE CRAFTSMANSHIP
Teaching Creative Excellence
Rockport, Maine
207-594-5611

www.woodschool.org
WORKSHOPS
TWELVE-WEEK INTENSIVES
NINE-MONTH COMPREHENSIVE
TOOL TEST
SPRAY GUN SOLUTIONS:
A TOOL FOR EVERY CLOG
Keeping your spray gun clean is the key to
keeping it working. The problem is that
the cleaning brushes that come with most
spray guns will take you only so far. Some-
times theres gunk or a clog in a place that
no brush will reach.
The Master 2000 cleaning kit ($34.99,
storage pouch not included) is the set of
tools youll wish you always had. There are
seven pointy needles in several diameters
for cleaning out clogged holes in your air
cap. Plus there are a variety of brushes and
picks that will get into the deepest cavities
of your gun, including a handy 12"-long
pick-up tube brush.
Theres also a bottle of spray gun lube
to keep the trigger moving smoothly and
the packing lubricated a necessary main-
tenance task that is often overlooked.
After six months of using the Master
2000 kit on my high-volume, low-pressure
(HVLP) gun, Ive found that I keep the gun
cleaner and that the tool works more pre-
dictability and smoothly than ever before.
For more information, contact Spray
Gun Solutions at sgskits.com or 303-424-
3741. Also, be sure to read Bob Flexners
piece on diagnosing common spray gun
problems on page 98 of this issue. With
this information and a cleaning kit, you
should be spraying without sputters. CS
Thin Wood, Safe and Easy
Dont let the name Luthiers Friend scare you
off if you dont make guitars. This precision
thickness sander has many practical woodshop
applications, especially intarsia.
Thickness planers tend to eat material
under
1
8" thick and we cant all afford a thick-

ness sander, but this drill press attachment can
run material down to less than a
1
64" thick.
A special sanding drum (with your choice
of sanding grit sleeve) is inserted into your drill
press. Adjust the fence to just less than your
materials starting thickness and start sanding.
As with a full-size drum sander, the wood is
fed against the rotation of the drum requiring
positive pressure as its fed past the drum (a
featherboard might make this easier). Each
quarter-turn of the fence-adjustment knob
reduces the space for the next pass. And the
dust hood does a nice job of keeping things
tidy when hooked to a shop vacuum.
The Luthiers Friend is a simple and con-
venient way to make thin pieces for special
projects without taking out a loan. DT
For more information, circle #182 on Free Information Card.
Worx Cordless The New Kid
Worx (Greenville, S.C.) has launched a com-
plete line of portable power tools and this drill
is the frst of those products weve tested. We
ran the Worx 14.4-volt drill through the same
tests used in our December 2005 drill review,
and heres how it stacked up:
We were able to drill 10 1"-diameter spade
bit holes in 1
3
4"-thick poplar on one battery

charge, while the other drills ranged from
nine to 25 holes. We sank 99
1
4" x 1
1
2"-long
lag screws in the same thickness poplar, while
the test drills ranged from 16 to 164. Weigh-
ing 4.4 pounds, the Worx drill placed as the
second lightest drill in the test.
The drill comes with a one-hour smart
charger, a built in bubble level, a magnetic tray
to hold screws and bits and on-board storage
for two double-ended bits.
It has a
3
8" chuck, which was a rarity in

our group test; Skil was the the only other
competitor with a
3
8" chuck. That leads me

to my conclusion and evaluation.
The Worx drill performed much better
than the Skil in our test. Many of the features
are those of a professional tool and its priced
at the affordable end of the 14.4v category. But
when entering an already crowded market,
we were expecting more from the Worx drill.
Were anxious to see the rest of the product
line. PW DT
For more information, circle #183 on Free Information Card.
SPECIFICATIONS
Luthiers Friend
Street price: $159
Includes: 50-, 80-, and 120-grit sleeves
Material capacity: 2
3
4" wide
Performance:
Price range: $$$$
Luthiers Friend: 512-454-3425 or
luthiersfriend.com
TOOL RATINGS
Performance is generally rated on a one-to-
ve scale. You wont see a low rating (one
or two) because we dont publicize inferior
tools. Five indicates the leader in the
category. Five dollar signs indicates highest
price in the category. Three indicates an aver-
age price. If you have tool questions, call me
at 513-531-2690 ext. 1255, or e-mail me at
[email protected]. Or visit our web
site at popwood.com to sign up for our free
e-mail newsletter.
SPECIFICATIONS
Worx WT155K 14.4v Cordless Drill
Street price: $169
Speeds: 0-350 and 0-1,200 rpm
Stated torque: 310 in./lbs.
Performance:
Price range: $$
Worx: 866-354-9679 or
worxpowertools.com
MASW
5504 E, 500 N, 1-317-535-4013
Franklin, IN 46131 Lodging is available nearby. FAX 317-535-1713
Call to find out more about our Masters and Apprenticeship Programs!
Scholarships Available
HANDS-ON COURSES:
Cabinet Making Carving Chair Making Design
Finishing Furniture Making Joinery Turning
Veneering & Marquetry and MUCH MORE!
INSTRUCTORS INCLUDE:
Graham Blackburn Bob Flexner Michael Fortune
Mack Headly Jeff Jewitt Alan Lacer Thomas Lie-Nielsen Garrett Hack
David Marks Stephen Proctor Andy Rae Craig Nutt Mike Mahoney
Steve Latta John Economaki Po Shung Leong Mario Rodriguez Kerry Pierce
Doug Stowe Christopher Schwarz Wayne Barton Frank Pollaro Paul Schurch
Del Stubbs Michael Hosaluk Michael Cullen and many, many more!
www.marcadams.com
Courses run April thru October,
Week Long and Weekend Workshops
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$599.00
BW-210 Spindle Shaper
Extr alargecastirontab lewith T -slotandmitergauge . F ence
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Weekender or Pro
Quality Work Requires
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Price: FOB , Y ork,P A
Subjecttochangewithoutnotice
I
believe there are two types of wood turners,
those who turn for pleasure and those who
turn out of necessity. I started in the latter
group. I started turning because I needed to
make spindles and my goal was to get the best
results with the least amount of effort.
Once youve developed some compe-
tence for turning, making spindles is easy.
And making multiples is just more time. Over
the years Ive come across articles showing
an old turners trick for multiples. A rod is
suspended above the lathe with lengths of
wires hung from it. The turner cuts at the
spot under each wire until the bouncing wire
by Eric A. Hedberg
Eric is a writer and woodworker in St. Paul,
Minnesota. When he isnt designing creative wood-
working jigs, he actually takes time to work on the
projects for which they were meant.
The Parts of the Jig
The star of this jig is the dancer. Each tiny
dancer pivots on a rod above the lathe. The
dancers can be positioned at any location
along a threaded rod. The dancer tiptoes on
the work on an adjustable rod of wood, bamboo
or wire secured with a screw. The offset pivot
causes each dancer to swing quickly out of the
way when the desired diameter is reached.
The spindle dancer jig has three main
components; the dancers and rod, the rod
supports, and the setup board. I added a little
ledge to the top at the supports. This allows
you to keep your template handy.
swings free, indicating the correct diameter
has been reached.
I decided this trick could be applied to a
lathe jig that would work like a profle gauge.
Each wire could be adjusted and readjusted
for different spindle profles, and you could
use as many or as few wires as necessary. So
was born the Spindle Dancer Jig.
Spindle Dancer Jig
A modern interpretation of a classic trick from old-school turners.
P
h
o
t
o

b
y

A
l

P
a
r
r
i
s
h
INGENIOUS JIGS
Making the Dancers
The dancer blocks are made of a tight-grained
hardwood such as maple. A strip of
3
8"-thick
x 1
1
4"-wide wood is crosscut into

3
4"-long
blocks (make plenty of extras).
Once you have a bunch of blocks, there are
three holes that need to be drilled in each: the
1
4" pivot hole that slips over the threaded rod,

the hole to hold the dancer rod, and the screw
hole to hold the dancer rod in place.
All three of these holes should be accu-
rately drilled in each block. Youll fnd the
locations for the holes shown on the illustra-
tions (see page 32).
I did a little extra work on the screw hole.
While wood will accept screw threads reason-
ably well, over time those threads can wear.
So I added something extra to my jig. Start
by drilling the hole with a #29 bit (its a little
larger than a
1
8" bit) that intersects and passes

about a
1
8" beyond the rod hole. Thread the

hole with an 8-32 tap and saturate the wood
threads with cyanoacrylate glue. After its dry,
rethread the holes. The glue helps bind the
fbers and takes out some of the slop.
As I mentioned earlier, the thin dancer
rods themselves can be wire, wood or any other
convenient material. Hardwood is preferable
over softwood; plastic pick-up sticks would
also be a good option.
The threaded rod that supports the danc-
ers should be sized in length to ft your lathe
bed once the support arms are in place.
The Rod Supports
My rod supports are built as a mirror pair out
of maple and birch pieces that I had in my
leftover bin. Plywood, other hardwoods or
even a metal fabrication will work just as well.
You may choose to omit the drawing holder at
the top, but I fnd mine very handy.
One rod support is placed at each end of the
lathe bed to hold the threaded rod of dancers.
Because each lathe is different, some custom-
ization may be needed for bed and swing varia-
tions. The two most important components
are the adjustable vertical supports and the
rod support arms.
My rod support arms are designed so that
the centerline of the rod is 8
1
4" (6
1
4" swing
plus 2" dancer clearance) above the bed. The
2" dancer clearance is a critical dimension. If
your lathe has an 8" swing this distance would
be 10" (8" + 2"). The distance from the edge
of the vertical post to the rod centerline is 6",
giving me lots of clearance for the biggest of
spindles and room to temporarily hang my
dancer rod just behind the spindle.
Each vertical support has two sides: a
fxed side that mounts to the lathe bed and
an adjustable side with the rod support arm
attached. There are three holes (spaced
1
2"
apart) drilled in each side of the vertical sup-
ports. The hole locations on the fxed support
are called out on the illustration. To locate the
holes on the adjustable side, set the supports
so that the center line of the dancer pivot is
exactly 2" above the chuck center line. Mark
the hole locations on the adjustable side and
drill the three
3
16" holes, using the holes in

the fxed side as a template.
The guides braces and supports (G, H &
J) are cut to size and attached to the fixed
side of the supports using glue. At the top of
the adjustable side, there is a birds mouth
fabricated of some wood leftovers. It acts as a
holder for the drawing of the fnished spindle
or a sample spindle/pattern.
The Setup Table
The setup table is Medium-Density Fiberboard
(MDF) or plywood wide enough for your wid-
est spindle and long enough for the spindles
you normally make plus at least 2" for spindle
waste. From the edge of one long side mea-
sure over
1
2" and draw a parallel line. Between

the edge and the 0 line you just made, fll
the space with crosshatch lines to indicate a
no-turning zone. From the edge of the no-
turning zone, make at least six parallel lines
exactly
1
2" apart. Starting with your frst line,

mark each one with a name: 0, 1, 2 and so on.
From the left side of the setup jig, mark two
or three lines parallel to the edge at 1" incre-
ments to account for turning waste.
Next is the alignment edge stop. It is 1
1
4"-
wide with a thickness of at least
1
4". At the
top drill a
1
4"-diameter hole
1
4" from each

