'iil

June/July 2003, lssue 149

10 fast-formingfaring stick
42 barrister's bookcase
Build this classicmodularstoragepiece,and
discoveran innovativeway to hang the doors.
50 the ultimate bandsawtable system
Rampup yourbandsaw for precision
resawing,
andcuttingcurvedparts.
circlecutting,tapering,
64 bandsaw table accessories
Taperjig, patternguide,and featherboard.
74 adirondack chair and footrest
80 gardener'stuteur for training plants

U markingtips for betterwoodworking

36 perfectplugsin 6 easysteps
56 put your bandsawsystemto work
68 low-tech,foolproofsharpening
Usesandpaper andour shop-made jig to
givechiselsand planeironsa razoredge.
92 13 workshopshortcuts
100 6 dead-ondrillingtricks

Ultimate
12 the hardfacts on Forstnerbits Bandsaw
86 mid-sizeplunqerouters Table
Seethetop-tool-and top-valuewinnersin 50 . System
models.
thistestof sevenfeature-packed
102 9 shop-provenproducts v
I collectingclassicold tools
trl lacewood:a figuredfavorite
61 guideto choosingsheetgoods
U yellowpoplar:a valuedhardwood
96 birdhouses/feeders contestwinners

4 editor'sangle
6 soundingboard
I at your seruice
16 shoptips
26 askWOOD
38 short cuts
120 what'saheadin our nextissue
Visit our Web site at u/u/u/-rnzoodonline-corn for free vvoodvvorking plans, tips, shop tours, and more.
 wooD.
Better Homes and Gardenso

June/July2003. Vol.20,N0.3 . lssue No.149

editortsanste ManagingEditor
BlLtKRIEB
Editor-in-Chief
JIMHARROLD
Editor
Executive
MARLEN
EditorDAV]D
Features
KEMMET
ST0NE
ProductsEditorDAVE CAMPBELT

Woodworkers: Projects
EditorJANSVEC
Projects
EditorOWEN
Editor
Technioues
DUVALT
JIMP0LL0CK

abreed apart lllustrators

Design
Senior
Design
Master
Editor
Editor
Craftsman

IORNA
JEFF
CHUCK
Manager
Production/0ffice
BOYLE
KEVIN
MERTZ
HEDLUND
MARGARET
Assistant
Administrative
JOHNSON,
SHERYL
R0XANNE
CtOSNER
MUtlYoN
LeMOlNE,
I recentlyhad the enjoyabletask For example,Donald Berardof Mission
TIMCAHILL, MIKEMITTERMEIER
Viejo, Calif., who built "The Best Technical JEFFHALL,
Consultants GARRYSMITH,
of callingthe winnersin our first Birdhousefrom Existing Plans,"told me PHILTIPGOODWIN, J(lHNCEBUHAR
Craftsman
Contributing JIMHEAVEY
birdhouse/birdfeedercontest,let- he worked "4 to 6 hoursa day, 5 to 6 days JIMSANDERS.
Proofreaders BARBARAKLEIN
a week,for 4 weeks"preparinghis entry. KARL
ArtDirector EHLERS
ting them know of theirgood for- Looking at the intricateandperfectlyexe- ArtDirectorGREG
Associate SELLERS
ArtDirectorCHERYL
Assistant A. CIBULA
tune.The ensuingconversations cutedcopperpanelson his entry's roof, I PublisherMARKHAGEN
fully believehis time estimate. 333N.Michigan
Office:
Advertising Ave., 1500,
Suite
only reinforcedmy firm beliefthat Then there'sJohn Stygaof Elmhurst, Chicago,lL60601Phone:
312853-2890 Fu:312580-7906
Sales Assistant
andMarketing NEILLEM0RRIS
woodworkersare amongthe N.Y., whoseincredibly detailed"Mother AccountExecutiveR()NGOLMINAS
Hubbard'sBoot" took the $5,000grand Direct
ResponseManager CAR0LYN DAKIS
most generouspeopleanywhere. pwe. SaidJohn,"A lot of time went into DirectResponse SANDY
Representative
Sales R0BlllS0N
AccountExecutive
J()HNTH0RNBURGH
it, more than I can calculate.I wasjust Phone:
Detroit, 248/356-1149Fax:248/356'8930
ike othercontestswe've had,in havingfun." AccountExecutivePATT0MLINSON
! Phone:
Northeast, 212/551 -7192
-7043Fax:2121551
which readerssentin their best Inspectingall of the entries,it's easyto Southeast:Lagomarsino,Dempsey& Dennis,
Inc.
I 1
fl toys, clocks,and workshoplay- seethat readersdevotedthousandsof 2951 PiedmontRd., 100,
NE,Suite GA30305
Atlanta,
Phone: -5400Fax:4041261'5404
404/26'l
outs,the recentlycompleted"For the hoursto this competitionto benefit The GroupMarketingDirector
CATHY E.SMITH
Birds" competitionjust blew us away.The NationalWildlife Federation's BackyarC Marketing
Senior Manager
Services ATEXANDER D.CLARKS0N
Phone: -7090Fax:
212/551 192
2121551-7
numberof entries(2ll), and the quality Wildlife Habitat Program.So, on behalf of
SeniorPromotionDesignerSARAH DIEELLA
and originality of the designs(seepage 96 the NWF, WOOD magazinq and, of GroupPublisherSTEPHEN B.LEVINS0N
for photos),was simply staggering. course,the birds, I want to say a big Business
Associate Director
CRAIG FEAR
As impressedas I and the otherjudges "Thank You" to all whoentered. g 0perations
Advertisin Manager PAT HENDERSH0TT
I must add that therewere many out- Consumer Director
Marketing JULIEMARTIN
were with the winning entries,I was espe- Manager
Marketing DAVE H0NOLD
Consumer
cially touchedby -y conversationswith standingentriesthat did not receivea R.REEO
DirectorWIILIAM
VicePresidenVPublishing
their makers.All were thrilled to have pize, but which nevertheless enabledus
MEREDITHPUBTISHING GR()UP
won, but none of them expectedit. They to raisemore than $8,000for the program. PreSidENt
STEPHEN M. LACY
just enjoyedthe chanceto contributeto a Basedon my phoneconversations, I'm Magazine President
Group JERRY KAPLAN
SalesMICHAEL
Group BR(IWNSTEIN
good cause(more on that later),and the guessingthat the newsof this generous ETLEN
Services
Creative DELATH0UDER
opportunityto put in someenjoyableshop donationis rewardenoughfor the winners BRUCE
Manufacturing HEST0tl
Consumer KARLA
Marketing JEFFRIES
time in the process. and nonwinnersalike. MAXRUNCIMAN
andAdministration
Finance
lUleredfth
Wetve hatched a new column. WILLIAMT. KERR,
I
Chairman
cenponartoru
andChiefExecutive
0fficer
Readershavetold us that the woodwork- Committee
of theExecutive
lll, Chairman
E.T.Meredith
ing termswe usein articlesoccasionally oCopyrightMeredithCorporation2003
Printedin the U.S.A.
All rightsreserved.
can throw them for a loop. So,on page Better Homes and Gardensa WOODa magazine (ISSN-0743-
110 you'll find the first installment 894X) is publishedseventimesa yearin March,May, June/July,
Septembdr,October, November, and December by Meredith
of "Wood words" to help you bet- Corporation,1716LocustSt., Des Mgineg,IA 50309-3023.For
subicription questions call E00/374-9663.Letters to Editor:
ter understandevery article in the WOOD maga2ine,1716 Locust St., GA-310, Des Moines, IA
50309-3023,or [email protected]. Periodicalspostagepaid
magazine.Let me know how at Des Moines, Iowa, and additional mailing offices. Better
you like it. Homes and Gardens trademark registered in Canada and
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T^!Q{^^!rv' Product AgreementNo. 40069223.CanadianBN 123482887

nr. clNAuAN RETURN ADDRESS: Better Homes and
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WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

soundin boardforletters,
Ourbulletin andtimelyupdates
comments,
boanC
A sirnple forrnula reveals the radius Protect tools with
Reading"A ShortCourseon Making organized records
Curves"in issue147 remindedme of a Inoneofyouronlineforums(WOOD Talk
mathematical formulaI learnedyears Arcof unknownradius at www.woodonline.com) | readabouta
ago for findingthe radiusof an arc.This manwhosetoolswerestolenoutof his
methodis handyfor creatinga smooth truck.I havea systemto helprecover my
layoutafteryou'vedrawna freehandarc. toolsif theygetstolenandfoundby police.
As shown al right,all you need to WhenI geta newpowertool,I firstwrite
know is the heightof the arc and its itsserialnumber intheowner's manual.
length.Then plugthose numbersinto ThenI engrave mydriver's license number
this simpleformulain the drawingto onthetoolin an inconspicuous spot.I also
find the radius,and you'redone. H=Height engrave expensive handtools.(l don't
L=1lzthelength
Once you have this number,it's R=Radiusof arc engrave rare or collectibletools,though,
simpleto set up a trammeland draw because it decreases theirvalue.)
a perfectlysmooth arc. Next,I takea pictureof thetoolso I
For example,if you want to draw an havesomething to showthepoliceor
arc that's 24" long and 3" tall at the insurance company should theneedever
center,here'swhat to do: FINDINGAN UNKNOWNRADIUS arise. I mark each photo to indicatethe
engraving location onthetool.
I First,plugthenumbers intothe I Now,makea trammel,as shown NowI placetheserecords, alongwith
formula. Inthiscase,L=12,H=3,so: below, that's Align
251/z'long. one end the owner's manual and purchase receipt,
withthe midpointof the arc on your in a firesafeinsidemyhouse,instead of
( 1 2 2 + s+21; z x s ; workpiece. Anchorthe otherend at a outin thegarage withthetools.Doingthis
= ( 1 4 4 + 9+) 6 pointthat'sin linewiththe midpoint,and alsogivesmea recordfor insurance pur-
or153+6 draw your arc. poses, and forces me to keep track of all
= 25.5or 25t/2" Harold
F.Leister, Pa. of my manuals
Chambersburg, andwarranty information.
Note:Manylawenforcement agencies
suggestusingyourdriver'slicense
numberbecausestolentoolsareoften
pawnedforcash.(Note:lf yourdrivels
Iicensenumberis yourSocialSecurity
number,don'tuseit.Requesta new
drivels licensenumber.)Mostpawnshops
collectthe drivels licensenumberof
anyonewhobringsin merchandise. lf this
numberdoesn'tmatchtheoneon thetool,
storepersonnel shouldrefuseto buythe
tool,thenalertauthorities.
BruceMoore,Eugene,Ore.

Doyouhavecomments, criticisms,suggestions,
or maybe relatingto a W00h
evena compliment
magazine Pleasewriteto:
article?
SoundingBoard
W00Dmagazine
Prciect update 1716LocustSt.,GA-310
r Baker'sTrio (issue147,p. 56): Des Moines,lA 5G109-3023
usedinthisproject
The%"dowel notwalnut.
isbirch,
[email protected].
Articleinformationonline Dueto the volumeof lettersande-mailswe
to pastW00Dmaguineprojects
You'llfinda listingof allknownupdates at uruvw.woodmagazine.com. receive,wecanrespondto andpublishonly
Justclickon W00Dmagazine ontheleftsideofthescreen, Extras.
andthenselectEditorial thoseof thegreatestinterestto ourreaders.

WOOD magazine june{uly 2003

at your Sel.lflGc)

wetre here to help

assistanceis just a click (or two) away -
rFind the right article, IOur editors
right now are listening
We've just completedthe re-indexingof Have a commentabout some-
all issuesof WOODomagazine,includ- thing you've seen,or would
ing over 2,400 articles.You can entera like to see,in WOOD maga-
keyword searchfor any word or group of zine?E-mail your suggestions I Subscription assistance
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rGet past issues and 50309-3023. write toWOODMagazine,P.O.Box
articles here 37439,Boone,IA 50037-0439.Please
Order past issuesof WOOD magazineat Il.'earn more about encloseyour addresslabel from a recent
woodstore.woodmall.comor by calling woodworking basics magazineissue.
8001346-9663. Be awarethat many early From abrasivesto shop safety, the info-
issuesare sold out. For reprints,send$5 packedWoodworkingBasicssectionat IWoodworkincr advice
per reprint (no phoneorders),including WOOD ONLINEo deliversdozensof a\railable arouird the clock
issueand nameof article,to WOOD informative articles.We add new features Postyour most perplexingquestionsto
Article ReprintService,P.O. Box 349, and projectsevery two weeks,making it thousandsof woodworkerseagerto help
Kalona,IA 52247;makecheckor money the site that keepsgiving. Find it at you in one of the 20+ online forums at
order payableto WOOD magazine. woodma gazine.com./basics talk.woodmagazine.com/forums cl
I WOOD magazine June/July 2003

mean$no
Reducedchirigeover &
setup
o Tablesaw/Shaper/
stCIB@ Planer/ Jointei/ Mortiser
. Choiceof sliding tables
. Professionalprecision&
acfllracv
. I4eal for'small shops&
basements
 cgllegting'-
classics
fips on finding and buyrng old tools

ot an eyeout r Search the Internet. Online auction

for old tools? services,suchaseBay(www.ebay.com),
Whether list thousands of toolsfor saleeveryday,
you'relookingto buy and havebecomehot spotsfor tool sellers
your first antiquetool and seekers.Martin saysthey're worth
or adda few moreto lookinginto, but be sureto checkthe on-
your collection,you line buyers'feedbackon the seller.Also,
Martin J. Donnelly
needto know the ins askthe selleraboutthe completeness and
andoutsof smartbuying.Martin J. conditionof the tool if the listingdoesn't
Donnelly,an internationallyrenowned clearly stateit.
antiquetool dealerof Avoca,New York, r took locdly. Many fine antiquetools
really knowshis stuff, andnow shares show up at garageand yard sales,Martin
his besttips. says,so your treasurecould be next door.
Also, checkout areaflea markets,and
4 surefire wavs to antiquesshopsand shows.No matterif Martin'scomprehensive"Catalogueof
hunt downoldtools you f,rnda tool, you'll undoubtedlymake Antique Tools" contains descriptionsand
r Check tool organizations. Looking valuablecontactsalong the way. photographsof more than 6,500tools. lt
for a specifictool? Get in touch with any sells for $2S at www.mjdtools.com.
of the dozensof regionaland national
tool-collectingorganizations. (Seebelow What tools should 3 qolden rules for a
for a list of several.)Their memberssell be left on the shelf? sudcessful purchase
and tradethousandsof tools and share It's okay to put the majorityof I Know the toolts nalue. To be sure
knowledgeaboutthem. antiquetoolsto use. But certain you're gettingafair deal,determinethe
r Try an antique tool auction. Want toolsare best kept unusedwhen: tool's valueup front. You canfind help
accessto a mind-bogglingnumberof r Theirprimaryvalueis basedon on the Internetby searchingfor "antique
tools in one place?Then attendthe ulti- their unusedconditionor rarity. tool values"or going to tool dealers'Web
mateclassictool extravaganza-an r The toolsare fragile. sites.Also, checkout tool catalogs,like
antiquetool auction.Chancesare you'll r Thereare "modern"toolsor less- the one shownin the photo,above,that
find what you want in multiples.For a expensiveantiquetools that can identify toolsand establishtheir values.
scheduleof suchauctions,go to do the samejob. r Find out the tool's condition. Don't
www.midtools.com. be afraid to ask a collectoror dealerto
point out any problemswith a tool. The
Contacts for major tool organizations antiquetool businessholdsitself to a high
Organization standardof integrity, Martin notes,and
Web site Telephone
mostdealerswill revealany flaws to you.
r Mid-WestToolCollectorsAssociation www.mwtca.org 919/828-2754 Shouldyou be wary of reproductions?
r EarlyAmericanIndustries
Association No, Martin says.That'sbecausetool
www.eaiainfo.org 508/993-9578
valuesare quite low in relationto other
r. South-West
ToolCollectorsAssociation 888/889-3340 antiqueitems, so counterfeitersdon't find
r RockyMountain ToolCollectors
Association 505/344-9272 it worth the effort, at leastfor now.
r Ask for the best price. Beforeyou buy
r TheToolGroupof Canada 416/487-A995
a tool, alwaysaskthe sellerfor his or her best
r NewEngland ToolCollectors
Association 413/586-2114 price.A discountwill certainlyfollow. *

www.woodonline.com
great ideas for your shop

fast-forrnincl
fairing sticfi
The only thing simpler than making
this bowlike layout tool is using it.

FAIRINGSTICK

Tie knot in end.

Toggle
/ax3/+"
laxVqx2"
,
temperedhardboard tempered
' (Lengthto suit) hardboard

Nylon cord

hen he neededto lay out stick, then goesthrough the holes in the
smooth arcs on the Adirondack toggle, loops through the other end of the
chair on page 74, WOODa fairing stick, and ties back to the toggle.
magazineMaster CraftsmanChuck To use the fairing stick, start by figur-
Hedlund turned to his shop-madefairing ing out the endpointsand midpoint of
stick.Chuck'sversion,shownhere,fea- the arc you want to create.Here's where
tures an adjustablecord with a sliding you'll appreciateChuck's toggle device.
"toggle" that locks in the desiredarc for Insteadof using clampsor nails to hold Note:Allholesare't/a"
diameter,
located1/q"
ttomendsof piece.
hassle-freeuse. the endsof the stick in place,just slide
To make your own, startwith a3/q"- the toggle to flex the stick until it
wide piece of Vs"temperedhardboard. matchesyour desiredarc. Friction locks
The length is up to you; but at 24", this the toggle in place,retainingthe correct "memory" settingin. If this happens,
ohe handlesmost layout chores.Also cut shape.Now align the stick on your just adjust the cord and flex the stick in
a piece to size for the toggle. Now drill workpieceand trace.If you have the oppositedirection.
the four /e" holes,as dimensioned, multiple piecesto mark, you can pick Also, if you needa fairing stick
throughthe endsof both pieces. up the stick and move it without losing greaterthan 3' long, increasethe stick's
Next, threada length of #18 nylon your setting. width to about lVz" to keep it from
mason'scord (oursmeasured38"), fol- When you're not using the fairing twisting sidewaysunder tension.For a
lowing the arrows in the drawing. The stick, slide the toggle to releasetension really long stick, switch to /+"-thick
cord getstied to one end of the fairing on the stick. That minimizes any hardboard..l

10 WOOD magazine June{uly 2003

blades and bits

\Alhratyou need
to lcrow about
Forstner
bits
r! |! lhen it comesto boring holes,
tlt woodworkershavelots of
U U optionsat their fingertips.You
can cover the gamut of hole diameters
with inexpensivetwisrdrill bits, spade
bits, and-for the really big holes-a
drill-mountedholesaw.So, why spend
more money on Forstnerbits that cover
many of the samehole sizesas the others?
Therearetwo reasons,really. First, When is a Forstnerbit 0823,or www.convalco.com).Machined
Forstnersequal finesse:The cutting rim not a true Forstnerbit? from solid carbon steelrather than cast
scoresthe circumferenceof the hole first Most of the so-calledForstnerbits on the and forgedlike otherbits, a ffue Forstner's
so the bit entersthe wood with a mini- market today are really variations on the beefy body absorbsheat,reducingwork-
mum of tear-out,resultingin smoothwalls original designedby BenjaminForsbrer piece burning and the bit overheatingthat
and a flat bottom. And that's important almost 120 yearsago.All, though,cut in a can keep a bit from holding a sharpedge.
when,for example,you're boring holesto similar way. As the outerrim scoresthe It alsomakesthis style amongthe most
hold candlesor counterboringscrewholes circle, lifters radiating from the centerof expensivebits you'll find ($26 plus ship-
that will be plugged. ttre bit act like tiny hand planes,slicing ping for a l" bit).
Second,a Forstnerbit is guidedby its away material and ejecting the waste.The Thesebits are as aggressiveas any other
rim, rather than by a centerpoint like a drawing below showsthe four basic Forstner-stylebit we've ffied, yet they cut
spadeor twist-drill bit. So it bores accu- Forsfirer-stvlebits availabletodav. cleanly.The lack of a prominentcenter
rately in situationswhereotherbits can't, True Forstner bits, with an outerrim spur (seephoto on page 14) makesthem
suchas overlappingholes,in end grain, at interruptedonly twice by hand-sharpened good for boring into thin materials.
an angle,into the edgeof a workpiece, or lifters, have a vinually nonexistentcenter However, it also makesit more difficult to
wherevergrain direction or surfaceorien- spur,and are madein the U.S. exclusively centerthe bit on a mark-you must peek
tation would deflect the point of a non- by ConnecticutValley Manufacnning betweenthe lifter and the bit body, or
Forstnerbit. Company,or CONVALCO (8601827- Continued onpage14

BITS
4 TYPESOF FORSTNER
TRUEFORSTNER FORSTNER
IMPORTED CARBIDE.TIPPED
' Centerspur Carbidelifter with center

.J
Notchfor
machine
grinding

12 WOOD magazine June/fulY 2003

blades and bits

bits affordable.If you've ever "blued" a

bit, you overheatedit to the point where
the steelsoftensand won't hold a sharp
edge.That occursat a lower temperature
in HSS than othermaterials.
Somemakerscoattheir bits with titani-
um, which helpsthe bits run cooler.We
found that Titanium-coatedbits tend to cut
lessaggressivelythan uncoatedbits, but
We bored these 1"-deep holes with (from left to right) true Forstner,imported Forstner, you can apply more pressurewithout fear
and spade bits. Note that the center spur of the spade bit broke through the bottom of of overheatingthem.
the 1%"-thick board.

mark the outsidedimensionsof the hole ference-so it chattersmore than other Speedkills
ratherthan the center. stylesof Forstnerswhen boring at an The largerthe bit, the slowerit must turn
fmported Forstners differ from true angleor into the edgeof a workpiece. to prevent overheating.If the manufactur-
Forstnersby the long centerspurand tell- Multi-spur bits are similar to imported er providesa maximum speedlimit, don't
tale notch in the rim behindthe lifter. This Forstners.but with sawliketeethon the exceedit. And remember,you can run the
notchfacilitatesmachinesharpeningof the cutting rim. Without a long rim continu- bit slower with no loss of quality or con-
lifter-a lesscostly methodthanhand ously contactingthe workpiece,they're trol. To be safe,follow theseguidelines:
sharpening-helping make them the least lessproneto overheatingthan other styles
expensivestyle of flat-bottomedbit of bits. That's especiallyimportanton
($5-$10for a 1" bit). large-diameterholes,which is why you'll (suchaspine)
Softwoods
Carbide-tipped bits resembleimport- often find this designon bits largerthan
l" in diameter.Like carbide-tippedbits,
Bit diameterI Maximumrpm
ed Forstners,but have a carbidelifter 1/F5/e'
they tend to chatterin angledand partial- | 2,400
brazedonto the bit body, much like a
routerbit. About as expensiveand cool hole cuts.
running as true Forstners,they should
outlaststeelbits many times over. The steel spiel 13/a-2' | 500
However,as you can seefrom the draw- Most importedForstnerbits today are
ing on page 12, the cutting rim comprises madeof high-speedsteel(HSS)-a rela- Hardwoods(suchasmaple)
onlv aboutone-fourthof the bit's circum- tively inexpensivematerialthat keepsthe Bit diameterI Maximumrpm
1/+-3/au | 700

Sharpening Forstners
Perhapsnobodyknows more about
sharpeningForstnerSitsthan Tony
Garro,presidentof CONVALCO,who
offersthese tips: Which should you buy?
tForget sharpeningthe rim. The cut- If you needonly a few sizesof bits,
ting edge of the rim has to stay on the and you'11usethosea lot, true
same plane,and that'snearlyimpos- Forstnersare your best bet. CONVAL-
siblewithoutspecialmachinery. CO makesthem in diametersranging
CONVALCOresharpensits own bits from Vq"to 3" in t/ro"increments.They
(rimsand all) for $9 per bit if you bore fast and clean,but they're not for
returnthem to the factory. the checkbookchallenged.
tFocus on the lifter. Use a small, fine If you needa variety of sizesfor occa-
file,a thin stone,or a stripsander. sionaluse,and you have more patience
Sharpenthe flat face of the lifter,as than money, opt for a set of imported
shown at right,then removethe burr Forstners.You can buy a 7-pieceset
on the cuttingedge with a stone. that coversthe most commonhole sizes
tGo easy. Don't abradeaway too (/+" to 1" by Vs"increments)for about
muchof the lifter,especiallynearthe the sameprice as a l" CONVALCO bit.
rim. Forstnerbits have a slight back Clockmakersand otherswho routinely
A strip sander quickly renews a dulled
taper,and if you sharpentoo much, bore larger-diameterholeswill be well
Forstner bit. Use 100-grit abrasive and a
you can changethe geometryof the light touch, and keep the lifter flat against servedby multi-spurbits at proportion-
bit, which may cause it to overheat. the sander's platen. ally higher prices.i

14 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

sho youworkfaster,
Helping andsafer
smarter,
ti JoeGodfrey's
passionfor
woodworking
goesbackto
his father,
l["g"..dust bag who built a
tor mrtersaws lot of furniture
Collecting sawdustfromsomemitersaws in his day.
is aboutas efficientas catchinga thun- Althoughour
derstormin a shotglass.But the "bigol' Top ShopTip
bag"dustcatcherthat I builtfor my winner'sfirst
mitersawcollectsabout90 percentof love is carving
the debr is . decoys,he,
I startedby makinga 1t/qx10x32" too, likes making furniture.Joe has
frameout of t/2"hardwood,gluedand crafteda SamMaloof-inspiredrock-
screwedtogether,and stiffenedby cor- ing chair,andrecentlycompletedthe
ner blocks.To installthe frame,I made Hal Taylor-designed rocker,above.
a coupleof hardwoodmountingbrackets
thattilt the frameback20", and attached
themto the bottomof the frame.
lf you decideto makeone of thesefor
yourshop,you'llhaveto figureout the
bestmethodto installthe framebehind
yoursaw. For example,I C-clamped the
Joe Godfrey
bracketsto my mitersaw's plywoodsub- wins a Laguna
base,as shownat right,back when I ToolsLT1414"
mountedthe saw on my poftableclamping bandsaw for
workstation. Nowthat I havea dedicated submittingthis
issue'sTop
mitersawstand,I permanently attached
Shop Tip. Way
the frame. to go, Joe!
The frameshouldbe centeredbehind
the saw,and installedas closeto the 33-gallontrashbag throughthe frame
backof the saw as possiblewithout and secureit with binderclipsfromthe
interfering withthe saw'soperation. To office-supp'utto"
catchthe dust,I drapean ordinary ,, e Godfrey, city,N.c.
Forest

Describehow you've solveda work-

Simple router bit storage anyone can tackle shopdilemma,and you'll earn$75 if it
I use a plasticfisherman's tacklebox to appearshere.And, if your tip garners
hold my routerbits,with one bit in each Top ShopTip honors,you'll alsowin
compartment to protectthe cutters. a tool prize worth at least$250.
Actuallyit's moreof a "routingcenter" Sendyour besttips,alongwith pho-
becauseit holdsprettymucheverything tos or illustrationsandyour daytime
I needfor severalrouters:bearings, telephonenumber,to: Shop Tips,
allenwrenches,screwsfor mounting WOODaMagazine,lTt6 Locust St.,
subbases,etc. GA-310,Des Moines,IA 50309-
Largertackleboxeshavea big open 3023.You canalsoe-mailtips to
area beneaththe compartmentalized [email protected], or
trays,and that'sperfectfor storing postthemon theTop ShopTip forum
wrenches, templateguides,and oversize at www.woodonline.com.
bitsthatwon'tfit intothe compartments. Becausewe try to publishonly origi-
Someboxesevenhaveenoughroom nal tips,pleasesendyour tips only to
belowto stowa trim router.My advice: WOOD magazine.Sorry, but submir
' er ted materialscan't be returned.
Bu ya bi g boxand fi l l up!
-WayneVanCoughnett, NewMilford,
Conn.