edge. Bolt one of the dancers with a
1
4" bolt
temporarily to the right side of the edge piece
matching top, front and back edges. Using
the dancer as a stop, attach the edge piece
so the dancer just touches the edge of the
setup board.
How to Use the Dancer Jig
Lets start with how to position the supports.
Temporarily mount the supports (In 0-height
position, with the three holes aligned) to the
lathe at the desired width, allowing chuck
and tail clearance. With a dancer temporarily
attached at either end of your threaded rod,
lay the rod in the front notch in the support
arm. Adjust the dancer rods in the two dancers
so they are perpendicular to the support arm
and lathe bed. Adjust the supports position
so the rods are aligned with the centerline of
the lathe. Lock the supports in position and
mark the support positions on your lathe bed
for future reference.
Directing the Dancers
Start by laying the profile drawing of the
spindle you want to make on the setup table.
Touch the widest diameter of the spindle to
the 0 line and then slide the profle down
until its center line aligns with one of the other
numbered lines (1, 2, 3 etc.). When youve
found that line, move it to the right to allow
for waste, and tape down the drawing.
Determine which diameters you want to
duplicate off the profle. Mount your threaded
Shown at left is the
setup board with its
indicator lines. The
spindle pattern is taped
in position on the board
and then the dancers
are adjusted to meet
the pattern.
INGENIOUS JIGS INGENIOUS JIGS
4
3
/
4"
1
/
2"
1
/
4"
1
/
2"
3
/
4"
8
3
/
4"
1
/
2" l.
B
^
B
^
C
0
E
|
0
h
B
0
C
E
|
C
^
h
0
0
0
0
0
|
E
h
1"
2"
3
/
4" l.
10"
1"
3
/
16" dia.
1
/
2" l.
1
/
2" lyp.
22.5
1
3
/
4"
4
1
/
2"
6
5
/
8"
1
/
2" l.
22.5
1"
45
2
1
/
2"
1
/
2" l.
2"
2"
3
/
4" l.
16"
1"
3
/
4" l.
1"
2"
1
/
4" l.
1"
22.5
o
10
1
/
2"
1
/
2" lyp.
2
3
/
4"
3
/
16" dia.
1
/
2" l.
3
/
4"
1
1
/
4"
1
/
4" lhreaded rod
1
/
4" x
1
/
4" osel
rou lop coruer
o daucer block lo
ceulerliue o rod
^ligu ceulerliue o
daucer rod wilh
ceulerliue o spiudle
3
/
8"
3
/
16"
Ceulerliue o lhreaded rod is
(lalhe swiug + 2") above bed
wheu daucer blocks are iu
lhe "0" posiliou
Base support arm
Drawing holder back
Drawing holder front
Adjustable support
Rod support
Support brace
Rod support arm
Fixed support
Support brace
Dancer assembly
Support guide
rod to the setup board with the appropriate
number of dancers on the rod in roughly the
correct linear positions. Put a hairpin (see
supplies box) on the sides of each dancer to
hold it in place. Loosen the lock screw of each
dancer and slide the adjustable rod down until
it touches the edge of the spindle profle and
then lock down the screw.
After all the dancers have been set, lift out
SPINDLE DANCER JIG
NO. LETT. ITEM DIMENSIONS (INCHES) MATERIAL
T W L
2 A Rod support arms
1
2
1
2 8
3
4 Hardwood
2 B Base support arms
3
4 1 16 Hardwood
2 C Drawing holder backs
1
2 1
3
4 6
5
8 Hardwood
2 D Drawing holder fronts
1
2 1 2
1
2 Hardwood
2 E Adjustable vertical supports
1
2 1 10
1
2 Hardwood
2 F Fixed vertical supports
1
2 1 10 Hardwood
4 G Vertical support guides
1
4 1 2 Hardwood
2 H Vertical support braces
3
4 1 2 Hardwood
2 J Base support braces
3
4 2 2 Hardwood
Dancer blocks
3
8
3
4 1
1
4 Hardwood
Dancer rods
1
8
1
8 3 Hardwood
the dancer rod. The dancers should all swing
freely. If not, just turn the hairpin slightly to
give a bit more clearance.
Shall We Dance?
The last adjustment to be made on the sup-
ports is height. Depending on the size of your
spindle you need to raise each side in
1
2" incre-
ments. For example, if your centerline is on
the #2 line you need to raise your supports
two positions which is 1".
Chuck up your spindle stock and rough
it round. Set the dancers over the work so
their feet are to the front and the rod nut is
touching the left support. Use a hairpin on
the opposite side of the left support to hold it
in place. Fire up and start turning.
I use a parting tool to cut each diameter.
As I get closer to the true diameter, the dancer
really starts to jump, then suddenly swings out
of the way and takes a bow. If I want to work a
section at a time, I lift the rod and set it back
in the holding position. After each dancer
has fnished its performance, I complete the
show by turning down the profles and get
ready for the next act. PW
SUPPLIES
McMaster-Carr
630-600-3600 or mcmaster.com
hairpin clips
#98395A218, $5.65 for 100
ROBERT LARSON COMPANY
WWW.RLARSON.COM ~ 800-356-2195
Supplying quality woodworking hand tools
to fine stores & catalogs since 1981 .
USA importer of Two Cherries Tools
The Ultimate Hand Tool Shop
Perfection doesnt exist.
But you can come close.
O
ne of the frst things any beginning wood-
worker must do is set up a workshop. Like
so many other things a novice woodworker
must do, the preparation of a workshop shapes
the capabilities and enjoyment of the craft
long after the novice has become an inter-
mediate or advanced woodworker.
Fortunately, many books and articles have
been published on the subject. Unfortunately,
few if any address the unique needs of hand
tool usage. All too often, I see benches that
are much too short, free standing, or shoved
into some flthy corner. Provisions for sharp-
ening appear to be haphazard afterthoughts.
Tool storage solutions are typically completely
inadequate for the unique needs of hand tools
and their convenient usage. The general lack
of consideration for the unique needs of hand
tool usage conspires to limit the potential of
any would-be hand tool craftsman.
Unlike modern shops where each new tool
purchase requires a corresponding additional
allotment of foor space, once a few basic hand
tool work areas are established, theres rarely
a need for any additional growth. The trick is
getting these areas laid out in such a way that
they dont prevent your future success.
Space to Plane
A workbench is used for hand planing and
a host of joinery operations. When I built
my 6'-long workbench, I thought carefully
about the size of furniture I wanted to make.
Nothing on that list was more than 4' long,
so I thought a 6' bench would be plenty long
enough. But there were two things I missed:
First, a 40"-wide by 20"-deep chest of drawers
needs approximately 8' of base moulding. You
cant make 8'-long passes over stock resting
on a 6' bench. Crosscutting the stock before
moulding has disadvantages. Second, I fnd
it best to plane my stock before I saw it. That
by Adam Cherubini
Adam makes reproduction furniture using the tools
and techniques of the 18th century. He demonstrates
his crafts at Pennsbury Manor in Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, on Historic Trades Days. You can
contact him at [email protected]
other work perpendicular to the long front
edge of the bench. A piece of scrap placed
between your stock and the wall provides
a convenient backstop for material being
planed. The wall also prevents tools from
being knocked off the back and provides a
convenient location for a chisel rack and other
tool storage.
An anti-fatigue mat in front of your bench
is more than a luxury. Plane shavings can
make fnished wood or concrete foors quite
slippery, even after theyve been swept away.
Planing long stock requires quite a bit of foot
work, so I recommend considering a sweep-
able non-slip work mat of some sort.
Room to Saw
Learning to saw by hand offers woodworkers
the opportunity to explore traditional join-
ery. Like anything else one attempts to learn,
its easier to saw with good tools and the right
space. In Anglo-American shops, ripping is
performed on sawhorses using a wide-bladed
western saw.
The size and shape required for ripping fts
well directly adjacent to the bench. I think this
resulting 4' x 11' rectangle is the absolute mini-
way, I know where the knots are, where the
sapwood or diffcult grain is, etc. This helps me
avoid those areas when I cut mouldings or saw
joints. Consequently, I prefer to plane my stock
in the lengths in which I purchase it. Because I
buy mostly 8' stock and rarely need more than
8' of moulding, I recommend setting aside
space for a roughly 2' x 8' workbench.
Eight feet of shop space isnt enough room
for an 8' bench. All planes need run-off
room. Because the shavings tend to fy off this
end of the bench anyway, I fnd this a conve-
nient location for a trash barrel.
Dont put the end of your bench too close
to a wall. Someday you may take my advice
and get yourself a 30"-long plane. Make sure
you have room to use it. I think it wise to allow
a couple feet for run-off room.
Locating your bench with the back against
a wall provides it with stability for sawing or
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Im using cartoons to illustrate most of this column for two important reasons. Not only does it allow
me to show the ultimate shop without actually having the ultimate shop, it also helps to reinforce the
notion that the ultimate hand-tool shop exists only in our imaginations, and is totally devoid of the
real-life compromises and practicalities that shape real-world workshops.
ARTS & MYSTERIES
10'
mum size for the ultimate hand tool shop.
One advantage of working wood with
hand tools is that you have the ability to work
very wide stock that would be too heavy or
unwieldy to muscle across machines. Having
space to rip directly in front of your workbench
saves you from having to carry some big boards
through your shop. That said, if space is tight
you can rip almost anywhere. Its quite easy
to take your sawhorses outside and rip on the
patio or in the garden.
Many woodworkers enjoy the conve-
nience of a tail vise. Not me. Its limited use-
fulness is overshadowed by the diffculties
it creates for essential crosscut sawing. The
right end of the bench is the perfect place for
cutting joints and accurate crosscuts. Anglo-
American woodworkers got away without tail
vises for at least 100 years and so can you. You
neednt leave much space to the right of your
bench for the offcut. A long offcut is diffcult
to support here anyway.
Tool Storage Space
Hand tools arent like hand-held power tools.
Dropping them is generally disastrous. Metal
tools are sensitive to rust, which can cause pits
in polished metal blades. Wooden tools are
sensitive to changes in humidity. Finding eff-
cient ways of storing hand tools has been the
effort of craftsmen for centuries. Rather than
propose a revolutionary solution made from
Medium-Density Fiberboard, a quick look
back at what has been done might be wise.
Images of pre-industrial shops clearly reveal
a two-pronged approach to storing tools. Oft-
used tools, generically referred to as bench
tools because of their ever-present location on
the bench, are shown stored on open shelves,
or hung from hooks on the walls.
Tool chests, frequently painted a blue green
color (perhaps because the copper-based pig-
ment was inexpensive), are shown in several
images of pre-industrial shops. For many years I
believed these chests were merely a convenient
means of transporting a journeymans tools
as he journeyed from shop to shop. I was
wrong. These chests are deceptively large and
insanely heavy. And the term journeyman
is an English corruption of the French word
for work day (journe) referring not to the
traveling nature of the worker but rather the
way in which he is compensated for his work
(for a days work). These chests are a surpris-
ingly effcient way to store hand tools. Tools
are easily accessed, safe from the hazards of
the workshop, movable (with some diffculty)
and the chest is unobtrusive. Made correctly,
the chests tight-ftting lids seem to protect the
contents from rust. Popular Woodworking has
offered a variety of plans for tool chests and
wall-hung cabinets. One advantage of a tra-
ditional tool chest is that it can be relocated
seasonally if necessary.
If we defne the bench tools properly and
narrowly as those tools used almost continu-
ously, rust should not be a problem. But great
changes in humidity or temperature require
us to reconsider the whole concept of bench
tools. A fne tool chest may make an excellent
window seat or coffee table. Tool chests from
the 18th century are often indistinguishable
from blanket chests. So why not put one in
your bedroom? Tools required for a days work
could be unpacked and hung on walls or laid
on open shelves only to be returned at the end
of a days work with no great loss in effciency
and some signifcant gain in peace of mind.
Lumber Storage Space
Planing and sawing by hand forces you to read
the grain, and feel its movement, variations
in density, etc. Im not one of those people
who falls in love with wood or its grain. But a
thorough familiarity with the material is ines-
capable. Before too long, every hand tool user
develops preferences for certain lumber spe-
cies, air-dried stock as opposed to kiln dried or
steamed, and even specifc cuts of wood such as
quartersawn, plainsawn heart wood, fitches,
etc. Consequently, and without exception, the
8'
2'
First, place your bench against a wall. A 2' x 8'
bench is, in my opinion, the minumum amount of
space necessary for the bench.
You dont want to strike the wall with your jointer
plane. Put the end of your bench 2' from the wall
and its a good place for a trash can.
Set aside 2' of space in front of your bench for ripping at the sawhorses. Add 1' to the right of the bench
for crosscutting.
11'
4'
An anti-fatigue mat in front of your bench is an
essential part of your shop. It gives you sure foot-
ing and is good for your back, too.
ARTS & MYSTERIES
hand tool users I know purchase wood that
meets their preferences regardless of whether
they have an immediate use for it or not. So
I think it is wise, if at all possible, to prepare
for the long-term storage of a great quantity
of lumber for future projects.
However, your lumber rack neednt neces-
sarily share your workspace. You may fnd your
garage, woodshed, or even a shady portion of
your lawn or garden a convenient location for
your lumber rack.
When designing your lumber rack, con-
sider such things as providing suffcient airfow
through the racks, accessibility and shading
the lumber from sunlight. If children are a part
of your life, please take every precaution to
make your lumber rack safe for someone who
may mistake it for a jungle gym.
Sharpening Space
It has been said that the key to working with
hand tools is frst learning how to sharpen
them. No ultimate hand tool shop is com-
plete without some provisions for sharpening.
Although Jacques-Andre Roubos 18th-cen-
tury text clearly shows a dedicated sharpening
area, this isnt an absolute necessity. The work-
bench can be a convenient place to sharpen
because it is sturdy and just the right height
for such an activity. But there are several
reasons why many prefer a dedicated area as
Roubo illustrated. Most sharpening equip-
ment requires some sort of lubrication, which
can make a mess of your bench and any future
projects. Grinders used by many woodworkers
spew nasty abrasive particle dust. Lets face it.
Sharpening is messy business.
If space is short, consider some sort of mat
to protect your bench from oil or water that
will fy off the end of your stones. This rubber
mat serves double duty. It protects the bench
and keeps the stone from slipping around.
For light honing, your bench may indeed
suffce, but when more serious work is needed,
its nice to have a dedicated sharpening area.
A grinder and a small shop-built table of a
convenient height will ft the bill. Now the
sharpening station neednt necessarily be in
the workshop. This could be in an unheated or
otherwise undesirable location. But an incon-
venient sharpening area may discourage you
from sharpening. Nothing will discourage a
woodworker faster or more completely than
working with dull tools. In the ultimate
workshop, there would be some well-equipped
sharpening area. The rest of us just need to
fnd a space we can make a mess in.
Lighting your Workspace
In my article about the Anthony Hay cabinet-
shop in Colonial Williamsburg (November
2005), Mack Headley described some of the
benefts of working in raking light. The nat-
ural light from a nearby window casts shadows,
allowing him to read a surface when planing
or carving. I have found knife lines to be all
but invisible under the shadow-less food of
light from 4'-fuorescent shop lights. Soon
after that visit to Colonial Williamsburg, I
removed the 4' shop lights over my bench and
began experimenting with different sorts of
lights. Lighting is a complicated subject that
I hope to read about in some future issue of
While a dedicated sharpening station is pre-
ferred, if tight space requires that you sharpen on
your bench, consider some sort of mat to protect
it from oil or water and to keep the stone from
slipping around.
Multiple low-
wattage lights
such as these
offer great ex-
ibility. The dif-
fusers are a great
help in reducing
glare.
Creating shadows on your bench is important. Shadows allow you to see a
prole develop on your work. Create light sources by having lamps you can
switch off individually.
A raking light, as shown above, will quickly point out imperfections in your
work, from tear-out to plane tracks.
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Popular Woodworking. Until then, heres what
I ended up with.
Lighting the ends of the bench is impor-
tant. Although its counter-intuitive, the abil-
ity to turn off lights individually can help you
better see what you need to see.
Over my bench Im using an array of 13-
watt, compact fuorescent bulbs in clamp work
light fxtures (they have a color temperature of
3500K). These bulbs shed a nice white light,
are inexpensive, and, most important, can
be turned off individually or quickly reposi-
tioned, giving me shadows when and where I
need them. I made sure to position lights over
the ends of the bench where the fnest work
is done. You could substitute standard incan-
descent bulbs in similar fxtures or choose
the much hotter and even brighter halogens,
but these would need special fxtures. I found
higher-color temperature compact fuores-
cent (CF) bulbs provided better illumina-
tion than lower-color CF bulbs with twice
the wattage.
With the raking light switched on and the
over-bench lights switched off, I can easily see
when I need to sharpen my smooth plane.
I prefer the fexibility of multiple low watt-
age lights. I cant think of a better application
for this approach than these raking lights.
A strong light would blind you.
To produce a raking light, Im using the
same 13w, 3500K CF bulbs attached to the
wall behind the left end of my bench. To keep
from being blinded, I attached a photographic
flter material (Cinegel #3000) called a gel
(it looks like tracing paper) to the front of each
fxture with binder clips to act as a diffuser
(see photo at left). This material wont catch
fre even in direct contact with the fuorescent
bulb and is inexpensive.
An Inviting Shop
By far one of the coolest things about an ulti-
mate hand tool shop is that with a few precau-
tions, it can be made safe enough for a baby.
Woodworking is such a solitary hobby, but
it neednt be so. Without the noise and the
dust of machinery, the shop can be a pleasant
place to be. My shop has toys for my children
(although they prefer tenon cheeks and plane
shavings) and a comfortable place to sit down.
The warm wood paneling didnt take long to
install, but it really took away the harshness of
the cinderblock walls. The ultimate shop is a
shop you want to be in. The ultimate shop is a
shop where a child or grandchild, neighbor or
spouse feels welcome. The ultimate shop is a
shop in which woodworking can be shared.
Conclusion
I hope I havent misled you though. There is
no actual ultimate hand tool shop. Every
shop is the result of several, often unfortu-
nate, compromises. Nor should you consider
the hand tool shop as necessarily separate
from a modern shop. Instead, you can incor-
porate ultimate hand tool shop features in
THE DOMINY SHOP
The reconstructed Dominy Shop at Winter-
thur offers a peek into a rural pre-industrial
woodshop. The Dominy family produced a
wide variety of items including furniture and
clocks in their East Hampton, N.Y., home
from the 1760s to the 1840s.
Although the ultimate hand tool shop
Ive described in this article was not based
on this reconstruction, we can see many of
the elements I discussed including the posi-
tion of the workbenches, tool storage and
even the color of the chest in the back corner.
This unique reconstruction, (which was
the space created by pushing aside your 12"
planer and 6" jointer.
But the one aspect of the ultimate hand
tool shop that really earns its title is that it
can ft into the end of a garage without mov-
ing your car, or just as easily into a spare bed-
room, or garden shed, or patio. Its the ultimate
workshop because it can allow someone in a
big city to make something wonderful in a
very small space.
The truly ultimate hand tool shop offers
craftsmen not just a different way to work, but
an opportunity to work. PW
based on 1940s sketches of the original
shop and eyewitness accounts) validates
our notions of period shops. The Dominy-
made furniture and clocks included with the
exhibit earn the shop its inclusion in any
ultimate hand tool shop article.
Winterthur, formerly the estate of H.F.
DuPont, is located in Delawares Brandy-
wine Valley. The museum, which includes
a celebrated collection of American art
and antique, is open year-round. For more
information, call 800-448-3883 or visit
winterthur.org. AC
Using bench planes
with your machinery
will speed your work.
But frst you must
understand how the
bench plane system
works.
by Christopher Schwarz
Contact Chris at 513-531-2690 ext. 1407
or [email protected]. A DVD
that explores this system is available from
Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, 800-327-2520
or lie-nielsen.com.
Coarse, Medium &
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oo often we hear that hand
tools are slow and power
tools are fast. Even people
who love hand tools talk about
how they enjoy handwork because
it forces them to slow their work
on a project, to ponder the details,
to enjoy the smell of the freshly
cut lumber and to labor in quiet
harmony with the wood.
Thats all very bucolic but its
also a bit ill-informed.
To my mind, people who think
hand tools are slow are either using
the wrong tool for a task, or they
are people who will work slowly no
matter what tool is in their hand.
I have found that to become truly
effcient at woodworking is to frst
ignore whether or not the tool in
your hand has a power cord or a
fnely honed blade. Instead, you
should make sure that you know
whether that tool is a coarse tool
for hogging off material, a medium
tool for refining and truing the
work, or a fne tool thats the last
to touch your work.
This classification system
coarse, medium and fne works
for many of the tools of the craft,
from sandpaper to hand planes.
And putting each tool into its
place is the frst step toward know-
ing its true use at the bench.
Once you know what each
tool is used for, youll also be able
to fgure out which tools (if any)
should be used before it and which
tools (if any) should be used after
it. Plus youll know in general
terms how long you should be
using that tool before you switch
to a fner one.
The net result of this is you
will become much faster because
youll always have the right tool
in your hand.
To show how this approach
works, lets look at surfacing lum-
ber. This coarse, medium and fne
system will frst help you under-
stand what bench planes are for
and then show you how bench
planes can be blended seamlessly
with powered jointers and planers
and other surfacing tools.
First Understand the
Bench Plane System
Bench planes are the mainstay
of a shop that uses hand tools or
blends hand and power tools.
Bench planes were designed to
make lumber smooth and true
before any joinery operations (and
before applying a fnish).
To surface wood with bench
planes, you need three planes: a
fore plane, a jointer plane and a
smoothing plane. It sounds simple,
but the problem is that over the
years, hand-plane manufactur-
ers have designed bench planes
in many lengths and widths (too
many, really), and they have given
them misleading numbers. Stan-
ley, for example, numbers its bench
planes from the diminutive No. 1
up to the massive No. 8. And there
are more than just eight planes in
that numbering system (there are
Nos. 4
1
2, 5
1
4, and 5
1
2, too). Do
you need all 11 planes? No. Do
you need to start working with
the No. 1 then progress to a No. 8?
Absolutely not. So which planes
do you need? Good question. Lets
hit the books.
Ignore Some Numbers
Whats more important than the
model number thats cast into a
planes bed is the overall length of
the tool thats the key to unlock-
ing its function.
And once you understand the
planes intended function, then
youll know how to incorporate it
into your shop, no matter what set
of tools or machines you own.
In a nutshell, the fore plane
is the tool for coarse work, and
it does a job similar to a pow-
ered jointer and power planer.
The jointer plane is the medium
tool, and it works like a random-
orbit sander, drum sander or belt
sander (in the right hands). And
the smoothing plane is the fne
tool; it does the detail work per-
formed by powered pad sanders,
hand scrapers and sanding blocks.
So lets first take a close look at
these three planes.
Fore Planes: Rough & Ready
Fore planes are between 14" and
20" long and are so named because
they are the planes that are used
before the other hand planes.
They are the coarse tool the
roughest of the bunch. They
require more strength and stamina
to use than any other hand tool,
and I use mine as little as possible
now that I own a powered jointer
and planer.
In the Stanley numbering
system, the No. 5 (14" long and
commonly called a jack plane)
and the No. 6 (18" long) planes
qualify as fore planes.
The fore plane is used to rap-
idly take a bowed or cupped board
to a state where its reasonably
fat. Fore planes dont take a fne
shaving. They take coarse curls
of lumber so the work gets done
quickly. Their middling length
is an advantage. They are long
enough so that the sole touches
a lot of the surface of the board.
This helps you true the face of the
board more easily and prevents
you f rom overshooting your
mark turning high spots into
deep valleys by accident. (Why
are scrub planes so short, then?
I think these 10"-long tools were
used more for hogging wood off
edges or for localized work but
thats another story.)
Like a powered planer, the fore plane produces thick curls so it can rapidly
reduce a board in thickness. Shown is my crusty-but-trusty Stanley No. 5
(some people call this a jack plane) and my sweet Scioto Works 16" wooden-
stock fore plane.
Fine
If the length of the fore plane
is an asset, why not make them
really long? Working with fore
planes is strenuous, so having
them shorter and lighter makes
them easier to handle than a lon-
ger plane. Whenever I use my fore
plane, I marvel at its perfection of
design. Its exactly long enough
but no more.
Once you know that the fore
plane is for roughing, this also
tells you how to set up the tool for
use. The fatness of the sole isnt
a concern for rough work. If the
sole looks fat and the tool wont
rock when the tool is fat on your
bench, youre in good shape.
I wouldnt recommend you
spend hours flattening the sole
of your fore plane so you can take
.001" shavings. Save that drudgery
for another plane (or avoid the
drudgery more on that later).
My metal fore plane is a sorry
old Stanley No. 5 with a hand-
made tote that looks like it was
fashioned by a blind beaver. The
tool is rusty in spots. The soles
flatness is questionable but it
works like a dream.
Back to set-up. Because you
want to remove thick shavings,
open up the mouth of the tool
and make the tool easy to push
by cambering the tools cutting
edge. A fore plane with a blade
sharpened straight across (like
you would with a chisel or block
plane) can be quickly immobi-
lized by a tough patch of wood.
And the cambered iron (I like an
8" radius) helps reduce tear-out
because there are no corners dig-
ging into the wood. If your plane
has a chipbreaker, set it so its back
at least
1
16" from the corners.

Fore planes are pushed diago-
nally across a boards face. Work
diagonally one way across the face,
then diagonally the other. Check
your progress with winding sticks.
Working diagonally will generally
get you where you need to be, but if
theres a persistent high spot, work
at it selectively with the fore plane.
The goal is to get the board fat
and almost to your fnished thick-
ness as close as you dare.
Jointer Planes:
Join the Flat-World Society
When the work is nearly fat and
nearly to fnished thickness, fetch
your jointer plane sometimes also
called a try plane. Jointer planes
are tools with soles 22" long or lon-
ger. Longer is better in the world
of jointer planes. In the Stanley
system, the No. 7 (22" long) and
the No. 8 (24" long) are the joint-
ers. Wooden-bodied jointer planes
can be much longer.
The joi nter pl ane i s t he
medium tool. It brings the sur-
face of the board to a state where
joinery can be performed. Jointer
planes take a fner shaving than
the fore plane, but nothing that
would be called gossamer. I gener-
ally go for a shaving thats about
.006" thick. Thats about the
thickness of two or three sheets
of typing paper. The length of the
jointer plane is its greatest asset.
When you can push a jointer
plane across the entire surface
of the board and remove a full-
width, full-length shaving from
every point, the board is quite fat
(fatter than most machinery can
Fore planes need a wide-open
mouth to pass the thick shavings
they produce. A tight mouth will clog
and slow you down.
A silhouette of the shape of my fore planes cambered iron. Its an 8" radius,
which allows me to take an almost
1
16"-thick shaving in softwood.

Cambering the iron on a fore plane
is a task best handled on a bench
grinder.
Working diagonally is the key to using the fore plane. The diagonal motion
reduces tear-out and assists in truing the face.
get it, Ive found). The planes sole
rides over the valleys of a board
and fattens the hills. When the
hills are the same level as the val-
leys, youre done.
If this tool is so accurate, why
not begin work with a jointer plane
and skip the fore plane? Though
a .006"-thick shaving sounds like
a lot, its not. With rough-sawn
wood, you could work one face
all day with a jointer plane a
fore plane can remove much more
wood in a hurry. And the jointer
planes are more unwieldy. Id
much rather push my fore plane,
which weighs less than 5 lbs., for
a lot longer than my No. 8, which
weighs 10 lbs.
Because the jointer plane is a
precision instrument, it requires
more attention than its coarser,
shorter cousin. The sole should be
reasonably flat. Theres been a lot
written about this topic, but the
bottom line is that the tool must
work thats its true test. Can you
flatten the sole of an old metal
jointer plane yourself? Perhaps,
but I cant. Though Ive flattened
the soles of many planes, I end
up making jointer planes worse.
There is too much cast iron to
work with there.
And thats why I recommend
you spend a little money when buy-
ing a jointer plane. In fact, if I had
to buy only one precision plane,
it would be a toss-up between the
jointer plane and the smoothing
plane. Theres a good argument for
buying a premium metal jointer
plane and a vintage wooden-soled
fore plane and smoothing plane.
Then you could use the metal
jointer to true the soles of the two
wooden planes.
No matter which jointer plane
you acquire, the setup is similar.
Some historical texts recommend
an iron sharpened straight across,
but I prefer a slight camber to the
cutting edge, which is also his-
torically correct it depends on
who you read. The camber should
be much slighter than the curve
on your fore plane. I like a curve
that allows a .006"-thick shaving
thats almost the entire width of
the iron. Practice will get you
where you need to be.
The mouth needs to be fairly
open to pass this shaving, but
theres no need for a gaping maw.
Keeping the mouth fairly tight can
reduce tear-out. And though the
jointer plane isnt generally a fin-
ishing plane (thats the job of the
smoothing plane), reducing tear-
out will make less work for the
smoothing plane. The chipbreaker
needs to be somewhere between
1
16" and
1
8" from the cutting edge

in my experience.
When I work a boards face
with a jointer plane, I tend to work
in the direction of the grain not
diagonally like with the fore plane.
However, when Im fattening a
Winding sticks (I like aluminum angle) exaggerate any warp or high spots on
the boards face. View the winding sticks so they are in line with one another.
A jointer planes major asset is the length of its sole. The longer the sole, the
atter your board will become. Shown is a Lie-Nielsen No. 7 plane (left) and
the Veritas bevel-up jointer. The jointer I covet (not shown) is the Clark & Wil-
liams jointer, which can be as long as 30".
There are lots of ways to get the
proper camber on the iron for a
jointer plane. Shown is the Odate
crowning plate from Powell
Manufacturing essentially, its a
diamond sharpening stone thats
concave in the middle.
A silhouette of the shape of my jointer planes cambered iron. I placed a feeler
gauge on the end to see how far back the corners were swept: its .005".
The mouth of the jointer plane is
a ne balance. You want it open
enough to pass a fairly thick shaving,
yet tight enough to limit tear-out as
much as possible.
big tabletop, a largish panel or my
benchtop, Ill begin with diagonal
strokes. This helps keep a larger
surface in true.
As you start to work, the frst
pass or two should produce irreg-
ular shavings as you remove the
high spots left by the fore plane.
After a few passes, long and wide
shavings should emerge from the
mouth. When this happens all
the way across a boards width,
you are ready to work the other
face of the board.
If youre surfacing the board
entirely by hand, use a mark-
ing gauge to scribe the fnished
thickness on all four edges of the
boards and work that rough face
with the fore plane almost to the
scribe line. Then true the second
face with your jointer plane.
This is the point at which Ill
typically perform joinery on the
piece (with some exceptions). If
you proceed to the smoothing
plane before you cut your joints,
you can make more work for your-
self in the end.
Thats because joinery can be
hard on a board. Youll mark it up
with the typical shop bruises from
cutting and clamping. When the
joinery is complete, Ill generally
assemble the project and then
On narrower cabinet components, the jointer plane works along the grain.
Skewing the tool slightly during the cut makes it easier to push and does
assist in attening. One wider panels say 14" and wider Ill begin with a
few diagonal passes before switching to long-grain ones.
Smoothing planes are the elite (and most demanding) planes in your shop.
Shown is a Lie-Nielsen No. 4, a Veritas bevel-up smoother, a wooden-bodied
Clark & Williams smoother, and my most guilty pleasure: a custom-made
plane by Wayne Anderson (bottom right). Yes, its a smoothing plane, too.
Smoothing
planes remove
wispy shavings
and prepare
a surface for
nishing.
smooth the exterior if possible.
Sometimes you have to go to the
smoothing plane before assembly.
Experience will be your guide.
Smoothing Planes:
An Addiction for Some
The smoothing plane is the tool
that usually hooks woodworkers
into hand tools. Theyre the fne
tool in the troika of hand planes
and they produce gossamer shav-
ings and leave shimmering sur-
faces. I like my smoothing planes,
but if Ive done a good job with my
other planes, the smoothing plane
should see only a little use.
This is a good thing because
it saves you on sharpening and
setup. Fore planes are the easiest
A silhouette of a smoothing plane iron. The camber is slight: .002" or maybe
a little more.
The mouth of a smoothing plane
should be as tight as possible. This
requires tweaking and experimenta-
tion. Once you get the mouth set,
however, you shouldnt have to
change that setting.
tool to set up and sharpen (they
dont have to be surgically sharp),
jointers take a little more work in
both departments and smoothing
planes are the trickiest tool.
Smoothing planes require a
cutter with a gently curved super-
sharp cutting edge, a fne mouth,
perfect alignment of the cutter in
the center of the mouth and a lot
of other fne tweaks that demand
fussing, fussing, fussing. So if
youre using your smoothing plane
as little as possible, then youre
also spending less time tweaking
and more time woodworking.
There are a lot of sizes of
smoothing planes, but in general
they are 7" to 10" in length. The
Stanley No. 4 is the most common
size at 9" long with a 2"-wide cut-
ter. The bigger planes, such as the
No. 4
1
2, are suited for larger-scale

work, such as dining tables. The
smaller planes, such as the No. 3,
are suited for smaller work, such as
narrow door stiles and rails.
The smoothing plane needs
to take a fne shaving, anywhere
from .002" thick down to stuff that
cannot be measured. So you need
the sole to be as flat as possible
to consistently take this shaving.
You can try to tune the sole of
your smoothing plane, or you can
do what I do let someone who
knows what they are doing handle
this job with a surface grinder. If
you purchase a nice hand plane
from Veritas, Lie-Nielsen or Clif-
ton and the sole is out of whack,
then send it back. You shouldnt
have to fatten the sole if you pay
more than $175 for a plane.
Other considerations: The
mouth needs to be as tight as you
can get without it clogging with
shavings. The chipbreaker needs
to be set near the cutting edge. I
like less than
1
16" as close as I
can get without clogging. And the
iron needs to have the slightest
camber, just a couple thousandths
at the corners. I achieve this by
applying selective fnger pressure
at the irons corners while sharp-
ening. I also fnd that smoothing
planes are the place to lavish your
sharpening skills. To get the edge
as perfect as you can, polish it up to
the highest grit you have available.
In my experience, sharper edges
reduce tear-out as much as a tight
mouth or the pitch of the blade
(higher pitches reduce tear-out but
make the tool harder to push).
When working with a smooth-
ing plane, make passes parallel
to the grain of the board, mak-
ing sure that your strokes overlap
slightly. Work from the edge of
the board near you across to the
far edge. Your first strokes will
remove the high spots left by the
jointer plane and your shavings
could look inconsistent. Once
you make a couple passes across
the face, you should be able to get
full-length shavings that are as
wide as your blade allows. When
this occurs and the board looks
good, put down the plane. Clean
up any localized tear-out with a
hand scraper.
If necessary, Ill make a few
strokes with #220-grit sandpaper
to blend the planed surfaces with
the scraped ones. This should take
only a few strokes.
What This Means:
Blending Hand and Power
Armed with this understanding of
hand planes, you can now unlock
an important secret. Almost all of
our power tools can be classifed
as coarse, medium or fine tools
just like the hand planes used
for surfacing wood.
Think about your powered
jointer and planer as coarse tools,
like the fore plane. Their job is to
remove lots of stock in a hurry. But
their surface needs to be refned
before fnishing (unless you build
only chicken coops).
What are the medium tools? I
classify large random-orbit sand-
ers, belt sanders and drum sanders
as medium tools. They remove the
marks left by the coarse machin-
ing process and can indeed true
a board when wielded by a skilled
user. Some people are satisfed to
stop at this phase and truth be
told, Ill sometimes stop after using
my jointer plane when building
something intended for the shop
or for pure utility.
But most power-tool wood-
workers go a step further. They
scrape and hand sand to remove
the scratches left by random-orbit
Hand scrapers and sanding blocks are an accepted and historically accurate
way to prepare a piece of wood for nishing.
The powered jointer (above) and
planer (right) are faster than a fore
plane (though they wont burn as
many calories during use).
sanders and pad sanders the
so-called pigtails you see on so
many furniture-store pieces. In
the power-tool world, these hand
tools are the fne tools.
Once you classify your power
tools, you can use them in con-
junction with your hand tools.
Lets say that the only bench plane
you own is a smoothing plane.
When should you use it? First joint
and plane your stock (a coarse
operation). Get it as true and fat
as possible with your drum sander
or belt sander (thats medium).
And then fnish things up with
the smoothing plane, scrapers and
sandpaper (fne).
This information can also be
used to guide your tool purchases.
What plane should you buy at
the fea market if you dont own
a powered jointer or planer? (A
fore plane.)
Heres how I personally blend
power and hand tools in my shop.
My coarse tools are my powered
8" jointer and 15" planer. Though
I own two fore planes, I use them
only when a board is too wide for
my powered equipment.
Once the coarse stuff is over,
I use my jointer plane to true my
stock before cutting my join-
ery. This medium tool removes
snipe and machine marks, and
makes the boards fatter than my
power equipment can. Finally, my
smoothing plane is my primary
fne tool, although I scrape and
hand sand, too.
Its important to use the tools
in the right order (start with
coarse; end with fine) and that
you dont skip any steps between.
Skipping wastes time. Its frustrat-
ing to use a fne tool right after a
coarse tool. Try using a smooth-
ing plane on a larger board thats
fresh from your powered planer.
Then use a smoothing plane on
a board that you frst dressed with
your jointer plane. Youll notice a
signifcant difference.
The other important idea is to
work as long as you can with the
coarse tool. You wouldnt remove
1
16" of a boards thickness with a