16 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

Time to untie
the apron strings
I'min andoutof theshopall of thetime,
so I'mconstantlyputtingon andtaking
off my shopapron.To makeit faster
andeasier,I attacheda 4-ounce sinker
frommyfishing-tackle boxto oneapron
string,andan oldshower-curtain ringto
theother.Nowinsteadof tyingknots
behindmyback,I justslipthesinker
through thering,as shown,andI'm
readyto go to work.
-Gordon VanRoekel,Mission,Texas

lnspiredby your tip, Gordon,we noticed

a boxof inexpensive aluminumsnap a carabineralsomakesa dandyquick-
clipscalled"carabiners" at the hardware releasefor apronstrings.
store.Whencoupledwitha 2" key ring, -W00Domagazine

Detachablemount makes filling feeder easy

Hanging a birdfeederhighwhereour thenattachedthe wedge-wide face
feathered friendscanfeelsafeusingit out-to the feeder
makesit moredifficult for us earthbound -Joe Lehosky, pa.
Etdred,
creatures to fill it. ButI deviseda mount-
ingsystemthatyoucanmakein a few
minutes, andthatpermitseasyremoval
of a birdhouse or feederforcleaning,
refilling,or storage.
I tiltedmy bandsaw table15'when
cuttingthewedgefromthe holder.I

\ STEP2.
Determined t Start saw cut,
length of feer ./ and cut to
or birdhouse clearance hole.

Y4"

Determined by
roof overhang STEP3.
Rotateworkpiece
and makeexit cut.

Continuedon page 19
www.woodonline.com
shop tips

A jig for rounding turning squares

Beforeturningnarrowpieces,suchas i
chesspiecesor dowels,betweencen- i
ters,it's easieron the workpiece(and ;
the woodworker)to knockoff the four
corners,makingthe squarespindleinto I
T hiss imp l eg u i d ec l a m p sto i
an o c t agon.
yourbandsawtableto do the job.
i
-FranklinZiaandArthurMendel. Richmond. Calif.:

GUIDE

Use bevel blade for tablesaw tuneup

Aftermonthsof saving(andpleading), | : ing below.I raisedthe tablesawblade
finallygot my new tablesaw.But latein . fullyand set the bevel-gauge bladeso
the assemblyprocess,I accidentally . that its pointwas touchingone saw
knockedthe bladeout of parallelwith i toothnearthe backof the slot.Then I
the miterslot.I starteddiggingthrough i rotatedthe saw bladeby handso that
drawers,tryingto jury-rigsomekindof ' the sametoothwas nearthe frontof the
alignmenttool,when I stumbledupon . slot.By slidingthe barlbevelblade
my slidingbevelgauge.lt was thenthat l assemblyforwardto thattooth,I quickly
the solutionhit me. : saw how muchI neededto adjustthe
I tookthe bladeout of the bevelgauge i bladeto makeit parallel.The processis
and the washeroff the bottomof the . easy,accurate,and, bestof all,didn't
saw'smiter-gauge bar,and mountedthe i cost me a penny!
bladeto the bar.as shownin the draw- ; -Ray Vojtash,
NorthPtainfietd,
N.J.

Contintted on page 20

wrvrv.woodonline.com
Hanq tem hiqh-vour hangerontoa wirehungfromthe ceiling
proj6ct plans-,thartis (or a nailon the wall)neareachof my
Whenbuildinga project,I liketo keep workstations.
my planscloseat hand,whichmeans This methodhas two otheradvan-
draggingthemfromtoolto toolfor differ- tages:My plansneverget buriedin dust
ent operations.lt alsomeanshavingto or toolson the workbench, and they
huntthemdownfromtimeto timewhen I hangcloserto eye level,makingthem
forgotwhereI leftthem. easierto read.
The "brightidea"lightbulb
wenton one -Chris Clackamas,
Smrth, )re.
day when I founda spring-clip-style
pantshangerin the closet.Now,I clip
my plansto the hanger,and hookthe

$ave benchtop space

by going up
lf you'relikeme, you neverseemto
haveenoughshelfspace,so you end up
keepingmorethingsthanyou'dlikeon
your benchtop.I storelighterthings,
suchas boxesof tissue,latexgloves,
DRIVES 4 STZES and garbagebags,up undermy wall
cabinets.Hotmeltglue makesit easyto
OF NAILS r,yITH stickthem up there,and easyto pop

NO EFF RT them loosewhenit'stimeto replacean

emptybox witha full one.
-Jeff DiBattista, Alta.
Edmonton,
I Comfortable
Fgonomrc
Stylingwith
Cushioned
Iilon.Slrp
Gnp, ll/4"rort

sTrtgger
and
Surface
Safefyl,ocfts. I ltlew
HeayyDutv
NailDriviha
powuwifr
t{onlllaning Builtin
10'Cord.
Eunpen #&" F

ffiFlwr _r
tS If@ ff I o*,oo*arhomecenrenrumberyards
l*,Jffi andhadwanstorctwhercver
finetoolsaresold,
l?rllh#LLlandhadwanstorctwheteverrinitoor

Arrow Fastener€o., Inc.,271 Mayhill Street,SaddleBrook, New Jersey07663

Canada:JardelDistributors,Inc.,6505Metropolitan Blvd. East,Montreal, Quebec HIP 1X9
United Kingdom: Arrow Fastener(U.K.)Ltd., Unit 5 ZK Park,23 CommerceWay, CroydonCRO4ZS,Surrey
wwwarrowfastener.com Rev.l002 WOOD magazine 2003
June/]uly
 -!

Hanea face-to-facewith biscuits

Whilelaminating twopiecesof 3/q"
medi- slotsin the matingfacesof thepieces.
um-density fiberboard(MDF)to makea Afterspreading glueon thesurface, I
router-table top recently,
I ranintothe puta littlegluein eachbiscuitslot,
problem I alwaysrunintowhengluing dropped a biscuitin eachslotin the bot-
twolargepiecesface-to-face: Theslip- tompiece,andputthetoppiecein
perygluemakesit hardto keepthe place,fittingit overthebiscuits.
piecesaligned duringclamping. Usingthistechnique, therewasno
I solvedtheproblem withmy biscuit slippage duringassembly. AndI saved
joiner,I madematching indexmarkson timeby nothavingto retrimtheedges
twoadjacentedgesof the stackedwork- withmytablesaw'
pieces,as shownbelow,thencutbiscuit , Morgan, Dickson,
Tenn.

Make a clean break

I hadto trimabout1"froma pieceof betweentwoscrapsof hardwood as
glassI wasinstalling in a cabinetdoor, longas thescoredlineandclamped
butevenafterscoringtheglasswitha themin placeas shownin thedrawing
cutter,it keptbreaking off in smallpieces. below.Usingtheclampas a handle,I
I wasn'tgettingthesnapped-clean edgeI gavea quickdownward snap,andthe
seeon professionally cutglass. piecebrokeoff perfectly.
I'veusedthis
I figuredif I couldsnapthewhole techniquewithnarrowerstripsof glass
lengthat once,l'd geta nicecleanbreak. and it hasworkedeve*rrl)[rlo,*
So I sandwiched thewastepieceof glass N.B.
John,

Continuedon page 22
wrvw.woodonline.com
 Smn*mpnffiJufi?'s
ffiHQU[HH shop tips
A tArfrffirfr
Hotry*T& sGffiK. Sanding-discshim cuts plugs close
I l i k eto usew oodenpl ugsto hi de I mi ni mi ze
bothdamageand sanding
screwsin my projects,but tediously ti meby sl i ppi ng
a w el l -w orn
r andom -
You'LL JUsr NEED s a n d i ngthe pl ugsfl ushw i ththe sur- orbi tsanderdi sc,gri tsi dedo wn,over
fa c ea r oundthemi sn' thi ghon my l i st the plug,as shownbelow,beforesaw-
Tf{[s t$TTtffi Am* o f fu n t hi ngsto do. E venw henI saw ing it off.The discprotectsthe work-
the plugsoff first,no matterhow care- piecefromthe saw'steethand leaves
ful I am, the teethof the saw oftenmar j ustthe shal l ow est
nubon the plugt hat
Protectand add lusterto your wood floors.
th e w orkpi ece, w hi chmeanseven sandsaw ayqui ckl y.
Do-it-yourself,
and do-it-with-ease. mo resandi ng. -John Hell.lnverGrove Heiohts,
Minn.

f Sandfloors
quicklyand easity
with Varathane's
revolutionary,
dust-free
ezV" Sander.
qufqr*somwrys{

lf you wish to,

add color to your
floors,applythe
stain color of, ,
your choice. ,i

n qq!ffietsf@. F6FFE
;i,
T-qa.rs

2. Stain(Optional) Scrap strips form a finish line

t ! . .
r\ nppVVarathane At the end of nearlyeveryproject,I end stripsto the top of a pairof sawhorses,
*'"_,
;b. \ -if up withstripsof stockrippedfromthe as shownin the drawingbelow.
"1r' Premium '" -
edgesof workpieces. I drive4d finish I recentlyhad a hugeprojectwithlotsof
.. ..'''. $ Polyurethane
nailsspacedat 4-5" intervalsthrough doorsand panels.So I stretchedmy 20'
$ fot Floors;over
\*I'$
-.,.. th e s escraps,pl acethempoi nts-up on extensionladderacrosssawhorses,
f twice as durable, , my fi n i shi ngtabl e,and usethemto sup- tapedthe stripsendto endon the ladder
-\
i
t
as other finisheshr 1l
p o rta proj ectw hi l eI appl yfi ni sh.For rails,andfinished12 panelsat a time!
f the ultimatein wood l a rg ep a nel s,l ' l lsometi mes
tapethese -RobertReed,RoamingShores,
)hio
p'*r'+rqxsqq.t"ffiffi*l
floor protection.
3. Protect :

Floorsthis beautiful ' ,

haveneverbeen so easy-r
Fora free brochure, , .
go to www.varathane.com.

Contirruedon page 21
22 WOOD magazine June/July 2003
O2OO3 Rust;OleumCorporation GircleNo,,tl8
 i,'';:: tipS

Enlarqe
?
a hole of almost
any shape accurately
Haveyou evercut a holein a work-
pieceonlyto find it neededto be just
a littlebit bigger?Here'sa way to
resizethat openingwhilestillkeeping
its shape.
Let'ssay you needto enlargea
hole'sdiameterby ,/r".Installa rab-
betingbit in your routerusingthe
.,t:',' Radisl Arm Mill Router bearingfor a 1/q"rabbet(/+" on both
il lt
TM .,,i,r.,,oi,-4.ti::;,!i.:i::,rii:,,;,r,.,
,,tl
sidesof the holeyieldsa total
RAMR
enlargemenl of 1/2").
Routa rabbet
aroundthe holeas deepas you can
whilestillkeepingthe routerbit's
bearingin contactwiththe edgeof
the hole.Finally,flipthe workpiece
overandfi ni shthe cut usi nga f lush-
trim bit,withthe bearingridingon the
rabbetyou cut first.
':,'-:1i: My rabbetingbit limitsme to 1/2"rab-
,.. .1::i. .
; t .,:;t;
r'.'t.
betsmaxi mum, so I can enl a r ge
lrr: rJ:rF
,.-r:i:.
al mostany hol eby 1" . l f I needm or e,
. r;;:' ' Pediry "i,.l.i+;:.,,
Fotents
ja:r'r:..j ...:i,;Ti
I simplyrepeatthe rout-flip-rout-again
rii::':'- -i',,,:-,:i,'.,:,1tt;,,:r.
processuntilthe holeis sizedthe wav
I wantit.
-David Kantor,EastMeadows,
N.Y.

24 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 Usg-alittlg glue, tratedwhenattachinghingesto a box (or andtightenthe screw.Thisreallysetsthe
hold a little-screw a basswoodfigureto its base)because screwsin place.I find I stillcan backthe
Two thingsI loveto do in the woodshop the screwcan stripor splitthe wood. screwsout, but it'sdefinitelymorework.
arecarvingsmallfiguresand building To preventthis,I firstdrilla pilothole, l'vealsousedthismethodsuccessfully to
smalltreasureor jewelryboxes.I getfrus- then'lap"the holewitha steelscrewthe screwintothe edgeof plywood.
samesizeas the brassscrewl'llinstall -Ed Twilbeck,
)cean Springs,Miss
permanently. (l filea smallnotchin the
screwthreadsto makeit cut likea self- Sgeanewo..
tappingscrew.)
Whenit'stimeto installthe brass . . . s h o pt i p d a i l ya t
screws,I firstadd a dropor two of cyano-
acrylate(CA)glueto the hole,theninsert

'. :i:

-
I

A clean,shprphote
everyilme.
Nochips,
no splits,
ilo €t'IofS;
It takesskill
anoa snarp
t t , I

drillbit,
"And, {fni

www.woodonline.com
 askwood
toyourquestions
Answers fromletters, andW00DONL|NEo
e-mails,

Drawer insides
needfinish, too
fl.l boughta chestat anauc-
!r fion,cleaned it up,and
planto varnishtheinsidesof the
drawers. ButI'veseenlotsof fac-
tory-built
drawers lettunfinished
ontheinside.Whichwayis best?
-KeithAndrerynt,
Latayette,
La.

[ . Go a]readand start varnisir-

-- I ing, Keith. A drawerthat's
finished inside looks better, resists
wear, and is less likely to snagits
contents.Somefurniture factories
skip this stepto savetime, which
just gives hobbyists one more
opportunity to outshine the profes-
sionalswhen it comesto small
details. After you've finished the
drawers inside and out, allow them
to dry and cure before slipping
them into the chest,and you won't
have a problem with a lingering To avoid puddlesand runs,first brushfinish into the four verticalcornersof the drawer.The
finish odor. nextstep is to coat the bottom,then completethe job by doingthe sides.

Ghoosethe right sfird router bit

Woulda spiralrouterbitgive

(fu
flr the three styles can
mea cleaner cutthana straight handlethe task you
The ups and downs of spiral bits
!r
bitWhen I makecirclesandovalsin mention, as long as
solidwood?lf so,shouldI buyan you orient the work-
upcutor a downcutbit? piece appropriately.
-Boyd Ash,St.John9,Newfoundland, Canada For funue reference,

[
--
. Boyd, you do get a stightly
r cleanercut with a spiral bit. A
straightbit chops at the wood with its
here'sa brief goide.
rUpcut: Use this
bit for making mor-
tises in solid stock
f,
\
F \
Downcut Compression
vertical flutes, but a spiral bit's becauseit pulls out
corkscrew-shapedcutting edgesstay in the chips as it cuts. Here's a look at the way spiral bits cut wood. The anows
continuouscontact with the workpiece, You alsocan useit show the dircction of each bit's shearing action.
shearingthe wood fibers. for edgefteatnents
An upcut bit shearstoward the router with the face of the stock away from the i downcut bit tendsto pack the wastemate-
base,and a downcut bit shearsin the router base. rial into the cut.
oppositedirection. Combine the two rDouyncut: This bit style producesa rupqrYdowncut or compression:
designs,and you get an upcut/downcutor clean cut on the face closestto the router i Here's the bebtchoice for cleaning up the
compressionbit, which shearsupward base,so it worla well on rabbets,dadoes, ! edgesof hardwoodplywood or melamine-
and downward at the sametime. Spiral grooves,and shallow mortises.Make sev- ! coatedparticleboard.It preventschipping
bits ae madeof solidcarbide,andanyof i eralshallowpasses,
though,because
the I on bothfaces.
I i Conthuedot page28
26 WOOD rnagazlne June{uly 2003
ask rrvood

Esh a slider, pull a radial-arm

ff r Theexpertstell you to pusha , boardforwardupontheinitialcontact.
!. slidingmitersaw throughthe i Note,however,thatthecuttingaction
workpiece,but pull a radial-arm
saw a lifting force.
i fromthatpointon creates
toward you to make a cut. Why are : That's why you usea hold-down.(We
they used ditferently? ; removedthe hold-downin the photo for
-Chris Satow, Pa. 1 clarity.) Also use a blade with negative-
Walnutport,
hook teethto reducethe lifting force.
[ .It's a safetyissue, Chris,based i H.r.', one moredetailto consider:
fl r on one essentialdifferencein i Becausethe teethon a radial-armsaw
design:The sliding mitersawheadpiv- i bladecut down as they contactthe
ots up and down, and the radial-armsaw i workpiece,any tear-outwill be on the
headdoesn't.Let's considerthe radial- i bottom.To compensate, placeyour
arm first. As you noted,the properway i workpieceon the saw table with its
to crosscutwith this machineis to place i good face up-our preferredway to cut
your workpiecetightly to the fence,line i wood. However,the sliding mitersaw
up the cutline with the bladeedge,turn i bladecuts up at the point of contact,so
on the saw,and pull the blade slowly i any tear-outwill be on the top, and the
toward you, as shownin the top photo at : good face shouldrest on the table.
right. All throughthe cut, the teethforce
the workpiecedown on the
table and back againstthe
fence.The headofthe saw
can'tjump upwardin
response,becauseit oper-
atesin a fixed horizontal
plane.However,if you
startedwith the saw head
on the near sideof the
workpiece,and pushedthe
saw bladethroughthe cut,
the teeth would tend to
pick up the front edgeof
the board.
Now, for the sliding
mitersaw.Somemodels
allow you to lock the head
in variouspositionswhile
cutting,but there'salways
the chancethat it will be
left unlocked.If so, the
blade would tend to climb
up the workpieceif you
startedyour crosscuton
the far sideof the work-
pieceand pulled. The
propermethodis to place
your workpieceon the
table and againstthe fence,
secureit with a hold-
down. centerthe arbor
abovethe front edgeof the
workpiece, turn on the
saw,and lower the blade
into the wood, as shown Just follow the arrows shown here for safe results on the
in the bottom photo at radial-arm saw, top, and sliding mitersaw, bottom.
right. The teeth force the Continuedon page 30

28 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

#xnm tir{ed ask rrvood
te im*pind.. Kgepyour projects
clean, not taclqr o
f|. I wastaughtto tlean otf sand' thuh,tha
Y. ingdustwitha tackcloth
befdrefinishing,but someof my fel-
lowwoodworkers withthat
disagree #e
advice.Canyou shedsomelighton
the subject? Naphthaevaporates quicklyandwon't
-Larry Hall,lndePendence,
Mo. withyourfinishingsteps,so it
interfere
workswellfor givingyoursandedproject
a finalwipe-down.
[ . You're betteroff avoidinga tack
Il r cloth,Larry. For onething,it For betterresults,vacuumthe surface,
won't pull dustout of the pores.Also, the or blow it out with compressed air out-
It Y0U'RE forachanse
REA0Y sticky, varnish-likesubstancethat picks doorsor in a well-ventilatedarea.Then,
around thehouse, don'tbug up sandingdustcan leavea gurnmy moistena cloth with mineral spiritsor
new...renew! WithPainter's Tourh' residuethat interfereswith the bonding naphthaand wipe the wood. As you
and smoothness of your finish.That's a removethe last specksof sawdust,you'll
hgBust-Oleum, iti easg.Youcan alsohighlightany missedscratches or
particularproblemwhen you usewater-
hreathe newlifeintoangroom bornefinishes. glue splotches.
iustbgadding Take
a littlecolor.
a lookaround. Who sagswicker
hastobewhite? Pirtureachair Hqw to safely table-routwithout a fence
andtableinasoftshade ofSage f|r I noticethat a lot of woodwork- i small,/q" roundover bit.Thatwill give
ers rout "freehand" on.routel youa feelfor th3.fg1c1s at workbefo13
6reen. 0r,trgPainter'sTouch in !. i
usinga guide-bearing
taO-iEs, bit and i youtry a largerbit thatgeneratesmuch
inviting likeWarmYellow
rolors no fence. ls this Safe? ' moretorque.Always grip the workpiece
orTerra Whether
[otta. it'san -Louis Rebideaux, Nev. i well away from the router bit.
Sparks,
piere i Finally, Rick encourages the useof a
ordinarg otavintage
[ . With the right techniques,Louie, i plasticttti"tO like the one shown, to keep
treasure, PainteriTourhcanmake fl r it's a safeprocedure.But it does i your fingersout of harm'sway. Use a
it looknewandexciting. call for caution,becausea spinning : screwto mountacrylicor polycarbonate
It'llchangethewaggoulook routerbit can throw a pieceof wood or i plasticon a pieceof wood that'sslightly
yank your fingers toward it in an i thicker than your workpiece.Make this
atgourhome!
instant.We checkedwith Rick i wood baselargeenoughso that you easi-
Rosendahl,who appearson public tele- , ly canclampit to your routertable.
vision's "The RouterWorkshop"with i Positionthe plasticover the bit, andtight-
his dad, Bob, and got his advice. , en your clamp.Now your fingerscan't
-
Rick recommendsthe useof a safety i touchthe bit from above.
:
ffi

guide pin, or starterpin, when ..:,

ffiffiM you rout freehand.Use a Vq" ,.:, ',,

rod or dowel madeof steel,
brass,or a densehardwood,
and drill a hole of the same
size in your table,located
Touth
Painters bgHust-0leum is about2" from the bit, as
at
available home hard-
centers, shownbelow. The pin must fit
andrraftretailers.
ware,disrount snuglyin the hole, and project
aboveyour workpiece.Push
Foraftee0ream5pates the workpieceagainstthe Pin,
booklet,
inspirational and usethe pin as a fulcrum
visittustoleum.com point to supportthe wood as
atpaintideas.tom
Findmoreinspiration you carefully easeit into the
spinningbit. We cut a safety guide pin from a t/a"steel rod, and fitted
Rick suggeststhat a novice it into a hole we drilled into our router table insert.We
RUsTbfsoLEUM' practicefirst with a good-sized used a hole saw to cut a shield lrom 1/e"acrylic plastic.
BRANDS
scrapof wood and a nice, Continuedon Page 32
s t o p p i n gr u s t i s i u s t t h e s t a r t l .
30 WOOD magazine June/JulY 2003
CircleNo. 115
ask rrvood

Qoodwoodsfor cutting boards

f|. Whichwoodsworkbestfor cancon-taminate one, such as maple, rather than an open-
! tfratsomespecies
!. makingcuttingboards, and : food andmakepeoplesick. pored species,such as oak. The lack of
whichonesshouldI avoid?l'veheard i -Barbara St.Louislarge pores meansfewer placesfor food
McKay,
particles to lodge, making the cutting
r Barb,you boardeasierto clean.Also, avoid oily
r don'thave exotics, which might affect the flavor
to worry about that of food.
kind of toxicity We recommendboiled linseed oil or
with any speciesof mineral oil as a finish for cutting boards.
wood. However, Allow the finish to dry and cure before
somewoods are using the board. When you want to
better candidates removescratches, just sandand apply
than othersfor cut- more oil.
ting boards.
Choosea dense

lf you'relookingforananswertoa woodworking
For a handsome question, writetoAskW000,1716Locust St.,
and durable cut- GA-310, DesMoines, orsendus
lA 503{19-3(123
ting board, try hard ane-mailat [email protected]. Forimmediate
maple. Add details feedback postyour
fromyourfellowwoodworkers,
with darker wood, question ononeofourwoodworking forums
at
like these walnut wwrY.woodonline.com.
stripes.
WOOD rnagazine June{uly 2003

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At a glance
rColor:Pinkto lightbrownwitha silvery
sheen.Fairlycolorfastovertime.
r Growtrrange:Australia,Europe
r Uses:Decorativeaccents,door panels,
rAvailability:
Manyhardwooddealerscarry smallprojects,veneer.
with over-the-top figure an excellentsupplyof 4/4 and8/4 boards. r Special
considerations:
Tear-outcan be
Findsmallpiecesthroughmail-order and a problemwhenplaning.Lacewood
ith its striking fleckedfigure, onlinesuppliers. sawdustis an initant,so weara dust
pinkishhue,and lustrous r Price:
Varieswidelyby supplierfrom$8 maskwhensandingand machining to
sheen,lacewood(Cardwellia to $13 per boardfootfor 4/4FASstock. avoidrespiratoryproblems.
sublimis)makesa greatchoicefor r Density:
Moderate r0fier names:
Silkyoak
creatingknock-'em-deadsmallprojects,
rWorkability:Good
or for addingaccentson furnitureand
cabinetry.The wood machineseasily,
holds a crisp edge,and acceptsglue well.
Lacewood'sfamousflecks run through-
out the log, and arevisible howeverit is
sliced.Quartersawing, however,produces
the tightest,most uniform pattern.Choose
your boardscarefullyand examinethe
grain on both facesto get the bestfigure.
To achievea surfacefree from tear-out.
sandlacewoodto final thicknessusing
60- or 80-gnt paper.Proceedthrough220
grit to impart a high luster.Oil finishes
bring out the bestin the grain,and aniline
dvescanbe usedto color the wood. Q

When the SawdustSettles.'.:

,-it. Premium Quality ZAR@Rises Above the Rest!
lyThether you'recreatingyour own masterpiece or wantto givenewlife to a treasuredfamil)fW
W heirloomonlythebestwoodstainwill do. ZARWoodStainis formulatedusingonlythe ;h
finestingredients.ZARWoodStain'scontrolledpenetrationformulaallowsyou to work at your Hk
r'; ownpace. ZARwipeson easilyandpenetrates evenlyfor uniformcolor tonewithoutstreaks,
lapmarksbr blotches.Z{R WoodStain'sefira rich formulamakesit idealfor all typesof wood;
, from Oakto Aspento Poplarto Pinewith beautifr.rl
resultseverytime. Sowhetheryou'rea \
professionalor justwant
''*professionallookingresults-

ZAR Other Brands Match Color Tone on

"'Forafreebrochure
andthe Vipes on LeaveUneven, Different Kinds ofVoods.
name ofyournearest
dealercall Evenly! Blotchy Color
www.woodonline.com
1{,0-272€235, orvisitusat Tone.
www,ugl.com.
 workshop sawy

I For projects with

mke
I alphabetized pieces,
use letters to match the
materials list and draw-
ings in the article. Even
when you build from
your own design, it
youtmrk Edge
helps to letter your A line here, a letter there, f Each of these
drawings and project
parts. Without such a
and projects go together rJchalked arrows
points to the face side
system, it's easy to cut a more smoothly than ever. of a part. Work with the
part to the wrong size. face up during all
machining operations,
and everything (such as
these mortises) will align
s you cut the piecesfor a project, during assembly.
you often lay them down around
the workshop, and sometimes
don't return to them for a day or two. The
result?You forget which pieceshave been
planed,which boardyou intendedto become
Part A, and so on. To avoid this problem,
developa surefire systemfor marking your
piecesas you work. That way, you elimi-
nate any confusion whatsoev,er.
Here's a selection of useful marking
methods, the same ones we use when
building projectsin the WOODomagazine
shop.You canusea pencil on surfacesstill
!)Sometimes, the grain to be sawn, planed, or jointed. Because
Er pattern dictates the chalk removes more easily, it ranls as a Aner jointing and planing your
'ff
best orientation for plan- better choice for fully machinedparts prior boards, arrange them to get the best
ing or jointing a board. grain match when you prepare to glue
After you determine to final sanding.l up a panel. Then, mark them as shown
which face or edge you above to avoid an assembly mix-up. lf
wish to machine, make a you're sorting stock for more than one
pencil mark on the end panel, mark the second grouping with a
grain near the face slated double line, as shown below, a triPle
for removal by the planer line for a third panel, and so on.
or jointer.

rltwnen squaringup a workpiece,keep

tftrack of your progresswith a few quick
marks.Makea distinctivemarkon the first
jointed face, such as the pigtail shown here.
With that face against the fence, joint an edge
and draw two lines to indicate the 90o intersec-
tion. Now, you're set to rip and plane the remain-
ing surfaces.

WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 just-rightjoinery

BOSCH2-LI4HP Elecuonic
PlungeRouter

*-*'*1lS.5
steps
to perfect
plugs
Visible screwheads
really detract from any Find a spot on your scrap-
wood with the grain lines
woodworking project; you need, and clamp the workpiece to
the drill-press table. Select a plug cutter,
here's the easy way and bore at about 1,250 rpm.

to hide them.

hopmadewood plugs are quick and

fun to make,and do a greatjob of
#I6T3AEUS
dressingup your projectsby hiding
screwheads. Seethe photosand captions
***** at right for the keys to this technique.
Thisis likely oneof the nicesttools I'veever used.lt
is so smoothand quiet,I don't even haveto wear To get started,you needto choose
earplugs. amongseveralstylesof plug cutters.We
-An Amazon.com customerfrom Concord,CA preferthosethat producetaperedplugs
(like corks),which are more likely to give
Micro-finebit-depthadjustmentcanbe
you a perfectfit than snaightplugs.After
madeaftersettingplungeposition cutting the plug and removingit from the
Variablespeed,soft-start,constant cutter,flip it over and insertthe small end
responsecircuitrymaintainsdesiredrpm into the screwhole.
You can buy a setof threeVeritasSnug-
baseopeningwith 2-inch
3-5116-inch Plug cutters(for V4",3/8", andVz"holes) After drilling your plugs,
openingfor largebits and
sub-base from Lee Valley Tools for $27.95,plus mark the grain direction on
improvedvisibiliry each one with a pencil or pen. Cut them
shipping.Call 800/871-8158, andorder free on your bandsaw, and then transfer
Exclusive designfor
precision-centering item number05J05.10. the line to the newly exposed "top" end.
centeringtemplateguides Preparea home for eachplug by coun-
terboringa hole centeredon the marked
Includesdusthood, ll2- andll4-inch pilot hole locationfor the screw.A coun-
collets,andcomfortable
self-releasing tersinkingdrill setdrills a pilot hole and a
drop-forgedwrench counterborein one operation.Or you can
usea Forstneror brad-pointbit. Drill the
counterborefirst, then drill the pilot hole
in the counterbore'scenter.The counter-
boredhole must matchthe insidediameter
*\Ve will match our competitorsprice plus of your plug cutter.Drill it atleast V+"
beat it by l0o/o of the dffirence. Find out deep,but no deeperthan the capacityof
rnore at uuw. amazon.com/oice-match. your plug cutter.
Cut a plug from your project'sscrap-
Cdl for your FREE Tool Crib catalog You might not get a tight fit
wood to matchgrain and color. Spread
1-800-635-5140 yellow glue in the hole, and tap the plug when inserting a tapered
plug into a shallow hole. In that case,
into place.Use a mallet,or placea wood hold the plug with a spring clamp and
block on the plug and usea hammer.iF trim off the smaller end with a chisel.

36 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 WnnnnilTv louursT
I GunnnnTEElrPnrcE
AllWoodline
USAProducts Feature
ToughMicroGrainCarbide

SET
lncludes: 6 PieceGABIilEI DOORSEf
5Straight
Bits 1/2ShankRouterBits
.2-pcRail&
Stile(Roman Drawer
Ogee). Lock
6Roundovers .3
1/4"DPanel (Ogee).
Raiser DoorLip.Glue
Joint
3Dovetails
3CoreBox wL-2020-1 $175VALUE
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0gee, 1"V"Groove 5 Piece
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flfl 3/4'BoreShaper
1Chamferand
1Bevelliim
Bit SUPER BUY cutter
ffilffi;
m6 b54L, ! r-uuRail
&stile
wl-2noqtRPRIGOi|lY$l O9 r"t treil
$;lc* (RomanOgee)
.45/8"panel
Tear-out ruins the look of a EqryIT
plug hole, so drill a clean
counterbore. A Forstner bit works best. f 5 Piecell2"
Next, drill the pilot hole, install a screw, SHAilK SET
and glue the plug in place. lncludes: 'rwt-tso5
r QhSmfgyr Qgyg=
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. straight
Bits=3/4"R,1/2'R,
1/4'H
. 1/2"Dovetail
. 1/2"Roundover
. 1"CLFlush .
Trim Rabbet Bit
WL-20221or
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l/4"SHANK
SET
OURPRIGEO|U,Y$59 eachset
ffi
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WL-2011$175VALUE
5 PieceDOUETAIISET OIILY$99 ret
OURPRIGE
. 14"3/4".14'5/8"
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| 3 PieceDOUEIAIISET
1/2'Shank RouterBits
i wL-2017 .3 Straight
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bun pnlcEottY $l9 set :, wL-2014
After the glue dries, trim the $1zs
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Sand the plug flush with ORDERTOLLFBEE
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block. Continue with finer grits to match
the surroundingsurface.

wurw.woodonline.com 37
ffi vertisment

short cuts
rJs
You'renottheonly
onewho putseffort
intomakingyour world
Newsandnotesfromthewoodworking
lawnlookgood.Your

ffi
#
mowerworkshard
too.Justanhourof
simplepreventative
maintenance oncea
Havea capital time at the Renwick
The next time you find yourselfin equally well represented.The museum's
*---t yearassures smooth Washington,D.C., scheduletime to see curator, KennethTrapp, saysthat visitors
typically will seebetween75 to 90
the specialpermanentfurniture collection
andactually
operation

ffi
at the SmithsonianAmerican Art exquisitefurniture piecesby post-World
extendsthe life of Museum'sRenwick Gallery.In addition War tr craftsmen.
yourmower. to exhibitsfeaturingitems madeof clay, You'llfind the Renwickon
fiber, glass,and PennsylvaniaAvenueat 17thStreet,NW.
metal,you'll be Admissionis free with visiting hours
pleasedto from 10 a.m.to 5:30p.m. everyday
TO
STEPS know that exceptDecember25. For more informa-
A HEATTHY wood is tion, call 2021357-2700,
www.AmericanArt.si.edu.
or go to

MOWER
ffi
ffi
CHANGE

prolong
Check
THEEIIIGI]IIE
OIL
Cleanoilcoatsandprotects
engine components andcan
thelifeofyourmower.
theowner's manualfor This Sam
grade. Maloof double
therightSAEviscosity

ffi
rocker made
REPLACETHESPARK PIUG of fiddleback
A wornplugwillmakeyour maple (lefi)
7 is just one
mowerhardto start. of several
re
REPTACE THEBLADE woodworking
rc*-*
or dullblade
A bent,chipped, masterpieces
notonlycutsyourgrasspoorly, found at the
Smithsonian's
butcanevenruinyourlawn. Renwick

ffi REPTACE THEAIRFILTER Gallery (right).

A dirtyfiltercanallowdirtto
getinside thecarburetor
and
mayrestrictairflow.
Byproperlyaddressing these Windmills of the mind

ffi maintenance

healthy,
prolonging
mower
points,notonly
areyoukeepingyourlawn
butyoumayalsobe
thelife of your

Searshaspartsandrepair
During the final days of WOODa maga-
zine's "For the Birds" Birdhouse/Bird
FeederContest,we receiveda well-made
entry from a7{-year-old woodworker
who facedone challengethat otherpartic-
expertisefor all majorbrands ipantsdid not. Ed Pritchardof Fallbrook,
of lawnequipment-no matter California,is blind.
whereyouboughtthem. Due to unsuccessfulcataractsurgery,
coupledwith a sffoke,Ed's vision deteri-
oratedto a completelossof sight by
THREE WAYSTOBUY
PARTS FROMSEARS: 1997.But thanksto his supportivefamily,
o GALLl-800-4-MY-H0ME@ and their purchaseof a tape measurefor
the blind, mitersaw,drill-press,router, Over 13" wide and 15" tall, this windmill
oGUGK SEARS.GOM & and sander,Ed was ableto ply his birdhouse was made by blind woodworker
VISITTHEPARTS PAGE Ed Pritchard of Fallbrook, California.
favorite hobby.
T V I S I T A P AR T S& R E PA IR Ed startedmaking numerousstylesof and holding parts togetherwith rubber
CENTER NEARYOU small birdhouses,using a miniaturebird bandsand pins. When the small bird-
houseas his model, somethinghe could houseswere no longerchallenging,he
FORTOCATIONS,
cAtL 1-800-488-1222 feel. To work safely,he madejigs to keep turnedto.makingwindmill birdhouses
his fingers away from the bits and blades from memory,basedon planshe had
when machining parts.Assembly purchasedsome 15 yearsbefore.
involved spreadingglue with his fingers Continued on page 40

38 WOOD magazine June/fuly 2003

shorl cuts
Does your state have a champion tree? A contest
While not everystatecan lay claim to hand,hasnone.To discoverthe giantsin you can
havingthe biggesttreein a selected your neckof the woods,or to reporta bond with
species,mostcan.Accordingto the giant,go to the Web, andlook up Haveyou tried or regularlyuseFrankhn
NationalRegisterof Big Trees,Georgia www.americanforests.ors. andfi nd out International'sHiPURformerAdvanced
has 15,for instance.Kansas,on the other how to proceed. BondingSystemin your shopor around
the home?If so,you qualify to entera
new contestwheremonthlywinnerswill
comeawaywith a HiPURformer
AdvancedBondingSystem(worth$100)
or two casesof HiPURformercartridge
adhesives of your choice(retailvalue,
$160.)Whata deal!
A productof TitebondGlues&
Adhesives,HiPURformeris a polyurethane
hot-meltadhesivethat lendsitself to
countlessapplicationsin woodworking,
> l
crafts,andhomeimprovementandrepair
g:
oi
o:
assignments. Judgeswill evaluateentries
o:
cl
(Li
based on "practicality,
clarity,creativity,
- l

o)i and sincerity."Go to www.titebond.com

=l
5 i to enterandclick on the HiPURformer
coi
--i
E:
link to the contest.Hereyou'll find the
=i entryform anddetailedinstructions. Then,
;:
( 6 : fill out the entryform and submitit elec-
o:
o:
Oi
tronically,or makea copy of it and sendit
_ci
o _ : to: HiPURformerContestEntry,Franklin

This magnificent Maryland tree, named the "Wye Oak" after the surrounding town of International, 2020 Bruck Street,
Wye Mills, was the largestwhite oak, until tipping over in June of 2002.lt stood 96' high, Columbus. OH. 43207.Goodluck.
measured31 '10" around,and lived for more than 450 years.

Yes,Virginia, there is more than one Santa Hard facts on

For the pastfive years,the 46-member Bob at LivingstonCountyWoodcraft hardwood usage
LivingstonCountyWoodcraftGuild of Guild,P.O.Box 1165,Brighton,MI Accordingto the United StatesDepartment
Michiganhaspulledits talentstogetherto 48114.He hasblueprintsof the toysanda of Agriculture(USDA),red oak leadsthe
maketoys and other items for patientsat catalogof the silhouettes thathe canpass packas the most producedhardwoodlum-
children'shospitals.This pastyearalone, along,as well asotherkey information. ber in the country.Here'sa look at the total
the Guild craftedanddis- c
hardwoodproductionpicture:
(g
tributedmorethan 1,000 'E

woodentoys and 15,000 .9

woodensilhouettes to U;
Red Oak 37
suchlocationsasthe chil- WhiteOak 15
dren'shospitalsin Detroit (g
a Poplar 11
and Philadelphia, aswell o
0)

as Give Kids The World .>

Ash 5
'(!

in Orlando,Florida. o Cherry 4
Word of thesewise
o
f Soft Maple 4
men'sgifts havetraveled O
HardMaple 4
o
fast and afar. Guild vice o
o) Alder 3
presidentBob Penfil says
= OtherSpecies* 17
that additionalrequests i
(U
havecomein from hospi- *Otherspeciesincludebass-
o
talsacrossthe country. o
wood;beech,birch,cottonwood,
(L
To learnhow you can
From left: Gary Saum, Bob Penfil, and Tod Kovach display a
hickorypecan,
elm,hackberry',
helpcontributeto this samplingof the thousands of wooden toys and silhouettes tupelo,sapgum,wirlnut,and
worthy cause,contact made by their guild for children'shospitals. otherhardwoods..F

40 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 uild a base,a top, and as many Build the case QEor the casesides,cut the stiles(C),
bookshelf casesas you wish to I Cut theupperandlower panels to
(A) tJrails (D), and mullions (E) to the
go in between.All the partssim- I width, but about I " longerthan listed sizes listed. Install a 3/8"dado blade in
ply stackup and screw together.You'll in the MaterialsList.Rip the bandineG) your tablesaw, and cut the centered
make your own wood door guides,and, to width, but about I " longerthan listed. grooves,where shownon Drawing2.
asidefrom wood screwsin varioussizes, Glue and clamp the bandingto the pan- Ato form the tenonson the endsof the
the only hardwareneededis the knobs. els. With the glue dry, sandthe banding llrails and mullions, switch to a t/+"
flush with the panels,and cut the assem- dado blade. To set the tenons' length,
Note: The Materials List and Cutting blies to length,trimming both ends. positionthe fenceto the right of the blade,
Diagram showthe numberof parts need- I Wittr the panels oriented so their and3/s"from the blade'sleft side.Attach
ed for a one-bookshelf-case bookcase. Cr good sides will face into the case, an auxiliaryextensionto your mitergauge
Multiply the number of caseparts and rout l/r0"chamferson the banding,where so it just grazesthe fence. First testing
door parts by the number of bookshelf shown on Drawing 1. Finish-sandthe your cutsin scrap,form the tenons,where
casesvou wish to make. assembliesto 220 gnt. shownon Drawings2 and2a,makingtwo
passesover the blade.
-: - : ,
%0"chamfer
E cnse EXPLoDED
vtEW
#B x 1" F.H.wood screw
3/a"
t/2" dowel
11/2"long Mitered
#20 biscuit \ end
#4 x t/z" F.H.
woodscrE_-r
r/q"rabbet
Ta"deep

II tocationot@
/+" chamfers 1 31/2"

tc

I
l % 0 "c h a m f e r
For the boardfeet of lumber
and otheritemsneededto build
this project,see page 48.

21/2" h-gz"
pllreltoN DETATLS
(Case
sideshown)
th" rabbel s/e"deep

fl sroe 7e"grooves
.3/a" deep
(lnsidefaceshown)

5"

II 103/q'

l_
7e"grooves7e"deep

rvrvw.woodonline.com 43
 on Drawing1. The endsof the guidesare
flush with the edgeof the sides'backrab-
bets. Using the shank holes as guides,
drill pilot holes into the casesides,and
drive in the screws.Cut four lr/2"-long
oak dowels and glue two of them in the
guides' front holes. Set the other two
aside for the stops that will later be
installedin the rearholes.
I ftlPlane stockfor the bumperblocks
lllf(H), and cut them to size.Finish-
sandthe blocks.Glue and clamp them in
place,whereshownon Drawing1.
| | Cut blanksfor the sidetrim (I) and
I I the uppertrim (J) about I " longer
than the sizeslisted.With a chamferbit in
your table-mountedrouter,rout the cham-
fers, where shown. Miter-cut the side
trims to length.Finish-sandthe trims,and
glueandclampthemin placetight against
the end of the door guides (G) and the
front sides of the bumper blocks (H).
Miter-cutthe uppertrim to length.Finish-
l&',,, sand the trim, and glue and clamp it in
With the mullionand railsassembled,slide in the panelswithout glue. Glue and clamp the place,aligningit with the sidetrims.
stiles to the rails, keeping them flush at the top and bottom. 1D Cut theback(K) to size,anddrill
LOcountersunk shank holes, where
f Resaw and plane stock for the side (l Adjust your biscuitjoiner to centera shown on Drawing 1. Finish-sandthe
tJpanels (F), and cut them to size.So [J slot in the thicknessof the t/q" ply- back, and set it aside.
seasonalwood movementwon't expose wood. Mark their centerlines,andplunge
unstainedwood after the projectis com- slots for #20 biscuits in the ends of the Build the door
plete, finish-sandthe panels and apply case top and bottom assernbliesA/8. I Cut the stiles(L), upperrail (M), and
stain.We usedZAR no. 114Provincial. Aligning the back edgesof the top and I lower rail (N) to size. In the same
f, Before assemblingthe case sides, bottom assemblieswith the edgesof the manneras in making the casesides,cut
V apply piecesof maskingtape to the rabbetsin the casesides.transferthe bis- the centeredgrooves.where shown on
rails (D), and mark on them the centered cuit centerlinesto the casesides.Plunge Drawing4. Drill the t/z"holesin the stiles
location of the mullions (E). Guided by the slots in the sides.Glue. biscuit. and for the dowels.
the marks,glue and clamp the mullions clamp the casetogether,making certain !) Form the tenonson the ends of the
betweenthe rails. Add the.stainedside it is square. A door rails in the samemanneras in
panels (F) and stiles (C), as shown in fI Planestock to s/s"thick for the door making the casesides.Glue and clamp
PhotoA. llguides (G), andcut themto size.Cut the door frametogether,makingsureit is
7 With the glue dry, cut rabbetsalong the grooveson your tablesawwith a dado squareandflat. With the glue dry, cut the
tr the casesides'insideback edges,for blade,whereshownon Drawing3. Chuck /2" dowels to length, and glue them in
the back (K). Rout t/te" chamfersalong a Vz"Forstnerbit in your drill press,and the stiles'holes.
the sides' outside edges,and the front drill the holes. Drill the countersunk 2 To make the rabbetedopening for
top and bottom cornersof the front stiles shankholes.Make certainyou have mir- rJthe glass,chucka3/s"rabbetingbit in
(C), whereshownon Drawing1. Finish- ror-imageparts.Finish-sandthe guides, your handheldrouter.With the bit's pilot
sandthe side assemblies. and clamp them in place, where shown bearing riding on the groove's outside
lip, rout away the groove's inside lip,
p oOOnGUIDE
(lnside
faceshown) forming a eAs"-deeprabbet. For best
results,see the Shop Tip on page 46.
1 13/q' Squarethe cornerswith a chisel.
the knob locations, where
7sz"shank hole,countersunk *!lllMark
..- Front shownon Drawing4. Drill the screw
holes,and finish-sandthe door.
-i
+,:
2V4' f Resawand plane stock for the verti-
tJ cal stops (O) and horizontal stops
)'i' (P). Cut them to size.Clip the headoff a
17/sz"gloove a4" deep r+
1"+
#17 wire brad, and use it to drill pilot
holes in the stops,where shown. Sand
the stopsto 220 gnt.

44 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

@ OOOnffiewedfrombackside) 282/a"

13s/a'
I
I
I
-{
41/z' tZ" dowel1sl0"long
t/2" hole 3/4"deep

-^#1
7 xs/a" 21/+'
wire brad
I
2/+" l-_

r/6y $'ts/16x 283/q"si ngle-stren gth glass

91Aa

Note: The vertical and

E ense
horizontal stops (O, P) 7sz"shank hole,
are butted at the corners, #8 x 11/z'F.H.wood screw countersunk Miteredends
rather than mitered.
Once mitered stops are
nailed, one piece locks
the other in place, mak-
ing them dfficult t/a" chamler
to
36Y4"
remove without break-
age. Butted stops avoid
13e/a' I
interlocked corners for \
easy removal.
7%+"
pilothole
s/q"deep \
11/z'
t
0 3

dffi 10"
#20biscuits
1

0'm)
Biscuitslot
centerline Q Aaiustyour biscuitjoiner to centera

m
(Markon leg's tJslot in the thicknessof the feet.Mark
outsideface.)
)( the slot centerlineson the outsidefaces
1/a' of the feet, where shown on Drawing5.
On to the baseand top Plungethe slots.Align the rails with the
I Planedown thickerstockor laminate t/a" chamfer feet, keeping their top edgesflush, and
I thinnerstockfor the feet (Q), and cut transferthe slot centerlinesto the outside
them to size.Rout %" chamferson their ends and centers of the arches, where faces of the rails. Readjustyour biscuit
bottom edges. shownon Drawing5. Bend a fairing stick joiner to centera slot in the thicknessof
)Cut the front and back rails (R) and to these points, and draw the arches. the rails, and plunge the slots. Finish-
Er the side rails (S) to size. Mark the Bandsawand sandthem to shape. sandthe feet and rails.

wrvrv.woodonline. corn 45
 titii
e

Basepanel

Fit the mitered ends of the side and front bands around the panel's ...then using a sharp pencil and a ruler,mark the miter's heel on
first corne6temporarilyclampingthem in place... the front band at the panel's second corner.

Glue, biscuit, and clamp a pair of band. Fit and mark the front band. as complete the base assembly,
'f1ll Afo
less to the front and back rails. With shown in PhotosB and C, and miter-cut lJmark the centerpointsof the counter-
the glJe dry, form a frameby gluing,bis- it to length.With all threebandsclamped sunk shank holes in the base panel,
cuiting, and clamping the side rails in in place,mark the sidebandsflush with where shown on Drawing 5, and drill
place.Make certainthe feet/railsassem- the back edgeof the basepanel (T), and them. Clamp the base panel assembly
bly (Q/R/S)is squareand flat. trim them to length.Glue and clamp the (Trul$ to the feet and rails assembly
f Cut the basepanel(T) to the sizelist- bands to the base panel. With the glue (Q/R/S), flush at the back, and centered
rJed. Rip the front banding (U) and dry, sandthe bandsflush with the panel, side-to-side. Using the shankholesin the
sidebandings(V) to width, but about 1" androut chamfers,whereshown.Finish- basepanelasguides,drill pilot holesinto
longerthan listed.Miter one end of each sandthe basepanelassembly. the rails. and drive in the screws.

Climb-cutting avoids tear-out

Whencreatinga rabbetfor the glassby removingthe door
framegroove'ss/0"-thickinsidelip witha rabbetingbit, it is
all too easyto tear out longsplinters,ruiningyourframe.To
avoidthis,employa routingmethodcalled"climb-cutting."
First,to provideclearancefor the routerbit'spilotbearing,
insertscrapspacersbetweenthe frame and the workbench,
as shownin the photo,right.Thenclampthe doorframe
securelyto yourworkbench.You'llhaveto stop routing
severaltimes,shiftingyour clampsas you workyour way
aroundthe frame.
Holdingthe routerfirmly,easethe bit intothe frameuntil
the pilotbearingcontactsthe outsidelip.Slowlymovethe
routerin a counterclockwise directionaroundthe insideof
the frame.You'llhaveto resistthe bit'stendencyto grabthe
woodand pullthe routeralong.Becausethe bit'sclockwise
rotationpushesthe wood fiberstowardthe frame members
as it cuts,ratherthantryingto pullthem awayas in normal
routing,tear-outis eliminated.
Onceyou'veworkedyour way aroundthe frame,makea
secondcounterclockwise passto cleanup the edge.

46 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 E exploDEDvtEW 35Y2"
/a" chamter
-113/+'

TOP
R=1/q" 14s/a'

7/aq"pilol hole s/q"

=>=
7gz"shank hole,
countersunk on bottom face 15/a"
t/r0"chamfer
383/q"
#4 x t/z"F.H. 17" bevelalong
wood screw Vz" dowel
front and ends 1t/2" long

)
CASE

t/2" dowel
'11/2"
long

t/2"-diametertack bumper

BASE

s/se"shank hole,
j countersunk
on bottomside
r\
\
#8x11/+"F.H.
wood screw

El rop PRoFILE
DETATL

lEnge-join an oversizeblank (lCut the crest (X) to the size listed.

I for the top (W). With the OUut. marks at the centerof the top
glue dry, cut it to finished size. edge and l3/+" up from the bottom at
With your tablesaw set up as the ends, where shown on Drawing7.
shown on Drawing6, cut bevels Connectthe markswith a straightedge,
along the bottom of the top's and draw the top profile. Draw the
ends, then front edge, where radii at the ends.Bandsawand sandthe
shownon Drawing7. Sandaway crest to shape. Rout the chamfer.
the saw-blade marks, backing Finish-sandthe crest.
your sandpaperwith a firm block (lCtue and clamp the crest(X) to the
to keep the bevels' edgescrisp. r/top (W), centered,where shownon
Rout chamfers along the upper Drawing7. Drill pilot and countersunk
front edge and ends, where shank holes through the top into the
shown.Finish-sandthe top. crest,and drive in the screws.

wunn woodonline.corn 47
Apply [hp finish, and case'supperpanel (A) into the top (W), fiCtamp the back (K) in place.Using
assemJcre where shown, and drive in the screws. \f the previouslydrilled shankholesas
Standthe assemblyupright. guides, drill pilot holes into the case.
I Examine all the parts and assem-
I blies,and resandany areasthat need single-strengthglass cut V8" Drive in the screws.
t!/lHave
it. If you wish, apply a stain,and let it smallerin width and length than the lf Install the knobs.Drill pilot holesfor
dry. We usedZAR no. 114Provincial. door's rabbetedopening.Lay the door I the tack bumpers,positioning them
r| Apply a clear finish. To add an facedown,and install the glass.Position to leave3A"betweenthe bumpersand the
Ct amber tone to the stain's color, we the stops(O, P), and drive bradsthrough bumper blocks' front edges.Tap in the
brushedon oil-basedsatinpolyurethane. the previouslydrilled pilot holes.Setthe tack bumpers.Q
Ol-av thebookshelfcaseon its backon brads,and fill the holeswith a matching
Writtenby Jan Svec with Chuck Hedlund
Oyour workbench. Clampthebaseto it, color putty stick. Projectdesign: Kevin Boyle
flush at the back and centeredside-to- E Apply wax to the groovesin the door Roxanne LeMoine
lllustrations:
side. Drill pilot and countersunkshank rJ guides (G) and their dowels. Install
holes through the basepanel (T) into the the door from the rear,sliding it over the
case'slower panel (A), where shownon door guide dowels at the front, and
Drawing7, anddrive in the screws.Clamp engaging the door's dowels in the
the top assemblyto the case,flush at the guides' grooves.Retrievethe two door-
andlower
A- upper
back andcenteredside-to-side. Drill pilot stop dowels, and tap them into the panels 3/qu 113/+" 34' OP
and countersunkshankholes through the guides'rear holes.Do not glue them in. B- banding a/.tl 3/qu 34' Q0
C stiles 3/q' 21/c', 15" Q0
D rails s/q, 21/2, 91/4' Q0

E mullions 3/q, 11/z' 103/q" 00

Gutting Diagram F sidepanels 3/a, 41f8tt1011a6" o0

G doorguides 5/s' 21/q' 11/q' Q0

H bumper blocks s/e, 11/t" 21/e' Q0
l- sidetrim 5/B' 5/a' 131/z' Q0

J. upper
trim s/ao s/eu 34' Q0
s/ax71/qx 96" Quartersawnwhiteoak (5.3 BF) back 15' 343/t' 0P

stiles 3/qu 21/q, 133/e', Q0

M upperrail 3/tu 213A6tt 287/Btt Q0

N lowerrail Vcu 21/q' 287/s' Q0

s/qx71/qx 96" Quartersawnwhiteoak (5.3 BF) *Planeor resawto the thicknesses
0 verticalstops 3/a' 3/a' 91Aa QO
listedin the MaterialsList.
horizontal
stops

feet 11/z' 41/4' LQO

3 / q x 7 1 / qx 9 6 " Q u a f t e r s a w n w h i t e o a k ( 5 . 3 B F )
R frontandback
rails 3/qu 3u 321/2' Q0
S siderails 3/t' 3" 10" UU

T basepanel 125/s'343/t' 0P
U- frontband 3/,, 3/q' 361/q' Q0
3/qx 51/zx 96" Quartersawnwhiteoak (4 BF) 3/t' 133/a' Q0
V. sidebands 3/to

W.top 3/q' 145/a'38Vq' EQO 1

X crest 3/q, 21/z' 351/z' Q0
-Partsinitially
cutoversize. Seetheinstructions.
Materials key: OP-oak plywood,QO-quartersawn
whiteoak,LQ0-laminated quartersawnwhiteoak,
EQO-edge-joined quaftersawn whiteoak.
Supplies: #20biscuits; 1/2"
oakdowel; #8x1",
#8x11/2",
#8x11/t", and#4xt/2" woodscrews,
flathead
1/ax24x 48" Oak plywood #17xs/a"
wirebrads; glass;
single-strength t/2"-diameter
tackbumpers; puttystick;paraffin
wax.
Blades and bits: Stack dadoset,%"Forstnerbit,
Seemoreoo. chamfer routerbit,% rabbeting router
bit.
furnttureI
...mrssron Buying Guide
plans at Knobs. Antiquebrass knobs
%"-diameter with1'
backplates
no.MS-8, each(2perdoor).
$4.75
un Brasses,
Horton
wt,l,tll|.tll|00dst0re.tlj00dmall.c0m/misf orgoto
call800/754-9127,
s/qx 48 x 48" Oak plywood www.horton-brasses,com.