random-orbit sander. So dont use
your jointer or smoothing planes
to do that, either. This is a com-
mon error and is one way hand
tools get a reputation as slow.
One last thing: I dont use hand
tools because of a romantic obses-
sion with the past. Once I adopted
this system of coarse, medium and
fne, I became faster, my joinery
became tighter (because my
boards were perfectly true) and my
fnished results looked better.
And once you understand how
coarse, medium and fine works
with surfacing lumber, you can
apply the idea to other workshop
processes. Heres a hint at the pos-
sibilities: When cutting curves,
the coarse tool is the band saw, the
medium tool is the rasp and the
fne tool is the spokeshave. And
theres more. A lot more. PW
Christopher will be teaching a
class at the Marc Adams School of
Woodworking on May 8-12 that
explores this principle and other for-
gotten hand-tool techniques. Visit
marcadams.com or call 317-535-
4013 for more information.
A drum sander (left) can level and true a panel much like
a jointer plane. A random-orbit sander (above) is ideal for
removing machining marks in a power-tool workshop.
The concept of coarse, medium and ne works with other operations as well.
For cutting curves, think of your band saw as the coarse tool, your rasp as the
medium tool and your spokeshave as the ne tool.
SOURCES
Anderson Planes
763-241-0138 or
andersonplanes.com
Clark & Williams
479-253-7416 or
planemaker.com
Lie-Nielsen Toolworks
800-327-2520 or
lie-nielsen.com
Powell Manufacturing
781-237-4876
Veritas (Lee Valley Tools)
800-871-8158 or
leevalley.com
CHAPTER
4
W
hat are we talking about when
we say smart assembly? In pre-
vious chapters, weve discussed
a couple of issues that can complicate
casework: proper material preparation
and choosing the proper joint to make
the strongest furniture. Another place
to trip up when building case furniture
is in the assembly of your components.
Most casework is larger than the
average breadbox (although that bread-
box is also casework). Because of that
large size, cases can be awkward to ft
and assemble.
Casework Construction:
Smart Assembly
Author Bill Hylton understands the benets of
good joinery (a lock miter at the corners of this
piece) and proper clamping during assembly.
By using the lock miter joint, the number of
clamps required is greatly reduced as is the
complexity.
Another complication is that many
case pieces are more than just four sides,
a top and a bottom. Each side can be as
many as fve pieces (a frame-and-panel
side, for example), and accurately ftting,
gluing and assembling all those pieces is
like trying to build a jigsaw puzzle with-
out a table.
In this chapter, youll learn to: test
the ft of the pieces prior to gluing; work
in stages; and use proper clamping tech-
niques all of which will help to make
your casework construction a more plea-
surable and successful experience.
Other assembly issues well dis-
cuss were briefy touched upon in the
previous chapter, but here well go into
more detail about attaching backs to
your case pieces. Well also spend some
time focusing on mechanical assembly
options namely, screws and nails.
Test Fit Your Pieces
This is one of those steps in building
furniture that gets forgotten or ignored
because we get in a hurry. After care-
fully measuring and cutting all our join-
ery for a piece, we hold the pieces near
each other, give them a critical squint
P
h
o
t
o

b
y

B
i
l
l

H
y
l
t
o
n
WOODWORKING
ESSENTIALS
BY DAVID THIEL
POPULAR WOODWORKING
with our eye, then decide everything
looks good enough to add glue. Shortly
after that, were knocking apart a sticky
mess because something just didnt ft
right under clamp pressure.
As with proper sanding before fnish-
ing, test ftting case pieces without glue
is always a good idea. As the number
of pieces in a project increases, the
opportunity for mistakes increases as
well. Case pieces have more parts than
any other type of woodworking project
except intarsia. So take a few minutes to
follow these rules about test ftting.
Work from the outside in. Test ft
the case joinery frst. This ft will deter-
mine the overall shape and size of the
case itself. Any pieces that are attached
(drawer dividers or shelves) will need to
ft after the exterior ft is fnalized.
With the corners fit, use the back
of your case to square up everything. It
keeps things in shape while ftting the
interior. If youd prefer to leave the back
off for fnishing, tack it in place with a
couple of nails that can later be easily
removed.
With the case fit and squared,
take your interior measurements at the
carcases corners and build the interior
structure from those measurements. A
common mistake is to fit the interior
pieces to the case based on measure-
ments taken from where they will be
attached. If your case sides are bowed at
the center, youll only be building that
bow into your furniture. Thats why you
measure at the corners.
As you ft the interior parts, its
much easier to have the joinery (and the
pieces) slightly oversized on purpose. If
you try to ft the pieces perfectly before-
hand, you stand a better chance of going
too far and making the ft loose. Its
easier to use a hand plane or sandpaper
to ft the pieces perfectly.
For face frames, dont try to ft the
frame perfectly to the case; its unlikely
to work. Youre better off building the
Fitting each of the interior dividers in this case can take a while, but its well worth the effort. The
plane shown in the right corner of the photo is the correct tool. A shoulder or rabbet plane allows
you to ne-tune joinery prior to assembly for a less stressful experience. Once the glue is on the
pieces, the mallet is used to tap everything into place.
Working in Stages Step by Step
The back assembly (with pre-nished panels)
is already in the clamps, except for the corners.
Theyre the nal addition to the back assembly.
Clamping in two dimensions on the ipped
back assembly is no problem. Remember not to
use glue on the panels so they can oat in the
grooves. Take the time to check the frame to
ensure its square. With the back clamped up,
repeat the process on the front panel.
Getting miters perfect is tricky enough
when not attached to a panel. With all
the joinery prepared, glue them up rst.
1 2
3
Next, add the sides. Start by gluing the side
rails in place then slide the panels into place.
Add glue to the tenons of the ends of the rails.
Its then fairly simple to tap the front of the
case into place on the positioned sides and
much easier than gluing it all at once.
With the four sides glued and in place,
squaring the case as you clamp across the
piece is no problem. Because the corners
and the two long sides have already been
squared during glue up, you have to worry
about only a couple of the angles. DT
frame slightly oversized (
1
16") in both
directions. Then, you can simply take a
router with a bearing-guided straight bit
and run around the outside of the case to
make the frame flush.
Work in Stages
This lesson really is common sense.
Rather than try to glue up and assemble
a case piece all at once, its much easier
to assemble the case in pieces. There are
a few physical limitations that make this
technique not only smart, but necessary.
Most of us work in our shops with-
out an assistant. (Even if you do have
someone you can get to help, its unlikely
theyll be knowledgeable enough in
woodworking to do more than lend a
hand.) That leaves us with two hands
that never seem to be adequate to the
task of gluing and assembling a case
piece. There are just too many pieces to
juggle at once.
Although glue is great at making
things stick together, until it dries its a
pretty good lubricant. That means all
the glued pieces have a tendency to slip
around. So now youre juggling a slippery
collection of parts.
One side comment, choosing the best
glue for assembly will help you out. Stan-
dard yellow glues dry quickly and work
well for assembling panels, but when
youre working with so many pieces, a
slower curing glue is helpful. There are
yellow glues available with longer open
times, such as Titebond Extend. Poly-
urethane glues have a longer open time,
but can be messy. Hide glue is a third
alternative because its reversible with
heat and water.
When you get all the parts glued and
assembled, its time to put clamps on
until the glue dries (leave them on for at
least 30 minutes). But what if you dont
have 16 3'-long clamps?
Working in stages solves all these
problems. Gluing and assembling one
end of a case piece is a job thats easily
managed with only two hands. And that
one end is likely to require only a few
clamps and most woodworking shops
have at least a few clamps. All of this
results in a more pleasant woodwork-
ing experience with fewer chances for
mistakes. And those are results worth
working toward.
The photo essay below walks you
through a typical assembly process for a
Having everything on hand for an assembly and knowing the order in which the assembly will
progress will help you avoid mishaps. Although we show a door here, the same preparedness is
even more important with a case assembly. The pieces are in place and the clamps adjusted. The
mallet, square and glue brush are ready to go. Whats missing? How about a rag and a bucket of
clean water to wipe off the excess glue?
4 5
6
Jaw clamping surface
Even with dados run
in the sides of this
bookcase, gluing
and clamping the
shelves in place can
be awkward because
of the shelf length.
My co-worker, Bob
Lang, has anticipated
this difculty and
is using a couple of
speed squares to help
him keep the shelves
at a 90 angle during
glue-up. The squares
are clamped to the
shelf and to the lower
case side. Then the
opposite case side is
clamped across the
shelf. This not only
helps to ensure a
square case, but keeps
things from wiggling
too much while youre
assembling the case.
POPULAR WOODWORKING
blanket chest and is representative of the
great majority of case pieces.
Id like to drag your mind back to the
earlier topic of dry-ftting for a moment.
This is another valuable technique that
will make working in stages all the more
easy. When you dry ft an assembly, its
an opportunity to fnd out if you indeed
have enough clamps to assemble the case
piece. Its also a chance to leave those
clamps set to ft the glue-up in question,
so you dont have to fumble around once
the glue is on the project.
And when youre dry-ftting, its a
good idea to at least pantomime apply-
ing glue to the pieces. You may fnd that
youre trying to apply glue to a joint that
you cant adequately reach with the
pieces in place. Think of it as a dress
rehearsal. Knowing the what, where,
when and how before you start makes
the actual assembly, well planned.
Smart Clamping
Weve already started talking about
smart clamping on the previous page.
By adjusting your clamp jaws and hav-
ing the clamps ready to use within easy
reach, youre working smart.
That clamping preparedness carries
into lots of areas including what type
of clamp to use, where the piece youre
going to assemble is positioned, and
simple little steps that make it easier
to assemble cases when youre working
alone in the shop.
Lets start with the clamps. I know
this is an area on which its going to be
hard to give absolute advice because we
likely all own a very different collection
of clamps. Many of us use bar clamps
This may sound like an advertisement, and if it does, oh well. Its an endorsement Ill stand behind.
When parallel-jaw clamps (at the rear in the above picture) came onto the woodworking scene,
they had a huge impact. The jaws allow you to clamp with even pressure anywhere along the
length of the jaw. Another benet is that the design allows the clamp to lay on your workbench,
ready to use, without falling over. Thats something your standard F-style clamp (propped-up in
front) just cant do. Parallel-jaw clamps represent money well-spent for your woodworking shop.
Making Custom
Entry Doors
Top rail 5"
Side stile 4
3
4"
Middle rail 6"
Center stile 4"
Bottom rail 9"
Transom
Door
Sidelights
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
A
homes front door can sig-
nal important messages
to all who pass by, includ-
ing the design of the home, the
pride the homeowner has in his
house; it can even comment on the
sort of people who live there. Its
intriguing to think that a front door
could represent a kind of calling
card that says a woodworker
lives here.
To deliver that message, a
door might be more expressive
in appearance than off the rack
doors, or quite conventional but
very well crafted. Obvious options
come to mind, such as an out-of
the-ordinary wood species, or
simply choice selection of stan-
dard door lumber.
Constructing an entry or inte-
rior door presents some challenges
but the same principles as cabinet
doors apply. For most woodwork-
ers, stepping up to entry or passage
doors is now within their reach.
Why? Freud, a manufacturer
familiar to many woodworkers,
now offers a unique stile and rail
router bit set for entry and interior
doors. This set is not only scaled
up to cut the cope-and-stick pro-
les for door making, the revolu-
tionary design of the cope cutter
can make the long, stout tenons
that provide the strength these big
doors require; tenons 2
1
2" long
or longer.
The versatile new Freud tool-
ing that makes the door will also
make the sidelights and transoms.
But for this article, the focus is the
door itself, and complete instruc-
tions are provided on the inside
of this poster.
For complete information on
door building, including tran-
soms, sidelights, changing the
bits for different thickness inte-
rior vs. exterior doors, Freud offers
a mini-DVD and separate poster
that accompanies the bits when
purchased.
Lumber Selection
and Preparation
For an exterior door, choose a
hardwood such as oak, mahogany,
walnut or cherry. For a painted
door, poplar is a good choice.
Regardless of species, be sure
you have straight-grained wood
for the stiles and rails. Lumber for
panels can be at sawn and may
even look better.
For interior doors, pine is often
used if its to be painted. Natu-
ral finished doors should be an
attractive hardwood. Interior door
thickness should be 1
3
8".
For all doors, its important
that all stock is properly prepared.
Lumber should be f lat and all
edges and end cuts square.
Developing a Cutting List
First carefully measure the exist-
ing opening for your new door.
Also check that the opening is
square. Use the opening size (not
the old door) to build to. Youll
do a final fitting when hanging
the door. If the opening is out of
square, add enough to trim later.
While just guidelines, door
parts often follow standard sizes to
accommodate structural require-
ments. Thats why bottom rails
are usually extra wide. Door stiles
must be a minimum width to sup-
port the door and accom-
modate the long rail tenons.
Factor into these sizes an
aesthetic consideration for
pleasing proportions. Use
the callouts on the door
at left as starting points for
these sizes.
Now follow these easy for-
mulas to determine the specic
dimensions of parts to create the
door to t your opening. All exte-
rior parts are 1
3
4" thick.
Full length stiles = height of
opening
Length of the center stile or
rail with stub tenon = distance
between the stock +1"
Rail lengths with 2
1
2" ten-
ons = opening width - (2X stile
width) + 5"
Raised panel width = distance
between the stiles +
3
4"; length =
distance between the rails +
7
8"
Glass inserts = distance
between stiles or rails +
3
4".
A Fixture for Mortising
An easily made xture to support
the long stiles while mortising is
helpful. It is comprised of two
sides made from two thicknesses
of 2x6s glued together, and a
3
4"
bottom. The space between the
sides is 1
3
4" plus two sheets of
paper, just enough to allow the
work to slip through but still be
easily clamped tight. The height
of the sidewalls is just
1
4" more
than the width of the stiles. The
bottom is both longer and wider
than the sides to allow ample sur-
face for clamping the xture in
place and to provide more support
for the work. The drawing below
provides the details.
Making custom doors for your home
just got a lot easier with revolutionary
new router bits from Freud.