48 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 tiltimate shop-made

ffi
CROSSCUT
parts to length
using your miter
gauge in one of
these duai,
smooth-gliding
T-tracks.

Kfl3-to widthwiththisrock-
s o l i d , s e l f - a l i g n i n gf e n c e .
.i

,j
'* r-- cur clRcLES
F uP to 32" i n di am et er
2 ----- with this adjustable
-- slider and Pivot Pin'
*\<---

i
t
,:E :
.).t
..

RESAW ..'
VENEERS t ' '
from wide . .
and narrow
stock with F i ts most 14" and 16" bandsaw s.
this bolt-on CHANGE
resaw fence, BLADES
which lets by removing only
you iower the slider-not
the blade the table!
guide to suit
the work-
piece. 19s/ax27"
table safely
supports
large work-
It does it all!
pieces.

r
$y',di rql
r-'; 'N p"
f'4'\.t:

{ !/

4
#
xmi
**-nfl q-
4ffir:.' X FEATHERBOARD/
TAPERING
JIG '
----.- -.cd S I N G L E . P O I NFTE N C E

m.ff
 -t
-l
!

I
I
ooking to take your bandsawto a
a whole new level of performance
and versatility? Here's your
chance.After you build thejigs, seepage
56 for tips on putting the systemto work
How to determine if
the jig will fit your
bandsaw
@91/q'
BANDSAWTABLE

:T
(Top view)

o
83/a'
maximum

I
l
in your shop. Take four measurements
on your bandsaw where f
Note: Becausethebandsawtablesystem's shown on the drawing,
right. The table will fit Bandsaw -
@
1012"-
Tableslot
@
hardware comesfrom several suppliers, your saw provided your minimum 83/a'
frame
we'velistedconvenientkitsin the Buying measurementsstay with- maximum
Guideonpage55 so you canpurchaseall
of the itemsfrom a single soLtrce,saving
in the limitsshown. I
t
you time and money.You won't find the
hardware listed in the supplies section %"-thick aluminum bars, where shown longpieceandtwo 9"-longpiecesto fit the
due to the numberof piecesand sources. on Drawing2 on the next page.Square exactlengthof the table'sdadoes,where
the rabbetcornerswith a chisel. shownon Drawing2. Cut the 3/s"notches
Start with the table t/a" deepin the inboard ends of the 9"-
I Cut the table (A) to the sizelisted in Note:For safeoperatiortwhen usingthe sys- long pieces,where shown.Positionthe
I the MaterialsList. On the table'stop, tem's jigs, ensurethat all of the aluminum notchedpiecesin the dadoes.
lay out the l%xl8%e" slot,wheredimen- pansfit flush with the table'stop surface. t/sx2xl2" aluminumbar, cut
)nrom a
sionedon Drawing1. Jigsawthe slot to Lt four 2"-longpiecesfor the tableclamp
within %a"of the lines. Al,uy out the l3/qx2"enlargedthroat platesand a 2t/s"-longpiece for the table
I Chuck a top bearingpamernbit wirh Tarea at the end of the slot, where insert,where shown on Drawings 2 and
fa l" cutter length in your router. dimensionedon Drawing1. (This pro- 2a. Drill a 5/ro"hole through each clamp
Align a straightedgewith one of the vides clearance to facilitate blade plate where dimensioned.Set the plates
slot's long layout lines,and clamp it to changes.)Jigsawthe openingto shape. aside.Placethe insertin the table.(You'll
the table (A). Next, rout along the edge f Usinga dadobladein your tablesaw, cut the slotin theinsertlater.)
of the slot.Repeatthe processto trim the rJcut the ls/tz" dadoest/2" deepin the t/s,xvzx36"
QPosition a aluminumbar
slot'send and otherlong edge. table's top, where dimensioned, to fJin the rabbetalong one edge of the
QRefit your routerwith a 7s" rabbeting receivetheT-tracksshownon Drawing2. slot on the top of the table (A), flush
tJbit. Rout a j/a" rabbet Vs" deepalong against the table insert, as shown in
the slot'sedgeson both facesof the table, Gut the aluminum parts Photo A. Mark the bar for the exact
whereshownon Drawing1, to receivethe From a 48"-longpieceof l-7r:"-wide lengths of the pieces,where shown on
I
I aluminumT-track.hacksawa 19t/s"- Drawing2, so they'll fit flush with the
ll rneu
tZ" deep
,..- 15/sz"dado
/

3/'ta" Rabbet
@
'/':f Mlr-- -', {

W
r-'
t '
Notched
2', 3/qx 2" enlarged end
throat area
Materialremoved- I I
after routingrabbets
, l

'r
tfl \

t/
rabbet /a" deep
I l q "alongtop and
bottomface

1
Table
insert

inside corner
1s/sz"dado
t/z" deep
1/ax1/2x36"
aluminum bar

13/ax 18slro"slot----.
,:,

Using a fine-tip permanentmarker,mark the bar exactly at the inside

corners of the T-trackand at the table's end and crosscut to length.

www.woodonline.com 51
bandsaw table system
7s"notches T-tracks9" long
t/a" deep

1/ax 1/2"aluminum bars

vtEW
B rneu EXPLoDED crosscutto fit s/a+"
hole,countersunkon outside
face with a %+"pilotllple
7a"deepin'part@
T-track197a"long
193/e' . # 6 x 3 / q "F . H .
./ wood screw
7se"shankhole,countersunk

/ir"" 3/q X 3/q"

a l u m i n u ma n g l e ,
7e"thick,27" long
.!

I 7oa"pilot hole
I
1,,,h
7a" deep
%" rabbets
7e"deep
g/ro"deep 7sz"shankhole,
.-<-- & 2" countersunk
iH)l
+ex21/2" i

-\
\\ NooO screw g
t T s z "s h a n k h o l e ,
countersunkon
\
# Bx 1 " F . H .
l bottomedge with a
3/sz"pilot hole
2" t/2" deep in part
wood screw 7sz"shank hole Q!

7 s z "s h a n k h o l e ,
countersunk
T-track t
27" long 'l # 6 x 1 / 2 "F . H .
7sz"groove t
7Aa"deep,centered 1 6 "l o n g l:=_ wood screw

5/ro"counterbore1/q"deep on bottom
1 77/a'
,"I edgewitha 7sa"shankhole,
countersunk, centeredinsideand a
7sz" pilot hole 11/4"deeq 3/ez"pilolhole 1/z"deep in pad@

TABLEINSERT
Bandsawta;l;'"'*-,
21/8" ------>1

7sz..shankho|e,counte1s.'un[..|-N^b4.ya
ll::t:".8*""'yg;"2';pilotnole
t/z"deePin part
@ 1/q,
!
a1V i l-rir l -
o:r'
' II t/e"aluminumplate

#B x 1 wood screw
F.H.*ood..rJ
F.H. // h. ,/ | 2" Slotcentere
7a"counterborel/a"deep./ . . -<t
vr-t !--\ on the blade
witha s/ro" hole."nt"i"Einside ^ ^) .

inside cornersof the T-track. Crosscut

r/a"aluminum
x" )x<,^-h'":i
clampprate-Xff-.'
{'...1*,
intopart
s/ro"
hole
@ I
x 11/c,
vq-2o R.H.machine
the piecesto length.Repeatthis process "Kl
on the oppositesideof the slot.
shank
rl oritiJounrersun*
tl
holes
*rough f, Froma 32"Jongpieceof T-track. COmplete the table
(B) lo
th. fout bars where shown.Position llcur a 27"Jong piece for the lence I Cur rhe front and back rails
the ba$ in the rabbets.Using the holesas rail (F), shown on Drawing 2. From a I the size listed. Positionthe ruils on
guides, drilt pilot holes in the table. 36"Jong piece of /txt/t" aluminum the bottomofthe table(A), whereshown
Removethe barsandtableinsef. anglerls" thick, cut a 27"Jong piece for on Drawing 2. Drill mounting holes
f From a l/sxlx36" aluminum bar, tlle backfencerail. Setthesepiecesaside. through the bottom edge of each rail.
iJhacksaw two l6'-longpiecesfor the lf Sand the table (A) to 180 gril. Glueandscrewthe railsto thelable.
rabbets on rhe bottom of rhe table. I Abrade the bottom and sidesof the !)Remove the round insert from your
Position the piecesin the rabbets,flush thee T-track pieces for the table's top Abandsaw table. Place the plywood
with the end of the table. Mark the loca- with 40-grit sandpaper.Remove the dust. bandsaw table assembly (A/B) on your
tions for the screw holes, making sure Apply five-minuteepoxy along the bot- bandsaw table. Align the plywood
they do not line up with any of the screw tom and sides of the table's dadoes. table's /e" slot betweenits bottom alu-
holes for the top bars.Drill countersunk Install and clamp the T-tracks in the minum bars with the bandsaw table's
shank holes through the bars. Placethe dadoes. Screw the aluminum bars in slot. Locate the end of the aluminum
ban in position, and drill the pilot holes. their rabbets. Set the table aside while bars in the throat area %r" from the
Removethe bars. the epoxy cures. blade,asshownin PhotoB. Inselt a piece

52 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

With the plywood table correctly positioned on the bandsaw table, Find the width for the fillers (E) by measuring the space between
insert a /s" hardboard scrap between the tables' aligned slots. the front and back rails (B) and the bandsaw table.

of Vs" hardboardbetween the tables' betweenthe side rail (C) and split side holes, where shown. Position it on the
slots,as shown, to keep them aligned. rails (D) for the lengthof the fillers (E). backrail (B) /8" below the top of the ply-
On the plywood table's bottom, scribe Measurefor their widths as shown in wood table, where dimensioned on
alongthe bandsawtable'ssides. PhotoC. (The widthsmay be different.) Drawing 2. Drill pilot holes in the back
QM . ut ut . t he th i c k n e s s o f y o u r Cut the piecesto size.Placeeachfiller rail. Screwit in place.
9bandsaw table. (Ours measured in position. Drill mounting holes
lt/q".) Cut the side rail (C) and split
side rails (D) to the lengthslisted and
throughthe fillers where shown.Drive
the screws.
,:"ff:
t ofiiy,.Jffi .:|",i:,:l
plywood table. When the finish dries,
width equal to your measuredtable ()Cut the fence rail (F) to size. Cut a fit the table on the bandsaw.Screwthe
thickness.Position the side rail (C) (OrsA:-" groove 7/ro" deep centered aluminumclamp platesto the siderails
under the plywood table, tight against along the front face of the rail, where (C, D) with W-20 roundheadmachine
the side of the bandsawtable, where shown, to receivethe 2J"-long piece of screws.You may needto usea different
shown on Drawing 2. Make a mark T-track. Drill countersunkshank holes length screw than shown to suit your
acrossthe bottom edgeof the rail I " in throughthe T-track where shown.Place rai l s' w i dth.
from the front and back edgesof the the T-track in the rail's groove.(The
bandsaw table. These marks locate T-track sits /rr," proud of the rail's face.) Add the slider
the centerlines for the clamp-plate Position the raiUtrackassemblyagainst I To enableyour systemto cut circles,
screw holes. Repeat the process to the front rail (B) with the bottom edges I you needto makethe slider (G). Cut
mark the split side rails (D), holding flush. Using the holes in the T-track as the part to size.Chuck a rabbetingbit in
them tight againstthe front and back guides,drill mountingholes throughthe your table-mountedrouter.Cut a Vs"rab-
rails (B). Removethe plywoodtable. fencerail and into the front rail. Glue and bet t/e"deep along the top edgesof the
A At the marked centerlineson the screwthe assemblyto the front rail. slider,where shownon Drawing3.
rlrails (C, D), drill a /+" counterbore (lRetrieve the aluminum-angleback flnsert the slider in the plywood
t/s" deep with a 5/ta" hole centered r/f'ence rail. Drill countersunkshank Atable's slot, flush with its rieht end.
inside,whereshown.Install a t/+"T-nut
in eachcounterbore. S suoen
Rwith the plywood tablebottomside r/a,,
hexhead
bort fit- f"1i;1?,XJ'ii:""1"'"*
tfup. place the side rail (C) and split 1rl2"lonq,cut =rfi T
siderails (D) in position,aligning their perinstructions
perinsti.r'ctions V i ^-
insideedgeswith the scribemarks.Drill ior pivotpin Aqr\r/-2"/""
,,-w ,( 13/a,
counterboredmounting holes through 1/a"nul epoxied
the rails, where shown. Drive the -- /t
in counterbore ,,/ I
i
| // //
screws.Use a screwlength appropriate ),,---ffi
,/-,
lZf;B
,'!;',',,
for the width of your rails. Note that if
-2qo",
the rails directly align with the T-tracks
in the table'stop, you'll needto attach
them from the top by drilling counter-
sunk shankholesthroughthe T-tracks.
fioritt pilot and counrersunkshank #10-32nut epo
lJholes throuehthefront andbackrails in counterbore
(B) into the slde rails (C, D), where t/2"counterbore
1/4"deep on bottomface with a
shownon Drawing2. Drive the screws. t/sz"hole centeredinside
fReinstall and align the plywood 1611/'ra"
I tableon the bandsawtable.Measure

urww.woodonline.com
bandsaw table system
Scribe along the inboard ends of the to adjustthe counterbore'slocationfrom PATTERNSoinsert.Mark the angledend
Vsx/2" aluminum bars to mark the loca- the dimensionshownto suit your saw.) on the stiffener,wheredimensioned,and
tion for the slider's dado. Remove the Using a /2" Forstnerbit, drill the counter- cut it to shape.Sandthe partssmooth.Do
slider. Cut the 3A" dado 3/s" deep. bores t/q" deepat the centerpoints.Then, not drill the holesin them yet.
Bandsaw, with the slider resting on its drill a l/tz" hole centeredinside the bot- I Position the stiffener against the
edge, the notches in the sides of the dado tom counterbore. Ct fence, where shown on Drawing 4.
at the bottom, where dimensioned on a t/q" ntrt in the top counter- Drill mountingholeswhereshown.Glue
'frtEpoxy
Drawing 3a. bore and a #10-32nut in the bottom and screw the parts together.
for the t/2" counterbore. When the epoxycures,sand Q Cut the fence plate (J) to size. Lay
Q Mark the centerpoints
9counterbores on the top and bottom the slider.Apply two coatsof finish. tJout and cut the plate's angledsides,
(for wheredimensionedon Drawing5.
of the slider, where dimensioned on f Thread a #10-32x5la"setscrew
Drawing 3. Note that the center of the top rf locking the slider) into the #10-32 Positionthe fence/stiffenerassembly
'l/
counterbore and the front of the bandsaw nut. To make a pivot pin, mark a V2" enl on the fence plate (J), where
blade must be the same distance from the length on a V+"hexheadbolt I Vz" long shownon Drawing4. Squarethe fenceto
plywood table's front edge for proper that includes Vq" of thread and Vq" of the plate'sback edge.Clamp the assem-
circle-cutting operation. (You may need smooth shank.Cut the length from the bly together.Drill two mounting holes
bolt, and file its endsand edgessmooth. through the bottom of the plate into the
HINGE
DETAIL Threadit into the t/q"nut. Now, insertthe fencewhere shown.Drive the screws.
(Viewedfrom back of fence) sliderin the table. f Cut the clamp plate (K) to size.Drill
J as/ro"hole. centeredside-to-sideand
Four-armknob
with 1/q"insert
Time for the fences top-to-bottom,through the part. Set the
I Cut the fence(H) and stiffener(I) to fence assembly(HlIlJ) on the plywood
I size.Bandsawand sandthe Vz"radir table with the back edse of the fence
on the fence, where shown on plate (J) flush against the
Drawing4, and the stiffener,where table's front edge. Position
shownon Drawing5 on the WOOD the clampplateunderthe fence
2 x 1s/e"
hinge
Four-arm knobwithtZ"insert
@ rerucrASSEMBLY 1/q-20
x 3" F.H.machine screw
1/q"tlal washer

#8 x3/q"F.H.wood screw
s/ro"hole
# B x 2 1 / 2 "F . H . *)
wood screw */
2554e
2 x 1s/a"
hinge
7sz"shankhole,
countersunkwith a
7sz"pilothole
1/q-20x 21/q'F.H. 1't/+"deep
machine screw

R=1/2"
a*q*

7 s z "s h a n k h o l e , / s/ro"holes
countersunk
/" %"r-nut-r45
i R f
i
\/A # Bx 2 " F . H .
/
is
iS E/'
wood screws
*g x 1)/o,,
F.H.
e/sz"pilol hole 1s/+"dea? if wood
screw
iI
: t
fi ;p
2"i I
--i>i $ A,'@'\- r/+"hexheadbolt
7sz"shankhole,countersunk - l'/ |
i rul 2"long
on bottomface with a ,/'
7q"counterbore
7sz"pilothole
-'t
_ \ T^1,
ot nut /e" deep with a
1t/q"deepin partQ!) s/ro"hole centeredinside
7sz"shankhole,countersunk
with a 3/ez"pilol hole 1t/q"deep

1/+"tlal washer .--_,.. L

Four-arm knobwith * '--

t/+"insgrt E 5Aa"hole,centeredside{o-sideand top-to-bottom
&rb l

54
\
W &=- #8 x 2" F'H' wood screw
wooD magazine June/July2003
 plate, flush against the T-track in the
fence rail (F). Clamp the platestogether. firis stud's for you
Drill mounting holes through the top of Findingknobswith custom-length
the stiffener (I) and fence plate where threadedstudscan be a challenge.
shown.Glue and screwthe platestogeth- Here'san easyway to makeyour
er. Insert a Vq"hexheadbolt 2" long with own.ThreadaV+-20flathead
a T-slot nut throughthe hole in the clamp machinescrewof sufficientlength.
(cut it if needed)completelyintothe
plate from the rear. Securewith a tA" flat
knob.Markthe threadsimmediately
washer and four-arm knob having a V+" belowthe knobwith a permanent
insertas shown. marker.Backout the screwuntilyou
ftCut the rear top and bottom clamps see the mark.Applyfive-minute
lr(L, M) to size.Placeclamp L on top epoxyto the threadsabovethe mark.
of clamp M, aligning their back edges. Tightenthe epoxiedscrewin the
Drill a pilot and countersunkshankhole knob,and wipe off any squeeze-out.
through the bottom clamp, where shown
on Drawing 5. Glue and screw the parts
together.When the glue dries, mark the Gutting Diagrarn
Vz"radiuson the assembly.Bandsawand
sandthe radius to shape.
A table Tq' 19%" 27' BB
lfPosition the clamp assembly(L/M)
I at the rear of the fence assembly, B frontandback
rails {c' z', 27', BB
where shown on Drawing 4, aligning
C siderail 3/tu
I 177/e' BB
their back edges and Vz" radii. Clamp
D solitsiderails Vq' 1 8t/e' BB
the partstogether.Screwa2xls/s" hinge
to the back of the fence and clamp E fillers 3/"\ BB
assembly,where shown on Drawing4a. F fencerail Vc' 2', 27', BB
Drill a 3/q"counterbore Vt" deep in the 13/a"161Y1a" M
bottom clamp (M), where dimensioned
on Drawing 5. Now, drill a sAo"hole fence Vc* 25546" BB
centered inside through the clamp I stiffener /q' 2' 25s/rc"BB
assemblyand stiffener(I), where shown 3/+x24x 30" Balticbirchplywood J fenceplate 3/+, 313/ro" 5u BB
on Drawings4 and 5. Install a Vq"T-nut K clamp plate BB
in the counterbore-
L reartopclamp 3/r' 13/e' 24q' BB
CDtvtatea four-armknob with at/q-20x3"
(CDthreaded M rearbottomclamo7a" 2' 23/q' BB
studforthe rearclampassem-
bly. Seethe Shop Tip, aboveright.hstall N resawfence s/qu 5t/2, 141/4, BB

the knob with a V+"flat washerin the %0" tDimensions byyourbandsaw

determined measure-
ments.
Seetheinstructions.
hole in the stffiener (I), where shown.
Materials key: BB-Balticbirchplywood,
M-maple,
QCut the resaw fence'(N) to size. Supplies: Five-minute epoxy.
{Lav out its contour. where dimen-
sioned on Drawing 5. Bandsaw the Blades and bits: Dado-blade set,topbearing pat-
ternbitwitha 1"-long
cutter,
%"Forstnerbit,t/e"and7e"
fence to shape, and sand it smooth. rabbeting
bits.
Drill the needed holes. where dimen-
sioned. Position the resaw fence Buying Guide
Hardware kit for ultimate bandsaw
against the right side of fence H, with 3/ax24x 30" Balticbirchplywood table. Containsallhardware(screwsincluded)
their front ends and bottom edges required
foronetable.0rderkitno.UBT,$39.95ppd.,
aligned. With a backer board placed fromSchlabaughandSonsWoodworking. Call800/346-
againstthe left side of the fence to pre- 3/qx 1Vzx 24"Maple 9663,orgotowww.schsons.com to order.
*Planeor resawto thethickness
vent tear-out, and using the centered Lumber kit for ultimate bandsaw table,
listedin theMaterials
List. Enough birchplywood
Baltic foronetable.Orderkitno.
holes in the counterboresas guides,
LP-UBT,$39,95ppd.Seeabovefor Webaddressand
drill 5/16"holes through the fence. teleohone
number.
Apply two coatsof finish to the fences. the blade's cutting edge. Referring to Master hardware kit for ultimate band-
I fllnstall /+" T-nuts in the resaw Drawing 2a, mark a %" slot lVz" long, saw table and accessories. Contains all
llffence's counterbores.Epoxy two centered on the blade, on the plate. hardware (screws included)
required
foronetableand
V+-20x2%"flathead machine screwsin Hacksaw or scrollsaw the slot, and allaccessories.
Orderkitno.MAS-BAN, $74.95ppd,
two four-arm knobs. Securethe resaw Address andtelephone above,
install the plate. Now, it's time to put this
fence to the fence with the knobs and awesomesystemto work. fl Master lumber kit for ultimate band-
saw table and accessories. Enough Baltic
Vq"flat washers. birchplywoodforonetableandallaccessories
Written by Owen Duvall except
| | Finally, placethe aluminumtable Projectdesign: Jeff Mertz jig.Orderkitno.LP-MAS-BAN,
theduplicating $49.95
I I insertin the table openingagainst Illustrations:Roxanne LeMoine ppd.Address andtelephone above.

wrYrv,woodonline. corn 55
 Fence

To resawa thin slice(/a" or less)from any board,you need

The bandsawtable and fence system rock-solidsupporton both sidesof your stockto hold it in position
verlically.This system'sbolt-onresawfenceand featherboarddeliver,
on page 50 makesyour bandsawsuper especially whenyou'reworkingwithstockmorethan about5" wide,
suchas you'duse whencreatingyour own veneer.
versatile.But you'll unlock its full First,positionthe fenceand lock it down with the frontand rear
potential if you build the accessories knobs.Slidethe featherboardend of the featherboard/single-point
resawfence intothe T-slotto supporlthe outsideface of the stock.
found on page 64.Here'sa guide to Now lock in the featherboardso the workpiececontactsthe laminate
just in frontof the blade,and flexesthe laminateto providesupport
getting the most from them. withoutbinding.Makesureto crankup the bladetensionto keepthe
bladetaut,and push the workpieceslowlyas you cut.

56 UIOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 -l

The standardfence
providessturdy
supporlfor ripping
boardsto width,or
otherpreciseopera-
tions,such as cutting
tenons.Just loosen
the frontand rear
lockingknobs,slide
the fence into place,
then tightenthe front
knob.This locksthe
fenceand automati-
callyalignsit withthe
blade.Then lockthe
rear knob for sure-
footedcuts.

Needto cut multiplecurved

piecesto the exactsame
sizeand shape?This dupli-
catingjig is just the ticket,
When resawingthickerslabs(./o"or greater),or with its hardboardguide
when workingwith narrowstock,verlicalsupport that'snotchedto fit snugly
isn'tas importantas keepingthe workpiece aroundthe blade.Attacha
runningtrue. Bandsawbladessometimestwist hardboardpattern,cut in
slightlyas you pushthe workpiece,meaning the exactshapeyou
you'llhaveto anglethe workpieceslightlyto require,to your workpiece
compensatefor this "drift."You can do this by usingdouble-faced tape.
guidingyour stockagainstthe bullnoseend of Then just feed the work-
the featherboard/single-pointresawfence. pieceintothe bladewith the
Alignthe bullnoseend withthe blade'steeth, patternridingagainstthe
leavinga gap equalto the thicknessof the piece duplicating jig. Adjustthe
you wishto cut.Tightenthe knobsto lockthe positionof the jig to control
fencein the T-slot.Marka layoutlineon the top how closethe bladecuts to
edgeof your workpiece,and pushthe piece the pattern.You can then
throughthe cut whilepressingone face againstthe sand rightup to the line
bullnose.Notethat the standardfencedoes not usinga drumsander,or
get used in this resawingtechnique.(To learn routto the patternusinga
moreaboutresawingsuccessfully, see issue147.) flush-trimming bit.

This systemfeaturetakesthe hassleout of cutting

circlesfrom 6" to 32" in diameter,thanksto its
adjustablesliderand pivotpin.
To use the circlecutter,starl by cuttinga square
workpieceabout tAa"largerthan the diameterof the
circleyou want to create.Carefullymarkthe exact
centerof the square,on the underside,by placinga
straightedge from cornerto cornerin eachdirection.
Then drilla t/+"-diameler hole t/+"deep.
----:* pivultpin Next,loosenthe setscrewthat locksthe slider
in place,pullthe sliderto
positionthe pivotpin,and
retightenthe setscrew.Now
loweryourworkpieceonto
the pivotpin so one edge is
againstthe blade,and turn
on the saw. Rotatethe work-
pieceto clipoff the corners
and createa perfectcircle.

www.woodonline.com 57
 u\
r "...

Sled
Fence

f-d/'

Hold-down s,ed
#
Sled Guide bar
Fence

/
' I Yo u mi g htnotthi nkof usi ngthe bandsawfor cutti ngtapers,butthi staper ing jig
makesthe processso effortless that you'llforgetabouttaperingon the tablesaw.
T h e j i g hol dsyourw orkpi ece securel yi n pl ace,and ri dessmoothl on y a g uide
b a r th a tsl i desi n one of the tabl e' sT-tracksl ots.
*
T o p reci selset y the cutti ngangl e,fi rstl ayout the taperon yourw orkpi e ce.
A l i g nth osemarksw i ththe edgeof the taperi ng j i g' ssl ed,thensl i dethe fe nce
i;b- fu a g a i n sthet w orkpi ece, and ti ghtenthe tw o knobsthatsecurei t to the sl ed.

a Securethe clampsto holdthe rruorkpiece

N o w ,w i thyourl eg bl anki n posi ti on,
in place.
l ow erthe j i g' sgui debar i ntothe ri g ht - hand
T -s l o t,w el laheadof the bl ade.Thensi mpl ysl i dethe j i g foruuard to cut the wast e
-@
fE|uF /
.-q{re away.Rotateyourworkprece for the secondtaper,and cut again.lf you needto
r r € Slededge taperfour sidesof a parl,suchas a tableleg,tapethe cutoffsfromyourfirsttwo
E'
F'
tapersbackto yourworkpieceas shims.Now readjustthe fenceas necessaryto
a a l i g ny o url ayoutmarksfor cutsthreeand four,and makethe cuts.
3 You'llalsofindthrs1ighandyfor puttinga straightedgeon rough-cut stocK.