Custom Doors: Step by Step
1
Once all your door parts are cut to exact size, begin cut-
ting the joints using Freuds revolutionary entry door
stile and rail matched set. Make the cope cut rst. Set
up the bit in a minimum 2
1
4-horsepower router mounted in
a router table that has a miter slot. Always unplug the router
when making any adjustments. Set the bit height so that the
cut is centered on 1
3
4"-thick stock. Set the fence opening as
close to the bit as possible. Bring the fence in line with the
front of the guide bearings between the top and bottom cut-
ters. Use a straightedge to check fence alignment.
2
With the bits height and fences set, make sure the
infeed and outfeed fences are parallel to the miter slot.
Use a ruler as shown above to check parallelism. When
satised, lock the fence securely in place. Now is a good time
to double-check that the router bit height is locked tight as
well. Before making any cuts, go through and organize your
door parts to segregate stiles, rails and panels. Select and
mark which face you determine is best and stack the parts
so the best face is down. Routing all parts face down will
compensate for any difference in thickness.
3
Next make certain the miter gauge is square to the
fence. Since youve cut square ends on your parts,
place one against the miter gauge, snug it up to the
fence and look for any gaps. Adjust the fence so that the end
of the part touches the fence along the surface. Now make a
test cut on scrap of the exact same thickness to be sure your
cut is centered. Make any adjustments needed. Before run-
ning all the parts, add a back-up board to your miter gauge
to prevent blow out when the stock exits the cut. Attach the
board so that it nearly touches the fence.
4
When all the rail ends have been cope cut, the prole
will have produced a stub tenon typical of that found
on matched stile-and-rail sets used to make cabinet
doors. It is at this stage Freuds new tooling ingenuity shows.
The top part of the cope cutter disassembles from the lower
half allowing the bottom half to begin making progressively
longer tenons while continuously making the coping cut.
When removing the top part of the cutter, be sure to keep
the bit height setting the same. By so doing, the progressively
longer tenon will maintain the same thickness.
5
To make the longer tenons, the fence is reset after each
pass. Move the fence back in
1
2" increments, and each
time you reset the fence, use a ruler to check for par-
allelism. As before, use the end of your rail set against the
miter gauge to be sure the entire end is contacting the fence.
When making these progressive cuts, youll have to turn the
work from one face to the other in order to cut both faces.
Youll also need to reset the back-up board close to the fence
each time the fence is adjusted.
6
Repeat step 5 until you have produced a tenon with
a total length 2
1
2". Note in the photo above how the
fences are almost fully closed to more fully support
the work. When running the rails multiple times, keep good
downward pressure on the work. You can make these mul-
tiple cuts easier by rst removing some of the waste where
the tenon is formed. Use a band saw to cut enough material
so that the router bit is making more of a clean up and nal
cope cut instead of hogging off all the material.
7
After all the tenons are made (dont forget the cen-
ter stile ends require a stub tenon cope cut) change
router bits to make the stick prole cut. Use a stub
tenon already formed to help set the bit height. When set,
bring the fences in line with the front of the bits guide bear-
ings as before. Add a fresh end to the miter-gauge back up-
board and make a test cut. The height is correct when the
stub tenon end is ush to the stile surface. Adjust until both
faces are ush when the parts are mated together.
8
Before running the stick prole cuts, set up both infeed
and outfeed stock supports. These supports are essen-
tial when running the long door stiles both from a
safety and accuracy point of view. Also make sure your router
table is completely stable with no risk of tipping. Now, run
the stick prole cuts on the stiles. Remember that the pro-
le is cut on one edge of the long stiles and and top and bot-
tom rails; and on both edges of the shorter center stile and
middle rail.
9
Now its time to raise the door panels. The process is
very similar to raising panels for cabinet doors with
one major exception the panel is raised on both faces
instead of just the cabinet exterior face. Use a panel-raising
bit thats capable of producing a deep llet in the center eld
of the raised portion of the panel. Freuds bit #99-515 is a
good choice. Make the cut in three passes. Do this by set-
ting the fences forward of the nal cut, moving them back
in steps until the nal cut is made.
10
When running the panels, run the cross grain
ends rst and then the long grain sides. This will
cut away any tear-out that may occur when exiting
the cut on end grain. Also, keep good pressure both down
and to the fence. Before making the nal cut, use scrap to
test cut the t in the groove made by the sticking prole. It
should be an easy slip-t with no gaps showing. When run-
ning the nal pass, consistent downward pressure is neces-
sary to produce a consistently thick panel edge.
11
Next, cut the deep mortises on the stiles.
Lay out and mark their locations carefully.
Remember that the tenons on the top and
bottom rails will be haunched so the mortises will start
1" from the stile ends. Also, the wide bottom rail tenon
should be divided into two tenons with a 1" separation
between them. After layout, I tacked small pieces of
scrap in the grooves that represented the exact stop-
ping and starting locations for each tenon. These acted
as references for drilling away the waste and as guide
for the router bit on the clean up cut.
13
Before you can test t the mortises and tenons,
youll need to haunch the top and bottom rails
and remove 1" of tenon from the center of the
bottom rail tenons, thus creating two tenons on the bottom
rail. Use a band saw or table saw to cut away the waste. To
cut across the waste, you can cut just shy of the coped pro-
le edge as shown above and the resulting stub tenon will
still t nicely. Just make sure your haunch cuts and lower
rail tenon dividing cuts match up to the mortises youve
already made.
14
When done, the lower rail tenons will look like
those shown above. The top rail tenon haunch will
look like the lower left edge in the photo above.
Haunching tenons produce both a far stronger and more
attractive joint. Now test t the tenons and dry assemble the
entire door. Make any necessary tting adjustments to the
joinery and make sure that when dry assembled, the door
is square measuring from corner to corner. When satised,
glue the door together. I use 1-hour setting, two-part epoxy
glue for strength and to prevent future joint line creep. 15
If you use a glass insert, rout away the stick prole
on one side of the opening. Make new moulding
with a similar prole to hold the glass in place.
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
12
Use the xture described earlier mounted securely
to the drill press table. Center a
9
16" Forstner or
brad-point bit in the center groove of the stile.
Chain drill out the waste in the mortise locations to a depth
of 2
1
2". When done, clamp the xture to a bench and set up
to rout the mortises to nal dimension,
5
8" wide, the same
as the width of the stile groove. Use Freuds
1
2" straight
router bits. Set the bit so that a portion of the smooth bit
shank is guided by the sides of the stile groove. Youll need
at least three passes to reach the nal 2
1
2" depth. When
done, square up the mortise corners with a chisel.
FREUDS REVOLUTIONARY ENTRY-DOOR ROUTER BITS
Funding for this special pull-out poster provided by
FINISHING UP
PANEL RAISING DEEP MORTISES
that our fathers or grandfathers used.
Many of us have invested hundreds (if
not thousands) of dollars on state-of-the-
art clamps. While I can recommend an
optimal clamp collection, chances are
youll make do with the clamps you have.
So lets take a look at how to use them.
Clamps exert their force at a specifc
point on the jaws. Making sure that pres-
sure is placed directly over the area being
clamped, and that the pressure is being
exerted evenly across the piece, will
improve the joint and also keep the case
from racking during assembly.
The photo below on the previous page
shows the clamp holding the shelf on the
right positioned with the bar centered on
the shelf thickness. The clamp is slid up
against the shelf to allow the full length
of the jaw to support the shelf. The
clamp on the left is kicked to the left at
the bottom. This could result in rack-
ing the structure during clamping. If the
squares werent being used to hold things
at right angles, this could be a problem.
Whenever possible, use a clamp that
is only slightly longer than the required
clamping size. This isnt something thats
going to affect your furniture piece;
rather, its a detail that will affect your
ease of clamping. Fighting with a 4'-long
bar clamp to clamp a face frame on a 12"-
deep bookcase is awkward.
As important as using the right
clamps and positioning them correctly
is thinking a step or two ahead about
where the clamping is taking place.
Being able to easily place clamps to
provide the best pressure may require
moving to a larger, smaller or entirely
different work surface, as shown below.
One of my favorite case-clamping
tricks uses some old clamping technol-
ogy. The clamps (pictured below right)
are most commonly called hand screws.
Hand screws have been around for a long
time, but theyre the clamps I most often
use for help with assembly. They take
getting used to, but theyre very handy
when youre working in the shop alone.
These hand screws also make an
excellent installation tool for case pieces.
Case pieces frequently work like building
blocks, attaching to one another to form
a wall of bookcases or a run of kitchen
cabinets. When installing these units,
its often diffcult to align the cases while
attaching them to the wall. By clamp-
Where you position your work is as important as where you position the clamps. To attach the
face frame to this bookcase, a number of clamps were needed to apply pressure around the entire
perimeter of the case. If the case were positioned on a at surface, you wouldnt be able to place
any clamps to the inside of the case. A couple of sawhorses work best in this case.
This is a strange instance of using clamps
for a non-clamping procedure. Many case
pieces are simply screwed or nailed together.
If youre working by yourself it can be tricky
to hold everything in place while youre
nailing. By using hand screws to support the
shelves during assembly, youve added a shop
assistant.
ing two case sides together using the
sides of the clamps, rather than the jaws,
these clamps provide quick, solid holding
power across a much larger area to hold
cabinets in perfect alignment. Add the
screws to hold the pieces together and
youre done.
Another handy smart-clamping trick
comes into play when attaching backs to
case pieces. While a case piece should be
checked for square throughout the con-
struction steps, it will still retain enough
fexibility to shift out of square. Attach-
ing the back is one of the easiest ways to
guarantee that the case stays square, but
that means you need to square the case
while attaching the back. This is a three-
handed job unless you use a clamp.
Measure diagonally across the back of
the case in both directions. Determine
the longer dimension and then place
a long bar clamp running from corner
to corner across the longer dimension.
Slowly tighten the clamp until the diago-
Hand screws
POPULAR WOODWORKING
nal dimensions are the same, then nail
the back in place. Simple.
Adding Backs
Not every case piece has to have a back.
But if it does, the most common way to
ft the back into the case is by using a
rabbet joint on the case sides, top and
bottom (although the top and bottom
are optional). This hides the back from
view and offers an easy reference edge to
square up the case.
The rabbet joint also offers the fex-
ibility of using different thicknesses of
back. If your case piece is a smaller size
and will rest on the foor, a
1
4"-thick
back is adequate. If your case is larger, or
will be hung on the wall (often through
the back itself) a
1
2"- or
3
4"-thick back
will be preferable. The back rabbet can
be easily adjusted to accommodate any of
these back sizes.
Another advantage to a rabbeted back
is the ability to temporarily attach the
back during construction, but remove
it for easier finishing. If a captured back
(fit into grooves in the case pieces) were
used, it would need to be permanently
installed during construction of the case.
The rabbet in the case pieces can
be created prior to assembling the case
using the table saw or a router. This
can require some pre-planning to avoid
running a through-rabbet in a side that
might leave a gap where the case pieces
meet. Another option is to assemble the
case and then run the rabbet on the case
using a rabbeting router bit, although
this can be a balancing act and creates a
small amount of work after the rabbet is
finished (see photo below).
The back itself can be plywood or
solid wood. The advantage of plywood
is not having to concern yourself with
the movement inherent to solid wood.
While a stable material, plywood wont
look as natural as a solid-wood back no
matter how good the veneer face is. Solid-
wood backs look good and the necessary
planking of the boards to accommo-
date wood movement can add a pleas-
ing visual element to an otherwise plain
expanse of wood grain.
When working with solid backs, there
are details to remember in constructing
A rabbet run on the
inside edge of the case
pieces is a common
way to hide a case
back. These rabbets
can be created during
the initial milling of the
case pieces, or created
with a bearing-guided
rabbeting bit in a
router after assembly.
When using a
rabbeting bit, the last
step is to come back
with a sharp chisel and
square out the corners.
Whether squaring
the face frame for
your cabinet or the
cabinet itself, this is
the best way to do it.
Using either a tape
measure or a wooden
folding rule, measure
from corner to corner
in both diagonal
directions. The
difference between
the two measurements
will show you how out
of square your piece
is. By running a clamp
across the piece with
the longer diagonal
measurement, you
can pull up half the
difference between
the two measurments
and make a square
frame or cabinet.
and attaching the back to ensure it will
remain intact and continue to look good.
The photo above explains some of these
important steps.
Screws and Nails
In the last chapter, we discussed a
number of joints used to construct and
assemble case pieces. I touched on using
nails and screws for assembly, now I want
to spend a little time discussing these
techniques in detail.
Screws and nails are most often
thought of in case construction for util-
ity furniture. The thought is that these
mechanical fasteners will be visible and
the only appropriate place for that is
tucked away in a laundry room or garage.
Dont assume these types of joinery
are inferior. In many cases, they will
prove stronger than a number of joints
that take three times longer to create.
And as far as visibility goes, there are
two schools of thought. A very popular
design style today is more of an industrial
look that leaves much of the hardware
(and joinery, including bare plywood
edges) exposed. By adding little touches
to the hardware, you can dress up a sim-
ple screw and make it part of the design.
As to using nails as a decorative ele-
ment, Im not going to try to stretch that
far. Nails should be hidden. Whether
installed with a hammer or a pneumatic
nail gun, if nails are in a visible part of
a cabinet they should be countersunk
below the wood surface and puttied.
Along those same lines, its often
more desirable to hide screws rather
than build them into the design. One
method is to countersink the head of
the screw below the surface of the wood,
then glue a plug into the hole. You can
use a decorative plug that actually sticks
above the surface, known as a button
plug. You see this type of device in a lot
of knock-down, assemble-yourself furni-
ture sold today. Its not the hallmark of
quality, but its better than an exposed
screw. One other hiding method is to
use self-adhesive paper discs that have a
wood-grain pattern printed on the non-
sticky side. Lets just say that method and
its cousin, the plastic cap that sticks in
the screw head, are beneath the level to
which a woodworker should aspire.
The best method to hide the screw
is to use a plug of the same species and
grain pattern, sanded fush. If you make
your own plugs (simple to do on a drill
press with a tapered plug-cutting bit)
from the wood youre using for your proj-
ect, you stand a good chance of hiding
the screw.
Pocket screws are another alterna-
tive. There are a couple of ways to hide
pocket screws. The frst is to place the
screw location out of sight. By screw-
ing shelves to the case sides from the
underside of the shelf, the screws will be
hidden. Planning how the assembly will
work can make this a very effective way
to use the strength of screws without the
visibility. You can also plug the hole from
a pocket hole screw using shaped plugs
designed for this specifc purpose. Again,
you can match species and grain pattern
This simple shiplapped back shows a variation on the pattern. The center board of the back is
rabbeted on both edges on one face. The boards to either side (only one is shown above) are
rabbeted on diagonally opposed corners, and the end board has no rabbet on one side where it
mates with the rabbet in the cabinet side. To allow for movement, the pieces are evenly spaced
with some simple scraps of wood. Coins also make ne spacers for shiplapped backs.
Pictured are a few simple ways to dress up a screw and leave it visible if you consider the look
appealing. Not everyone will. At far left is the bare screw. Next is a screw cover that is placed over
the screw as its installed; the cap is then closed over the screw head. Third from the left is a trim
washer that is also placed over the screw before installation. At the far right is a self-adhesive
wood-grain patch that simply sticks over the screw head. Above it is a plastic cap that taps into
the recesses in the screw head. Its up to you whether these options are good choices.
Center board
POPULAR WOODWORKING
Miller dowels can be used as
accents to your piece, or the
dowels wood species can be
matched to the projects to hide
this useful joinery option.
position, adding glue if required. Next,
a stepped drill bit (see below) is used to
drill through both pieces of the project.
Glue is added to the stepped dowel and
then it is tapped into place with a ham-
mer. The stepped design of the dowel is
slightly larger than the diameter of the
hole and the dowel compresses into the
space making a tight ft.
Its still a good idea to leave the
clamps on the piece long enough to give
the glue time to set up, but once thats
done the dowel is cut fush to the surface
and lightly sanded.
While the old joints are still very
effective, we continue to devise new and
useful methods to improve and simplify
the process. PW
to more effciently hide the plug.
Another visible option that crosses
the wood/metal fastener concept is a
dowel. While dowels have been used
as fasteners for many years, there is a
product on the market now that uses a
stepped dowel designed to be used essen-
tial like a nail. By building the look of
the dowel head into your design you can
save time, build a solid joint and add a
decorative element to your project.
To use these dowels you simply clamp
the pieces to be joined in their fnal
The best use of nails is an
invisible application. For
a complicated chest of
drawers (as shown at left)
the drawer dividers can
be tricky. Rather than use
complicated joinery, a well-
placed (meaning hidden)
nail is driven at an angle
through the vertical divider
and up into the web frame
divider. This angled nailing is
called toenailing and works
with or without pneumatic
tools (but its hard to swing
a hammer in this tight a
space).
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Modifying
Stock Chisels
Out-of-the box chisels can derail
your chances of tight dovetails.
Improve almost any tool
with these quick fxes.
by Lonnie Bird
Lonnie is the author of Tauntons Com-
plete Illustrated Guide to Using Woodwork-
ing Tools (The Taunton Press) and teaches
woodworking. You can learn more about his
classes online at lonniebird.com.
n my recent article on cutting
dovetails (Your First Hand-
cut Dovetails, February 2005)
I stated that the process of creating
this time-honored joint is simply
sawing and chiseling to a line. And
it is. But like any hand-tool process,
youll achieve the best results and
greatest personal satisfaction if the
tools are sharp and in tune. Im
sure that youve read articles on
the importance of tuning hand
planes. Most chisels need tun-
ing, too. But I think youll find
the process of tuning chisels to
be less time-consuming than tun-
ing a plane. Best of all, the quality
of your work will improve. Read
on and Ill explain the problems
with many chisels and how you
can quickly and easily modify
them before tackling that next
set of dovetails.
Signs of a Good Chisel
A good chisel should be a well-
balanced extension of your hand.
When chopping (such as when
removing the waste between
dovetails), the chisel is held ver-
tically (or nearly so) and struck
with a mallet. The extra force of
a mallet is required to push the
chisel edge through tough end-
grain. But just because a mallet
is used doesnt mean that chop-
ping is a crude process made with
brute force. On the contrary, the
force of impact should be precise
and controlled. And for the great-
est control, the chisel should be
gripped not by the handle, but on
the shaft with the hand braced on
the work, just as you grip a pen-
cil. (Try gripping a pencil at the
eraser end and signing your name;
you cant get the control that you
normally do.)
But what does the grip have to
do with fne-tuning the chisel? It
has more than you might think.
Unfortunately, many chisels are
too long and heavy for effective
chopping; the extra mass and
length make the chisel top-heavy
and diffcult to control. Although
long chisels are an important part
of a woodworkers tool kit, theyre
for paring, not chopping. Besides,
most of todays chisels are too short
for effective paring; but more on
that in a minute.
Compounding the length and
balance problems is that the ends
of the handles on many chisels
are excessively rounded. When
chopping, as the mallet strikes the
round surface, it has a tendency
to glance off. The solution is to
change the shape; the end of the
handle should be slightly crowned,
not rounded. A crowned end will
absorb the impact of the mallet
and direct it to the cutting edge.
Now lets examine the other
end of the chisel, adjacent to the
cutting edge. Like many chisels
that were manufactured years ago,
most of todays chisels are bevel-
edged. In other words, the sides of
the chisel are chamfered. The rea-
son for the beveled edges is so that
you can easily cut into an acute
corner, such as the space between
dovetails. However, the problem
with many chisels is that the sides
are not beveled nearly enough. To
be effective the sides should be
beveled to almost a knife edge.
Examine the chisels from your kit
closely and youll most likely see
that a square portion of the sides
Most chisels today are the wrong length for chopping
or paring. Above, the short chisel (left) is the right
length for chopping. The long chisel (right) is the right
length for paring. The Marples chisel (middle) isnt a
good length for chopping or paring.
Cutting off the extra handle length dramatically improves
the balance of the chisel.
remains. As a result, each time
that you make a cut next to a dove-
tail, the corners of the chisel crush
the adjacent surfaces and spoil the
crisp appearance of the joint.
Fortunately, the excessive
length, rounded ends and square
sides are all easily corrected. And
it takes just a few minutes to tune
the tools and fix the problems.
The results are well worth it, too.
After modifying a chisel youll be
surprised at how much easier it is
to use. In fact, your skill level will
seemingly jump up a notch or two.
First lets address the problem with
the excess length.
Fixing Excessive Length
Years ago, many chisels were
available in two lengths: The
long length was for paring; the
shorter length was for chopping
with a mallet. For more than 20
years Ive used the Stanley No.
750s. These venerable socket
chisels were manufactured by the
thousands up until the late 1960s.
The short length, around 9", and
light weight make them perfectly
balanced. And remember, bal-
ance is the key. In addition, the
Grinding down the side bevels on a stock chisel is a quick process when using
a motorized grinder. Set the tool rest close to the wheel and work the rst 1"
of the tool. Quench the blade to avoid overheating the steel.
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No doubt most every
woodworker is familiar with
Lie-Nielsen planes. Thomas
Lie-Nielsen has taken a num-
ber of old Stanley designs,
such as the esteemed Bed
Rock bench plane, and made
signicant improvements.
The result is some of the best
planes available today.
Now hes at it again. This
time he has developed a line
of chisels based upon the old
and long-discontinued Stanley
No. 750s. Like the No. 750s,
the Lie-Nielsen socket chisels
are short, lightweight and
have perfect balance. And
with just a bit of honing and polishing, the
Lie-Nielsen chisels are ready to use. Unlike
the old Stanleys, theres no need to further
bevel the sides; they come ground to a thin,
almost knife-like edge. The chisels come
leather-tipped ash handles were
slightly crowned so that a blow
from a mallet landed squarely on
the end.
At the same time Stanley was
producing the No. 750s it also
made a longer version, the No.
720. The extra length of these
chisels make them ideal for par-
ing long, thin shavings. Yet, most
chisels that are manufactured
today are too long for controlled
chopping and too short to gain the
leverage often needed for paring.
The exception is the Lie-Nielsen
chisels (see Buying Chisels Ready
for Woodworking below).
The solution is to cut off a por-
tion of the handle. I know that
sounds drastic, but it dramatically
improves the balance of the tool.
(And Ill admit, the sawed-off
handle wont look pretty either,
but your dovetails will.) After saw-
ing off the excess with a hand saw,
use a fle to shape a small chamfer
around the perimeter and slightly
crown the end. This will ensure
that mallet blows land squarely on
the end rather than glancing off.
If you grimace at the thought of
such a radical modifcation to your
prized chisels, then I suggest that
you purchase an inexpensive set of
plastic-handled tools and dedicate
them specifcally for chopping.
Grinding the Sides
The next step in the tune-up is
to grind the sides of the chisel to
nearly a knife edge. Theres no
need to bevel the entire length
of the blade; 1" is enough to reach
inside of most dovetails. You dont
need an expensive wet wheel
grinder for this step an ordinary
dry grinder with 6" wheels works
fne. To prevent burning the steel,
I use a pink aluminum oxide wheel
and stop often to quench the tool
in a can of water. I usually use the
factory bevel as a guide and just
slowly grind away the excess steel.
Use care and dont grind into the
back of the blade. As Im grinding,
I pause periodically to cool the
steel and inspect the edge. The
entire process usually takes just a
minute or so. Finally, dont forget
to polish the back and hone the
bevel. For more on sharpening
see Sharpening Plane Irons and
Chisels (you can download a free
pdf at popularwoodworking.com
from the Magazine Extras page).
For information on restoring vin-
tage chisels, see Resurrecting
Chisels from February 2005.
Now give the newly trans-
formed chisel a try. I think that
youll be pleasantly surprised with
the results. PW
BUYING CHISELS READY FOR WOODWORKING
equipped with hornbeam handles sans the
leather washers on the end. But in my experi-
ence there is no need for the leather cap; the
hornbeam is tough. In fact, Ive used my chisels
for months and the handles appear as new.
Rosewood handles are also
available for an extra charge;
but Lie-Nielsen recommends
the hornbeam if you intend to
use the tools with a mallet.
If youre interested in the
Stanley No. 750s there are still
plenty of old ones available. Of
course many are ground down
from years of use. But its not
uncommon to nd those with
most of the original length
remaining. Similar to any old
tool, the collectors drive up the
price on the chisels in pristine
condition. But those that
exhibit minor wear and discol-
oration can be had at a reason-
able price. Once you have your hands on a set
youll still need to tune them by beveling the
edges further, but youll be rewarded with
perfectly balanced chisels at a price lower
than most new chisels. LB
Carefully ground sides (left) look like
a knife edge. This helps you produce
cleaner, tighter dovetails.
Using the proper grip and having
a tool with narrow side bevels add
control to the dovetailing process.
Lie-Nielsen socket chisels (right) are based upon the old Stanley No. 750s.
by Glen Huey
Glen, a contributing editor for Popular Woodwork-
ing, is also a woodworking book author and instructor.
He builds furniture for clients at his shop, Malcolm L.
Huey & Son, in Middletown, Ohio. See more of his
work at hueyfurniture.com.
E
lectronic entertainment is a permanent
reality in almost every home. Unfor-
tunately the media used to store that
entertainment changes quickly. From 8-track
to CD and VHS to DVD, our entertainment
storage continues to be a tricky proposition.
If these media were as attractive as leather-
bound books, that would call for an open
bookcase-style solution. But most modern
media are, well, pretty ugly. This is especially
true if youve gone to the trouble of building
attractive period furniture for your home.
After wandering through a home center
store and noticing a clever pantry cabinet
design, I carried the thought a step further and
realized the same multi-layered storage could
work next to my entertainment center.
Once the cabinet was fnished, I recog-
nized even more uses for this versatile cabinet.
It would actually make a very nice dry bar, or
you could certainly place it in the kitchen and
use it as a pantry. What an idea!
If you would like to see more photos of the
construction steps for this cabinet, visit my
web site at hueyfurniture.com.
This versatile piece is
useful for more than
hiding plastic boxes.
Tri-fold
Storage Cabinet
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Conception
I went to work deciding what type of storage
Id need. DVDs and CDs were at the top of
the list, but Ive still got some VHS tapes and
LPs sitting around that I wanted to store out of
sight as well. I decided a free-standing cabinet
would give me ultimate fexibility. And because
much of the furniture in my home is early
American, I used all these guidelines to work
up the storage cabinet shown here.
The main door is capable of holding 150
DVDs, while the interior door will store 125
CDs. The drawer can hold VCR tapes or any-
thing else that might need storing. If you have
some LPs in your home, skip the drawer and
the lower section will hold them.
Overall Construction
The cabinet is essentially a box with two layers
of doors. I simply added a period-appropriate
base and crown to dress it up. The outer door
is of raised-panel construction to continue
the look of fnished furniture.
Because of the weight the cabinet would
be supporting, I used torsion-box design for
the top and dado joinery to hold everything
tight and square.
Box First
Construction starts with the box of the cabi-
net. I built the piece out of solid cherry and
poplar, with one exception a plywood back
to add even more rigidity when compared to
a solid-wood shiplapped back.
Start with the two sides. The left side is
a normal rectangle, but the right side is L-
shaped to allow space for the second door. To
save a bit of lumber, create the right side of the
cabinet by gluing the short piece to the long
piece with the top of the short piece held 15"
up from the bottom edge.
Because its always a good idea to leave
some room for trimming in a glued-up panel,
that 15" mark may actually be 15
1
2". After the

glue is dry, all you need to do is clean up the
seam and trim the panel to size.
The other panels that create the exterior
box are the sub-top and the bottom. To join
these panels together, you need to frst cut a
1
2" x
3
4" rabbet at the bottom and top edges

of both sides. I use a straightedge and a router
bit with a top-mount bearing for this step.
While youre routing, cut a
1
2"-wide x
1
4"-
deep rabbet on the back edge of both sides to
accept the plywood back. As you work, make
sure that you end up with a mirror image in
the sides, except for the notched area.
Because of the depth of the two doors, the
base and sub-top of the cabinet extend forward
beyond the sides of the cabinet. To make these
pieces look and ft right I notched both the top
and bottom pieces to ft around the sides.
To set up the table saw to notch the sub-
top and bottom, you need to locate where the
blade moves below the table and ends the cut.
To do this, raise the blade to ensure that it will
cut the required thickness, then with a square
against the fence and the blade, slowly rotate
the blade toward you by hand until the square
stops traveling. Mark the location.
To make the notches, mark the location
on the pieces where you want the cut to stop
(12
3
4" in from the edge), then run the piece

into the blade until the lines meet. Finish the
cut with a hand saw and chisels, then cut a
1
2"
x
1
4" rabbet on the back edges of the sub-top

and bottom for the back.
Cutting a full board into the above L-shape is
wasteful, so I simply glued two boards together to
provide the necessary shape for the right side.
S
t
e
p

p
h
o
t
o
s

b
y

t
h
e

a
u
t
h
o
r
Solid Shelving
The shelves for the inside of the
case are permanently mounted
in the case using stopped dados.
The same alignment and routing
set-up as is used for rabbeting the
bottoms and the sides is used to
produce the
1
4" x
3
4" dados for

the shelves in the case.
Theres one last dado to cut, the
one for the drawer. I used a drawer
design that allows the
1
4"-thick
drawer bottom to extend beyond
the width of the drawer. When
the bottom is slid into these
1
4" x
1
4" dados in the cabinet sides, no

drawer slides are necessary.
Because the shelves are 5
5
8"
wide (the full depth of the nar-
row part of the case) and the
dado is stopped at 5
3
8", you need

to notch the front corners of the
upper shelves. Set the table saw
fence to cut a
1
4" width, including

the blade thickness, and raise the
blade to
1
4" height. Two passes

over the blade with the shelves on
their front edges (using your miter
gauge) will produce this notch.
With all the notches and
grooves cut, youre ready to assem-
ble the case. Align the sub-top and
bottom into position. Use a pilot
bit with a countersink and fasten
the sides to the top and bottom
with screws. Then glue and nail
the shelves in place.
Live, On Stage: The Doors!
Set the case aside to dry and begin
the doors by milling the parts to
width and length according to the
cutting list. Both doors begin with
a 45-bevel cut at the corners. I cut
these on my table saw with the
blade tipped over to a 45 bevel.
After the bevels are cut, you
can then assemble the front
door frame by adding glue to the
joints and clamping everything
together with a band clamp. Then
set it aside and we will return to
it later.
The second door requires a
couple of other operations before
assembling. Cut a
1
4" x
1
4" groove
Use biscuits to attach the narrow shelves in the inside
door. Add glue to the biscuits and assemble the unit.
Clamp, check for square and allow the glue to dry.
If you choose to add the drawer, cut one other dado in the sides. Set up a dado
blade to run a
1
4" groove that is a

1
4" deep. The drawer bottom will slip into

this groove and serve as a drawer slide.
After notching the front edge of the
shelves, slide them into the stopped
dados in the case. Then nail them
through the outside of the case with a
small nish nail.
As you attach the sub-top and bottom with screws,
notice that each piece is notched to extend past the
width of the sides and ts into a rabbet.
To make the dados for the shelves in the case itself, set the bit to cut a
1
4" in
depth and run the groove in 5
3
8" from the back edge of the cabinet for the

upper shelves, and all the way through for the full shelf that is at the 15" mark
produced in the rst step.
Groove
for
retainer
strip
Groove
for back
along the back edges of all the
frame pieces for the back .
Next, cut a
1
4" x
1
4" groove,
1
2" in from the front edge of

the door bottom and the two
shelves. These grooves will hold
the retaining strips that well get
to in a minute.
Now lay out the position of
the two shelves in the second
door. I used biscuits to attach the
shelves to the sides. Cut the slots
for two #20 biscuits in each end of
each shelf. Glue the two shelves
between the sides. After this is
dry, glue the top and bottom of
the door in place and clamp with
a band clamp.
Tapered Retainers
In building this piece, I challenged
myself to fnd different methods to
use in construction. After using
the jointer many times to make
tapered legs, I decided to use the
same process to make the retainer
strips that ft into the grooves in
the shelves of the second door.
The retainer pieces are called
out in the cutting list as
3
4" x 1
1
4"
x 21
1
2". Each piece will yield two

retainers, so you need to run the
tapers on two pieces.
Begin by setting the jointer
depth to cut one-half the height
of the total taper. In this case a
1
4"
(half of the
1
2" taper), and mark

a line that is one-quarter of the
length of the retainer (I wanted
the piece to peak at the center).
Run the board over the jointer up
to that line on both ends. Then
start with either end and rock the
piece until the corner rests on the
infeed table and run the fnal pass
to complete the tapering of the
retainer. Reverse the piece and
repeat the last step.
To fnish off the retainer strips,
run a bead detail on both sides of
the top, tapered edge, using a
1
4"
corner bead bit. Then resaw the
piece to the needed
1
4" pieces,
leaving the center section as waste.
The strips are then glued into the
grooves created in the bottom and
two shelves of the door.
Spline Reinforcements
The corner miters for both doors,
as well as the drawer box, are rein-
forced with glued-in spline keys to
add strength.
I created the slots for the
splines on the table saw, using an
auxiliary fence set up. You can
arrange the splines in a design or
simply ft the cuts to the mitered
end. Then, make the spline keys to
ft and install them with glue.
Front/Back for the Door
The next step is to create the front
of the cabinet, which is also the
back of the front door. The front is
a twin raised-panel facade. Begin
by cutting mortises for the inter-
mediate vertical frame piece (or
muntin) in the top and bottom
rails as well as the needed mortises
at both ends of the stiles that will
accept the rails. Then, begin the
process of cutting the tenons.
While all four shoulder cuts
for the muntin are cut at 1
1
4",
the rails need to have a haunched
tenon as shown below. Complete
the cheek cuts with the tenon jig
on the table saw and the edge cuts
at the band saw.
To create the groove for the
After dening the face shoulders for the tenon for the
front door panel, offset the edge shoulder to create a
haunch on the tenon. That offset is
3
8", or the depth of

the groove that will hold the raised panels.
To form the
peaked
retainer, run the
piece over the
jointer to the
quarter-length
line on both
ends. Then ip
the piece and
kick the front
end up and make
another pass on
of the retainer.
After the glue on the splines has
dried, trim the keys to the piece with
a ush-cutting hand saw, then sand
to a smooth nish.
An auxiliary fence on your table saw makes cutting the
spline groove simple. Lay out a 45 angle and attach
guide sticks as shown. Raise the blade to cut as much as
possible without penetrating the interior of the door and
make the cuts.
Quarter-length line
Auxiliary
fence
Guide sticks
panels I like to use a three-wing
1
4" slot cutter on my router table.