F
3
[:
Ghange blades in no time
It's plainto see that ?
I this bandsawtable
systemoffersgobs
of featuresyou just 4frr
can't get with a
bare-bonesstock
saw.In additionto
ttI/
.ry all of thosegreat
accessories,
one impofiant
there's

featurethat'sa little
,,(,lt\
harderto see:You
can changeblades
withoutremoving
the table!Just
pop the blade
inserlout of the
tableand remove
the slider.This
exposesthe slot in
€., L. l

\ k
the stock bandsaw
,$!
table,allowingyou f
to easilyslip blades .'r./&
,86
in and out in
normalfashion.
# #r*le
small
A bandsawis the perfecttoolfor safelycrosscutting
parlsto size.The tablesystemmakesthe processeven Got more great ideas?
easierby offeringtwo slots--thealuminumT-tracks-for We've packed this system with features,but we know you'll
yo urmit ergauget o s l i d ei n . c o m e u p w i t h m c r e , a n d w e w o u l d l i k et o s e e t h e m ! S e n d
y o u r s u b m i s s i o n st o t h e a d d r e s sl i s t e do n p a g e 4 . l P
Written by David Stone

5B WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 wod rkerts
ofuidetochoosing, \
$leetWods
,rf'
l-
::',)

Do you know what sheet goods work best for shop fixtures? Or which ones excel
in furniture construction? Armed with our chart, you'll be an instant expert.
ost woodworkers know the While plywood remains prevalent, "high density" varieties made up of
major virtues of plywood: more and more sheetgoodsareproduced ultra-thinplies.
strength, stiffness, size, and from ground wood chips or wood pul- You can familiarize yourself with the
stability. You may not be nearly as famil- verrzedinto powder, mixed with adhe- uses,properties, costs,and sourcesof l0
iar, though, with the wide array of other sives and additives,then pressedinto contrastingsheetgoods using the handy
sheet goods available today. No matter sheets.This, in turn, becomessuch charton the following two pages.
the project, you'll find a type of sheet products as medium-densityfiberboard Note: Wepurposelyexcludedsomenxate-
stock ideally suited for the task at hand. (MDF) and parlicleboard.Even tradi- rials, suchas orientedstrandboard (OSB)
tional plywood has changed,with the and pressure-treated plywood,which are
Enhanced performance addition of new core materials, face designedfor building constructionand
through en-gineering coverings, and increasinglypopular lnve lindted usefulnessin the shop.
All sheetgoods,includingplywood,fall
into a broadcategorycalled "engineered
wood." Unlike solid lumber, which is
simplycut from the treeand dried,engi- Surefire steps to sheet goods success
neeredproductsare further altereddur-
1. Alwaysmeasurethe thicknessof sheet goods beforemachiningmating
ing the manufacturing process to pieces. Plywood,for example,is 1/sz"thinner than its stated thickness.
enhanceor suppresscertainproperties.
2. When cutting sheet goods on the tablesaw,placethe good face up to
Plywood,for example,consistsof mul-
preventtear-out.Placethe good face down if usinga handheldcircularsaw.
tiple thin layers glued togetherwith the
grainof one layerrunningat a right angle 3. lf you work with particularsheetgoods often, investin saw blades
designedfor that materialto get the smoothestcuts and leastchip-out.
to the neighboringlayer. This enhances
strength,decreases dimensionalchanges, 4. Ratherthan wrestlea sheet onto the tablesaw,lay 2" rigid foam insulation
and allows desirablewood to be placed on the floori placethe sheet on it, and rough-cutusinga circularsaw.
only on the visible outerfaces.
Continuedon page 62
wwrin woodonline.com 61
 iliF:l:tlcli MF rYj lllf \V/E ;li m lr?iri FITI rlftL3

I\4aterial Description Uses .f,vailable sizes

PARNGEBOARII Woodshreddedintotiny chips(essen- Widelyusedas a substratefor SOfdin thu,t/2",s1r",

tiallysawdust,oftenfrcm wastewood), flooringand countertops,andfor 3/4tt,1",
and 1la"
combinedwith adhesives, then heated buildinginexpensiveknockdown thicknesses. Half and
and compressedto form sheets. furnitureand cabinetry.Alsosuitable quarter sheets ate
for someshopfixtures. often available.

tutElAttill{E Particleboadfacedwith paper Greatfor makingcabinetcarcases Soldin 49x97"

impregnated with melamineresin, becauseit wipescleaneasily. oversizesheets
a type of plastic.Paperon low-cost Useit, as well,for shopfixturesor to in1/q"rVzt',%tt,and
gZ"thicknesses.
typesis simplyadhered.Higher-cost makean economicalrcuter-tabletop.
sheetsarethermallyfused(essentially
meltedtogether).

]IARDBOARD Groundwoodpulpcombinedwith Excellentfor shopfixturesandjigs Availablein two

resinsand pressedinto sheets. (especially
the varietywith two thicknesses: /s" and
Maybe smoothon oneor bothfaces. smoothfaces)and benchtops. t/q"in 4x8' sheets.
Useperforatedhardboardfor
hangingtools.

MEDIU]TI-DEI{S]TYCellulosefiberscombinedwith Excellentfor shopjigs andfixtures, 1/4",{8", Vz", s1g'rs1o",

(MDD syntheticresinandformedunder cabinets,paintedprojects,molding andt/g"thicknesses

FTBERBoARD pressure.
heatand and millwork,furniture,and as in both4x8'and
a substrateunderveneerand 49x97"sheets.
plasticlaminate.

PTYWOOD Face-gluedlayersof thin softwood

SOFTWOOII Outdoorprojects(exteriorrated), 1/4"
,5/16" ,11/3ztt, lzt' ,
veneer. carpentryand construction,shoP 5/s",2%2",
and{c"
cabinets,substrates,underlayment thicknessesin
for floorsand countertops. 4x8'sheets.

for highwaysigns, 1/4tt,V16t',{8", t/z"r s1r",

&
tulEDturrl-DEllsrYExterior-ratedsoftwoodplywood Usedextensively
greatfor outdoorprojects,siding, and%" thicknesses
OI'ERIAYcoveredon both faces
HIGH.DEI{SITY with
fiber (papefl. paintedprojects,watercraft,cabinets, in 4x8'sheets.
resin-impregnated
(MD0/||D0)
PrYW00D shopfixtures,and concreteforms.

Thetraditionalsheetgood of choice 1/4",1/2",ands/c"are

PTYWOODVeneers(soft-or hardwood)gluedin
IIARIIWOOD
layerswith alternatinggrain,and for everythingfromfurnitureand mostcommon.
coveredwith hardwoodveneer. cabinetsto wall panelingand boxes. Occasionally, you'll
find /a", 3/s",ands/s"
in somespecies.

BAING AilD Madefrom ultra-thin(t/ro"),void-free Useto createshopjigs andfixtures, ln millimeters:

birchveneers.Finnishbirchis like cabinets,drawersides,fumiture, 4 (/e"),6.5(%),
FII{TIISH
BIRGH and as a substrate. 9 (%"),12 (Vz"),
Baltic,but is madewith exterior
adhesivefor outdooruse. 15 (%"),and 18 (s/c")
in 60x60" sheets.

APPIEPtY Americanversionof Balticbirchwith Sameusesas Balticabove,plus inl+",a1r",

Availabfe
alderand birchcore pliesand quality wherea f ine-hardwood
applications 1/2",3/4",1 ", and 1/rtt
veneerfaces.Birchface is standard, faceveneeris needed. in 4x8'
thicknesses,
otherwoodsavailable. sheets.

Usedmostlyas a substratefor t/s"and s/8"arecom-

PTYWOODPlywoodwith a singlefaceveneer
BEIIDABLE
andcoreplieswithallgrainrunning buildingcabinets,etc. with rounded mon,thoughthicker
perpendicularto faceto allow corners.Sheetswith clearface sheetsareprcduced.
cross-grainbending. veneersaresuitablefor furniture. Soldin 4x8'sheets.

62 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 Gommon gnrades Pros Gons Where to find it kice (/cux4,x$,
sheet irnless noted)
PBU-for floor underlayment. PBUgradeis readilyavailable Low stiffness,heavy, Homecenterscarry $12+per sheetfor PBUgrade.
M-S,M-l, M-2,M-3 industrial and inexpensive. Particleboard holdsfastenerspoorly, PBUgrade."M"
Y4-Y4n "M" gradepricesrangeabout
gradesarebestfor making cuts easilyand is fairlystable. not moistureresistant. grades(mostlyM-2)are 20 percenthigher.
shelvingand countertops. foundat building-material
and millworksuppliers.

Thereareno standardgradesfor Inexpensive, readilyavailable, Not moistureresistant, HomecenterscarryVz" $25+for adhered-surface,

melamine,but thereare "vertical" easy-cleansurface,avaihble heavy,edgeschip easily and 3/" sheets,shelves, vedical-grade whitesheets
and "horizontal"types.Higher- in a varietyof colorsand in whencuttingunlessyou and closetparts.Colors commonin homecenters.
pdcedsheetsgenerallyfeature wood-grainpattems.Also usebladedesignedfor otherthanwhiteand Colorsand wood-grainpattems
thermallyfusedcoatingsand are availablewith kraftpaperor cuttinglaminates. patternedpapersarc cost slightlymore.$40+for
madewith thickerpaper. rcal-woodveneeron oneface. availableby specialorder. thermallyfusedsheets.

Selice (2 greenstripes) Readilyavailable,easyto cut, Standardand Service Homecenterscarry $10(/0"4'x8',tempered).

Standard(1 greenstripe) relativelystiable,availablewith gradesaresusceptibleto 4x8'sheetsplushalf Perforatedsheetsare also
Service-tempered (2 red stripes) two smoothsidesor one. moisture,can't sand and quartersheetsin availableat a similarprice.
Tempered(1 red stripe) takespaintwell. faces,flexible,edges standad andtempered
51S (smoothone side) easilydamaged,holds grades.Lookforthe
S2S(smoothtwo sides) fastenerspoorly. edgestripes.

Onemaingrade:Industrial.Lower Flat,no faceor corevoids, Heavy[100lbs.per Homecenter carry $20+for both MD and LD.
grades,whicharen'tcommonly consistentthickness,glues sheetin MD grade; medium-density (MD)%"
available,carry"B" or "shop"grade. easily,has machinable edges. low-densityversion(LD) sheets.Low-density(LD)
Alsoclassifiedby density:Medium- weighsapproximately is availablethrcugh
density(MD)isstandard;low- 60lbs.l,standardwood millworksuppliersand
density(LD)is a lightweightversion. screwsholdpoorly. somehardwoodretailers.

Veneergrades:A, B, C, D. Cheaperthan hardwoodply, Builtmorefor perfor- All homecentercand $25+forA-C sanded,variesby

Panelgrades:includesheathingand readilyavailable,faceveneers mancethanappearance; building-supplystores type and material.
"Sturd-l-Floor." can havea niceappearancein thick pliesreducestiff- carryan anay of
Exposure:Exterior,Exposure1, highergrades. ness;interiorpliesmay softwoodplywood
Exposure2, lnterior. havevoids,faceveneers for construction.
oftenpatched.

Followssoftwoodplywoodgrading. Resistantto weatherand Notwidelyavailable, Somehomecenters, $35+for MDO,HDOcosts

Faceand backplies(whichare wateqflat, smooth,surfaceis heavy. wood specialtystores, slightlymore.
coveredwith paper)rate as B grade easilypaintable,machines signshops.
or bette[ innerpliesareG grade. easily,and is verydurable.

Face:AA,A,B,ClDlE,Special. Morestableand less Thicksheebarcheavy, Homecenterscarrya $35to $100+

B a c k : 12,, 3 , 4 . expensivethan solidwood, exposedplyedgesmay few species,suchas Pricesvarygreatlydue to
Core:J, K, L, M. widelyavailable,madein a meanyo.r'llhaveto band oak,birch,maple.Turn species,faceand backgndes,
Paneltypes:Technicaltype,Typel, varie$ of species,and with wih solldwood,trin face to buildingsuppliers ply count,and cut of veneer.
Typell (Iype ll mostcommonfor manychoicesfor veneer veneem(t/sz')areeasyto and hardwoodretailers N2 or B/2 is rcasonablypriced
interioruse.) matchingon faces. sandfiroughanddamage. for otherspecies. andsuitablefor furniture.

No standardized grades,but manu- Stiff,stable,consistent Had to find,costly, Woodworking-supply $45+for standard-size

facturedwith void-freepliesand thickness,no voids, odd (60x60")sizesheet, storcs,hardwoodretail- 60x60"sheets.
face veneerscarryinga gradeof B nice-lookingedge,holds availableonlywith ers,mail-ordercatalogs
or better. screws. birchface. (smallsizes).

No standardized grades,but manu- Stiff,stable,void-free, Difficultto find,costly, You'llfinddistributor

facturedwith void-freepliesand
$50+
nice-looking edge,holds requircslargeorderto informationat
faceveneerscarryinga gradeof B screws,offersa varietyof get optionalveneers. www.statesind.com.
or better. faceveneers.

Ableto conformto tight radiiwith- Flexibilityallowsradiused Not designedfor Building-supply

stores $35+(/a" 4'x8'sheet)
out splittingor crackingwith no corners,decorativeshapes. structuraluse,quality and hardwoodrctailers.
needfor kerf-bendingor steaming. of face veneervaries
grcatly.

wrvrv.woodonline.com
63
 \rf*
o

accessorres
forthe bandsawtable systent *'
Mr.

AdC even more versattlity with

these hardworking jigs ,;

q"#
'

v;,
,r/' .,,.::"'
Start with the sled
Cut the sled (A) to size from Baltic birch
Tapering Jig plywood. Drill a'l+" hanging hole. where
shown on Drawing 1. Bandsaw and sand
th" radii on two coffters, and rout %"
chamfers along one side and both ends of
both the sled's faces and around the hang-
ing hole, where shown. Cut dadoes,where
dimensioned,to acceptthe T-tracks.
Measure the distance fron-rthe side of
your bandsaw's blade to the edge of the
miter-gauge slot in which the ji-9's miter
-euidebar will run. Cut a'7+" groove Vta"
deep at this location in the sled's bottom
..;, face..Resaw and plane the guide bar (B)
to size, and shape its end. as shown on
rl
Drawing 1a. Clamp the guide bar in the
groove. Drill pilot and countersunk
shank holes through the guide bar and
Duplicating Jig into the sled. Drive in the screws.

Note: Do ttot glue the guide bar irtplace.

Bt' renroving the guicle bar, \'otr also curt
use the taper.iig otl rour table,satr,u'sirtg
the savt"s.fenceto guide tlte iig.

Feather Board/
Single-Point Fence

Note: To build the bandsawtable,

see page 50; for instructionson
usingthe accessorieswiththe table,
Draw lines tangent to the two 5/ro"holes,
see page 56. and saw out the slot with a coping saw.

64 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 E rnpenrNc
Jrc

R=1/2"

3u

t/2"counterbore
V+"deep on the
bottom face with a
V+"hole 910'1
centeredinside
t/a" hexhead bolt
2t/2" long

t/e" chamfers
3\l .2-
/ \1"
Cut the guide (E) to size. Bandsaw and
t/+"hexheadbolts - - i
t/+"hexhead sand the 2" radius, where shown on
2r/z"long i...- bolt Drawing 2, then file the blade notch. Cut
t/a" chamfer .2/+" long

,-l-r' the riser (F) from stock that is Vrc"thick-

er than the parts you will be sawing with
the duplicatingjig.
No chamfer ------- R=Vz"
N
hole, countersunkr---..-
%o+"
Note: You may want to make several
duplicatin7 jiss to accommodatecom-
-\
on bottom face $5- \ mon stock thicknesses.

Glue and clamp the guide to the riser,

keeping their endsand edgesflush. Drill
pilot and countersunkshank holes, and
#6 x3/q"F.H.wood screw
drive in the screws. Drill 3/8"holes to
form the endsof the slots. Saw them out
in the same manner shown in Photo A.
GUIDEBAREND Bandsaw and sand the Vz" radii. Apply
polyurethane.Install the hardware.

E ouplrcATrNc

Cut two piecesof aluminum T-frack to the fence. Drill the counterbores and
the length shown. Mix quick-setting holes. Mark and drill a Vq"hole for the
epoxy, and epoxy and clamp the ffacks first clamp knob. Drill two %e" holes for
into the dadoes.To prevent the possibil- the secondclamp knob's slot. Form the
ity of the blade coming in contact with slot, as shown in Photo A. Cut the stop
the tracks, position the tracks flush with (D) to size, and glue and clamp it to the R=lz"

the sled's chamferededge. fence.Bandsawand sandVz"radii,where

shown, and then rout %" chamfersalong
Add the fence all the top and bottom endsand edges.
Cut the fence (C) to size. Mark the cen- Sand the sled and fence to 220 git.
ters of the four counterboredholes for Apply two coatsof satinpolyurethaneto
the hold-down clamps on the bottom of the parts.Install the hardware.

www.rroodonline.com 65
Cut the base (G) to size, and plow the base'sedge.Drill pilot and countersunk Withthe base (G) and upright(H) assem-
centered dado, where shown on shank holes through the base into the bled, bandsawa centeredked for the
plastic-laminate
feather.
Drawing 3. Drill 7s" holes to form the upright, and drive in the screws.
endsof the slots,and saw out the waste. Form the groovefor the plastic-laminate polyurethane. With the finish dry, rein-
Bandsawand sand Vz" radli on all four feather,as shownin Photo B. Cut a piece sert the laminate, drive in the screws, and
corners. Cut the upright (H) to size. of laminateto the size shown, and sand install the hardware. lP
Rout a pair of 3/e"round-overson one the Vz"radii. Insert the laminateinto the Writtenby Jan Svec
end, forming a full round. Bandsawand kerf, aligning its bottom edge with the Projectdesigns:Jeff Mertz
lllustrations:
RoxanneLeMoine
sandthe Vz" tadius, where shown, then upright's bottom edge. Drill pilot and
finish-sandthe parts.Glue and clamp countersunk shank holes. Materials List
the upright into the base'sdado with Remove the laminate and
the featherboard end flush with the apply two coats of satin
sled
B guidebar s/qu
E renrHER
BoARD/
7e"round-overs 3/q'
37'
BB
FENCE
SINGLE.POINT C fence 21/z' 36'
stop 3/^u

71/z'
guide
th" llalwasher ---.-@
t/ra"kert 1" deep
G base 3/q, 51/tu 83/q, BB
3x 41/2" H upright s/qu 5u 71/z' BB
plastic laminate
varies.
tThickness Seetheinstructions.
%o+"shank hole't/q"deep, birchplywood,
Materials key: BB-Baltic M-maple,
countersunkwith a centered H-temoered
hardboard.
7sz"pilothole t/2"deep Supplies: Quick-setting
epoxy.
s/o+"holes
Blades and bits: Stackdadoset,chamfer
and%"
#6 x 1/2"F.H.wood screw
round-over
router
bits.
7/aq"pilol hole 17e" deep Buying Guide
Hardware kits. Kitscontain allthehardware
shown onDrawings 1,2,and3,including theplastic
laminateforthefeather board.Tapering jighardware kit
no.BTJ,$18.95 ppd.; jighardware
duplicating kitno.
DUP, $13.95 ppd.; feather fence
board/single-point
hardware kitno.FB-SPF, $15.95ppd.Schlabaugh &
SonsWoodwo rking,720 14thStreet,Kalona,lA 52247 .
Call800/346-9663,
s/a"slot Hardware plus lumber kits. Kitscontain all
thehardware shown onDrawings 1 and3,including the
plastic
laminate forthefeatherboard, plusenough Baltic
birchplywood andmaple lumber
tobuild thetapering jig
R=1/2"
all corners andthefeather board/single-point
fence. Tapering jig
hardware pluslumber kitno.LP-BTJ,$24.95 ppd.;feath-
€n-^T-stot nut fence
erboard/single-point hardwarepluslumber kitno.

E---.,
%l'hexhead
bolt2" long
LP-FB-SPF,
ohone
$16.95
number
ppd.Seetheaddress
listedabove.
andtele-

66 g WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 tr
r-*
h.
#
s
' .'rl#

$-:'ir':
:.*yi

ft*
;"\,\,

o you postpone sharpening dependson the hardnessof the steeland For bestresults,rely on siliconcarbide
until your tools will barelycut the condition of the edge,you can take sandpaper,the black, wet/dry type.
balsawood?We havea way to the typical chisel from banged-up to Silicon carbide is harder than the abra-
make it so quick, simple, and inexpen- extremelysharpin l0 minutesor less. sivesfound on othertypesof sandpaper,
sive that you'll find yourself whipping suchasaluminumoxideandgarnet,so it
those chisels and plane irons into shape, Get hicrh-mlalitv results does a betterjob of removing steel,and
and keeping them that way. with bisiimateirials lastslonger.
It's worlh the effort because sharp You have many choices for sharpening, Stockpilea seriesof grits-I00, 150,
tools make your work easier,more accu- including natural, synthetic, and dia- 220, 320,400, and 600-and you'll be
rate, and even safer.When a chisel slices mond stones, as well as horizontal and readyfor practicallyany tool-sharpening
neatly through wood, instead of requir- vertical grinding wheels. However, task in your workshop.Look for silicon
ing brute force, it's less likely to slip and sandpaperoffers several advantagesover carbidepaperat a homecenter,hardware
nick the project or a finger. And, with the all of these. It cuts steel efficiently, pro- store, or auto supply outlet, or call
right technique, sharpening doesn't take vides a consistently flat surface, and Klingspor's Woodworking Shop at
long. Although the time involved costs relatively little. 800/228-0000.

6B WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

I R=1/2"

SHARPENING
JIG
ging into the paperwith the cuttingedge.
To begin the sharpeningprocess,let's
first makethejig.

Build our side-to-side

sharpening jig
The jig detailedin the explodedview,
left, rs suitablefor any chisel or plane
iron with a blade at least 3" long. It's
designedto sharpentool edgesat a 25"
angle.You might decideto makeone for
" flat washer
eachanglethat you need.
To build one for yourself, first make
t/q"
, the base(A) from a pieceof hard maple
longer than the completedjig. Startwith
a workpiece measuring approximately
=-1 th.x3xl}". Install a dado set in your
1" tablesaw,andcut a groove%0"deepand
l3/+"wtde,3/q"from the rear edge,where
shownin Step 1 of the Making the base
/io" hole
drawing. Now, install a ripping blade,
o/ra"hole with a and set rt at 25". Use double-facedtape
carrier----i-
/ l"lo, 7a"counterbore to fasten your workpiece to a slightly

';,+
t/q"deep on bottomface larger backer board. Now, place this
assemblyas shown in Step 2, and rip a
,u) bevel. Return the blade to 90o, and cut

)+
the baseto its finishedlengthof 7t/2".
\

4" dado%o"deep au
V
13/q"

e A ax 1 1 / qR
' .H.
machine screw

1e/q"g(oove g/ro"degp

Base

You also needa can of scouringpow- commonlyusedto examinephotographs

der for final honing.We got greatresults and negatives. Use it to check your
with BarkeepersFriend, which contains sharpeningresultsasyou move from grit
oxalic acid, feldspar,sodaash,and other to grit. We stoppedby a camerastore,
proprietaryingredients.Look for it at a and for just $7.95 bought a loupe that
supermarketor hardware store, or order magnifies objects to eight times their
it online at www.barkeepersfriend.com. actualsize.
You'll need a flat, hard, work surface, Finally, becausesharpeningtool edges
such as medium-densityfiberboard, on with sandpaperon a flat surfacerequires
which to placethe sandpapersheets.If you precisiongrinding,we developeda stur-
usea slickersurface,suchasglassor plastic dy hard maplejig to help you every srep
laminate,and your sandpaperslips, wet it of the way. When using the jig, you'll
with waterto hold it in place. find it holds the tool at the perfecrangle
Thoughoptional,you alsomight bene- without rocking or ripping.And it allows
fit from a magnifying loupe of the kind for a side-to-sidemotion to avoid die-

www.woodonline.corn
 EEIEI

7a"Forstnerbit
\

Drill-press
table

Make the carrier (B) from a piece of Cut the hold-down (C) to the dimen- paper. Insert the chisel bevel side down
t/+xl3/qxl}" hard maple. Tilt your blade to sions shown, and drill holes for the into the canier (B), under the hold-down
25o, and bevel-rip the bevel on the carrier, machine screws. Locate the holes I /+" bar (C). Now, adjust it so that the blade
again relying on a backer board and dou- from the hold-down ends, and centered in aligns against one edge of the dado, and
ble-faced tape, as shown in Step 1 of the the width of the hold-down. Cut the han- lies flat on the carrier, while the bevel
Making the carrier drawing. Return the dle (D), and glue it to the hold-down. rests flat on the work surface, as shown
blade to 90o, and crosscut the carrier to its After the glue dries, add the machine in Photo A. Firmly tighten the wing nuts
'7t/2"
finished length. Drill two counter- screws, washers, and wing nuts to make to clamp the chisel in place. The tool
bored holes from the bottom, as shown in the carrier/hold-down assembly. Apply a now sits perpendicular to the sharpening
Step 2, for the machine screws that pro- coat of furniture paste wax to the groove surface and its tip extends ever so slight-
vide clamping power. Locate each hole in the base so that the carrier slides easily. ly lower than the bottom of the jig base.
1t/+" from the carrier end. Drill the coun- Now, place the jig so that its base and
terbore first, and then follow with the %0" From dull and dinqed the tool's bevel contact the sandpaper.
through hole. Reinstall your dado set, and to shiny and sharp- Press on the coffrer of the sandpaper with
use your miter gauge, equipped with a To begin the sharpeningprocess,dig out one hand, and grip the carrier with your
long auxiliary fence, to cut a t/ro" dado 4" a dull chisel-or select a brand-new one, other hand, as shown in Photo B. Slide
long, as shown in Step 3. This dado helps like the one shown in the photos, and the carrier and chisel away from your
you clamp tools at a right angle to the you'll still see dramatic improvement. body while also pressing down. Draw it
work surface. Place the jig on a sheetof 100-grit sand- back with little downward pressure.After

You can place the chiselagainsteitheredge of the dado. Just make As you beginto removesteelfromthe chisel,a lineappearson the
sure that it's flush with that edge, flat on the carrie[ and has its sandpaper.Move the jig away from the line to place the chisel on fresh
beveled edge flat on the work surface. abrasive.Your pressureon the jig helps keep the sandpaperin position.

70 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

After only a few strokeson 1OO-gritpaper,the scratchesleft by the Beforechangingto the next grit of sandpaperin your sequence,rub
manufacturingprocessbegin to disappear.Keep working at the the flat side of the chisel on the paper.This step helps to assure
same grit untilthe entirebevel shows an equal shine. that the cutting edge is sharp as can be, with no burr.

several such strokes, lift the carrier from Remove the chisel fr"omthe jig. lay its cLlttingedgeequally.Rely on your loupe
the base and inspect the chisel bevel, face f-lat on the sandpaper.as shown in to inspectthe steelfor a uniform scratch
as shown in Photo C. Whether the chisel Photo D. and rr-rbit from side to side. pattern,zrsshownin Photo E, anddecide
is new or used,your -eoalis the same.You Again, yoLl want to replace coarse whetherit's timeto moveto thenextgrit.
want to place a fresh, r"rnifonn pattern of scratcheswith finer ones. Also. tnany Of course.you can keep going with
fine sclatches parallel to the cutting edge chisels come fiom tl-re factory with a finer and finer -erits-consider2,000 as
acrossthe entire bevel. If more strokes are sli-ehtlydished face, so spend some time the maximum-but we suggeststopping
necessaly to accomplish that, move the on the coarser grits to make it f-lat. at 600 -qritand honingthe edge.You'll
jig back slightly to place the bevel on an Repeat these two steps with each -erit havea chiselthat'splentykeenenough
untouched surface. that you r"rse.refinin-e both facets of the fbr all of your woodworkingneeds.

High-tech analysis of low-tech sharpening.

We sharpenedsomechiselswith our jig scanningelectronmicroscope.As a final chisels on an expensivehollow-grind
and sandpaper,and took them to Iowa step,he stroppedthe sampleson leather system,and then stroppedit. That result
State University. John Verhoeven, chargedwith abrasivecompound.One is shown below right. The final verdict:
retired professorof metallurgicalengi- of those samplesis shown below lefi. our low-techmethodproducedcompara-
neering,photographedthe edgeswith a Verhoeven also sharpenedone of the ble resultsat a fraction of the cost.