Assemble the frame without glue
and make any necessary adjust-
ments to the pieces. While the
frame is together, check the mea-
last step before ftting the front
door to the case. Locate and drill
a
5
16" hole that is 2" above each

shelf and the door bottom, and
3
8"
from the back edge of the door.
Then simply bow the dowels and
spring them into the holes.
Home Base With Feet
The base frame is mitered at the
front, but not at the rear. To make
the base frame, mill the pieces to
size, miter the front corner pieces,
then lay out and cut the mortises
in the base frame sides. To get an
accurate length for the base frame
back piece, lay out the location of
two tenons on the base back using
the base front as a guide.
Cut biscuit slots in the mitered
Remember when making the 45 cut for the splines that
you need to adjust the blade height as well. Then make
the splines that will t into the slots and glue the front
feet together.
Transfer the tenon width to the end of the back. Then position that line at the rear edge of the
angle cut in the base frame front and mark the opposite end also at the rear of the angle cut.
Cut the back to the mark.
Using pocket
hole screws
to attach the
shelves allows
you to remove
the shelves to
make nishing
easier.
To cut the panel
groove, set up an
auxiliary fence on
your router table.
Align the cutter with
the tenon, and cut
the groove on the
interior edge of the
door rails and stiles
and on both muntin
edges.
surements of the panel spaces.
Add
5
8" to the opening to arrive

at the fnal sizes of the panels.
Next, mill the panels to size
and raise their edges. You can use
a router bit, the shaper or a table
saw to raise the panels. Once com-
plete, assemble the entire front
and allow the glue to dry.
When the front is ready, check
the fit of the panel to the door
frame. Glue the panel to the frame
leaving an even overhang on all
sides. Clamp the front in place
and set it aside to dry. Then use a
straight router bit with a bottom-
mounted bearing to trim the panel
to the frame, then sand fush.
Front Door Storage
Next up is the shelves and retainer
dowels for the front door. I chose
pocket screws here because I
wanted to remove the shelves to
make fnishing easier.
The dowel retainers are the
Glue the door panel to the door frame, allowing an even overhang on all
sides. Check the door for square after glue-up.
Base sides
Base front
Base back
Cut tenon
shoulders here
Cut tenon
shoulders here
Slot-cutting bit
1
/
2"
6
1
/
2"
4
1
/
2"
3
/
4"
5
/
8"
2
3
/
4"
ends of the front and sides and
make tenons to match the mor-
tises in the ends of the back. To
assemble the unit, apply glue to the
mortises, then slip them together.
Glue the biscuits and apply the
remaining clamps. You will be able
to apply the necessary pressure to
each clamp to align the mitered
ends and close up any gaps.
To give your cabinet legs (or
in this case, feet), select and mill
the material for your front and side
feet, then use the pattern to cut
the profle of the pieces (shown at
right) at the band saw.
The front feet pieces are joined
together at a miter, so the next
step is to miter those mating edges.
Because the blade on a table saw
tilts only one way, and you want as
large a surface as possible to sup-
port the foot during the cut, youll
have to do some shifting to miter
the mating feet.
Two feet are cut using the miter
gauge in the normal method. To
miter the mating feet you need to
reverse the miter gauge (still in
the same slot) with the auxiliary
fence at the outfeed end of the
table saw.
Set the A foot to the blade
in order to determine where to
set a stop block to keep the foot
from moving away from the blade
while cutting. Position the B foot
with the face up and the top edge
against the fence. Push the foot
through the blade while holding
it fat to the table and tight to the
fence. The miters need to be cut in
only the four pieces selected to be
the front feet of your piece.
With the feet cut to match-
ing angles, leave the blade at
45 and move your fence to the
blade to make the first cut for a
spline. Geometry is your friend
here. With the blade set to cut at
a 45 angle, making a cut into the
mitered corner of the foot results
in a cut that will line up with the
groove in its mate. Raise the cut
to just over
3
8" and make a pass on

the saw. Reposition the fence so
that a second pass over the blade
will produce a
1
4" groove. The

side and back feet are joined with
screws. Place the back foot into a
3
4" x
5
8" rabbet made in each side

foot, add glue and attach.
The completed foot assem-
blies are then attached to the
base frame. After the glue is set,
add glue blocks to all corners of
each assembly.
Sand the base to 180 grit, pro-
file the edge with your favorite
router bit, and attach it to the case
with 1
1
4" screws at the front and

halfway down each side. Finish
the process with 1
1
4" nails along

the balance of each side and the
back edge. Next, add the tran-
sition moulding that also has a
routed edge.
Hanging the Doors
The doors for this project are built
to ft exactly, as in no additional
room for hinge gap. Therefore,
before each door is hung you need
to create a rabbet in the edge of the
hinge side of each door to com-
pensate for the hinge spacing.
When attaching the hinge, use
In order to avoid
any cross-grain
construction
problems, the
grain in the front-
to-back pieces
runs the same
direction as the
grain in my top.
The screws at front and middle of the base hold the two assemblies tight at
the front and force any wood movement to the back where the nails will allow
slight movement.
Foot pattern
1 grid square =
1
2"
1
/
4"
3
/
4"
3
/
4"
3
/
4"
1
/
16" gap
1
/
8" gap
3
/
4"
28
1
/
4"
1
/
8" gap
1
/
16" gap
10
1
/
8" lyp.
44
5
/
16"
30
1
/
16" 9
9
/
16" lyp.
29
1
/
16"
back 24"
24" 22" back
23"
15"
46"
9" lyp.
7"
B
C
0
the hinge as a template to locate
the screws in both the door and
the case. Set the two side by side,
reposition the hinge, and attach
the door to the case. The hinge
for both doors will need to be cut
to length. A bi-metal blade at the
band saw or a hacksaw would work
equally well.
Torsion Top
I wanted to add support to the
top unit of this project because
of the amount of overhang that
was needed to swing the second
door. I decided to use a torsion
box design, building a stable box
structure by adding ribs between
the top and sub-top.
Mill the material for your top
to size, then rout a
1
2" roundover
profle on the front and sides. Set
the top in place on the cabinet and
draw a line around the case top,
defning its location on the top.
1 Left side
3
4 12
3
4 46 Cherry
1 Right side
3
4 5
7
8 46 Cherry
1 Right side
3
4 6
7
8 15 Cherry
2 Bottom & sub-top
3
4 19
5
8 24 Cherry
1 Lower shelf
3
4 12
3
4 23 Cherry
1 Case back
1
4 23
1
2 45
1
2 Plywood
2 Shelves
3
4 5
5
8 23 Cherry
2 Door stiles
3
4 2
1
2 44
5
16 Cherry
1 Top rail
3
4 2
1
2 21
1
2 Cherry 1
1
4" TBE
1 Bottom rail
3
4 3
1
4 21
1
2 Cherry 1
1
4" TBE
1 Muntin
3
4 2
1
2 41
1
16 Cherry 1
1
4" TBE
2 Panels
5
8 8
7
8 39
3
16 Cherry
5
16" RAS
2 Stile returns
3
4 6
1
8 44
5
16 Cherry
2 Rail returns
3
4 6
1
8 24 Cherry
3 Front door shelves
3
4 5
5
8 22
1
2 Cherry
4 Dowels
5
16 23 Cherry
2 Door sides
3
4 6
7
8 30
1
16 Cherry
2 Door top & bottom
3
4 6
7
8 23 Cherry
2 Inner door shelves
3
4 5
5
8 21
1
2 Cherry
2 Retainers
3
4 1
1
4 21
1
2 Cherry
40 Spline keys
1
8 1
1
4 2
1
2 Cherry
1 Door back
1
4 22 29
1
16 Plywood
TRI-FOLD STORAGE CABINET
NO. ITEM DIMENSIONS (INCHES) MATERIAL COMMENTS
T W L
NO. ITEM DIMENSIONS (INCHES) MATERIAL COMMENTS
T W L
1 Base front
3
4 2
3
4 26
1
4 Cherry MBE
2 Base sides
3
4 2
3
4 20
3
4 Cherry MOE
1 Base back
3
4 2
3
4 23
1
4 Poplar 1
1
4" TBE
6 Base feet
3
4 4
1
2 6
1
2 Cherry
2 Rear feet
3
4 4
1
2 6
1
2 Poplar
4 Foot blocks
3
4
3
4 4
1
2 Poplar
8 Foot blocks
3
4
3
4 3 Poplar
3 Mouldings
1
2
5
8 26 Cherry Miter to t
1 Case top
3
4 21
3
4 28
1
4 Cherry
1 Torsion block
3
4 1
1
4 24 Cherry
3 Torsion blocks
3
4 18
7
8 1
1
4 Poplar
3 Cove
3
4 2
1
4 28 Cherry Miter to t
2 Drawer front & back
3
4 6
3
4 22 Cherry
2 Drawer sides
3
4 6
3
4 11
1
2 Cherry
1 Drawer bottom
1
4 12
1
4 22
7
8 Plywood
20 Drawer splines
1
8 1
1
8 2
1
2 Cherry
Key: TBE= tenons both ends; RAS=rabbets all sides; MBE= miters both ends;
MOE=miter one end
SUPPLIES
Rockler
800-279-4441 or rockler.com
1 1
1
16" x 36" piano hinge

#19241, $8.99
1 1
1
16" x 48" piano hinge

#19259, $9.99
Woodcraft
800-225-1153 or woodcraft.com
1 draw catch w/eye
#85H98, $2.99
Prices correct at time of publication.
Elevation doors open
Trim in place/trim removed
C
A
R
C
A
S
E
F
R
O
N
T

D
O
O
R
S
E
C
O
N
D

D
O
O
R
B
A
S
E
T
O
P
D
R
A
W
E
R
21
3
/
4"
24" 19
5
/
8"
12
3
/
4" 6
7
/
8"
28
1
/
4"
2
1
/
2"
slile
2
1
/
2"
rail
3
1
/
4"
rail
44
5
/
16"
slile
53
1
/
4"
21
3
/
4"
19
5
/
8"
6
7
/
8" 6
7
/
8" 5
7
/
8"
0 0
21
3
/
4"
5
5
/
8" 5
5
/
8" 5
5
/
8"
6
7
/
8"
19
5
/
8"
28
1
/
4"
23
1
/
2" back
45
1
/
2"
back
1
/
4" plywood back
iu
1
/
2" w. x
1
/
4" d. rabbel
3
/
4"
1
1
/
4"
3
/
4"
4
1
/
2"
1
/
4" plywood back
iu
1
/
4" x
1
/
4" groove
5
/
16" dowel aligued
wilh roul edge o shel
Piauo hiuge iu door rabbel
equal lo lhickuess o
bolh hiuge leaves
1
/
4" plywood drawer bollou
iu
1
/
4" x
1
/
4" dado
A
8
C
L
f
C
46"
^
0
E
C
|
1
/
4" lhick relaiuer
iu
1
/
4" x
1
/
4" groove
3
/
4" x 1
1
/
4" lorsiou block
hotes:
I chose to use 1
1
4" pieces that

are countersunk and screwed to
the top along those lines made in
the previous step. Next, invert the
case onto the top unit and attach
the two assemblies with screws.
To complete the furniture look
of the piece I added a shop-made
cove moulding below the top, cov-
ering the torsion pieces. The cove
moulding is made at the table saw
(See Popular Woodworking issue
#117 for further information),
though you could use a piece of
stock moulding if you prefer.
A Drawer and a Finish
The drawer box for this project
is made in the same way as are
the door frames. The corners are
mitered and then spline keys are
added for support. The entire box
is set onto a piece of
1
4" plywood
where it will slide into the grooves
that were dadoed into both sides
of the cabinet.
Finally, the front door is
attached to the case. Remember to
create the rabbet in the hinge side
of the door frame that will com-
pensate for the hinge gap. Hang
the front door to the case, then
make any necessary adjustments.
Before starting to finish the
project you will need to cut and
ft the plywood for the case back.
Do not attach this until after the
fnishing of the project because
youll want to access the piece
from all angles while applying
your fnish.
I elected to apply a shellac and
precatlyzed lacquer fnish to this
piece the shellac (GarnetLac) for
a mellow shading and the lacquer
for protection. This also would
have been a great piece for an oil/
varnish fnish. From there, just
add the continuous hinges and
the exterior door latch.
My finished piece is a nice
combination of traditional furni-
ture styling with high-tech enter-
tainment storage. I just hope the
next electronic medium is of a
similar size to todays. PW
The cove moulding is attached to the
torsion buildup, below the top. I used
a shop-made cove for this piece.
Left prole Elevation Right prole
Section Back
T
he restored Shaker commu-
nity at Pleasant Hill, Ky.,
gives admirers of Shaker
architecture, furniture and life
an opportunity to get very close
to the source of that admiration.
Guests can stay in rooms once
home to Shaker Brothers and
Sisters. They can walk a gravel
boulevard that once was a part
of a turnpike connecting the
Pleasant Hill community to the
outside world. They can tour the
gardens and felds that once put
food on Shaker tables. They can
even dine in the Village Trustees
Offce in much the same way as
19th-century visitors to Pleasant
Hill once dined in the company of
the communitys Shakers.
Although the rooms in which
visitors stay are furnished with
reproductions of Pleasant Hill
originals, its possible to move from
room to room in the Centre Fam-
ily Dwelling and look frsthand
at original Pleasant Hill chairs,
tables and casework.
In such a setting, its possible to
immerse the senses in the Shaker
by Kerry Pierce
Kerry is the author of Authentic Shaker Furniture (Popular Woodworking),
Making Shaker Woodenware (Sterling) and numerous other books. He teaches
Shaker chairmaking at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking.
experience; and for makers and/or
admirers of Shaker-inspired fur-
niture, thats an opportunity not
to be missed.
Furniture by Law
Although Mother Ann Lee, the
Prophetess who led the very frst
group of Shakers into the Ameri-
can wilderness of New York State,
did not herself write, her views
on all things Shaker eventually
became codifed in the Millen-
nial Laws published years after
her death. Although most of the
material in the 1845 laws refers
to issues of worship and personal
conduct, some of it touches on the
subject of furnishings for Shaker
dwellings and can provide modern
students of Shaker design some
insight into Mother Anns think-
ing. The following line from the
Millennial Laws, for example,
provides a theoretical underpin-
which it was built. The frst Pleas-
ant Hill makers Kentuckians
who migrated to the region from
Eastern states brought with them
the design vocabularies of country
furniture in those Eastern states.
Later, as Kentucky craftsmen in
the outside world began to develop
an identifable regional style, that
style, too, was added to the Pleas-
ant Hill mix. What resulted was
an aesthetic that is identifable
both as Shaker in most cases
and Western. (Western in
this context refers to communi-
ties in the Western extremity of
the Shaker nation, including the
Pleasant Hill and South Union
communities in Kentucky.)
ning for the design of furniture
and architecture: Beadings,
mouldings, and cornices which
are merely for fancy may not be
made by Believers.
During the following century,
this and other similar directives
guided the hands of Shaker
craftsmen as they designed and
constructed the buildings and fur-
nishings for their environments.
In addition, when the Shakers
purchased goods from the outside
world as was the case, for exam-
ple, with many of the timepieces
so necessary in the regimented
lifestyle of these communalists
they stripped away superfuous
ornamentation before adopting
those items into their culture.
But Shaker furniture didnt
spring fully formed from the direc-
tives of Mother Ann Lee. That
furniture was frmly rooted in the
country furniture of the period in
An examination of the furniture built by
the Western communities expands our
notions of what is Shaker.
Rethinking
Shaker Design
Patterns Familiar and Odd
When the Shakers stripped sur-
face ornamentation from period
furniture, they drew our atten-
tion to the forms underlying that
ornamentation.
Instead of carving and veneer-
ing, we see the height and width of
chests and cupboards. We see the
The Centre Family Dwelling (at top
right of the picture above) is made of
handcut limestone blocks, each one
quarried, transported and hoisted
into place by the Shakers. The gravel
road above was once the turnpike
connecting Pleasant Hill with the
outside world. It now runs through
the middle of the restored Shaker
community at Pleasant Hill, Ky.
This stately cupboard-on-chest poised on its dainty tip-
toes presents a style of drawer graduation with which
we are very comfortable, having its largest drawer at the
bottom and its smallest drawer at the top.
The drawers of this cupboard-over-chest are graduated
in what we might see as reverse order, with the smallest
drawer at the bottom and the largest drawer at the top.
What was the purpose for this arrangement?
P
h
o
t
o
s

b
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P
a
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height and width of drawers and
doors. We see pattern as drawers
ascend a chest front, as doors move
across a cupboard.
In some cases, these basic forms
are arranged according to furni-
ture-making tradition, when, for
example, a set of drawers is gradu-
ated from a large bottom drawer to
a small top drawer. The cupboard-
over-chest on the previous page
exhibits this type of graduation.
The bottom drawer front is 8
7
8"
wide, the next one up measures
8
1
8", the next one up measures 7",

and the top drawer measures only
5
7
8". This orderly progression is

one our experience with drawers
encourages us to accept.
At other times, however,
Shaker craftsmen manipulated
these basic forms for reasons of
function of which we now may
be unaware. The drawers of the
second cupboard-over-chest were
graduated in a way that is less
familiar, a way that was perhaps
intended to suit a particular use.
Instead of the largest drawer being
at the bottom as can be seen in
the chest of drawers below the
drawers of this cupboard-over-
chest are graduated in reverse,
with the largest drawer being at
the top. The bottom drawer front
measures 8" wide, the next one up
measures 9
1
2" and the top drawer