Here'sone tiny section of a chisel edge that was sharpenedwith Also magnified150 times,this chiselwas sharpenedon a high-endsys-
the side-to-sidemethod.The view is magnified150 times.At that tem. The scratches run perpendicularto the edge, and arc less promi-
extreme,you can see slight scratches left even after stropping. nent than those at left, but therc's little differencein sharpness.

wwrrv.woodonline.com 71
Most of us need a little magnificationto examinethe chisel edge Sprinklesome scouring powder on a flat surface,such as this
for a consistent scratch pattern. This simple loupe allows plenty of medium-densityfiberboard,and proceed as you did on the
light to reach the subject, and magnifiesit eight times. sandpaper.lt doesn't take many strokesto thoroughlyhone the edge.

Now voutre in the you can substituteany piece of available scratchesto produce a gleaming edge.
hone'stretch leather for a strop, and use household Storeeachsharpenedchiselin its own slot
Honing removesthe last tiny sandpaper scouringpowder as the abrasive. or compartment,so the edge can't get
scratches,and gives you the smoothest We also got fine resultswith an even dinged. Put each plane iron back in its
possiblecuttingedge.We honedour sam- simplerapproach.Sprinklescouringpow- planewith the edgeabovethe sole.
ple chiselson a leatherstropchargedwith der on a flat pieceof densewood, suchas Once you have your cutting tools up to
green chromium oxide compound. You maple, or a piece of medium-density snuff, get in the habit of keepingthem that
can buy both items from Woodcraft by fiberboard (MDF). Now, as shown in way with frequentresharpening. You won't
calling 800/225-1153.A 2x8" leather Photo F, use the jig one more time. have to stafi at 100 grit; you might be able
strop mountedon maple is item 18H21 Removethe chisel from thejig, and hone to start at320, and go from there.lF
and costs$22.99:a 6-ouncebar of com- the face, too. The fine abrasivesin the Written by Jim Pollock with Steve Oswalt
poundis item 85H28andcosts$6.95.Or, powder remove most of the remaining lllustrations:
Roxanne LeMoine

To grind, or not to grind? ()urcufting-edge

expert
Steve Oswalt
By itself, the sandpaper has been
sharpeningmethod createsa honing his
sharpening
flat bevel. Every time you
and wood-
sharpen,you have to remove working
steel from the entire bevel. skillssince
As long as you resharpenon a his first high

r#
regular basis, that's really not school shop
class more
a problem. than 30
If you start the sharpening years ago.
processwith a grinding wheel, He has test-
you produce a hollow-ground ed products
tor WOODa
edge, as shown in the drawing
magazinefor more than 15 years.
at left. You can go this route,
then follow your grinding
with the sandpapermethod.
But we recofilmend doing all Seemore.oo
of the work on sandpaper.A
hollowed-out bevel results in ...shop-tested
a weaker edge. techniques at
tll|tll,tlll.tll|00dsloF8.tll|00dl||all.c0l||/d0tlJ.ill

72 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 For the lumberand other
itemsneededto buildthis
project, seepage 79.

ere are two projectsthat let you copiesof eachhalf of the chair rear leg shownon Drawing1. Use a fairing stick
spenda lot more time relaxing full-size half pattern on the WOOD to draw the arcs, as shown in Photo A.
than building.But don't let the PATTERNSoinserl. Adhere them to the To make the adjustable fairing stick
easy deck-screw-and-bolrtogether con- legswith sprayadhesive,matingthehalves shown, seepage 10. Drill the counter-
structionfool you. This duo is both sturdy where shown on the small-scaledrawing sunkshankholes,andbandsawand sand
and supremelycomfortable. on the pattem.Bandsawand sandthe rear the rails to shape.Set asideone front rail
legsto shape.Rout the chamfers. for the footrest.
Assemble the Cut the rear rail (B) and front rails Glue and clamp the rear and front
chair frame (C) to the sizelisted.Lay out the cen- rails (B, C) to the rear legs (A),
Cut the rear legs (A) to the size list- terpointsof the shankholesand the end- where shown on Drawing 2. (The front
ed in the Materials List. Make two points and midpointsof the arcs,where edge of the rear rail aligns with the end

74 WOOD rnagazine June{uly 2003

 I nnls
--l
11/z"l

r
51A',
,1"
31/q'
T-
51/q'

__] , il i_ ---------l 21/a'

s/0" shank hole,
23/ra"/ countersunk
REARRAIL F R O N TR A I L
(Top view) (Frontview)
t/e"round-overs

3/e"gaps

/
t
1 7 e "d e c k
screws
l
\
\ h_

Ta"carriagebolt
3l/2" long

,.ornJtu",,.
fl 7e" hole

To draw the rail's arc, bend a

narrow strip of hardboard to 3" deck screw
t
connect the marked endpoints I I
I
and midpoint. I
I

e/ro"shank hole,
countersunk
s/a"tlaI washer
7o+"pilot hole
2" deep 3/e"nut

E exploDED
vrEW

s/0"shankhole. 3/re"chamfer
countersunk
1\
3" deck screw 7sz"pilothole 7+"deep

9' 17a"deck screw

1 1/q'

17e"deck screws
7e" hole
/io" chamfer 7/aq"pilol hole 1 t/2" deep Tsz"shank hole,
countersunk
1 1" -r-
of the seat'scurve, where noted on the front rail (C), flush with its top edgeand
|3"
pattern.)Use a water-resistant glue, such centered side-to-side.Drill pilot and 193/q'
as Titebond II. With the rails' shank countersunk shank holes through the Ta"carriagebolt
holesas guides,drill pilot holes into the cleatinto the rail. Drive in the screws. ) 3rlz"long
3" deck
rear legs,and drive in the screws. : Cut the front legs (E) to size. Drill
, Cut the cleat (D) to the size listed. . the carriagebolt holes and counter- V s/0" shank hole.
, Glue and clamp it to the back of the sunk shank holes, where shown on 31/2"
countersunk

75
E spmr RAILASSEMBLY SPLATRAIL
(Top view)

21/8"

I
3/e"hole,witha
t/z"counterboreon bottomface Cutline

of part@
Location I-
3'tA"
I-rs
3lz"hf-ffD
WEDGESL Lr$-
--|rf
-!tlr, ;".,*".i. tailTi:li::iffi

Position your drill-pressfence 13/c"lrom

-) 2"6"1 \1/2" the bit's center.With assembly G/H sup-
ported on a scrap board, drillthe lz"'deep
(Top view) (Endview) counterbores.

E nnnlt

Drawing 2. Make sure you have a mir- front legs as guides,drill pilot holes into
rored pair. Rout the chamfers. the front rail, and drive'in the screws.
Using the 3/s"holes as guides, di.II 3/8"
Note: Chamfers at the bottoms of the holes through the rear legs. Insert car- Clamp a scrap stock straightedgeto your
riage bolts, and fastenthem with washers workbench. Apply double-facedtape to
front and rear legs prevent their edges the back of one center splat, and stick it
from splintering as the chair is moved and nuts. to the bench so it is square to the scrap.
around on your patio, porch, or deck. (l Cut the splat rail (G) to the size list-
{Jed. Once again using your fairing
ffi Make two copies of the brackets(F) stick, lay out the curves,where shown on
rc# on the patterninsert. Adhere them to Drawing 3. Bandsaw and sand the splat
|Vz"-thick stock, and bandsawand sand rail to shape.
them to shape.Drill countersunkshank flcut a lVzx3Vqx23/s" piece of stock
holes, where shown. Glue and clamp the llror the two wedges (H). Draw the
bracketsto the legs' outside faces,flush diagonalon one end, where shown in the
at the top and centered side-to-side. EndView on Drawing3. Bandsawon the
Using the shank holes in the bracketsas line to separatethe two wedges,and sand
guides,drill pilot holes into the legs, and the sawnfacessmooth.Apply glue to the
drive in the screws. wedges' sawn faces, and clamp them to
ffiMeasure up 12V4"from the bottom the splat rail (G), where shown on
# of each front leg (E), and make a Drawings2 and 3.
mark on its inside face. Working on a l flChuck a lVs" Forstnerbit in your
flat surface, glue and clamp the front fllJdrill press,and drill counterbores
legs to the rear legs and rails assembly in the splat rail for the bolts that hold the
(AlBlClD). Position the face of the front splat rail and wedges assembly to the
rail (C) Vz" back from the front legs' arms (I), where shown on Drawings 2
Insertingg/e"spacers, position the other
front edges,and align the top of the front and 3, and as shown in Photo B. Switch splats. Adhere the tree patterns with spray
rail with your marks, where shown on to a3/s"brad-pointbit and drill holescen- adhesive.Apply masking tape, and mark
Drawing2. Using the shankholesin the tered in the counterbores. the hole locations.Draw the radius.

76 WOOD magazine June{uly 2003

p ancr SPLATS THENosE
E snnprNc
t/a"round-overon frontand back ends
(routedafter the top curve is cut)

Cutline

7se"shank holes,countersunk

@ nennsLAT
fiop view)

21/2"
lil" shank
hote,
countersunk
I

Make the arms,- andjoint the splatblanks to shape.Make

back, and seat 5o cutson two blanksand 9o cutson two
i: Plane lVz"-thick lumber to 1" thick, blanks,where shownabove.
,",oild cut the arms (I) to the size listed. . Make a copy of the tree cutout pat-
Using a beam compass,mark the front ' 'tern on the insert. To locate the
radii, and then mark the taperedoutside cutout and shank hole centerpoints,and
edges, where shown on Drawing 4. draw the seatback's top radius,lay out
Bandsaw,joint, and sand the arms to the splat blanks on your workbench, as shape.Rout /s" round-overson the top
shape. Lay out the centerpoints of the shownin PhotosC and D. edges.Drill the countersunkshankholes.
',i Bandsaw and sand the ends of the
countersunkshankholes.Make sureyou r: : Cut the noseblank (L) to the sizelisted.
have a mirrored pair of arms, and then - splatsand the tree cutouts.Drill the ',.. Make a copy of the two nosepafferns
drill the holes. Rout VB" round-overs countersunkholes.Rout t/a"round-overs on the pattern insert, and adherethem to
along the top and bottom edges. on the splats' front and back edges, the ends of the blank. Rough out the pro-
: Cut the back splat blanks (J) to the including the cutouts,and their top ends. file on your tablesawby making the four
, ,,sizelisted.Draw the 43/s"to 2" taper , I Cut the rear slat (K) to the sizelisted. cutsshownon Drawing7. Refinetheshape
alongone edgeof eachof the six blanks, Lay out its shape,where shown on with a block plane and sandpaper.Rout
where shown on Drawing 5. Bandsaw Drawing6. Bandsawand sandthe slat to the Vs"round-overs.whereshown.

77
Using the holes in the splat rail assembly (G/H)as guides, drillTs" With a center splat in place, insert 3/e"spacers, and add the rcst of
holes through the arns. Backing blocks prevent splintering. the splats, one at a time, drilling pilot holes and driving in the scrcws.

I Cut the slats (M) to the size listed. guides,drill pilot holes into the legs and where shownon Drawing2. Drill pilot and
I Rout Vs" round-overs on the top brackets,and drive in the screws. countersunk shank holes through the
edges. Drill countersunk shank holes, !! Inserting scrap blocks between the cleat (D) into ttrenose.Drive in the screws.
where shownon Drawing2. 6l clamps and the arms,clamp the splat ALuy four of the slats (M) in place,
rail assembly (G/H) to the arms. The lJseparated by 3/s"spacers.Make any
Note: Sixof the slats (M) will be usedon arms overhangthe back and inside edges adjustmentsneededfor uniform spacing,
thefootrest. of the wedges (H) by Vq".The distance drill pilot holes, and drive in the screws.
between the arms is 21V2". Drill 3h"
Applv an outdoor finish holes through the arms, as shown in f,ssemble and finish
thbt protects for years Photo E. Fastenthe arms to the splat rail the footrest
I Easethe edgesof all the parts with a with carriagebolts, washers,and nuts. I Cut the side rails (N) to the size list-
* sandingblock, and sand all surfaces {Vtart the centerlines,ofthe rear rail * ed. Make two copies of the footrest
to 120 git. Apply an exterior water- tJ(B) and the splat rail (G). Position side rail partial pattern on the pattern
repellent oil finish. We used Wolman one center splat3Ad"from the marks with insert, and adherethem to the rails with
Rain Coat Water Repellent with cedar its bottom end flush with the bottom of spray adhesive, where shown on
toner, fully saturating all the surfaces. the rear rail, and clamp it in place.Using Drawing 8. Make the 15' angle cuts on
Wherever possible, dip exposed end the shank holes in the splat as guides, the ends. With your disc or belt sander,
grain in the finish, especiallythe bottoms drill pilot holes into the rear rail and splat form the two angled flats where the two
of the legs and the tops of the back rail, and drive in the screws.Add the rest top slats(M) will rest.
splats.Let the parts dry for 48 hours. of the splats,as shown in Photo F. $ Retrieve the previously cut front rail
3/a"spacersbetween the back ft(C). Glue and clamp the side rails
!} Apply a color to the frame assembly ,1d Insert
-Isplats
k(NBlClD/ElF), splat rail assembly andthe rearslat(K). Drill pilot (N) to the front rail, flush at the sidesand
(G/H), and the tree cutouts on the back holes into the rear legs (A), and drive in top, where shown on Drawing 9. Using
splats. We used Olympic acrylic latex the screws. the shankholesin the front rail asguides,
solid color deck stain in the Faulkland f Clamp the nose (L) in place, over- drill pilot holes into the side rails. Drive
color. Wipe away any finish that gets on ghanging the front rail (C) by V4", in the screws.
the rounded-over edges of the tree
cutouts.Set the parts asideto dry. 15'
@ roornEsTsrDERAIL --\
[..-_---
Assemblethe chair
I To support the arms (I) during
rI
& assembly,cut two I93/q"-longtempo- I
rary supports from scrap. Clamp them t/4

vertically to the rear legsjust forward of

the rear rail @). With their ends resting
on the supports,position the arms on the l_
front legs, where shown on Drawing 4.
Using the shank holes in the arms as

78 WOOD magazine June{uly 2003

 Te"gaps
t/a"round-overs
p roornesr
I '/!'
VIEW
EXPLODED r.'---"

s/ro"shankhole,countersunk
7sz"shankhole,countersunX 15' bevel
11/z'
1
121/z'
Ta"washer
3" deck srcrew deck screw
r,z
Y7 51/a' ,21/2"

{
t/+"overhang
-L
s/0"chamfer r'\/
7',
t,/
re />N 3/e"hole
,/
z/o+"
V
pilothole s/0" shank hole.
Cut the front legs (O) and rear legs ,/ 1t/2"deep countersunk
(P) to the sizeslisted. Make the 15'
anglecutsat the top endsof the rearlegs, rbz"-{
where shown on Drawing 9. Drill the rear legs. Drill pilot holes, and drive in 21/z' -------\
countersunkshank holes and :/s" bolt the screws.Positionthe rest of the slats.
holes. Rout the chamfers. Glue and inserting 37/"rr spacers between them.
clamp the legs to the front and side rails Make any adjustmentsneededfor uni- \
assembly.Using the holes in the legs as form spacing,drill pilot holes,and drive 3" deck screw
guides,drill pilot holesinto the front and in the screws.?
siderails,and bolt holesthroughthe side
rails. Drive in the screws,and fastenthe Writtenby Jan Svec with Chuck Hedlund
Proyectdesign:Jeff Meftz
bolts with washersand nuts.
lllustrations:
Roxanne LeMoine
Finish the footrest frame assembly
(CN/O/P) the same as you did the
chair parts. After 48 hours, give the
frame assemblyits color coat.
A rearlegs 11/z' 51/q' 307/s'
With the finish dry, retrievethe six
slats(M). Positionone slatflush with projects at B rearrail 11/z^ St/a' 22'

the front edges of the front legs, and .. ::rir;iir1: C- frontrails 11/z' 5Y4' 22'
rit,;ririiili;.rii.fi0lni0[|lll|rac.hlml 3/q'
anotherflush with the rear edsesof the D cleal 3/,u 171/2" C

E frontlegs 11/z' 31/z' 19Vq' C

Gutting D ragraln F brackets tf2 ,J

, ___
___.-._-_..
r^.r, ,._.:.....
''-:--'---'--"--"-
. . 4t.. .
--' G splatrail 11/2" 51/q' 263/q' C

H wedges 11/2' 31/q' 23/a"

11/zx 51/zx 96" Cedar (2x6) I arms 1" 51/z' 28'

J backsplatblanksr/+" 43/a"27'
K rearslat Vtu 51/4' 22'
L noseblank 11/2" 31/2' 22'
x 96" Cedar(2xO)
11/2x51/z
M-slats
",-O
i ",:g'.:':".,::.:::.: ::':.'t'-':;.--'-....--
N siderails
1t/zxSt/zx 96" Cedar(2x6) *Planeor resawto the thicknesslistedin the MaterialsList.
11/2" 41/q' 161/8' C

0 frontlegs 11/2' 31/2' 121/z' C

P rearlegs 11/2" 31/2' 97/s' c
.Onefrontrailand6 slatsrequired
forthefootrest,
3 / a x 5 1 / zx 9 6 " C e d a r ( 1 x 6 ) ( 2 n e e d e d )
Material key: C-cedar.
glue;
Supplies: Water-resistant spray
adhesive; 1%",
2t/2",
and3"deckscrews; %"carriagebolts3tl2"long;
11/zx 51/zx 96" Cedar(2xG) %"flatwashers;%"nuts.
Bits: 1tle"
Forstner
bit,%"brad-point t/e"round-
drillbit,
overrouter router
bit,chamfer bit.
3/+x 51/zx 72" Cedar (1 x6)
Buying Guide
Double settee plan. Planno.WP-OFS-1075,
Toorder,
$13.95. or goto
call888/636-4478,
3/qx 51/zx 72" Cedar (1 x6) woodstore.woodmall.com/outproj,htm
l,

79
 reate a LlniqLle-qardenfocal
point and give climbin-eplants
an upscalehome with this -qeo-
metric gem. The rou-qhly 5O"-tall tllteur
can be used freestanding or moLlnted
atop its companion planter, f-eaturedin
the May 2003 issue and shown on the
oltpositepoge, bottont. Need sug-eestions
for suitable plants? See the sidebar,
"Vine ideas."

For the l umberand otheri te m s

neededto bui l dthi s proj ect see
,
page 82.

Start
'ffi
with the sides
From a lt/:x5t/2x48" cedar board
. tZ" Olpl anedto l " thi ck.cutt helegs
(A) to the size listed in the Materials
List. Mark the locations for the rail
blanks(B, D, E, F) on the legs,where
dimensioned on Drawing1.
ffi Plane a lt/zx5thx24" cedarboardto
&# l " thick. Rip sixteen/+"-thick, I "-
wide stripsfrom the edgeof the boardfor
the rail blanks (B throughF), refening
to the Cutting Dia-eramfol layout.
Crosscutthe stripsto the listedlengths.
3/1" plywood, make a
ff From scrap
# 5x t 9-7x"spacer, andmiter-cutits ends
at llt/zo.whereshownon Drawing1.
(A) on your workbench
F,# Lay two legs
% with the markings visible,and posi-
tion the spacerbetweenthem with the
bottom edgesflush. Clamp the legs to
the spacer.
(B) to the
ffi Glue and nail a rail blank
n# legs, where shown on Drawing1,
aligning it with the marks and roughly
centeringit end to end.Use an exterior-
type adhesive,such as Titebond II or
polyurethaneglue. In the same way,
attacha rail blank (C) to the legs with
the top edgesflush and the legs spaced
3" apartat the rail's bottomedge,where
shownon Drawing1a. Now, attachthe
other rail blanks(D, E, F) to the legs.
Whenthe gluedries,trim the rails' ends
flush with the legs' outsideedges,as
shownin PhotoA.
# Froma lt/:x3t/:x32"cedarboard,rip
ffi fou, %"-thick, I %"-wide strips for

W'h;x€is e*.tffittlatc':b
l,:i''lr r' ir i
i r r i r r tl i ; t t j ' . ) , t l

ii; liiir;t r i ' , 1 ' , ; ' . t rI ;

,'ill ;l i l].','' i ' t 1 i : ' . t1t

I r i l r : i r ii : ! i ) t \ i i t t l i ' 1 " '

WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 -t

1
p venrcAlTRIM I
l r l
I (y"
t
Trimends .
flushwith(!
afterattaching.
@ @ Attachfull-size
vertical
trim pattern
l[roe RAILDETATL at both ends.

E sroeASSEMBLY
Drawlines
to connect
Place the side assemblyfacedown on # 1 8 x s / + "g a l v a n i z e d n a i l trim patterns.
scrap boards. Using a fine-tooth saw,
trim the rails' ends even with the legs. \
the vertical trim (G). Face-join the sh'ips
to-getherr.rsinga few pieces of double-
faced tape. Make two copies of the vertical
trim pattern on the WOOD PATTERNSa
insert. Adhere the patterns to the ends of 81/z'
a strip, and draw lines to connect them,
where shown on Drawing 2. Bandsaw Trimends^
the strips to shape, and sand the curved flushwithQ)
ed-ees smooth. Carefully separate the afterattachino.
strips, and remove the tape. B1/2"

lf Gtue a vertical trim strip (G) to the

I side assemblv. where shown on
Drawings 1 and 3. Center it side-to-side

w7
4"
in the assembly with an equal overhan-e
above rail F and below rail D. Note that 193/a'
the trim fits behind rail E and in front of
rails D and F. /)","
Q Repeat the process to assemble the
|[Jopposin-e side.

Add the tuteur Vine ideas

to the planter Wonderingwhat vineswill work best with this
tuteur?The selectionsbelowenjoyfull sun and do
For a winningcombination, con- well in most areasof NorthAmerica.You'llwant to
sider mountingthe tuteuron the tie miniatureclimbingrosesand clematisto the
planterfeaturedin the previous
tuteurfor support,and helpvinesthat have tiny
issue(May2003,page 94), as rootlets,such as ivy, get a footholdby twining
shown at right. First,trim the them aroundthe structure.ln areaswith cold win-
tuteur'slegs (A) flushwith the ters, bringtendervines indoorsin fall beforethe
bottomedge of the railsB. firstfrost.
Then,cut two mountingblocks
(K) to the size listedin the Annuals:Sweetpea, hyacinthbean,climbing
MaterialsList.Gluethe blocks snapdragon,moonflower(specificallylpomoea
to the insideface of two oppos- alba),morningglory,cardinalclimber,Spanish
ing railsB, whereshownon flag, cypressvine,and nasturtium.
Drawing3. With the tuteur
placedon the planter,drilla Perennials: Clematis,miniatureclimbingroses,
countersunkshankhole in each and E ngl i shi vy.
mountingblock,and screwthe
Tendervines:Mandevilla,passionflower,
black-
blocksto the planter'stop trim.
eyed Susan,and jasmine.
www.woodonline.corn 81
 chamfer

and
7sz"shankhole.countersunk
centeredon bottomwith
7/a+"pilol hole 1" deep in part
i--:9#B x 1rl2"staintess-steel

%" chamfers 33/q'

Clamp the spacer betweenthe assemblies' vtEW

legs at one end. Attach the rail blanks, fl rxeloDED
aligningthem with the adjoiningrails.

#8 x 1tl2"stainless-steel
F.H.wood screw

7sz"shank h"l)
countersunk.I

Trimends r
flushwith$)
afterattaching.
Using a sanding block with 8O-gritsand-
paper, flatten the top edges of the rails
(C) to receive the top assembly. Trimendsflushwithbottom
ot@it mountingto planter.

Assemble the sides. and (H) and cap (I) to the sizes listed. screw.Centerand glue this assemblyto
top off the tuteur Chamfer their edges,where shown on the base(H).
I Position the two side assemblies Drawing 3. f Sand the top of the tuteur flat, as
I upright and oppositeeachother.As O Cut the finial (J) to the dimensions rJshown in PhotoG.Thencenter,glue,
shown in Photo B, clamp the sPacer t)UsteO. Make two copiesof the finial and clamp the top assemblyH/I/J to the
betweenthe assemblies,and attachthe patternon the insert.Adhereone pattern rails(C).|F
rail blanks (B throughF) to the legs in to the finial. Bandsaw to the pattern
Writtenby Owen Duvall
the sameorder as before.(An air nail- lines. Adhere the other patternto one of Projectdesign:Kevin Boyle
er is ideal for this.) Repeatthe process the curved sides, and bandsawagain. Mike Mittermeier
lllustrations:
on the opposite side. Trim the rails' Sandthe finial smooth.
ends, and install the remaining verti- and glue the finial to the top
'flllCenter
cal trim (G). of the cap (I). Drill a pilot andcoun-
f) From a 3Ax5t/zxl2" cedar board tersunk shank hole through the bottom
A planed to t/2" thick, cut the base of the cap, where shown,and drive the legs 47"
B- railblanks 1" 22',
C. railblanks t/4 1
D- railblanks v4 1" 18',
E- railblanks 1/tu 1u 14',
F- railblanks f4 1" 10'
G verticaltrim 1/e' 11/z' 32'
11/zx 51/zx 48" Cedar (2x6)
H base Vz' 33/4' 33/4'

I cap I/zn 21/2, 21/2, c

*Planeor resawto the thickness
listedin the MaterialsList. J finial 11/2', 11/2" 6u c

blocks Vq'
K mounting 3/q' 31/2' C
11/zx 51/zx 24" Cedar (2x6) -Parts
initially Seetheinstructions.
cutoversize.
-$-:.= .(p ' ' , l, Cd . .@ Material key: C-cedar.
l.e Supplies: #18x%" galvanized
nails,
woodscrews
flathead
stainless-steel
#8x1%"
(3),spray
x 32" Cedar(2x4)
11/2x31/z 3 h x 5 1 / xz 1 2 "C e d a r( 1 x 6 ) adhesive.
exterior-type
adhesive,

82 WOOD rnagazine June/JulY 2003

 *
\it
,h
r*

"..;,kffi
\r_
'\.
wood close-up i\

#\3 \", \
,_i.
#.*

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fi$,
Sll

i'
f:

6r.
ry\
q
);,.

,\\l;l_/
e )e \. )l;l-'l | |
,-JJ'J)'=--
I I A supporting player among
today's cast of hardwoods
Sapwood
o n r n a r - c c tl o t h c u c l l - k t t o u t t $n_rFportant player
Anrcrican Itat'clvnoocls. I'cllttvt behinil the sc-enes
lrolrlar'( Liriotlcrttlron tul ipi ltra) P o p l a r c l o c s n ' t t ' c ec i t c t t i t t c h l ' c c ( ) g l ' t t -
c l o c s n ' tg c t n r L t c hr c \ l l c c t .I t d t t c s t l ' th l t re t i o n . b u t i s L r s c cclo r t t t t t t l t t llri r l r t t a k i r r S
striking grain to ituc tlrc cve. ttor is it L-\'cr\rc[i.r\, itcnts. sttclt lts 1ots. kitchcrt
lauclcclas a finc fiu'nitLtrc*'ttttcl. Irt thc r . r t c n s i l si n. r p l c n t c n th l t n c l l c sl.t t t c lb o r c s .
shop. thor"rgh.1-roplarllro\ cs ecortor.tti- W h c n L r s c ciln f i u ' n i t L t r cl t n c l c l t b i r t e t t ' r .
c a l . r ' c r s u t i l e .a n c l r et ' \ w o r k l t r l e . S c c t h o L r g hi.t ' s L t s L r a l lhri t l c l c no r t l i s g L r i s c c l .
" P o p l a r u t a g l a n c c " l i r t 'I l o l ' c c l c t a i l s . s o t h c u o o c l t ' c l n l i i n sl c s s k r t o u t i t l t l t r l
T h c t r c c i s n ' t a c t L [ i l l Yu " t t ' L t c "1 - l t l 1 l l l t l ' . othcr hlircluoocls.
Fleartweod I t ' s a n r e n r b c ro l ' t h e T u l i p t r e c l ' a r t t i l r ' . H o n r c b u i l d c r s .t h o L r g l t .l . . l t o \ \ 'l t o l l l l t t '
B u t i f r , o u h c a t 'a u o o c l uo l - k c rs l t c a kt h c r c n ' u ' c l l . l - h c r ,l t t r c c l i s e t l r c t ' ct thl l t t h c
n a n r L ' k. n o u t h l t h c i s r c l c l ' r ' i n gt t t . i L t s t n ' o o r l p r o d u c c sh i g h - c l u a l i t rn t i l l t r o t ' kl t t
o n c s l . r c c i c st h: c rcllou ltoplar'. a c o n r l . r c t i tci r p r i c c .

A towerinq tree that A workable wood

yields loa1s of lumber at a popular price
P o p l a ri s n a t i r e t o t n u c h o l ' t h c e l t s t c r l l T h o L r c hs o l ' t e tt'h l t n t h e l u t t ' t l u o o t l st i i t l l
U n i t c r lS t a t c s a . s s l t o n t to t t t l t c g r t t u t h - u h i c h i t ' s o l ' t c np l t i r c c ll.t t t l t l l t tt 't t t t l c r s o c s
rangc nrall. ancl I'altks illttoltg Nttl'tlr s i n r i l a rs e a s o n l tIin o v c t t t c l t tu. I l i c h ! I i res
A n r e - r ' i c r . rt 'asl l c s t h a r c l uo o c l s .r c a c h t t t c i t g r c a ts t a b i I i t va n c l . f o i n t - h o I c l i p I rog\ \ ' c l ' .
l - 5 0 'o r t i t l l e r u , i t h t r t " t n kc l i u n t e t e rcso r t t - A t l f i l . r o L r n cplcsr c u b i c l i r t t tc l r r ' .i t ' s . i t r s t
r . r - r o n l \ , n r c a s l t r i (nrg' t o 8 ' . A l t t a l L t l ' c o r c r h a l l ' t h c u c i c l t t o l ' t ' ' : c lo i t k . T h c s c
p o p l a r ; l r o c l u c e sa s t o u n c l i n gc ; L t a n t i t i c ' s a t t r i b L t t es u i t t h e u o o c l er t t ' c t t l el v u c l l
o l ' h i g h - c l L r a l iltut 'r n b c r . lirr-r-rsc on suclt l'Ltr-ttitr.trc pitl'tsi.tsilltcl'llltl
Poplarsollen lreat'Ito branchcslitt' ttr e'l' flitrnes.carcllsL's. iurclclntrtcr-s.
h u l l ' t h c i r ' h e i g h tn. r c a t t i n gn o k t t t t t st o c L l t Y o u c a n c x l l c c t c x c c l l c n tr c s l t l t st h c l l
a r o l r n c lA . thick luver ol'sapuoocl-thc nrachinirtg1'roplar'. lt rilts attclct'ttsscLtts
prclcrrccl;rartof thc log-1''iclclscreatttv- c l c a n l l ' .a n c lh o l c l s . j o i r t c na 'l t c cl l c c o t ' l t tct r
uhitc r,r'oocl w'ith sLrbtlc-train.ubrtrt' lt'.ft. c l c t a i l su , e l l . U s c o l ' c l L r lbl i t s t t t i t l ' c i . t L t s c
Thc hcartu'ooclcxliibrts ntctrc cttlor-a thc w oocl's st-tt'fitccto "l'ttzz." lts ri ill
- g r c e n i s hc a s t s o n t e t i l t t e s l a c e c l w ' i t l l roLrgh sancling. bttt vor,t calt kttttck it
t i n g e so 1 ' p u r p l c b . l a c k .b l L t e a . t t c lb r t t ut l . clorru'n to a snroolhl'inishlrv kccltiltg tottls
honeca l n c !s a n c l i n gt h r o L r u h2 2 0 g r . i l .
Millri'ork trakcrs lovc the tuar' l.rttltlar
Poplarmakesa perfectchotcefor unseen
furnitureparts.lt machinescleanlyto t a k c sp a i n t .i u . t csl o u i l l v o L r T . hc u oocl's
producetight-fittingjoinery. c o n s i s t c t i t . L u t o b t t ' L t s i rg c t ' L t i t lc l o c s t l ' t

WOOD magazine June/Ju1y 2003

 ! a

€-*
,"d's'
-."dF
'* 4;:.: ;'" $+.
,ni
d"ry ;i

fiare Oil-based
W':rOd polyurethane

-iuf'1*;.
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'r ,t-
i

, : , ' , - ; f . ) vr -i r tr C i tai tn a - l e N C r l iir) o a f d s r i t t i l e r a s r a n d M i d w e s t .

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3lr
June{uly 2OO3
lf, Fid-size routers-those that Kev comparisons r Depth-setting ease. Here's where
I It I draw from l0 to 12 amps- of perforftrance theseroutersdiffer themost,andthe photos
- V -pack enough punch to r Gontrols. When you have a razor- below show three depth-setting systems
knock off all but the most daunting sharp bit spinning at 23,000 rpm, you we like. Use them as a referencewhile we
duties in your shop, such as full-depth want total control of the router at all refreshyourmemory on settingthe cutting
cuts with big panel-raising bits. Add times, which meanskeeping your hands depth with a plunge router.
plunging capability for making field on its handles.On almost all of the test- With the bit in the router and the motor
cuts (see"7 Reasonsto Take the Plunge," ed routers, we could reach the critical off, lower the motor gently until the bit
on the nextpage), and you wind up with controls-the power switch and plunge just touchesthe work surface.Unlock the
the ultimate wood-machiningtool with- lock-without letting go of the tool. stop rod and lower it until it touchesthe
out busting the budget. Makita's switch, though,locatedon top stop (usually, but not always, a turret with
In preparation for this article, we of the motor, proved unreachablewith- a seriesof stepsfor making progressively
gathered up a raft of mid-size plunge out removing one hand from a handle. deepercuts),then slide the movablecursor
routers with prices ranging from $100 The DeWalt DW621's conffols are a to"zaro" on the depth scale.Finally, raise
to $250, and put them through a mixed bag: We like the location of the the stop rod so that the cursor overlays
battery of tests. A11 offer variable- power switch (it's a trigger on the right your intendedcuning depth, lock the stop
speed, soft-start motors, and most handle, typical of these tools), but we rod in place, and raise the motor.
accept both Vc"- and Vz"-shankbits in found cumbersome the sequence of All are accurateas far as their scales
self-releasing collets (with these, an eventsrequired to lock the switch "on." go, but we prefer depth-settingsystems
extra turn of the collet pops the bit On the other hand, DeWalt's unique with a microadjust feature for fine-tuning
loose, preventing both stuck and plunge lock is the easiestto engage.A the depth. Our least favorite system is
free-falling bits). But that's where the twist of the left handlelocks and unlocks found on the Skil 1845-02: It lacks
similarities end, as you'll soon see the plunge motion-you needn't lift microadjustability, and its fixed cursor
when we separatethe best from the rest. even a finger to use it. can't be "zeroed," so you have to add

GOOD BETTER BEST

Ryobib engineersone-uppedthe othor mod€lshavingsimplo stop rods by adding a micrcadjustmechanismon th6 stop its€ff (b:n).Each
quarterhrrn ol the stop clicks in a 144"adiu8tn€nt. Dewaltb rack-€nd-pinionsystem(cenq l€quiles two steps to set the cutting depth:
Tumingthe coarseadjustmontknob gets you to lh€ n€af6t 1.f0";the micrcadjustknob thGads the tip ot the.stop rcd in or or4 and its
scale is markedin 1t5."incrementstor makingsup6rfin6changG in depth. W€ llke the depth-€etfng systemon the Bosdr 1613AA/S
(dght)best for a couple ol reasons.FiFt, the microadjustknob worl(s€vEnwith the plungolock €ngaged,ard, like the Dewdt shows
.004' (14!G)incEmenta.Second,the tunet stop ofiers eight i/6"stepe-the most ot arryrcut€r in th€ t€at,

wrvw.woodonline.com 87
 PRESSUREREQUIREDTO PLUNGE
t3 12

We tested the ease of plunging each router by gradually adding sand to a container attached to the top of each router. When the
motor dropped 1", we removedthe containerand weighed it. This chart shows the weight required.

your cutting depth to the reading shown grooves Vz" deepin red oak in a single
on the scale when the bit is bottomed pass, pushing the motor as hard as we
out. (Quick-add Vz"tos/to"t) could. After timing the cuts and averag-
r Plunge action. Overly stiff return ing the results,we discoveredonly a few
springson a plunge router only increase seconds' difference in the time it took
the difficulty of alreadychallengingfield each tool to complete the cut, proving
cuts.To learn how much pressureit takes that eventhe lowest-pricedroutersin this
to plunge each router, seethe "Pressure category are up for tough tasks, if only
Required to Plunge" chart, above. We occasionally.
found that routersrequiring 12-15 pounds r Dust extraction. Onceconsidereda
of pressuregaveus the bestcontrol. luxury, four of the tested routers now
Also, a sloppy fit between the plunge include dust-collectionports as standard
posts and the motor housing contributes equipment; one manufacturersells it as
to inaccuratecuts if the bit doesn't come an accessory;and two make no provi-
down in the exact samespot every time. sion at all. By far, the most effective is
Although some routers felt looser than the through-the-postcollection system
others, the best strayed y64" at most on the DeWalt: When connected to a
(Bosch and DeWalt), while the worst shop vacuum, it gatHereda spectacular
were off V32" (Skil and Ryobi). 93 percentof the debris from a Vz"-wide,
Remember, these numbers are the Vz"-deep,3'-long groove (seephotosat
extremes:You can minimize the effect right). That high number leaves the 70
by always plunging with equal pressure percentrate of the Bosch and the 40-ish
on both handles. percentagesof the Black & Decker
I Power. To measurethe mettle of the RP400K, Makita RP1101, and Porter-
tested routers, we plowed 3'-long V2" Cable 8529 in its (ahem)dust.

Waffling between a A plunge rcuter is worth the extra

plunge and fixed-base money if you want to:
router for your next I Make stopped flutes and dadoes.
portable power-tool purchase? lt's ? Cut mortises with a router.
true that a fixed-base router costs 3 Use keyhole slots in your projects.
and weighs less.than the same size ,l Routinely rout deep slots requiring
plunge router, and will handle at several progressivelydeeper cuts.
least 80 percent of your routing 5 Create signs with rccessed letters.
. chores. But for only a little more 6 nOOan inexpensivethrough-the-table You'll spend less time cleaning up after cuts
made with the DeWaltDW621 hooked up to
money,a plunge router can do lift to your router. (See "Tabletenants" a vacuum (top photo). Compare that to the
everything a fixed-base machine on page 90.) mess left after making the same cut (bottom
can do and morc. 7 Buy only one router. photo) with a router that lacks a dust-
extraction port.

88 WOODmagazine June/July2003
Highpoilrils portdoesn'tftsnugly
? Dust-collection torouterandfell
I Lowprice-abouthalffiat oftre "premium"
routers offrepeatedly,
especially
whenconnected toa
inthiscategofincludescarryingcase. vachose.
I l-argepistol-grip
handles. ? Noself-releasing
collet.
Lowpoirils ' ? Ina router
hble,treonlyheight-adjustnent
? Requires 221b,s.offorceto plunge1"-tre most
mechanism isfte plungeibelf,whichisdfficult
infie tesl
tosetaccurately.
? Accepbonly%"-shank bib,andcolletrunout(wobble) Morcpoints
measured */-.008",hehighest offte toolswetested. ) Large 3"subbase openingallows view
excellent
? Thechipshieldis difficutttoremove forchangihg
bib, ofbit,butwon'tacceptguidebushings and
discouraging ib use. offersreduced
supportonccjmers ofworkpieces.
) Easyto-userack-and-pinion
depftscale, butno
microadjustmentsystem.

Highpoints low points

l Spring-loadedplunge lockretumsautomaticallyto portmounbonfie flatsideoffie
? Dust-exFaction
lockedposition,
soyoualwaysknowwhereto findit. D-shapedbase,soyou'llneedto remount
it for
I Satin-smooth plungeaction. cub (orusea fencelowerftan %"),
fence-guided
I Ourfavoritedepfi-settingsystemwift micro- ? Plungelockcan'tbedefeatedforrouter-hbleuse.
adjustability
toYzn",and evenwifirtre
functionality Morepoinls
plungelockengaged.
I Guide-bushing
adapter
comes wift he route[but
I Hinged chipguardflipsontoffte wayfor bitchanges. quick-release
guidebushings(or
accepbonlyBosch
Poder-Cable
bushings-treindustrysbndard-witl
anoptionalaccessory).

Highpoirtts I Mushroom-shaped handles

arelesscomforhble to our
i Bestinfte testfordustexfaction witr a shop hands ftan pistol-grip
style.
vacuum athched. ? Theclearplastic dusthoodtendsto cloudwifrrdust,
I Rack-and-piniondeptr-setting system witr evenwhenusedwitr a vacuum, limiting
viewof
microadjustworKwellandisadjushble h l/zn". fie bit.Youcaneasilyremove it.
I Lefthandle rchtesto engage anddisengage plunge
Morcpoinb
lock,sohandsremain infullgripof routerat alltimes.
I Verysmootrplunge action. ) lf youtumofffie moto[andfien st]t it againbefore
it stopsfuming,it won'trestartuntilit slowsto a low
I Thequietest routerinfte test,at 88dB.
rpm.Thisfeature mayaddlifeto fie motorbutwe
low poinb foundit annoying; whencombined
especially wifi fie
? Locking powerswitchrequires a clumsy
firee-step already awkwardpowerswitch.
process fiat takessomegettingusedto,andis ) Thisrouterrunsa closesecond b fte Bosch for
dfficultto engage wift routerhble-mounted, TopTool.

Highpoinb comforhble to ourhands fian pistol-grip

style,and
I All-mehlconstuction (exceptfor
caponmotor)makes confibuteto ilrisrouterfeelingtop-heavy.
fiis a durable
tool. ? RoundbaselacKa llatedgeforguiding alonga fence.
i Spring-loadedplunge lockretumsautomatically
to I Plungelockcan'tbedefeated forrouter-hbleuse.
lockedposition,soyoualwaysknowwhereto findit.
Morcpoinb
I Verysmootrplunge action.
i Extemally replaceable
motorbrushesfor I Requires
twowrenches forchanging bib.
I Togglepowerswitchontopof motorcan'tbe
easymaintenance,
reachedwiilrbofrrhandsonfie router'shandles,
but
low poilrts worKwellwift fie routerhble-mounted.
I Threaded stoprodis microadjustable,butfte micro- ) Smallsubbase opening fitsP-Cguidebushings,but
scaleandzeropointbofi tumwih eachadjustment, resbicbviewof bit.
s0youcan'ttellhowmuchyou'vechanged. ) Dusthoodisanoptionalaccessory.
I Thequick-release buthnforfte stoprodrequires 1 ) Mobralsofib inMakih'saccessory fixed-base
andD-
tumto release,butwitr 1llztums,itfallsoff. handlebases.Thisinterchangeability
leadsb manyof
? Painted,mushroom-shaped handlesareless fte RP1101'sshortcomings plunge
asa dedicated mubr.
89
 Highpoinb {l lt takes20lbs.ofpressure
to plunge thebit1"-the
l Spring-loaded plungelockreturns to
automatically second mostinthetest.
locked s0youalwaysknowwhereto findit.
position, I Theclearplastic dusthoodtendsto cloudwithdust,
It alsocanbedefeated forrouter-table
use. evenwhenusedwitha vacuum, viewof
limiting
I Toggle-style powerswitchworkswellbothhandheld thebit.Youcaneasilyremove it,
andwithroutertable-mounted. Though notonthe
Morcpoints
handle, it'swithinaneasythumb's reach. turretstop,thestoprodrotates to
) Insteadofa rotating
I Externally motorbrushes
replaceable foreasy whichofthethreestopsyou'lluse.Theknobfor
select
maintenance. turningthestopis sosnugtotherouterbodythatwe
I Whenusedwiththeoptional router-table kit
accessory
foundit easierto rotateit usingthe"foot"onthe
(shown bottom right),youcanadjustcuttingheight bottom offte rod.
fromabove thetable,making thisrouteruniquely thatmakethisa goodrouterfortable
) Thefeatures
suitedforrouter-tableuse. mounting seemtoworkagainst it inhandheldmode.
Lowpoints useyourrouter
lf you'llprimari$ thisis
ina table,
I Althoughthisrouterhasa microadjust it
system, thebestinthetest.
a lotof knobfurningandissoconfusing
requires that
thesixstepsto useit arewrittenontherouter.

Highpoints I Nodustextraction collet.

orself-releasing
I At$100,thisistheleastexpensive inthetest
router I Slopin plungeactioncancausebitto beoffitsmark
thataccepts72"-shankbits. byasmuchaslu".
stopchanges
I Microadjustable for
cuttingdepth7on" I Ina router theonlyheight-adjustment
table,
%turn.ltsfullrange
euery is%". mechanism istheplunge to
whichisdifficult
itself,
motorbrushes
replaceable
I Externally for setaccurately.
easymaintenance. Morcpoints
Lowpoinb ) Large3" subbaseopening allows viewof bit,
excellent
I 15,000 rpmlowspeed thanthe
faster
issignificantly butwon'tacceptguidebushings andoffersreduced
othertestedrouters. supportoncornersofworkpieces.
) Plungelockandpowerswitcharebothactivated by
therighthand,whichmaycause in
confusion
anemergency.
provides
of 7+"collet,Ryobi
) Instead anadaptersleeve
to accommodate7+"bits.

Table tenants Porter-Cable's

router-table
So, how well does this class of machine work when accessorykit
hanging upside down in a router table? Frankly,the (partno.75301,$30)
answer in many cases is a qualified "not very well." includesa height-
adjustmentknob
One major factor prevents most plunge routers from for through-the-table
working as well in a router table as fixed-base settings,and an
machines:the ability to accuratelyadiust cutting otfset wrench that
permitsbit changes
depth. In fact, on four of the seven tools in our test, throughthe table's
the only height adjustmentyou have when table- bit opening.(One
mounted is the plunge action itself. of the two otfset
wrenchesshown
Of the three models that do allow for fine height comeswith the
adjustmentswhen table-mounted,Porter-Cable's router.)
system (shown at rightl is arguably the best, with its
through-the-tableadjuster.(Bosch and Skil require
fiddling beneaththe table with a small knob; tested routers-DeWalt and Makita-with a relatively
DeWalt'sbelow-tableadjuster is optional.)You can inexpensiverouter-liftingaccessory called RouterRaizer
also add through-the-tableadjustabilityto two of the ($gO,5151266-1293 or www.routerraizer.com).

90 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 Highpoints microadjustability.
Andtheknobitselfcrowds the
+ $100pricetagincludes caseandan
a carrying routerbody,making to adjustwiththetool
it difficult
guidebushings.
thatfitsPorter-Cable-style
adapter table-mounted.
i Largepistol-grip
handles.
Morcpoints
l 0nboardstorageforbit-changing
wrench.
) Although it requirestheleastamount ofweightto
Lowpoints plunge 1",theplunge actionfelta littletooloose to us.
I Nodustextraction. Justplacing ourhands onfie unlocked router caused
accepts
I Collet only%"-shank bitsandis notself- it to plunge.
releasing. ) Justbefore wewentto press, welearned of a new
I Slopin plungeactioncancausebitto beoffitsmark lineof routers slatedto beinstoresbyearlythisfall,
byasmuchasln". oneofwhichwillreplace the1845-02. According to
t Depfiscalecan'tbe"zeroed," s0youhaveto addyour Skilproduct manager Marcus Buzynski, thenew
cuttingdepftto thefractionshownonthefixedscale. 1820plunge willadda tunetstop,"zeroing"
router
? The"fine-adjustment knob"citedinthe1845-02's capability onthedepthstop,anda worklight,andwill
owner's manual ovenides theabilityto plungethe sellforaround $80.However, it willonlybeoffered in
router, making
effectively it a fixed-baserouterwith a fixed-speed version.

I 1,. I penronnanruce(3)
GRADES ESSORIES

'/f/s
//F/t
/!,
t>t I
I

ffiffiff 3%
fo/|
8/ll

f/td#
1/s/
-tl I I

'ill s-e

H
I u l!
* / 5 l! y5/_E
:a / e* /
lE /
P l9 'lglil
af
BLACK&DECKER RP4OOK1 0 1 l + 8,000-25,0002 1 3 3 D-B- B D 96 "c /8* ,
CC,D,X CG,E 1 0 2 c 8.8 $105
BOSCH 12
1613AEVS 1l+,1lz 11,000-22,000
21lq 8 21lz 3Ve B 93 C , D , Glc, cG,E I 1 U 1 0 . 4 200
DEWALT DW621 1 0 1 l q , 1 l z8,000-24,000 2 1le 3 21lz 21lz B D 88 C , D , G BT, E 8 1 E 9 . 1 200
MAKITA R P 11 0 1 1 1 1 l + , 1 18,000-24,000
2 21slsz3 1 1 l q II D 92 c D,E,SB 31lt 1 U 1 0 . 3 250
PORTER.CABLE 8529 12 1It,1lz 10,000-23,000 21lz 4 31lz 31/zI B+ 94 C , D , G E, AT 1 0 1 U 0.8 220
RYOBI R E l S O P L1 0 ' t 2 ' 15,000-23,000
2 1 3 3 B+ N/A B D r00 S 1 0 2 U 8.6 100
SKIL 1845-02 1 0 1lq 8,000-25,0002 1 31lz 31lz D l e N/A B 98 cc, G E 6 2 U 7.9 100
NOTES:
1. (.) Adaptersleeveprovided s.l Excellent (AT) Through-the-tableheightadjuster 7. (C) China
for 1/c"-shank
bits. (BT) Below-the-tableheightadjuster (E) England
E Good
(C) 1/+"collet (U) UnitedStates
2. Withoutguide-bushing
adapters I Average (CC) Carryingcase
if so equipped. E Belowaverage (CG)
(D)
guide
Circle-cutting
port
Dust-collection
Pricescurrentat time of article's
productionand do not include
M Featurenot available
on this router.
(E) Edgeguide shipping,whereapplicable.
(G) Guide-bushing adapter
(S) Adaptersleevefor 1/+"bits
4. (.) Testedwithoptionaldust hood.
(SB) Clearsubbase
5. Measured2'aboveand 1'behind (X) Extra1/a"collet
routerrunningat top speed.

Shareyouropinion
It was neck and neck betweenthe Bosch 1613AEVSand DeWalt DW62l, but in ofthesetoolsin
the end,Boschwins by a nose.Although DeWalt's dust collectionprovedsuperi- ourPlungeRouters
or, the 1613AEVSis easierto usein a routertable,so we ultimatelynamedit our furum
at
Top Tool. If you're buying a mid-size router specifically for table-mounting,opt
insteadfor the Porter-CabLe8529 and its optional router-tableaccessorykit. tl|Jtll|tl|J.tlJ00dmaualine.c0l||/pll|l|$0l'0
The Top Value award goesto the $100 Ryobi RE180PL. Good power, microad-
justability, replaceablemotor brushes,and the Vz" collet are features typically
found only on routerscosting twice as much.i Written by Dave Campbellwith Phillip Goodwin
lllustration:Tim Cahill

rrvrw.rrYoodonline. corn
.l:;r-1_.:, ,, ,..

rl"
"'
i: :,r;
"i$ ,i.
.;,*-
".r. "$.
.i .F
jt:

-***nt#e

Come along with

me and learn
the simple I my out your shop for effective workflow.
.l This 12x20' shop makes the most of every square foot
timesaving techniques / use in the WOODo with logicallylocatedworkstationsand tuck-awaytool storage.
magazine shop every day. I guarantee they'll Machines are positioned with infeed and outfeed room,
make you more productive and help you build and can be moved to
accommodate work-
every project better. , ing with long boards.
Mount machineson

Cil^,,cK[\tDLurrb mobile bases to sim-

plify adding a new
tool or temporarily
hether you spend an hour a week or every waking
relocatingequipment
hour in the shop, chancesare you feel like it's never
while working on a
enoush time. While I can't createmore time for vou. big project. You can
I canmaximizeyour woodworkingtime.You won't needfancy buildyour own bases,
toolsor complicated jigs. As you'll see,you just needto effec- or buy models to fit
tively setup your shop,and approachprojectswith a plan. most any tool.

92 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 Rn"y anotherrouter. tf
lJthere's any tool you can justify
two of, it's a router.With two routers,
you won't have to undo setups
or waste time swapping parts. For
maximum versatility,
?b
get both a
fixed-basemodel
and plunge router.
) Cet organized and stay that way. Fewthings lf you have a
IJ cause more frustrationthan being unableto find a partic- router table, you
ular tool or bit when you need it. Router bits, as an example, can dedicate
seem to sneak away easily,so I give them dedicatedstorage. one machine
This holder(foundin issue 139)mountsto the wall near your to it. A fixed-
routertable to cradle bits safelywithin easy reach. base model
Not alltools and accessoriesneedto be in plainview allthe works great in most tables.
time. To prevent losing track of those you store behind cabi- This leavesthe plungerouter
net doors or in drawers,apply labelsfor instant recognition. availablefor freehandwork.
Cleaningisn't a chore most of us enjoy,but you'll reap great Some manufacturersoffer an
rewardsif you spend just 10 or 15 minutestidying up at the extra base, which you can mount
end of each shop session.lt lets you collect your thoughts as to the table, then simply swap the motor.
you organizeyour tools, and gives you a head start when you
returnto the shop.
ftStoay the plan before you start. Evenif you're
lJproficient at allthe operationsinvolvedin a project,read
2Cottect dust at through any plan com-
rJits source. A pletely, and take notes
dust collector removes as you read. Doingthis
most, if not all, of the helps you to translate
dust and chips, mean- someone else's plans
ing you don't have to. into the way you work.
This results in huge Recordand locate all
time savings by drasti- of the tools, lumber,
cally reducingthe time and suppl i es you' l l
you spend cleaningup. need. Study the mate-
You can create a cen- rials list (where the
tralized dust-collection sizes of all the individ-
system with ducts to ual parts are stated)
every machine, or just and jot down the com-
move a collector from mon measurements
tool to tool as needed. for quick reference
when it comes time to
set up your machines.
'flllfaXetime to fune. Don'twaituntilyoucut intoyour
preciousprojectstock to find out your tablesawblade is
misaligned.Check all your machines before you get under 7H..re vour lumber on hand
way. Also check the condition of your chisels, blades, and I when you begin. Go
bits, and sharpenany that need it. throughthe plan'smaterialslist,
or make one up for projects
you design, and add every-
thing up to determine your
lumber needs. Then, get all
of your lumbe6 plus at least
20 percent extra, at one time.
Doing this allows you to
match grain and color.
Don't think of the extra
you buy as waste. I don't
discard any decent-size
cut-offs until all the
parts of a project are cut
and assembled. This
wood is perfect for testing
setups and techniques, and
trying out finishes.Plus, having identical
stock on hand can save a project if you need to
re-createa spoiled piece or make an inconspicuouspatch.
93
 ':!-?

flCo with what you know. You needto experimentin

lJorder to learn new skills.But if you're working with a
deadline,it may not be the time to try somethingnew.Go with
techniquesyou know, such as simple biscuitjoinery instead
of makingthis the time you learnhow to hand-cutdovetails.

Have your hardware when you start. Thelast

thing you want is to cut all your project parts based on
specific hardware,only to find it unavailable.You may have lrMinimize setups on similar operations.
EWhen you begin a project, start by thicknessingall
to substituteif you can't find the exact item specified.lf so, your stock at the same time to make sure your parts match
expectto alterdimensionsaccordingly. exactly.Then determinewhich parts requiresimilarjoinery.
Tenons,for example, often share the same dimensions
| flft"n your steps before each session.Before throughouta project,even if the piecesthey'recut into are of
Ilf you head for the shop, plan what you want to accom- differentsizes.Pefformthose cuts at one time so you're not
plish.This reduceserrorsby focusingyour concentrationon constantlyredoingthe same setup.
specifictasks,and reducessetupchangesby groupingsimilar Even with carefulplanning,duplicatingsetups is inevitable
operations(moreon this later).Plus,planningeliminatestime on some projects.Make it easieron yourselfby taking notes
wasters,such as findingout one pieceisn't sandedto finalgrit and keeping your test pieces to use as templates.These
when you havewet finishon everythingelse. approachesdon't only save time, they ncreaseaccuracy.