measures 10".
Why the Eccentric Design?
It seems unlikely that the maker
learned his craft this way. There is
a centuries-old tradition of grad-
uating drawers with the smaller
drawers to the top. More likely, the
maker was meeting a particular
need in the Shaker community,
one that required a large drawer
at waist height.
He was, in effect, grafting onto
the Shaker appreciation of the
basic form the architecture apho-
rism: Form follows function.
My first experience with
this kind of design eccentricity
made me a little uncomfortable.
Thirty years ago, when I discov-
ered Shaker furniture, I had little
experience with work that didnt
follow the familiar patterns of
classical American period furni-
ture. Shaker focus on simplicity
and function opened my eyes,
demonstrating to me that there
are other right ways to design a
piece of furniture, and these ways
were not confned to matters of
drawer graduation.
In the world outside the
Shaker community, table, chest
and cupboard tops were usually
made with shaped edges. At the
very least, these edges were given
a slight radius, but many Pleasant
Hill tops are simply cut square.
The top of the chest of drawers
at left is one example. The inter-
mediate top in the cupboard on
the previous page, the top of the
drawer unit, is another.
Here, too, we are forced to see
not the embellishment of the basic
form (a moulded edge), but the
form itself the simple, unsoft-
ened rectangle of wood that makes
up the chest top.
Shaker furniture with its
unadorned squares, rectangles
and cylinders forces us to look
with fresh eyes at the fundamental
shapes which, combined, make
up a piece of furniture. In Shaker
hands, these shapes were not sim-
ply blank canvasses on which the
craftsman could seduce the eye
with carving, veneering and
moulding. They are shapes worthy
of our appreciation in their own
right. There is beauty in a simple
rectangle, in a simple square, in
a simple circle. Shaker Brothers
Calvin Green and Seth Youngs
Wells explained it this way in A
Summary View of the Millen-
nial Church or United Society
of Believers, published in 1823:
Any thing may, with strict pro-
priety, be called perfect, which
perfectly answers the purpose for
which it was designed. A circle
may be called a perfect circle when
it is perfectly round . It is the
pursuit of this state of fundamen-
tal perfection coupled with the
primacy of function that distin-
guishes the best Shaker work.
There are, of course, some
details of Pleasant Hill furniture
in which craftsmen deviated from
this focus on basic forms. Many of
the early chests of drawers have
turned feet, which present a suc-
cession of coves and beads that
seem out of place on a piece that
otherwise exhibits little embel-
lishment. Each foot of the chest
of drawers at left includes a pair
of wide coves, each topped by a
narrow bead.
In addition, each of the drawer
fronts is framed in a scratched
narrow bead meant to simulate
a decorative effect seen on much
high-style furniture of the period.
High-style furniture often fea-
tured drawer fronts framed in thin
mitered strips tacked in place so
that the front edge of these strips
rounded to a bead was standing
proud of the drawer front. Some-
times these strips, called cock
beading, were tacked to the drawer
front itself. Sometimes they were
This Pleasant Hill chest of drawers is a study in Shaker simplicity with the
exception of two details: the decorative turnings on the feet, and the scratch-
stock simulated cock bead surrounding each drawer front, which retains a
crisp appearance even in the close-up.
All work done, or things made in the church for their own
use, ought to be faithfully and well done, but plain and
without superfluity.
Shaker Father Joseph Meachum, 1790
tacked to the opening in which
the drawer front was housed.
Cock beading provided an
appealing detail to high-style
furniture, but it represented a
significant investment of time,
an investment that makers of sim-
pler, county furniture could not
always justify. As a result, country
furniture makers in Kentucky and
elsewhere often created a simu-
lated cock beading around drawer
fronts. In the case of very large
drawer fronts, that cock beading
might be created with a side-bead
plane (a kind of moulding plane),
but much more often the crafts-
man would use a shop-made tool
called a scratch stock. A scratch
stock is simply a bit of thin metal
fixed in a wooden holder. The
bit of thin metal would be cut
with the shape of a bead and
quirk a narrow recessed part
of a moulding. It would then be
drawn around the perimeter of
THE GRAIN IS
THE SURFACE
DECORATION
In addition to focusing our
attention on the basic forms of
a piece of furniture, the removal
of ornamentation has other con-
sequences. One of these long
understood by Shaker craftsmen
is that the simpler the basic
form, the better the setting for
the display of gured material.
This magnicent curly cherry
secretary stands in one of the
rooms on the second oor of the
Meetinghouse. If the secretary
had been decorated with carv-
ing or veneering or moulding,
the effect of the curly cherry
might have been compromised.
KP
the drawer front, scratching out
a little bead, which at least at a
distance resembled a cock bead.
In the hands of a skilled crafts-
man, this lowly tool could produce
a reasonable facsimile, but more
often scratch-stock cock beads
particularly on the ends of draw-
ers where the scratch stock had to
be dragged across the grain were
often crudely formed.
Such deviations from the theo-
retical foundation of Shaker furni-
ture do not in my view detract
from the beauty of that furniture.
The bits of decorative turning and
scratched cock bead are nothing
more than minor imperfections
that serve to put a human signa-
ture on the work of the Pleasant
Hill craftsmen.
Laboring for God
Its impossible to understand the
Shakers without appreciating the
importance of work in their cul-
ture. Their movement began at a
time when the mere maintenance
of human life required a signif-
cant output of labor. But of course,
the Shakers of Pleasant Hill did
much more than maintain life. In
the frst three decades of the 19th
century, they erected a commu-
nity in the Kentucky wilderness
that remains today as a monument
to human effort.
Anyone who tours the enor-
mous restored Shaker community
at Pleasant Hill will be struck by
the amount of labor the commu-
nity represents. The Centre Family
Dwelling, shown on the frst page
of this article, was built to provide
accommodations for 100 Shakers.
Its made of hand-cut limestone
blocks, each one quarried by the
Shakers, each one transported to
the building site by the Shakers
and each one hoisted into place by
the Shakers. Then, once the huge
facility had been erected, it was
ftted with windows and trim all
made by hand and filled with
furniture also made by hand.
This single structure at Pleas-
ant Hill represents an enormous
investment of human labor labor
that the Shakers offered as an act
of devotion to God. It is in this
context of sanctifed labor that the
third element of Shaker furniture-
making comes into play. It wasnt
enough that furniture be simple
and functional; it also had to pres-
ent a physical manifestation of the
sanctity of work.
Simplicity, function and sanc-
tity these are some of the iden-
tifying characteristics of the best
Shaker furniture, and these are
characteristics that can be read in
much of the furniture attributed
to Pleasant Hill makers.
Different than Eastern
Shaker Communities
Pleasant Hill furniture makers
were aware of the work being
produced in the outside world.
Many of these makers were sim-
ply converts who came into the
community as adults, bringing
with them intimate knowledge
of the world theyd left behind.
Plus, throughout its history, the
Pleasant Hill community was
actively involved in trading with
Most pieces (of western Shaker work) are very well
constructed, convey a feeling of strength, and are
honest expressions of cabinetmakers working in a style
they knew best.
John Kassay
in The Book of Shaker Furniture
P
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the outside world. This pollina-
tion of Shaker vision by regional
worldly infuences gave the furni-
ture of Pleasant Hill a character
that is not quite like the furniture
produced in Eastern Shaker com-
munities.
One of the characteristics that
distinguishes high-style furniture
from its country cousin is the use
of thin material. Builders of high-
style furniture recognized a need
to match thickness to application,
a need to use, for example,
1
2"
material in situations in which
thicker material would look
clumsy. Obviously, a reduction in
thickness doesnt enable a piece to
better carry a load. The reduction
is necessary to impart a measure
of visual grace.
Some Pleasant Hill work
acknowledges this truth. Like
the Shaker furniture of Eastern
communities, this work conveys
a feeling of lightness through the
use of thin material. The hanging
cupboard above illustrates this
principle. Although its supported
by an unseen hidden top measur-
ing
7
8" thick, the top we do see

is only
3
8" thick, and a further

sense of lightness is conveyed via
the tops radiused edge.
According to John T. Kirk,
author of The Shaker World
(Harry N. Abrams), the appear-
ance of lightness and fragility is
a notion that, in the case of one
New Lebanon drying rack, the
Shakers pushed almost to silli-
ness with posts measuring only
13
16" square. He further describes

the seat rungs of a pair of Canter-
bury cane-seated chairs as almost
ridiculously insubstantial. This
style of construction was possible
in a community in which care
of the acoutrements of life was
mandated by, in the case of the
Shakers, Millennial Law, which
(among other things) prohibited
leaning chairs back against a wall,
and even putting ones feet on the
rungs of a chair for fear of wearing
out that rung.
Twenty years ago, when I was
building my frst Shaker rockers,
I made a number of examples out
of cherry which I had at least in
my mind turned to perhaps fool-
ishly frail dimensions, with posts
only 1
1
4" in diameter and rungs no

more than
3
4" in diameter at their

centerpoints. Now, when I build
those same chairs, I use diameters
of 1
3
8" and
7
8". But I should also

point out that those early frail
rockers of mine are still in use in
homes scattered across Ohio.
Much Pleasant Hill furniture,
however, is built to a different stan-
dard, making use of thick material
in contexts in which many makers
in Eastern Shaker communities
would have used thin material.
The top of the little table with
eight-sided legs below is one exam-
ple. The top of that table measures
a full
7
8" thick. A table of similar

size (with a top
1
2" narrower but

more than 7" longer) from the
Hancock community, was drawn
by John Kassay in The Book of
Shaker Furniture. Its ftted with
a top only
7
16" thick (although

it is banded in
9
16"-wide strips,
presumably to keep notions like
buttons from falling to the foor).
Even if we include the banding as
part of the tops thickness, it still
measures
5
16" less than the top of

the Pleasant Hill table.
The extra thickness on the
Pleasant Hill table might have
resulted f rom nothing more
than workshop fatigue, since the
top still has what appears to be
the marks of a large circular saw,
marks a more energetic craftsman
would have planed away. This
would have resulted in a thin-
ner top of lighter appearance.
The apron sections on this table
are also thicker than necessary,
measuring between 1" and 1
1
8" in
thickness. And although the legs
on this table are thinner than on
many other Pleasant Hill tables,
they are thicker than the legs of
many Eastern tables of similar
proportions.
In fact, it is in the legs of Pleas-
ant Hill tables that the Western
preference for parts thick in cross
section is most apparent. The legs
of the Leander Gettys work table
(far right) are simply massive, with
This Pleasant Hill hanging cupboard conveys a feeling of lightness thanks, in
part, to the radiused
3
8" top.
The thickness of the top and legs of this Pleasant Hill side table gives it a more
muscular look than side tables of similar size made in Eastern communities.
Note the circular-saw marks across the top.
the square upper sections measur-
ing 3
3
8" on a side. True: the table

is large, but there are examples of
Eastern Shaker tables of similar
dimension built with less substan-
tial undercarriages. Its not just the
thickness of the part that gives
these legs their visual bulk. Its the
fact that the legs retain most of
this thickness along most of their
length. Large tables with heavy
legs made in Eastern communi-
ties have much of their thickness
cut away as the legs descend to
the floor, resulting in a leg that
appears much lighter.
Puzzling the Past
In the evening of my next-to-last
day at Pleasant Hill this past sum-
mer, I went alone to the rooms
above the Meetinghouse. These
were the rooms in which the com-
munitys elders and eldresses had
lived. They were ftted with a good
deal of original Pleasant Hill fur-
niture and probably looked much
as they had 150 years ago.
It had been a blistering day,
and the rooms were not air-con-
ditioned. Even in the twilight of
late evening, the air was hot and
close, but spending time in these
rooms alone was important to me
so important that I didnt notice
the heat until later, after Id left
the Meetinghouse
I didnt touch anything that
evening, although I had touched
many things during the day as Al
Parrish, the magazines photogra-
pher, and I had carried and turned
The legs on the Leander Gettys work table are massive. While the table is cer-
tainly large, there are examples of Eastern Shaker tables of similar size with
less substantial undercarriages.
Members of the church of God are forbidden to make
anything for Believers that will have a tendency to feed
pride and vanity.
from Millennial Laws, 1845
The legs on this table exhibit the typically abrupt Pleasant Hill transition from
square upper section to turned lower section. The legs are atypical in their
relatively thin diameter.
pieces, moving them into position
to be photographed.
Instead, I kept my hands folded
behind my back in what I now
think was an unconscious atti-
tude of respect for those who had
once lived in these rooms.
What they and the men
and women i n thei r charge
had accomplished here in the
Kentucky wilderness in the frst
third of the 19th century, working
largely with hand tools, is almost
beyond belief.
I looked at lamps, at a ledger, at
a marvelous curly cherry secretary.
I looked at oval boxes and blanket
chests and simple Shaker beds, at
rugs, at a mirror, at all the products
of Shaker craft on display.
Then in the hallway that con-
nected the rooms, I studied each
of the oversized black-and-white
photos of 19th-century Pleasant
Hill Shakers that hung there, try-
ing to get a sense, via these images,
of who these people had been.
The rooms were quiet, the
silence broken only by the faint
sounds of my feet moving across
the wood foors. The only light
was the muted late-evening glow
coming through the windows.
I like to puzzle over the histori-
cal origins of Shaker furniture. I
want to know why it is the way it
is, but Im even more interested in
the works emotional origins.
Did the craftsman who made
the sponge-painted oval boxes
in the quarters above the Meet-
inghouse feel the same pride in
his workmanship I feel in mine?
And what about the maker of that
magnifcent secretary? Did he step
back and admire the beauty and
strength of the piece hed built
with his own hands?
To have seen the work as a
product of his efforts would have
been antithetical to Shaker belief,
but would it have been possible to
have succeeded so brilliantly at
these individual works without
taking personal satisfaction in the
accomplishment? That is, I think,
the paradox of Shaker furniture.
When it is good, it is very good.
It is work that, for most mod-
ern woodworkers, would provide
nourishing meals for healthy egos.
Is it possible that the 19th-cen-
tury Pleasant Hill craftsmen who
produced this work could have
done so without feeling the pride
that we would have felt in their
places? PW
Hands to work and
hearts to God.
Mother Ann Lee
SEPARATED, THEN REUNITED
Pedestal stands like this example were fairly common products of
Pleasant Hill workshops. Few, however, carry the history of this
particular stand. The ovolo-cornered top was once the lapboard for
Sister Mary Carmichael Settles (1836-1923), the last living Pleas-
ant Hill Shaker, who had joined the community as a widow with two
children. After Settles death, her granddaughter had the lapboard
placed on this pedestal. The stand then came into the possession
of Hazel Hamilton, a dealer in Shaker furniture. Hamilton had the
lapboard removed from this base and replaced with a more Shaker-
esque round top.
Later, when the stand and lapboard were returned to the Pleas-
ant Hill community, the two original parts were reunited.
Unfortunately, the craftsman who reunited them didnt properly
align the base and top. The tops of Shaker tripod stands of this type
should be aligned so that that one of the tops long sides is parallel to
a line connecting the ends of two of the tripod feet. KP
PLEASANT HILL LEG SHAPES
In the earlier examples of Pleasant Hill casework, legs tended to be
more ornate than in examples dating from the mid-century. The legs
on these earlier pieces often exhibit beads and coves. Later pieces,
such as the Gettys work table, are more severe, with long, unbroken
tapers from the square upper section to the oor.
In addition to this severity, these later legs are typied by a heavi-
ness not found in the legs in Eastern Shaker communities. This is most
evident in the leg of the Gettys work table, which is remarkably thick
all the way from the squared apron section to the oor. The bed leg
shown below is similarly massive from square shoulder to oor.
Another feature of Pleasant Hill legs is the usually abrupt transition
from square apron section to round (or octagonal) lower section. The
side table leg, the bed leg and the cupboard-on-chest leg all have tran-
sitionless sawn shoulders below the square apron section. The Gettys
work table leg exhibits a minimal turned transition at the shoulder,
and the top-most cupboard-over-chest leg is the only leg on this page
with a fully developed transition from square apron section to turned
lower section. It is also perhaps not coincidentally the most deli-
cate leg on this page. KP
1
3
4"
6
1
4"
21
3
4"
3
4"
Side-table leg
2
5
8"
2
1
2"
15
1
2"
2
1
8"
2
1
2"
1
2"
7
1
2"
2
1
4"
1
1
8"
Bed leg
Cupboard-on-
chest leg
Cupboard-on-
chest leg Work-table leg
2
1
2"
2
1
8"
1
5
8"
6"
2
1
2"
20
3
8"
3
1
4"
3
3
8"
10"
I
l
l
u
s
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r
a
t
i
o
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s

b
y

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r
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M
any of the tools and fasteners we use in
woodworking have been around for thou-
sands of years. The concept of the screw
goes back to the ancient Greeks. Archimedes took
a wedge, a simple but powerful device, and wrapped
it around a cylinder. The helical threads allowed the
leverage derived from the wedge to be delivered via
a circular motion.
Until the industrial age, screws were expensive,
hand-made items. Certain applications justifed their
use, but in most cases other methods made more
sense. In the 18th and 19th centuries, machinery
was developed that made the price of screws reason-
able; in the 20th century, better methods of driving
screws were developed.
Most woodworkers have a love/hate relationship
with screws and screwdrivers. They work well, but
it seems like cheating. Screws exert a lot of force,
but that force is concentrated in two rather deli-
cate areas the tiny bit of metal where the thread
extends from the shank, and the interface between
the driver and the head.
When things go wrong, these weak links fail,
which is usually the result of trying to force a screw
to do something it wasnt designed to do, using the
wrong tool, or using the wrong technique.
A Clamp With a Twist
I like to think of screws as clamps. As the threads
bite into one piece of wood, the head pulls the other
piece tightly to it. Take a look at the cutaway picture
at the bottom left of the next page, which shows two
pieces that have been properly screwed together.
The threads are gripping in only the lower piece.
In that piece, the hole is the size of the unthreaded
Successful
Screwing
by Robert W. Lang
Comments or questions? Contact Bob at 513-531-2690
ext. 1327 or [email protected]. Visit his website
at www.craftsmanplans.com.
Head
Shank
Threads
Everything you
always wanted to
know about screws,
but were afraid
to ask.
P
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portion of the screw, which allows
the threads to tightly grip the sur-
rounding wood. The hole in the
upper piece is slightly larger than
the shank of the screw, and the
head sits in a countersink.
In the two center pictures
below, the hole on the right was
made by force-feeding the screw
without frst drilling a pilot hole.
Instead of neatly cut threads, the
wood has been torn and crushed.
This damage continues beyond
the screw, and the surrounding
wood is starting to split. The trick
is to get the holes the right size
so that the threads hold securely
without the shank damaging the
surrounding wood.
There are a couple of other bad
things that can happen as a result
of not drilling a pilot hole, or drill-
ing a pilot hole thats too small. If
the threads engage in the upper
piece of wood, it can prevent the
two pieces from pulling together,
sometimes called bridging.
When attempting to force the
pieces together by applying more
pressure on the driver, the threads
can be stripped, or in harder woods
the screw head can be damaged or
the screw can snap.
Three Bits in One
The pilot hole, the clearance
hole and the countersink can be
drilled in one step with a special
bit, as seen at upper left. The Fuller
countersink has been the standard
for years.The big advantage is the
tapered bit, which ensures that the
clearance hole is big enough and
that the threads grip all the way
to the end of the screw.
The biggest problem with the
Fuller countersink is the attach-
ment of the countersink cutter
to the shaft of the bit. The small
Allen head setscrews dont hold
well on the round bit. The coun-
tersink can slip on the bit when
it meets resistance on the surface
of the wood.
A newer style from Amana
(far right) has larger set screws,
and the shaft that fts in the chuck
of the drill is an integral part of
the countersink. In addition to
being less likely to slip, the Amana
countersink has a carbide tip that
lasts longer, especially when drill-
ing plywood or particle board.
Choose the right diameter
drill bit by holding the bit behind
the screw. You should be able to
observe that the screw threads are
wider than the bit, and the bit is
about the size of the shank.
I set the depth of the coun-
tersink by holding the bit beside
the screw, and setting the end of
the tapered bit just short of the
point of the screw. If youre using
a straight bit, set the end of the bit
to where the taper begins on the
screw. Unfortunately, this may
cause splitting in hardwoods.
I prefer the tapered bit for solid
wood, and the carbide counter-
sink for man-made materials.
How Long a Screw
Screw diameters are specified
in gauge sizes, with the higher
gauge number indicating a larger
diameter. For most woodworking
For a screw to work effectively, it
must t its hole precisely.
The hole on the left was bored with
a tapered bit, allowing the shank to
slide in the upper piece of wood, and
the threads to cut neatly in the lower
piece. The ragged hole on the right is
the result of driving a screw without
rst drilling a pilot hole.
The Fuller countersink is driven by
the drill bit. When the countersink
meets resistance, it tends to slip on
the drill bits shaft.
The Amana countersink extends into
the drills chuck. It is less likely to slip,
and has a long-lasting carbide tip
but doesnt come with a tapered bit.
applications, #6 is the smallest
useful gauge and #12 is the largest.
The best general-purpose size is
probably #8 gauge. For attaching
hardware to wood, smaller #4 or
#5 screws are often used.
The r i ght s cr ew l engt h
depends on the thickness of the
pieces being joined, and the ori-
entation of the parts of the joint.
Ideally, the screw should be 2 to
3 times the thickness of the piece
being attached. For example, a
1
4"-thick drawer bottom or cabi-

The screw on the left is made for
woodworking. The drywall screw
on the right is smaller in diameter,
threaded the entire length of the
shaft, and made of brittle metal.
net back should be held in place
with a
3
4"-long screw. For thicker

pieces, like
3
4"-cabinet parts, a
1
3
4" long screw is sufficient.

Longer screws introduce prob-
lems of drilling the pilot hole deep
enough, and of keeping the hole
straight so the screw doesnt come
out the far side of the wood.
All Screws Arent the Same
If youre working with softer
woods, it doesnt make much dif-
ference what type of screw you use.
Countersink
Pilot
hole
Clearance
hole
In harder woods, youre better off
spending a little more for screws
that are designed and manufac-
tured as wood screws. Drywall
screws are rather brittle, and their
small diameter gives them only
marginal strength. The bottom
right picture on page 79 shows the
differences.
In harder woods, you may need
to use a lubricant to make driving
easier and to prevent the screw
from snapping. I use beeswax from
a toilet bowl ring, an inexpensive
way to obtain it. I keep it in 35mm
flm containers, and one ring will
supply my needs for several years.
Paraffn also works, but it isnt as
easy to use. Some people use soap,
but soap can attract moisture,
causing damage to the screw.
Different fnishes, some purely
decorative and some that offer
corrosion resistance, are avail-
able for the metal in screws, but
SUPPLIES
McFeelys Square Drive
Screws
800-443-7937 or
www.mcfeelys.com
screws, bit and drivers
One Good Turn: A Natural
History of the Screwdriver
and the Screw
by Witold Rybczynski (Scribner)
for most interior applications the
extra expense isnt warranted.
Brass screws for hardware require
special handling as the soft metal
is easy to damage. Use a steel
screw of the same size to cut the
threads, then replace it with the
brass screw, and dont use a power
driver on brass.
Driving Around in Circles
It is easy to get frustrated with
any of the drivers in common use.
Each has its quirks and shortcom-
ings. The common (or slotted)
screw head was the only choice
until about 100 years ago when
the development of automobile
assembly lines created the need to
drive more screws in less time.
If the tip of the screwdriver
isnt centered perfectly over the
head of a slotted screw, the driver
will tend to slip sideways from the
slot as it turns. If youre driving
screws by hand this isnt that big
of a problem; you simply center the
driver by eye or by feel as you start
to turn it. With a power-driven
screwdriver, however, the slight-
est misalignment or resistance
will send the driver sideways out
of the slot.
If it werent for a business deal
that went sour and one mans
stubbornness, the Phillips-head
screw might never have come into
existence. In 1908, Canadian P.
L. Robertson invented a tapered
square recess driver and head com-
bination. The big advantage to
this is that the driver centers itself
in the head, and doesnt slip under
pressure. The Robertson head
holds so well, that the screw will
stay with the driver even when
held horizontally.
Robertson lost money in his
frst attempt to produce and dis-
tribute his design in the United
States, and from then on insisted
on not licensing his design to any
other manufacturers. Henry Ford
wanted to use these fasteners on
his assembly line, but wanted to
manufacture them himself. Rob-
ertson wouldnt budge, and while
long popular in Canada, square-
drive screws have only recently
caught on in the United States.
The Phillips head didnt come
into existence until the 1930s, and
was actually invented by John P.
Thompson, who couldnt con-
vince any screw manufacturers
the cross-shaped recess could be
manufactured affordably. Henry
F. Phillips bought the rights from
Thompson, obtained patents on
the design and searched for a
manufacturer.
The American Screw Co.
spent half a million dollars to
develop the manufacturing pro-
cess only after the president of the
company threatened to fre all of
his engineers. General Motors
was the frst customer, and Phil-
lips-head screws were frst used in
Cadillacs made in 1936.
Not a Flaw, Thats a Feature
What most of us consider to be
the Phillips-head screws biggest
defect was actually an advantage
when it was frst adopted. Because
the intersection of the crossed
recesses is slightly rounded, the
driver will slip, or cam-out, when a
Phillips-head screw becomes tight.
This prevented overtightening on
the assembly line, but is the bane
of any woodworker who has had
a screwdriver slip and go dancing
across a fnished surface.
In the last 25 years, cordless
drills have become the preferred
method of driving screws for
woodworking, and the general
frustration with the Phillips bit
The Robertson square drive holds
more securely than a Phillips , it will
stay on the driver when the
driver is horizontal.
You can save a lot of room in your toolbox by using replaceable insert tips
with a hand driver, or a magnetic bit holder in your cordless drill.
has led to an increase in popular-
ity of the Robertson square drive,
as well as other types.
The Quadrex or Combo drive
is a combination of the Phillips
and Robertson types. In theory,
either driver may be used but they
work much better with a square
drive, the Phillips being relegated
to emergency status when a square
driver can not be found.
The Pozi-Drive was patented by
the Phillips company and features
the same cross-shaped recesses as
the Phillips, but the intersection
has an additional square recess
that reduces cam out consider-
ably. This type is commonly used
in European cabinet hardware. A
Phillips bit can be used, but prob-
lems of cam-out and head strip-
ping are much worse than if the
Pozi-Drive bit is used.
Numerous other drive confgu-
rations exist, but their purpose
seems to be keeping the average
person from taking something
apart because the right driver
isnt available. None of these other
drive systems offer any real advan-
tages over the Robertson.
Whatever type of driver is
used, the interface between driver
and screw head should be a close
ft to prevent damage to the screw
head or the end of the driver. Flat-
tip screw drivers can be fled back
to shape if they get damaged, but
other styles of bits arent really
repairable. You might increase the
life span of a rounded off Robert-
son bit by grinding a little off the
end, but I know of no way to fx a
damaged Phillips bit.
Rather than fll a drawer or two
of my toolbox with various sizes
and shapes of screwdrivers, I use
insert tips in a driver with storage
in the handle and a magnetic tip
as seen at bottom left on the previ-
ous page. These tips also ft mag-
netic bit holders for driving with
a cordless drill. Magnetism is your
friend when power driving a lot of
screws, or when placing a screw in
a hard to reach location.
Head in the Right Direction
The countersink-style head is
the most commonly used head in
woodworking, and it has another
advantage in addition to coming
flush with or slightly below the
surface of the wood. The wedging
action of the countersink lines the
parts up in the same orientation
whenever you take it apart and
put it back together. Most of the
time this is what you want, but
sometimes you need to allow for
wood movement.
Due to this wedging action,
screw holes for hardware need
to be exactly in the center of the
countersink in the hardware.
Once again, a special drill bit
comes to the rescue. The Vix bit
(above) has the drill bit enclosed
in a self-centering guide. A spring
inside the guide keeps the drill bit
out of the way until you begin to
apply downward pressure.
If you put the pilot hole in the
wrong place or strip it out, you can
repair the damage with a small
piece of wood glued in the hole.
For stripped holes, toothpicks can
be used. Glue them in and break
them off flush with the surface
until there is enough wood in
the hole for the screw to bite. To
move a hole, its better to whittle
a small piece of wood from scrap,
glue it in and make it fush with
a chisel cut. This makes it easier
to drill a new pilot hole.
Pan-head screws allow for the
two parts to slide around below
the fat head. This allows you to
adjust the joint slightly as it comes
together, as with a pocket screw.
To attach a solid wood tabletop or
cabinet top you need to allow for
the wood to expand and contract.
If the hole in the attached piece
is elongated, the wood is free to
shrink or swell while remaining
frmly in place.
A variation of the pan head
screw, the truss head screw (left)
has an oversized head that func-
tions as a built-in washer. Also
known as a drawer-front screw,
this style allows for both minor
adjustments of position, and sea-
sonal wood movement.
Winding Up
So is it cheating to use screws?
Like any method of joining wood,
there are times when a screw is
ideal, and times when another
choice is better. When I worked
on wood boats or built commer-
cial cabinets, I used thousands of
screws without a second thought.
For other work, I only use them in
a few specifc situations.
Like a clamp, a screw isnt really
a permanent fastener. Over time,
the fragile connection between
wood and metal deteriorates as
these different materials move
in different ways. This may take
decades, but whenever I remove
a screw from an antique, I usu-
ally find crumbled bits of wood
as seen above.
A screw may not last forever,
but for attaching a solid wood
top or hardware, or reinforcing
joints in unseen places, it is the
best fastener. Using it correctly
will improve the odds of your work
outlasting you. PW
The Vix bit has a self-centering
spring loaded guide that makes it
invaluable when drilling holes for
hardware.
Seasonal wood movement can even-
tually crumble the fragile interface
between the wood and the threads
of the screw, enlarging the hole.
The truss-head, or drawer-front screw,
has a large head that allows it to be
placed in an oversized shank hole.
This permits slight adjustments
and allows for seasonal wood
movement.
The Robertson square drive, Combo drive and Phillips head screws (l to r).
ENDURANCE TEST
I
ts surprising we havent written an Endurance
Test about the Powermatic Model 66 table
saw before now. When we set up the Popular
Woodworking shop more than 10 years ago, it
was the frst machine we bought, and its been
the central machine in our shop ever since.
Its not overstating this saws reputation to
say that if you ask most home woodworkers
what saw they would like to have, the Model
66 usually tops the list. In fact, lots of profes-
sional woodworkers also prefer the 66. Were
not surprised. Its built like a tank, and it has
run almost trouble-free during hundreds and
hundreds of hours of service.
Our 10" left-tilt Model 66 is the cream of
the crop with a 5-horsepower, three-phase
motor that continues to sing with quiet con-
fdence and provide enough cutting power to
handle any job. That includes hundreds of
3
4"-wide x
1
2"-deep dados and literally tens-

of-thousands of board feet run in 8/4 hard
maple and white oak. And the saw continues
to operate nearly as vibration-free as the frst
day we set it up.
One of the visual aspects of this saw
that continues to impress is the mirror-
polished cast iron table. It looks beautiful and
has always been fat and smooth within more-
than-acceptable tolerances. In fact, weve even
used one of the cast iron wings as a lapping
plate for trueing hand plane soles.
The saws trunnion system has remained
true and solid throughout the years with
hardly any adjustment necessary, even to
the 90 and 45 blade stops. Just this year we
started to notice some play in the blade bear-
ing and performed what is thus far our only
major maintenance: We replaced the bearing
assembly. Now, it runs like new.
We have had to clean out the threads in
the worm gears for the height and beveling
adjustment mechanisms but thats mainte-
nance any saw will require.
Changes over the year? Very few. Our
saw came equipped with a Biesemeyer 50"
rip fence, which has since been replaced by
an equally nice (and some might say better)
Accufence. The newer fence incorporates
3
4"-
thick side boards (rather than the previous
1
2"-thick boards) to improve fence flatness.

During the previous decade, much of the
tooling used to create the machined parts
in the saw has been upgraded, improving
the overall part quality. Powermatic has also
upgraded the motor belts to reduce heat at
the pulley. Thats good for the belts and good
for the pulley. The arbor assembly has also
changed from a two-piece unit to a one-piece
forged assembly that offers less chance for
misalignment during rough use. One cosmetic
change is a more durable powder-coat fnish on
the cabinet instead of the paint job on ours.
We do have some minor issues. When the
blade is tipped to make a 45-bevel cut, youre
likely to bump your knuckles on the underside
of the fence rail. Also, the location of the 4"
dust port allows saw dust to build up at the
front corners of the cabinet and that translates
into dusty worm gears over time.
But if we were to set up shop again, its safe
to say wed be shopping for another 66. PW
David Thiel
Powermatic Model 66
After 10 years this solid,
reliable machine continues
to be a shop mainstay.
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ABOUT OUR ENDURANCE TESTS Every
tool featured in our Endurance Test column
has survived at least two years of heavy use
in our shop here at Popular Woodworking.
SPECIFICATIONS
Powermatic Model 66
Original price: $1,950
Todays price: $2,399
Motor: 5hp, 3ph
Cast iron table size: 28" x 37
1
2"
Weight: 600 lbs.
What we like: Strong, sturdy, reliable, lots of
power and very low vibration. Nearly mainte-
nance free during many years.
What wed change: Deecting dust chute to
channel dust to port; improved knuckle clear-
ance around the wheels and motor cover.
For more information: Contact Powermatic
at 800-274-6848 or wmhtoolgroup.com
Visit infinitytools.com for whats new
& innovative in wood cutting tools!
Only $179.90
Item #SDB-800
TOLL FREE 877-872-2487
Router Bits
Shaper Cutters
Planer/Jointer
Knives
Saw Blades
Ash .............................. 4/4 Select 2.40 ........................................... $ 85.00
Basswood ................... 4/4 Select 1.95 ........................................... $ 72.00
Birch ............................ 4/4 Select 2.75 ........................................... $ 89.00
Butternut ..................... 4/4 1C 2.30 ........................................... $ 77.00
Cherry ......................... 4/4 Select 4.90 ........................................... $110.00
Hickory - Pecan .......... 4/4 Select 2.85 ........................................... $ 89.00
Mahogany (Genuine) .. 4/4 Select 3.90 ........................................... $100.00
Maple (Hard) ............... 4/4 Select 3.15 ........................................... $ 96.00
Maple (Soft) ................ 4/4 Select 2.30 ........................................... $ 79.00
Poplar ......................... 4/4 Select 1.75 ........................................... $ 72.00
Red Oak ...................... 4/4 Select 2.50 ........................................... $ 88.00
Walnut ......................... 4/4 Select 4.00 ........................................... $100.00
White Oak ................... 4/4 Select 2.50 ........................................... $ 88.00
Cedar (Aromatic Red) . 4/4 1C+Btr. 1.80 ........................................... $ 72.00
Cypress ....................... 4/4 Select 2.40 ........................................... $ 80.00
White Pine ................... 4/4 F.G. 1.20 ........................................... $ 62.00
Yellow Pine ................. 4/4 Clear 2.00 ........................................... $ 74.00
UPS
Specials
Send $1.00 For Lumber Catalog
Prices Subject to Change Without Notice
Above prices are for 100 quantities of kilndried rough
lumber sold by the Bd. Ft. FOB Mayodan, NC. Call for
quantity discounts. Other sizes and grades available.
Above prices are 20 bd. ft. bundles of clear kilndried
lumber 3"-10" wide 3 -7 long (Random widths &
lengths) Surfaced 2 sides or rough. Delivered UPS
prepaid in the Continental U.S.
*NOW AVAILABLE*
4/4 Log Run Walnut
100 bd. ft. $160
STEVE H. WALL
LUMBER CO.
BOX 287
MAYODAN, N.C. 27027
336-427-0637
1-800-633-4062
FAX 336-427-7588
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.walllumber.com
STEVE WALL LUMBER CO.
Quality Hardwoods and Woodworking machinery For The Craftsman
and Educational Institutions
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Preparing
Green
Wood
Heres how to take your
stock from logs to lathe.
AT THE LATHE
O
nce upon a time, not so very long ago, I
was sitting in my booth at a craft show
when a young man came in and began look-
ing at some bowls Id made. He was clearly
quite intrigued, and also seemed a bit puzzled.
Finally he held up a bowl he had been exam-
ining and asked, How do you get the edges
to curl up like that?
It wasnt a silly question from his point of
view; wood comes in fat boards, right?
As woodworkers, you of course already
know that wood actually comes from trees.
However, if you build furniture, shelves, fx-
tures and the like, you may have experience
only with wood that has already been cut
into boards. It has probably been dried as
well, usually in a kiln, but certainly at least
air-dried. It is a far different thing to deal
with a log that is freshly cut from a tree and
sopping wet.
One of the great things about turning is
that you will be able to use many wonderful
woods you will seldom, if ever, encounter as
a fat woodworker. In addition to the usual
domestics such as oak, ash, maple, cherry,
walnut, hickory, you will happen upon and
acquire what I call exotic domestics woods
such as dogwood, lilac, holly and fruitwoods,
as well as ornamentals such as boxwood, rose
of Sharon and many others.
Some of these trees (especially the orna-
mentals) never attain a size that makes them
a viable source for commercial lumber; oth-
ers (such as persimmon and hackberry) do
by Judy Ditmer
Judy, author of two turning books and many articles,
has been turning since 1985. She teaches and
demonstrates her skills throughout the United States
and Canada.
this wood, which will often be very wet, dry
enough to use without cracking?
Its important to understand how wet wood
behaves. Its beyond the scope of this article to
thoroughly cover the topic of wood structure.
This would take volumes, and many have
been written. One of the best and most use-
ful I have found is Understanding Wood,
by R. Bruce Hoadley (Taunton). I encourage
you to read this book; it will greatly expand
your comprehension of all aspects of wood as
a material. In the meantime, there are a few
basic considerations that will enable you to get
your wood fnds from the log to the lathe.
As a furniture maker, you would be con-
cerned with wood movement on a fne scale,
get quite large, but are not common enough
to have commercial use. Hackberry is lovely
turning wood but is generally considered a
weed tree from a landscapers perspective; if
you come across one of good size, its a fnd.
So there are two main things you will need
to know when you do fnd these woods. The
frst is how to cut it up: What shapes and sizes
of pieces will you want, and where are they
located in the log? Second, how do you get
There is nothing like some quality time with a chainsaw to remind you that wood comes from trees. As
a turner, sooner or later youll be cutting up green logs for at least some of your material. (If you will be
using a chainsaw to cut large pieces, be sure you are well-versed in its safe use.)
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as your (usually kiln-dried) lumber fuctuates
between as little as 6 to 8 percent moisture
content. For some kinds of turnings, you will
want wood equally dry. Fitted-lid boxes, for
example, just wont work if made from wood
with higher moisture content than somewhere
around 8 or 10 percent. Bowls, on the other
hand, might be fine at 12 percent or even
higher. Still, some woods when completely
green may contain twice as much water by
weight as they do wood fbers. Thats 200 per-
cent moisture content.
Generally, softer woods have a higher
moisture content than hardwoods, but even
hard maple has 65 percent or more when
freshly cut. If you obtain the wood when it
is this wet, it has a long way to go before it is
ready for fnish turning.
As wood dries it shrinks, and it occurs
drastically more sideways (across the grain)
than lengthwise (end-to-end). A large piece
of wet wood is losing moisture much more
rapidly from the outside surfaces than it is
from the interior. As the piece dries, shrinking
wood surrounds wood that is not yet shrink-
ing; the stress causes it to split. The primary
goal in drying a piece of wood is to slow down
this moisture loss just enough to equalize it
throughout the piece to prevent splitting.
If you halt the loss entirely, the wood will
rot; if you slow it more than necessary, it will
just take longer to dry, and if you slow it not
enough, the wood will split.
For two reasons, larger bowls are usually
rough-turned from green wood then put back
on the lathe when dry for fnish turning. First,
it is much easier to remove all that wood from
the interior of the bowl when it is wet than
after it dries. Second, it is diffcult or impos-
sible to dry very thick pieces of wood without
having them split, because if you slow the
moisture loss enough to prevent cracking for
long, the wood will stay wet enough to begin
to decay. Even if the wood does not rot, at best
it will take a very long time to dry.
Because a piece of wood is basically a bun-
dle of fbers and vessels (rather like a very tight
bundle of straws), it loses moisture much more
rapidly at the end grain than at the side grain.
The ends of green wood will start cracking
frst, often very soon after it is cut. So the frst
thing to do with wet wood you cannot imme-
diately put on the lathe to rough-turn is to coat
the ends with green wood sealer, a water-based
wax. If checking has begun, coating the ends
will not stop it, so where this is the case, you
must cut off the end past the checking then
wax this fresh surface before it cracks.
Different species of wood will behave
very differently during this process. If Im
processing freshly cut cedar, I will coat one
end before I cut the other; thats how fast it
will begin checking. On the other hand, Ive
had dogwood thats been on the ground in
the woods for years and is badly checked on
the end, but cutting off only an inch or two
reveals perfectly sound wood. Large pieces,
or even smaller ones of some species, can be
held at this stage for only a short time. They
will quickly begin to deteriorate, so it is impor-
tant to proceed with the next step in process-
ing them (roughing out, cutting into smaller
pieces, etc.) as soon as possible.
A roughed-out bowl is much more stable
than a large, solid piece of green wood, but it
may be necessary to slow the drying at this
stage, too. You will have to determine this
by trial-and-error, based on results in your
particular situation. In a dry climate, you may
need to coat the entire roughed-out bowl
with wax. In a more humid area, this may
not be necessary; coating just the end grain
may be suffcient. It will also depend on other
variables, including the species of wood, how
thick the blank is, the micro-climate in which
you will store it as it dries (a heated or air-
conditioned space may be much drier than
one that is not regulated) and the moisture
content of the wood to begin with.
Some people put the blanks into paper bags
or piles of shavings. I fnd these methods a bit
too labor-intensive; I coat the end grain of a
roughed-out bowl (both inside and outside);
this is usually enough to allow it to dry with-
out damage. If the piece has burly or highly
fgured wood such as crotch fgure, I coat those
In a pinch, you can hold a big chunk of green wood in a
plastic garbage bag to keep it from checking, but only
for a very short time (perhaps a few weeks at most);
holding all the moisture in a piece of wood for very long
will cause it to rot.
On top of my bench are roughed-out bowls dry enough to be brought into the shop. On the bench sur-
face are freshly turned rough bowl blanks, with sealer drying on the end grain; also a small pile of green
wood that has been cut into a variety of sizes and shapes. The end grain has been waxed on all these
pieces, and they are stacked openly to allow the wax to dry. Below are boxes labeled for several types of
work; dry wood being cut up on the band saw can go directly into these boxes.
End grain
with fresh
application of
greenwood sealer
AT THE LATHE
areas as well because there is considerable end
grain exposed in such wood, which makes it
prone to checking.
Squares that will be used for smaller items
can usually be dried successfully by coating
just the end grain. You should stack the pieces
with lots of space in between so the wax can
dry completely. Store the wood in very open
stacks during the early stages of drying to
prevent mold growth, as it will be losing a lot
of moisture at this stage. When the wood is
quite dry, you can re-stack it, place it in boxes,
or store in some other manner that provides
ready access. PW
These wire-drawer
carts are ideal for
storing my cut,
waxed pieces until
they are dry enough
to be sorted into
storage boxes.
These contain
redbud, holly, pear,
honey locust and
birch cut into pieces
that I will use for
a wide variety of
small turnings.
Most wood will quickly begin to split at the pith, so when you cut half-sec-
tions like these redbud pieces, you should remove a slab from the center of
the log or limb. The piece on the right was cut exactly in the center, and has
split rather badly. The piece on the left was cut about an inch to the side of
the center, eliminating the problem.
These pieces of drying wood are all fairly small, so they do not need to be
roughed out to dry successfully. Leaving them to dry this way preserves the
possibility of using them either for bowls or to cut into squares that would
become tool handles, candlesticks, boxes, bottle stoppers or other small
items. The piece on the left has been cut round on the band saw, because I
plan to shape it into a bowl.
On these pieces of sycamore cut from a half-section of log, the end grain has
been waxed. The upper-left piece is a bowl blank; the rest are squares (the
grain runs lengthwise), including the large one on the right, which could be
used for an end-grain bowl as well as for a large-diameter spindle turning.
Different species will behave very differ-
ently in drying. The rst piece on the left is
redbud, and although the ends were coated with sealer, the drastic sideways
shrinkage has caused a split along the entire length of the piece. Because the
split stops at the center, it can still be cut up for smaller items such as bottle
stoppers or pens. The second limb is lilac, and the split has followed the
spiral growth of the wood around the axis rendering this piece useful only
for very small items. The two pieces on the right are dogwood, and even the
larger one (about 7" in diameter) has dried with no checking at all.
FROM LOG TO LATHE
If you will be able to process a log immediately for bowl
blanks, cut the length B to the same measurement as
the diameter A. This allows you to get as large a bowl as
possible from each half of the piece. If you will have to hold it
for a short time, cut it somewhat longer; then any checking on
the ends can be cut off later and still leave adequate length.
If the slabs are too large to cut to rounds on your band saw,
cut off the corners with the chainsaw. This piece is ready to be
mounted on the lathe and roughed out to dry. JD
A typical layout for cutting a log section for bowls. Cut off a
slice on either side (unless the piece is to become a natural-
edge bowl), then cut a slab out of the center to remove the
pith. There will be a board on either side of the pith that is
useable for smaller items. If the log is large enough, you may
also be able to cut useable wood from the outer slabs for tops,
pens, etc. The large slabs from either side of the pith will be
bowl blanks.
Bowl blanks
Save for
smaller items
Pith
Save for
smaller items
This shows the two most common ways to orient a bowl in a half-section of log
(the top two images are the same orientation with a different bowl shape in
the end), with the resulting bowls and the basic pattern the grain will present
in each one. JD
GRAIN PATTERNS IN BOWLS
A
B
POWER-TOOL JOINERY
D
ovetails are prime joints. Long history,
great appearance and cachet. Used in
boxes, drawers and carcases. But for many
woodworkers, cutting dovetails the traditional
way with saw and chisels is an insurmount-
able challenge.
If you arent ready to tackle hand-cut dove-
tails, there are plenty of router accessories on
the market to help. There are so many in fact,
and they have so many variations in setup
and operation, that Im going to narrow my
focus to the most common: the half-blind
dovetail jig.
The typical half-blind dovetail jig consists
of a metal base with two clamping bars to
hold the workpieces. A comb-like template
rests on the top to guide the router in cutting
both pieces at once. The appropriate bit and
bushing are packaged with the jig. Usually
you use a
1
2", 14 dovetail bit and a

7
16" guide
bushing to make the cuts.
Use any router, which is to say, the one you
have. I typically use a 2-horsepower fxed-base
model. The ability to plunge is irrelevant,
and plunge routers generally are awkward for
work on the edge owing to their high centers
of gravity. Brute power doesnt contribute
anything. When the urge to rout half-blind
dovetails seizes you, get out your jig and clamp
it at the edge of your workbench. Presumably,
youll have stored the instructions and the
right bit and guide bushing with the jig.
Select your materials and make sure all
like parts are jointed and planed uniformly.
Not all the parts must be the same thickness.
The fronts can be
3
4" thick, and the sides

and backs
1
2" thick, for example. Or

3
4" and
5
8". Everything can be

11
16". Just be certain

the fronts are consistently sized, the sides are
consistently sized, and so too the backs.
Set Up the Router
Install the guide bushing. (If you have a cen-
tering mandrel, use it to center the bushing to
the bits axis.) Adjust the router so the collet is
relatively close to the bushing. Carefully insert
the dovetail bit through the bushing and into
the collet. Tighten the collet nut.
Adjust the depth of cut next, as shown on
the facing page. When you do this, turn the
bit slowly by hand to absolutely ensure that
the bit doesnt contact the bushing. The cut-
ting end of the bit is too large to pass through
the bushing. If you use a steel bushing, it will
damage the bits carbide, so you want to avoid
accidental contact.
Check your jigs instruction for the rec-
ommended depth-of-cut setting. Its often
in the
21
32" to
23
32" range, depending upon

the thickness of the template. A good generic
starting point is
3
8" plus the template thick-

ness (to get an accurate measurement of the
template, use dial calipers).
Clamp the Work in the Jig
The work has to be clamped in the jig in a
particular way. When you cut following the
template, tails are formed on the front board
in the jig, and sockets into which the tails nest
are cut simultaneously into the top board.
So the socket piece and thats always
the drawer front or back is on top. The tail
piece the drawer side is at the front. Align-
ment is critical: The tail board overlaps the
end of the socket board, and its end must be
fush with the upper face of the socket board.
The boards must be perpendicular to each
other. In addition, the tail board is offset.
Both boards are clamped in the jig with their
inside faces out.
Heres an easy way to do it. Roughly posi-
tion the tail piece in the jig, with its top
end well above the jig. Slip the socket piece
under the top clamping bar, and butt it tightly
against the tail piece. Clamp it frmly. Now
loosen the clamp holding the tail piece and
lower it until its end is fush with the other
workpiece. Clamp it frmly.
Half-Blind
Dovetails by Jig
Not everyones ready to tackle
hand-cut dovetails. Heres how to get
the most from your router and jig.
by Bill Hylton
Bill is the author of several books about
furniture construction and router operations.
His latest book, released in late 2005, is Frame &
Panel Magic (Popular Woodworking Books).
P
h
o
t
o
s

b
y

t
h
e

a
u
t
h
o
r
Dovetail jigs can pro-
duce excellent results in
a short amount of time.
The key is knowing
how to adjust the jig to
achieve a perfect t.
9
/16"
9
/16"
5
/16"
9
/16"
5
/8"
7
/16"
9
/16"
1
/2"
3
/16"
OPTIMUM:
Pin formed matches slot cut by dovetail bit.
TOO DEEP:
Pin formed is wider than slot.
TOO SHALLOW:
Pin formed is narrower than slot.
Both pieces need to be against the align-
ment pins or stops. These pins align the parts
so they are offset exactly
7
16", which is half the

center-to-center spacing of standard router-cut
half-blind dovetails (
7
8"). Every jig has these

pins on the right and on the left. Use those
on the left for now.
The template must rest fat on the work.
Its fore-and-aft alignment is critical to the ft
of the joint, but dont worry about it for now.
Use the out-of-the-box setting for your initial
test cuts, and adjust as necessary.
Cut a Test Joint
Rest the router on the template with its bit
clear of the work. Switch on the router, and
make a quick, shallow scoring cut across the
tail piece, feeding from right to left (yes, this
is a climb cut).
The purpose of this cut is to prevent tear-
out along what will be the inside shoulder.
What often happens is that the bit blows out
splinters as it emerges from each slot of the
jigs template. If theres no shoulder established
frst, these splinters can run down the face of
the drawer side, defacing it.
Now rout the dovetails, slot by slot, begin-
ning on the left and working to the right. Feed
the router into each slot of the template, then
back it out. Keep the router frmly against the
template as you round the tip of each template
fnger; you want to completely form each tail
no little lumps.
I usually zip back through the slots after
the frst pass, just to be sure I didnt pull out
of a slot too soon, leaving that socket only
partially cut. Dont just lift the router from
the template. The bit will ruin both the cut
and the template. Instead, turn off the power
and pull the router toward you, getting it well
clear of the jig before lifting it.
Take a good look at the work and be sure
you havent missed a spot. If you have, re-rout
it before moving anything clamped in the jig.
Remove the template, unclamp the work, and
test assemble the joint.
Fine-tune the Setup
Slip the test pieces together. Maybe some-
things not quite right. Perhaps the ft is too
loose. Or too tight. Or the sockets arent deep
enough. Or the parts are a little offset. All of
these ills are cured with some fne-tuning.
The bits cut depth is the primary control
of ft. The way it works is shown in the draw-
ing, Setting Depth of Cut, above. The cut
the socket is always the size of the cutter.
In setting the depth of cut, you must account for
the template thickness as well as the cut itself.
Use a small machinists square to set the bit
extension from the baseplate.
Line up the workpieces carefully as you clamp
them in the jig. Snug the end of the socket piece
(its on top) against the inner face of the tail piece
(its on the front). Make sure the pieces are ush
against the guide pins or stops. (The pin on the jig
is hidden by the socket board and clamping bar.)
Chipping along the shoulder of the tail piece is
a problem. To eliminate this, make a shallow
scoring cut across the tail piece rst. A climb
cut where you feed the router from right to left
is most effective here. Just be sure the router
doesnt get away from you.
Move the router along the template, feeding the
router into each slot and keeping the guide tight
against the template as you come out of one slot
and round the nger into the next slot. Any little
bump on either tail or socket will prevent assem-
bly of the joint.
SETTING DEPTH OF CUT
But when you alter the depth of the cut, the
width of the material left between sockets
changes. Because you are cutting both tails
and sockets at the same time, the material
between the sockets is in fact the tail.
In practice, this aspect of the setup is at
the same time deceptive and frustrating.
The transition from no ft to perfect ft is
abrupt just a
1
32" change can make all the

Label lhe
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^
difference. What often happens is that you
lose confdence in the adjustment regimen
after one or two incremental changes with no
apparent effect. Well, this isnt getting me
anywhere! you think, and start adjusting in
the other direction. And you seesaw between
increasing and decreasing the cut depth, never
hit the right setting, get totally frustrated, and
shelve the jig, never to use it again.
Take heart. Remember that woodwork-
ers have been using these jigs for decades,
and that routers have been pretty primitive
tools for most of that time. You can do it. Be
patient, methodical and persistent. Heres
what you do:
Reduce the cut depth to loosen the ft.
Increase cut depth to tighten the ft.
Once the depth of cut is dead on, analyze
a new test cut and determine if other adjust-
ments are needed.
The relationship of the joint surfaces is
controlled by the templates fore-and-aft posi-
tion. Ideally, the surfaces are fush when the
joint is seated tightly.
If the side is recessed, the pin is short and
the socket is long. Shift the template back.
If the side is proud of the fronts end, the
pin is long and the socket is short. Shift the
template forward.
Your jigs instruction sheet should explain
exactly how to accomplish this. Generally,
the template bracket sets against a nut on the
mounting stud. Turn the nut and the template
moves. These studs usually are
1
4"-20 bolts, so
a full turn of the nut will move the template
in or out 50 thousandths of an inch.
Look at the edges next. When the joint
is assembled, the adjoining edges should be
fush. If they arent, you may not have had the
workpieces snug against the alignment pins.
Or the pins may be slightly misadjusted.
Any other problems you have will have
stemmed from misalignment of the work-
pieces in the jig. Make sure the top surface of
the socket piece is fush with the top end of
the tail piece, that they are at right angles to
each other, that the template is square to the
workpieces, and so forth.
When youve successfully fne-tuned the
setup using the alignment pins on the left, cut
a test joint at the other end of the jig. Do any
additional tuning needed there.
Dovetailing the Good Wood
Before starting on the actual project parts,
make sure youre organized. The parts are
worked inside out. If you are doing draw-
ers, the sides always go on the front of the
jig, and the fronts and backs always go on
the top. Some joints are cut on the right side
of the jig, others on the left. Its easy to get
mixed up, whether youre dovetailing one
drawer or 50.
A good way to avoid confusion is to label
the parts on what will be their inside faces, as
shown in the drawing Organizing the Parts
at left. Where you put the labels is as impor-
tant as what they are. The letters are always
associated with a particular part. Put the letter
at the bottom so you know which edge goes
against the alignment pins. On the jig itself,
mark the two-letter combinations beside each
pair of alignment pins, as indicated in the
drawing. As you clamp the parts into the jig,
orient the letters toward the pins, and check
the combination. If it isnt on your list of two,
you are at the wrong end of the jig. PW
If your test joint doesnt t t exactly, the nature
of the mist cues you how to correct it on your
next cut. If the tails are tight or loose in the sock-
ets, adjust the cutting depth. If the tails t, but
arent ush, adjust the position of the template.
Keep the pieces organized by marking the parts of the drawers as shown in the drawing above.
Mark your jig with the letter combinations that are shown on each side of the dovetail jig.
POWER-TOOL JOINERY
Organizing the parts
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ABRASIVES
Norton Abrasives 18 144 nortonabraisves.com
ADHESIVES
EpoxyHeads 8 115 epoxyheads.com
Franklin International 22-23 121 titebond.com
Gorilla Glue 16 125 gorillaglue.com
Old Brown Glue 102 146 patrickedwareds.com
BITS, BLADES & CUTTERS
Amana Tool 21 103 amanatool.com
CMT 17 110 cmtusa.com
Forrest 2 120 stores.yahoo.com/forrestman
Freud 49-56 122, 174 freudtools.com
Infnity Tools 87 129 infnitytools.com
Routerbits.com 102 156 routerbits.com
Woodline USA 79 167 woodline.com
BOOKS
Popular Woodworking Books 95
Woodworkers Book Club 80-81 woodworkersbookclub.com
BUILDINGS
SteelMaster Buildings 103 157 steelmasterusa.com
FASTENERS
McFeelys 24 140 mcfeelys.com
Miller Dowel 79 141 millerdowel.com
FURNITURE & PROJECT PARTS
Adams Wood Products 21 100 adamswoodproducts.com
Architectual Products 102 104 archpro.com
Exotic Wood Elegance 102 116 exoticwoodelegance.com
Osborne Wood Products 29 148 osbornewood.com
HAND TOOLS
Alisam Engineering 102 102 alisamengineering.com
Bobs Rule 87 108 bobsrule.com
Fine Tool Journal 103 119 fnetoolj.com
Japan Woodworker 27 130 thejapanwoodworker.com
Lee Valley 87 135 leevalley.com
Lie-Nielsen Toolworks 27 136 lie-nielsen.com
Robert Larson 33 155 rlarson.com
Tools for Working Wood 33 159 toolsforworkingwood.com
Traditional Woodworker 102 160 traditionalwoodworker.com
Wood Artistry 102 165 woodartistry.com
HARDWARE
Ball & Ball 25 106 ballandball-us.com
Whitechapel Ltd. 21 163 whitechapel-ltd.com
Woodworkers Hardware 27 170 wwhardware.com
KITS & PLANS
Glen-L Marine 103 124 glen-l.com
Pygmy Boats 103 153 pygmyboats.com
Texas Knifemaker 102 158 texasknife.com
U-Bild.com 103 161 u-bild.com
POWER TOOLS
Delta Machinery 4-5 112 deltamachinery.com
DeWalt 7 113 dewalt.com
Fein Power Tools 19 117 feinus.com
Festool USA 15 118 festool-usa.com
General Mfg. 24 123 general.ca
Grizzly Industrial C2-1 127 grizzly.com
Makita USA C4 138 makitatools.com
Porter-Cable Corp. 12-13 151 portercable.com
Powermatic C3 152 powermatic.com
RB Industries 25 154 rbiwoodtools.com
Wilke Machinery 29 164 wilkemach.com
Woodstock International 9 169 woodstockinternational.com
POWER TOOL ACCESSORIES
Beall Tool 103 107 bealltool.com
Craftsman Gallery 103 111 thecraftsmangallery.com
JDS 27 131 thejdscompany.com
Jointech 97 132 jointech.com
Keller & Company 79 133 kellerdovetail.com
Kreg Tool 17 134 kregtool.com
Leigh Industries 33 No leighjigs.com
Mule Cabinetmaker 8 142 mulecab.com
PRODUCT INDEX
Mystic Works 102 143 featherbow.com
Woodpeckers 27 168 woodpeck.com
SAWMILLS & KILNS
Granberg International 102 126 granberg.com
Norwood Industries 103 145 norwoodindustries.com
SCHOOL/INSTRUCTION
Ce nter for Furniture
Craftsmanship 27 woodschool.org
Marc Adams School 29 139 marcadams.com
SHOP ACCESSORIES
Airware America 102 101 airwareamerica.com
Diefenback Benches 102 114 workbenches.com
Oneida Air Systems 21 147 oneida-air.com
TURNING SUPPLIES
Augums Pen Works 102 105 augumspenworks.com
Packard Woodworks 103 149 packardwoodworks.com
WOOD & VENEERS
M.L. Condon 102 137
Wall Lumber 87 162 walllumber.com
Woodfnder 103 woodfnder.com
Woodworkers Source 102 171 woodworkerssource.com
WOODWORKING CATALOGS
Hartville Tool 25 128 hartvilletool.com
Woodcraft 11-17 166, 175 woodcraft.com
Woodworkers Supply 21 172 woodworker.com
WOODWORKING SHOWS
Woodworking Shows, The 87 173 thewoodworking shows.com
Woodworks Shows 100-101 woodworksevents.com
PAGE # CIRCLE # WEB ADDRESS PAGE # CIRCLE # WEB ADDRESS
ADVERTISER INDEX
ADVERTISER PAGE # CIRCLE # WEB ADDRESS
Adams Wood Products 21 100 adamswoodproducts.com
Airware America 102 101 airwareamerica.com
Alisam Engineering 102 102 alisamengineering.com
Amana Tool 21 103 amanatool.com
Architectual Products 102 104 archpro.com
Augums Pen Works 102 105 augumspenworks.com
Ball & Ball 25 106 ballandball-us.com
Beall Tool 103 107 bealltool.com
Bobs Rule 87 108 bobsrule.com
Ce nter for Furniture
Craftsmanship 27 woodschool.org
CMT 17 110 cmtusa.com
Craftsman Gallery 103 111 thecraftsmangallery.com
Delta Machinery 4-5 112 deltamachinery.com
DeWalt 7 113 dewalt.com
Diefenback Benches 102 114 workbenches.com
EpoxyHeads 8 115 epoxyheads.com
Exotic Wood Elegance 102 116 exoticwoodelegance.com
Fein Power Tools 19 117 feinus.com
Festool USA 15 118 festool-usa.com
Fine Tool Journal 103 119 fnetoolj.com
Forrest 2 120 stores.yahoo.com/forrestman
Franklin International 22-23 121 titebond.com
Freud 49-56 122, 174 freudtools.com
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Jointech 97 132 jointech.com
Keller & Company 79 133 kellerdovetail.com
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Packard Woodworks 103 149 packardwoodworks.com
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Powermatic C3 152 powermatic.com
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Routerbits.com 102 156 routerbits.com
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FLEXNER ON FINISHING
Common Spray Gun Problems
Dont be a drip learn how to keep your equipment in fne working order.
I
n the last issue I showed you how to main-
tain and clean a spray gun. Keeping parts
oiled and the spray gun free of gummy or
solidifed fnish is critical for achieving good
results. Problems can still occur, however,
even with a clean spray gun.
The most common problems are uneven-
ness in the spray pattern, pulsating spray and
a gun that drips. Following is a discussion
of how you can identify and correct each of
these problems.
Spray Pattern Thats Heavy
at the Ends or in the Middle
Spray normally exits a spray gun in an oval
pattern, often called a fan because it resem-
bles the shape of an unfolded hand fan. To get
an even coating on the wood, the fan pattern
should be even from end to end.
Uneven spray patterns that are heavy at
both ends or heavy in the middle and light at
the ends are common problems, especially if
you use a compressor (instead of a turbine) to
supply the air. The uneven pattern is caused
by the air pressure you are using not being
appropriate for the viscosity of the liquid
youre spraying.
Too much air pressure will push the liquid
to the ends of the spray pattern. Too little air
pressure will leave the liquid bunched in the
center of the spray pattern.
With this explanation, the correction
is obvious. If the fan pattern is heavy at the
ends, decrease the air pressure or increase
the viscosity of the fnish (add less thinner).
If the fan pattern is bunched in the middle,
increase the air pressure (if you are using a
compressor) or add thinner to decrease the
viscosity of the fnish.
If you are using a turbine to supply air to
your spray gun, you have to thin the fnish
to correct a center-heavy fan pattern because
you cant increase the air pressure.
To test your spray pattern, spray a short
by Bob Flexner
Bob is the author of Understanding
Wood Finishing (Readers Digest) and a
contributing editor to Popular Woodworking.
Pulsating Spray
A pulsating or fluttering spray is usually
caused by blockage in the spray-gun cups
air-inlet hole. When fnish is being drained
from the cup as you spray, the volume has
to be replaced by air. If the air-inlet hole is
blocked, the replacement air can enter only
through the fuid passageway and this results
in a pulsating spray. (Its similar to the gluck,
gluck when you pour paint thinner rapidly
from a full can.)
The solution is obvious. Clean the air-inlet
hole on the cup.
Pulsating can also be caused by air get-
ting into the fuid passageway and mixing
with the finish. There are three ways this
can happen.
The most common is tipping a gun with
a low liquid level in the cup too far as you
spray. Be sure that the angle of the bend in
the tube running into the cup is forward, and
add more stain or fnish if necessary.
The cause can also be a needle packing
(the gasket that surrounds the fuid needle
burst of fnish onto paper, cardboard or scrap
wood. The goal is to create an elongated and
evenly shaped oval pattern.
Spray Pattern Heavy at One End
If the spray pattern is heavy at only one end,
there is an obstruction in the air cap or fuid
nozzle, or one of these parts is damaged.
To determine which part has the problem,
spray a short burst of fnish onto paper, card-
board or scrap wood. Then rotate the air cap
one-half turn and spray another burst. If the
disrupted pattern stays the same, the problem
is in the fuid nozzle. If the pattern reverses,
the problem is in the air cap.
Try cleaning the part that is causing the
problem. If this doesnt work, the part is prob-
ably damaged (usually the tip of the fuid noz-
zle), and you will have to replace it.
P
h
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o
s

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e

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h
o
r
just in front of the trigger) that is dry or too
loosely compressed by the needle-packing nut,
or an untightened or damaged fuid nozzle.
Check the tightness of the needle-packing
nut and fuid nozzle, and if this doesnt solve
the problem, oil or replace the needle packing
or replace a damaged fuid nozzle.
An obstruction in the fuid passageway
may also allow air to enter the fuid stream.
Try backfushing the passagway by pressing
your fnger over the center hole of the air cap
while spraying a short burst. If this doesnt
remove the obstruction, take the gun apart
and do a thorough cleaning.
Dripping from the Front of the Gun
The cause of fuid (stain or fnish) leaking
from the tip of the fuid nozzle at the front of
the spray gun is the fuid needle not seating
well in the fuid nozzle.There are a number of
possible causes. Here are the most common
in rough order of their frequency.
The packing that surrounds the fuid
needle may be squeezed so tightly by the nee-
dle-packing nut that it prevents the needle
from moving freely. Loosen the nut a little.
The needle packing may have dried and
hardened to the point that it doesnt allow the
needle to close tightly. Lubricate the needle
packing with a non-silicone oil such as min-
eral oil. Apply the oil to the fuid needle and
move it back and forth several times with the
trigger, or remove the needle and needle-pack-
ing nut and apply several drops of oil directly
to the packing.
There may be dirt, paint or fnish stuck
in the tip of the fluid nozzle that prevents
the fuid needle from seating fully. Clean the
fuid nozzle.
The tip of the fuid nozzle or the tip of
the fuid needle may be badly worn or dam-
aged, which prevents proper seating. Replace
the damaged part.
The spring that pushes the fuid needle
closed may have weakened or broken. This
spring is located just inside the screw-knob
on the back of the gun that controls the fuid
needle. Replace the spring.
The fuid needle may be too small or
too large for the fuid nozzle, which prevents
proper seating. Change parts so the two seat
well. Fluid needles and nozzles are sold as sets
meant to work together. You can buy them
from the manufacturer of your spray gun.
Dripping from the Packing Nut
If the needle packing isnt sealing well around
the fuid needle, fuid will pass through and
drip from the needle-packing nut. There are
two possible causes.
The needle-packing nut may not be
screwed on tightly enough to press the needle
packing into contact with the needle. Try
screwing this nut tighter (but not so tight
that it interferes with the easy movement of
the needle).
The needle packing may be worn or dry.
First, try lubricating the packing with a non-
silicone oil such as mineral oil. If this doesnt
work, replace the packing with a new one,
which you can get from your spray-gun sup-
plier or from an auto-body supply store. PW
To get an even coating using a spray gun, the
spray pattern should be an elongated oval that is
even from end to end.
If the spray pattern is heavy on the ends and light
in the middle (called a split pattern), there is
too much air pressure for the viscosity of the liq-
uid. Reduce the pressure or add less thinner.
If the spray pattern is bunched up in the center
even with the spray-gun controls wide open,
there isnt enough air pressure for the viscosity of
the liquid. Increase the air pressure (if your air is
supplied by a compressor) or thin the liquid.
If the spray pattern is heavy at one end, there is
an obstruction in the uid nozzle or air cap, or
one of these parts is damaged. Clean the gun. If
this doesnt solve the problem, the damaged part
must be replaced.
Dripping from the tip of the uid nozzle is caused
by the uid needle not seating well in the uid
nozzle. Follow the suggestions in the text to iden-
tify the source of the problem. Dripping from the
needle-packing nut (just in front of the trigger)
is caused by the needle packing not sealing well
around the uid needle. Check that the needle-
packing nut is well tightened and that the needle
packing is lubricated.
Fan-width
control knob
Fluid
control
knob
Gun body
(or handle)
Air inlet
Main
air
valve
Trigger
Needle-packing nut
(needle packing
inside)
Fluid inlet
Fluid needle
Fluid nozzle
Air cap
Horn
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Order must be accompanied by payment; ads are
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Many woodworkers dream
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take the leap, read this.
I
ts now been more than three decades
since I began to work wood for a living.
In the beginning, I operated alone out of
a one-car garage outftted with a minimal
number of tools. Today, I am the sole pro-
prietor of a one-man cabinet shop, operat-
ing out of a two-car garage outftted with a
minimal number of tools. That boys gone
far, I can hear you saying. Now hes got
room for a second car. There is, however,
an important difference: This boy can now
afford a second car!
It took nearly a decade, however, before
I could make that claim. It took that long
for me to realize that it wasnt my woodwork
that needing improving, but rather the way
in which I was working the wood. Let me
explain: I had started out building highly
refned pieces of casework, flling them with
lovely hand joinery and intricate detailing,
and calling the results of my efforts kitchen
cabinets. But unlike the other cabinetmak-
ers in town (who also produced what people
called kitchen cabinets), I was going broke
like nearly every custom furnituremaker I
had ever met. Heres what I fnally fgured
out was going wrong:
First, I did not have the faintest idea
about how to go about building cabinets in
fact, I didnt really know what a kitchen cab-
inet was. Second, my methods and tooling,
such as they were, were primitive and coun-
terproductive. And third, I was an abys-
mally poor businessman. If I was going to
make a real living at this game, I was going
to have to understand what the market con-
by Jim Tolpin
Jim adapted this article from his latest book, the
revised edition of Jim Tolpins Guide to Becoming a
Professional Cabinetmaker (Popular Woodworking).
ing this to heart, I revamped my shop with
tooling that could effciently cut sheetstock
to size and produce rows of holes on 32mm
centers to accept the European hardware
system. I also revamped my woodworking
process, coming up with a production fow
chart that mapped, grouped and sequenced
the cabinetmaking process, start to fnish.
Then came the hard part fguring out
how to better sell my products to the public.
It turned out that this really meant fguring
out how to better sell myself. Not even hav-
ing an act to clean up, I had to make one
up! By observing and talking with some
successful businessmen I learned not only
the nitty-gritty of paperwork and business
structures, but also how to deal pleasantly
(and proftably) with the cast of characters
that populate the world of the businessman.
What I ultimately ended up with was the
ability to create and sell an attractive piece
of cabinetwork (not furniture!) whose mar-
ket value made it worth my time to produce.
If I hadnt learned to do that within my frst
decade in the business, I probably would
have ended up going back to college for an
advanced degree and would now be stuck
with a real job. I shudder to think . PW
sidered a quality piece of cabinetry; learn
how to build it as effciently as possible; and
fgure out how to better present myself and
my products to the public.
I began my education by visiting a high-
end cabinet retail outlet. People spent good
money for these cabinets and I wanted to
see what was so good about them. Look-
ing closely at the simple but refned case-
work which was actually not that costly
I discovered their secret to producing
such a product at such a price: Modular case
components and interchangeable hard-
ware systems. What a revelation! One size
of case component, ftted with a double row
of holes, could serve any type of cabinet by
carrying any combination of doors, drawers,
rollouts or shelves. The beauty of it boggled
the mind especially the fact that such a
system could be easily and effciently pro-
duced in a small shop.
The trick was to stop thinking furni-
ture and start thinking casework. Tak-
I
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PopuIar Woodworking, October 2004
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DISPLAY UNTIL 1-30-2006

Canada Publications Mail

Copyright 2005 by Popular

Produced and printed in the U.S.A.

. This is the saw to get your

February 2006, Vol. 26, No. 1

CIRCLE NO. 151 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD.

Relplng You Make Wood Work

8" in diameter) will operate best at higher

8"-thick, clear polycar-

4" plywood subbase

Yes! Id like Popular Woodworking to send a FREE copy of the

32"-wide fat is enough to produce the scraping cut necessary to

4"-diameter plumbing fange

4" pipe clamp, and screw the

4"-thick poplar boards, the

2" circular saw) for $629,

2"-wide cutting edge (the skew cut from

8" thick and we cant all afford a thick-

4"-thick poplar on one battery

8" chuck, which was a rarity in

8" chuck. That leads me

4"-wide wood is crosscut into

4" pivot hole that slips over the threaded rod,

8" bit) that intersects and passes

8" beyond the rod hole. Thread the

16" holes, using the holes in

2" and draw a parallel line. Between

2" apart. Starting with your frst line,

4" from each

16" from the corners.

16"-thick shaving in softwood.

8" from the cutting edge

2, are suited for larger-scale

16" of a boards thickness with a

2". After the

4" rabbet at the bottom and top edges

4" in from the edge), then run the piece

4" rabbet on the back edges of the sub-top

4" dados for

4" dados in the cabinet sides, no

8", you need

4" width, including

4" height. Two passes

4" groove that is a

4" deep. The drawer bottom will slip into

8" from the back edge of the cabinet for the

2" in from the front edge of

2". Each piece will yield two

2" taper), and mark

8", or the depth of

4" slot cutter on my router table.

16" hole that is 2" above each

8" to the opening to arrive

8" and make a pass on

4" groove. The