I I Build a prototype. lf the project includesnew I ?Cut mea-

lumber to size early. Doubte-check
I t techniquesor a modifiedplan,or if you needto get a llJsurements (and whether any parts need to start out
glimpseat a new designof your own creation,prototypeit, oversize),and then precut all the parts you can. This saves
as I did with the candlelanternin issue148.You'llkeep the you from tripping
mistakes off your real project. Your cut-off bin is a great over long boards
place to find prototype stock, but if you need to buy wood, w hi l e you w ork.
try poplar.lt's inexpensiveand easy to work. While you're at it,
cut an extra of any
piece that requires
testingtool setups.
Mark each paft
w i th i ts name or
letter using chalk.
It shows well, yet
sands away easily
withoutstaining.
lf pads will sit for
a long time before
bei ng used, bi nd
them with plastic
stretchwrap, found
in about any office-
supply store. This
organizesthe parts
and inhibits wood
movement caused
by changingmois-
ture content.Q
theiudgeshavespoken',

I1{TRODUGIl{G THE

2003
*FORTHE BIRDS''
feeder
bildhouse/bitd
GI|ilTE$Wil]IERS
Readerslet their woodworking
talentssoar in a contestthat
helps our fine featheredfriends.
ew things spark a woodworker's BestOverall Birdhouse/
creativity as much as being Bird Feeder
issued a challenge. And chal- tDs,oooGrand Prize Winner
lenge we did when we askedour readers John Stygaof Elmhurst,N.Y.,wowed
to build the best birdhouses and bird the judgeswith "MotherHubbard's
feeders in America for the WOODa Boot," a2'-tall masterpieceof bird-
magazrnelChevy Silverado 2003 "For housefun and function."l'm an
artist and have illustrateda lot for
the Birds" contest. 'To me, the
children,"John says.
Sure, we expected a big response. themewas a natural."The realistic
There were, after all, $8,000 worth of boot featuresthree separate
cash and prizes on the line. But the dwellingsunderits arched,shingled
contest also offered participants a way roof.Latcheddoorshingeopenfor
to help out birds and other wildlife. cleaning.Moreimpressivedetails
How so? After the contest ended, we includethe partiallylacedfront,with
auctioned off all 27L atnazing entries the tonguehangingout to serueas a
and turned the proceeds (more than perch.The caruedbrickchimney,and
'Windows"with hand-painted curtains
$8,000) over to the National Wildlife
completethe design.
Federation's "Backyard Wildlife Habitat
Program." (Visit www.nwf.org to learn
more about the program.)
We were overwhelmed by the variety Best Original Outdoor
and creativity exhibited in the birdhouses Species-SpecificBirdhouse
and bird feederswe received.Our judges A $425 Frcud router setup
MikeJagieloof Almond,Wis.createdhis'Wren
(see the sidebar,oppositepage) praised
Castle"from recycledold-growthredwood,and
the workmanshipdisplayed." I just wish finishedit to a satinylusterusingspar urethane
we had about 50 more prizes to give over tung oil. To completethe theme,each tower
away," said Editor-in-Chief Bill Krier, is toppedby a brassflagpoleand copperflag.
as they sorted through the field. Severalwindowsfeatureventsto keep the residing
Now, in honor of the best of the best, birdscomfortable,and an openingin the bottom
we give you the winners. makescleaningthe birdhousea breeze.

96 II|OOD magazine June/July 2003

 Best Original I\rrned Outdoor
Birdhouse/Bird Feeder
Best Original A S650 14'r Delta lathe
OutdoorBirdhouse It's easy to see the beautyof the
$7OOworth of Gampbell- turnedacornhousecrafted
Hausfeld air tools by J. StanJohnsonof
The "PurpleMartinHotel," Lexington,S.C. lts spalted
made by MichaelSosebee maplebody and walnutcap
of Newton,N.C.,provides (withrealistictexturecourtesy
first-classaccommoda- of a chattertool)displayfault-
tionsfor eight martin lessquality,Eventhe stem
families.The maincase. (madefrom a r/2"bolt) is ham-
madefrom redwoodstaves, meredand coloredto look real.
is impeccably finishedwith Butwhatpushedthisentryto
high-glossenamel. thetopwasthecleverthreaded
A paintedfinialtopsthe cap that allowsfor cleaningand
cedar-shingle roof,while the vent holesunderthe cap and at
decorativebrackets the bottomto provideclimatecontrolfor
underneathgrip a 4x4 the home'sluckyresidents.
mountingpost.A removable
base allowsthe
interiordividersto be
removedfor easy cleaning.

BestBird feeder from

Existing Plans BestOutdoorBirdhouse
$3OOworth of Gorilla Glue from Existing Plans
and Lutz Tools A $330 DeWalt router fiom Woodcraft
DonaldHopkinsof Salem,Ore., DonaldBerardof MissionViejo,Calif.,worked
likeshis "PyramidCanopy" about 100 hoursto craft his award-winning
feederso muchthat he built entry.His effortand uniqueskillsappear
eightof them.'Two hang everywhere,but especiallyin the copperroof.
in my yard,"says Donald. "'l sandwichedeach coppersheet between
'The otherswent to
blocksshapedlikethe shingles,and then
grandchildren and carefullypoundedthe edgeswith a polished
friends."This one fea- ball-peenhammer.Then I gluedeachto
tures a cedar roofwith a woodenshingle,"Donaldsays.The
compound-angle-cut pan- resultsare a study in perfection.
els suspendedovera
handcraftedcoppertray.

Picking a few winners from all

the great entries wasn't easy, -L t
but our judges proved up
to the task. Editor-In-Chief b E

T
t,*
Bill Krier and Senior Design
Editor Kevin Boyle were
joined by another seasoned C
woodworker: Scott Phillips, I
the host of "The American t
Woodshop" on PBS. Joe
Wilkinson, President of the
Iowa affrliate of the National The 271 entriesfilledthis room and another
Wildlife Federation, brought ScottPhillips,and KevinBoyleare allsmilesas they posewith to overflowingwith every imaginabletype of
his insightinto what birds like. the eightwinningentriesaftera longday of judging. birdhouseand bird feeder.

www.uroodonline.com 97
 Best Originat Indoor
(decorated/painted)
Birdhouse
$gOOworth of Rust-Oleum
paint prcducts
Johnny Johnson of Lindale,
. Texas, used old cast-iron
parts left over from his
days in the fencing
business,cut nails,
Best Oriqinal Bird Feeder and even a door-knob
A $52Ot "fiammer drill from Makita perch to lend a distinc-
Russ Deiterof Omer, Mich.,incorporatedloadsof tive thematiclook to his
conveniencefeaturesinto his beautiful,functional church birdhouse.With its
"RustyBridge"bird feeder.Most notable-the easy-loadingbin accessed toweringspire and
by removingtne top of the roof. Seeds pour into both sides at once and patinaedshingles,this
'The entry has the look and
spreadbelow for accessfrom eitheroutside or within the bridge.
best featureis the copper-screenbase,which allowssnow and rain to charm of an antique
run otf withoutcausingrot," Russ says. right out of the box.

There'sno way to showyou everycre- The messageover

ative, well-craftedentry in this contest. Richard Starr of the door of this
While only eightcouldwin prizes,many Burton,Mich., charmingbird-
more thoroughlyimpressedthe judges. craftedthis whimsi- house reads
Herearejust a few: cal entry almost "homesweet
entirelyfrom scraps. home"in
The roof is glued up Japanesechar-
from piecesof floor acters.Charles
joist, the worm-holed Chaplinof
trunk was cut from a Miss.,
Waynesboro,
2x12 header,and createdit by gluingup smallpieces
the bases are from of mahogany,fir, and sPanish
cedar trim boards. cedar,and then turningthe assem-
bliesto createthe body and roof.

Three uniquely-A
styledhouses
Bill Oakleyof Rancho perch on
Jaime Fuskoof Canton,Ohio, made Santa Margarita, a "grass"
and assembled1,358woodenbricks, Calif.,threw a vari- base in this
343 stone-lookblocks,and 380 cedar ety of woodworking birdhouse
shingles,and then added 1,450 skills into the pot colony
shrubsand flowersto createhis vision to createthis stun- enteredby
of a bird'sdream cottage. ning birdhouse. Lawrence
The teapot body Jenkinsof
is a hollowturning Shellsburg,lowa.
made up of stacked He formedthe lap sidingusinga dado
rings and paintedto bladetiltedto 10o,and cut each cedar
resemblean old-styleenameledfinish. roof shingle.All three housesfeature
vents and removableroofs.
William
Fischerof
Norfolk,Va.,
madea big hit,
literally,with this
hammerbirdhouse. lt
featurestwo separate
homes.Onehasa clean-
out door.Accessto the
othercomesby releasing
a spring-loadedretainer HowardClementsof Knox,Pa.,createdthis Noah'sArk that springsto life with a
andremoving the head battery-drivenhomemadeworks that raisesand lowersthe giratfes'heads,movesthe
fromthe handle. rooftobowl up and down, and makes Noah and his wife wave. i
WOOD rnagazlne June{ulY 2003
 developyour shoP skills

dead-on
li
*
drilling
I
I
4
Get accurate, trouble-free results
from lrour drill press by following
these simple guidelines.

JJlh.
- drill press seemssimple compared to a
-*orkshop's
I other stationarymachines.But
I when it comes to setup and use, many of the
same operating principles apply: You need to align
it properly; add some basic accessories;and stick
with safe, sensibleprocedures.
To help you along, we've collected six surefire
tips and techniques to guaranteeyour drill-press
success.They're simple, quick, and require only
items that you already have in your workshop.

I Line it up at 90o
I B"ruur" *r tllt drill-press tables for angled drilling from time to time, or
becausethey may not be perfectly set at 90o when purchased, we sometimes must
reset the table for perfect right-angle boring.
To do this, get hold of a L0" piece of heavy wire like that found in a coat hanger.
Bend each end into a right angle, and chuck one end in the drill press. Set the height
of the table so that the free end of the wire contacts the surface. Turn the chuck by
hand, keeping an eye on the wire to make sure it maintains consistent contact with
the table without flexing. If so, the table sits at 90o to the chuck. If you find that one
side is lower than the other, adjust it as shown in your owner's manual.

D Call for backup

6 Wotut your bits whilJexpanding your work surface with a 3A" plywood auxil-
iary table clamped or bolted to the metal table, as shown in the photo at the top of
this page. When you need to drill several through holes, go one step further-place
a backer board on top of the auxiliary table. Use any handy scrap, such as the parti-
cleboard shown at right. The backer board prevents tear-out on the bottom of your
workpiece by supporting wood fibers around the hole, while keeping your auxiliary
table intact. Move the backer board to place solid material beneath the next hole.
j
i
I
I
I
I
100 WOOD magazlne June{ulY 2003
I
I

t. ;,-*-"
Q Setthe depth
lf After you mount the bit and adjust the table height, set the depth stop to control
the depth of the hole. On the typical depth-adjustmentassemblyshown here (your
drill pressmight have a different stop design), lower the bit alongsideyour work-
piece to the chosen depth, hold it there, turn the depth-stop nut until it contacts the
top of the bracket, and then tighten the jam nut against it.
If the depth-stoprod is calibrated, like the one shown here, you have another
choice. Lower the bit until it contactsthe workpiece, note the location on the
gauge,and then move the depth-stopnut up the desired distanceand hold it in
place by turning the jam nut againstit.

A
tt
trdda dust-relieving fence
n simple fence comes in handy when you need to drill more than one hole at
the same distance from the edge of the workpiece. Make a fence by cutting two
straight piecesof 3/c"stock to a length that matchesthe width of your auxiliary table.
Use your tablesaw to cut a r/sxvl" dust-relief channel at the edge of one piece. This
channelpreservesaccuacy by keeping sawdustand wood chips from lodging
betweenfence and workpiece. Screw the piecestogether at a right angle, as shown,
and you have a fence that's easily clampedto the table.

f, Get a grip
tf Twist bits can drift off course when drilling into irregu-
lar grain, especially small-diameterbits like the Vro"bit BIT
TWIST
shown here. Limit this tendencyby inserting the bit well into
the drill-press chuck when you mount it. Leave enough of
I t - L I
the bit exposedto bore the hole to the desired depth-and I t-
lll€r
il |
I
'lil|
make sure that it's centeredin the chuck, not trapped I E{f |
betweenjust two of the threejaws. You also can improve
your accuracyby using brad-point bits.
BRAD-POINTBIT

fi Drill a dowel end

lf One of the trickiest drill-press tasks
is boring a centeredhole into the end of a
dowel. Try this quick and neat solution.
Clamp a2x3" scrapof 3/q"wood to
your drill-press table, and bore halfway
into it with a Forstner bit that's the same
diameter as your dowel. l,eave the scrap
in place, replace the Forstner with a bit
the size of the hole you want to drill in
the dowel, and drill the rest of the way
through to make the centering guide
shown atlefi. Placethe larger hole on the
end of the dowel, and clamp the dowel onto a holding jig, such as the V-groove ver-
sion shown. Lower the bit to align it with the smaller hole. Clamp the holding jig to
your drill-press table, and carefully drill your hole, as shown above. Q

www.woodonline.corn 101
sh passed
roducts
These wares
woodworking ourshop
trials '
- tG-'%

eo555

$3ZSbandsawdelirrcrsbig-time
After testinga whole bunchof bandsaws As for power,the G0555's1-hpdual-
priced from $500 to $9ffi for a recent voltagemotor packsenoughpunchto
issueof WOODamagazine(issuelM),| resaw6"-wide red oak boardseasily.If
didn't expecttoo much out of a stationary I'd had this saw for the test a few months
sawcostingonly $375.But the GizzIy ago,it would havefinishedaboutin the
G0555isn't somestripped-down,under- middle of the pack for resawingpower.
powered,ugly machine.In fact, it's quite You canrun92-93V2"bladesfrom /s"
the opposite. to 3/q"wide on the G0555.Its 6" resaw
Standardfeaturesincludeball-bearing capacitybumpsup to 12" with the addi-
bladeguides,4" dustport, a quick-release tion of a riserblock ($SO;.Add that and
tensionerthat allowedme to change an optionalmobile basefor $70, and
bladesin about8 minutes,a miter gauge, you're still paying less-a lot less-than I
and a really good rip fence.You'd have paid for a 14" bandsawjust two yearsago
to spendhundredsof dollarsmore to find with noneof the features.Is it too late to
anotherbandsawwith this many standard get my moneyback?
accessories. -Tested by Jeff Hall
The fenceis probablythe bestI've seen
on a 14" bandsaw.It adjuststo compensate GrizzlyG055514" bandsaw
for blade drift, and featuresa magnified Performance *****?

cursorfor easyreading.And, unlike many

otherbandsaws,it lifts right off the rail
without having to partially disassemble
lndustrial
CallGrizzly al8001523-4777,
orvisit
the saw. www.grizzly.com.

Rout dadoesthat fit first time, e\rcry time

As the yearsgo by, I've noticedthat I wind up with ill-fitting joints. But with Next, spreadthe two halvesof the
keep gettingfatter while plywood keeps the AccurateGuide,you can rout perfect- AccurateGuide and insert a coupleof
gettingthinner.That meansthat routing ly fitting dadoesfor Vq-I" materialswith scrapsof shelf stockbetweenthe two
dadoesto ffi3/q" plywood (actuallyabout only half as many fencesetups(andno halves,as shownat left. Without moving
23/tz"thick) requiresa Vz"bit and two lousymath!). the fence,makethe cleanupcut. The shelf
passesfor eachdado.And if you don't Let's sayyou're buildinga bookcase scrapsindex the guidepreciselyfor a
measure,calculate,or clamp your fence with t/+"-thick plywood shelves.After dead-ondado.
correctlyfor the cleanupcut, you can installingthe AccurateGuide in your The AccurateGuide works equally well
router'sedge-guide and in the samemannerfor routing slots
mountingholes,lay for perfectly fitting sliding dovetails.If
out the shelf location you havea Makita 1100-or 1lOl-series,
and clamp on a fence or Porter-Cable100-or 690-seriesrouter
to guide the router. (exceptfor the D-handlebase),order
With the two halves modelno. P2001.The B1001modelfits
of the Accurate all Boschroutersand DeWalt's 600-series
Guide closedand routers.
held againstthe -TestedbyGarry Smith
fence,make your Accurate
Guide
first cut usinga Vz" Performance *****
straight(or downcut *****
spiral)bit. For Vz"or
thinnerstockusea CallAccurateWoodworking
Toolsat 920/589-
4010,orvisitwww,accuratewoodtools.com.
Vq"bit.

WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 Casterset puts wheels
where you want them
No matter how large or small your
shop,you'll benefitfrom
theflexibility of having
heavy stationarytools
on mobile bases.But
somemobile bases
are a pain to
assemble(can
you say "bag
of bolts"?). More important, you
can't changethe wheel locations to best
seryethe tool they'll hold.
If you own closed-basestationarytools,
there may be an answer.Jet's Clamp-on
Castorsmount individually to suchtools
so you can place them anywherearound
the base.The installation insfructions
make severalsuggestionsabout where to
best place the wheelsfor tools with differ-
ent centersof gravity, whether low (oinf
er), high (bandsaw),or off-center (cabinet
saw or shaper).
The Clamp-on Castorsinstalled easily
on both my bandsawandjointer, especial-
ly becauseI only neededto tilt those
heavy tools slightly during installation,
rather than muscle them onto a mobile
base.The casters'magneticfacesheld
them in place while I tightenedthe J-
shapedclampsthat grip the wrap-under
flange on most closed-basetools. (Oddly,
my Jet 14" bandsawlacks that flange, but
the castersheld fast anyway, althoughthe
cabinetflexed more than on my jointea
which has a flange.)
In use, the casterslocked and rolled
easily, even over broken concrete.Clamp-
on Castorsetscome in trvo configurations:
Model JMB-CTR includes two fixed and
two swivel casters;the JMB-CTM set
comeswith four swivel casters.Neither
set works with open-standtools.
-TestedbyDaveStone

JetGlamp-on
Gastors
Penormance *****
modelJlrlB€IR;
$611,
$70,modelJI|B-CTR2
Value *****

CallJetEquipment
& Toolsat800/274-6848,
or
visitwwwjettools.com.

Continued on page 104

www.woodonllne.corn 103
 shop-proven products
Spiff up your hardwoodfloor in a day
If you've ever wishedyou could put a new face on your light$
worn hardwoo{ floor, but didn't want to endurethe hassleand
expenseof sandingand recoating,here'sanotheroption: the
Renewal systemfrom Varathane.
To start the process,I scrubbedthe surfaceof my 75-year-old
oak dining-room floor with a woven-abrasivepad dipped in
Renewal's"no-sandingformula." The manufacturersaysthis liq-
uid removeswix and "chemically etches"the existing flooring.
This stepwas easyenough,but mopping up with rags pnd clean
water gave me about an hour on my handsand knees.After let-
ting the floor air dry for about half an hour, I applied Renewal's
"interloc bonding formula," in the samemanneras stepone.
After 30 minutes of scrubbing,anotherhour of mopping, and 30
minutes of drying, I applied the top coat.
Using the lambs-wool applicatorthat comeswith the product
left me with a lot of bubblesin the water-basedfinish, even after
following the manufacturer'sstir-and-1et-settle instructionsto the
letter. I endedup sandingthe entire floor with a random-orbit
sander<nly about a 20-minute chore in my l2xl2'room-and
reapplying the finish. This time, I usedmy own painter's pad,
and reducedthe number of bubblesto an acceptablelevel.
Besidesthe bubblingproblem,the larnbs-woolapplicatorisn't
very precise.Fortunately,I had maskedoff all of the basemold-
ing aroundthe room to protect it from stepsone and two, and
that savedme from slopping fresh finish on the old molding.
Eight hours later, I could walk on the floor in stocking-feet,but
we'waited 72 hours before replacing the heavy furniture or walk-
ing on it with hard-soledshoes.
Renewalisn't designedfor use on floors with stains,deep
scratches,or gougesthat go all the way through the finish: You'll
still needto sandand refinish thosefloors. But, armedwith a
painter's pad and a full
day, you can rejuvenate Varathane Renewal
your gently worn hard- Performance *****
wood floor for about
what it coststo rent a Value *****
floor sander. CallVarathane orvisit
at800/635-3286,
-TestedbyBillKrier www.varathane.com.
lf you're tired of ointments anclcreamsthat are messy,hard
to apply and, worst of all, don't get results,then you owe it
to yourself to try AcadiaSklnCare.oAcadiawill help relieve
the lrritation and embarrassment of Psorlasis,Eczema,
seborrheic Dermatitis,rough, dry skln and Danclruff.
No burning,no prescriptions,no sterolds,no alcoholand best
of all,it's easyto applv even in those hard to reachareas.
Callnow ancl put AcadiaSkin Careto work for you.
AcacliaSkin Care'sactive ingredients are FDA approved
and dermatologist recommended, so you know it's safe,
and it works. Don't suffer any longer. Acadlaskln Care is
odorless,easyto apply and very effective.

tsnt lt flme you lookedand felt your best?All lt takes ls a phon€callt

call ]uowFor Your 30-DayRisk-FreeT?ial!
f -8OO-84O-8O20 Ext. 5-6578
Menfionthis ad and receivea FREEbottle of our therapeutlcbody wash wlth
your purchase.ncflve hgredlent FDAApprovecl)

FORBOil ACflE AIID ROEACEI"

ACADIAALSOOFFERSREYOLTMOilARYT{ET PRODUCTS WOOD magazlne June/July 2003
Slash knife-changing time by 70 percent i

Nothingcutslike a new blade,but few thingsfrustratelike i ffiru$*y

snffi-$t#p sh*pplmg
changingknivesin a jointer or stationaryplaner.I've long been
a fan of Esta-USA'sDispoz-A-Bladesystemthatbringsthe fmr y$n"f;r
rsfft#r$
convenience of quick-change, self-indexingknivesto stationary
Rockler'snew web site haseverything
planersandjointers.But, unlessyour tool's cutterhead came
equippedwith jackscrews(screwsin eachbladepocketthat you
for your router needstincludingrouter
raiseor lower to adjustthe knife height),you couldn'treally take tables,bits, accessoriesand more.
advantage of the systemuntil now.
Forjackscrew-less jointersandplaners,Esta-USAnow offers
Exclusive
Posi-Setmagnets-rare-earthmagnets,custom-sized for your RouterTable
tool-that rest in the bottom of the cutterhead'sknife pocketto Package
fix the heightof the Dispoz-A-Bladebladeholder.You simply
measurethe depthsof your knife pocketsand give the measure- ffinly $$#S.##
mentsto the manufacturer. (Or, Esta-USAwill sendyou a free
measuringcardif you call.)Then,they'll sendthe right magnets. Includesr
o PorterCable 2 H.P.
Onceinstalled,the knivesdrop in at the perfectheightevery
PlungeRouterwith
time. Usingthe Dispoz-A-Bladesystemwith Posi-Sets, I Micro-HeightAdjustment
swappedthe threeknivesin our Jet 8" jointer in lessthan 10 . Table& FenceSystem
minutes-a job that previouslyrequirednearlyan hour and a . AluminumRouterPlate
few unprintableexpletives.
At about$150to equipa 6" jointerwith theDispoz-A-Blade
Legs& occessoriessold seporote. Price Expires713I 103
system,plus another$45 for the Posi-Setmagnets,the startup
costisn't for the faint of heart.Onceyou bite the bullet,though,
it costsaboutthe sameto Visitwww.Ro
uterlvlania.com
now!
replacethe double-edged Posi-Sets andDispoz-A-Blade
knivesasit wouldto Performance *****
haveconventionalknives Price Posi-Set, $7.50permagnet;
sharpened twice.But how Dispoz-A-Blade
system: $153for6" joint-
er,$180for8"jointer,
$223 for15"planer
muchis your time-and
sanity-worth?
-TestedbyChuck
Value ***iiii @Ilres
Hedlund Call800/557-8092orvisitwww.estausa.com.

Hann gou di*ant:d t|;ie

fucMHoIeAfrnnage?
Visi| I{flEETOOL.EIIM
todayto learnhow the speed,
strengthand simplicityof
pocketholejoinerycan
greatlyenhanceyour wood-
workingexperience.Our
"VirtualTradeShow"featuresa
FREE videodemonstration of our
toolsand techniquesin action!

Continuedon page 106

wwwwoodonline.com 105
shop-proven products
, _3._*_,_.*
Powermatic 544: A longer, =}+--

stronger6rriointer
As a rule of thumb,you can successful-
ly straightena boardup to twice the
lengthof yourjointer'sbed(thecom-
binedinfeedand outfeedtables).With the
Powermatic Model54A, its 66"-long
bed-the longestof any 6" jointer on the the fine control of a
markettoday-allows you to work stock handwheel.Raise or
up to I I' in length.I rarelyjoint stockthat lower the lever to set
long,but welcomethe extrasupportit pro- the rough cutting depth,
videsshorterworkpieces. then push the lever's
While bed lengthis important,it means handlein and twist it to
little if thejointer lackssufficientpower. fine-tune the depth.
That'snot a problemwith theModel 54A. In my tests,the
After edge-jointingsomestockat a Vs" Model 54A's fence
cuttingdepth,I face-jointedsome5"-wide proved both flat (with-
cherry,forgettingto resetthe cuttingdepth in .004" from end to end) and
to a morereasonable %t".The l-hp, dual- rigid, with a massivecenter trunnion. And Powermatic Model54A6" iointer
voltagemotor slowedwhenmakingthis the tilt stopsat 45o,90o.and 135'angles Performance *****
brutalcut,but didn't stall. are positive, accurate.and repeatable:I
Value ***rii^i
Speakingof cuttingdepth,the Model switched from one to the other and back
54A hasa uniquesystemthat combines with complete confidence. CallPowermatic orvisit
at800/248-0144,
the quick-and-dirtyactionof a leverwith -Tested by GanySmith www.powermatic.com.

106 WOODrnagazine June/July2003

/**
We offermani' builcl-it-;'ourselfkiLs:
buckboardbench,irish mail handcar,
wheelbarrows, halltree,sleigh,bakerscart,
garclencart,& park bench.All liits comc
re
ry irmfi[, a ntr
ffir-q;t"!

ffi
u,ith courpletehardii,'are,
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instructior-rs
and ftrll sizepiltLenrs.
Iferrrsshowlu
1901 Buckboard Wagon
i*Iuthentic Wagon g, . .. _ " .'_ i.. i + -.i : i:, r:-c .i."i_s:f
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$ 1 0 9 . 0 0L *: r l, , Br,rilcl;'our l90l r,i'agon u,ith these

'155 N tl.'PPtn'l
a u t h e n t i lco o k r n gp l a s t rrei r r g . ' nr i h c c l s . 2
ilesignet
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r'vhichareveq' sturdvand look greirt il
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of bsatfraililing.
: For over 2 decadeswe'vebeen providing
Buckboard Bench boatbuitderswith the highestquatity
Nlclrsurcs r 22 rrutlc\r rrornr,rl
{2 rlLrn*\ se.rtlreiglrr a
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Authentic reprodnction seats t\\'r) acllllts ; "furniture qual,ity'ictear-finjshed
t
comfortabll: Great frrr lnckrors or on the watercraft.Thesewooden boats continue
i
patio. to Lookgreat after severalyears of
I

Antique Wheelbarrow : extremeoutdoor exoosure.

\leasures >61lons)r 2-l(uide)x 29 lall il

: i
Eetil right.Eetthehrschure.
lcl this nostalgicAntiqueWheclbirrror,r',
Br-rr Thesametechniouescan be usedto
for useir-t1'ourbackl'arclor a drsplal'piece ;t finish many other outdoor wood projects.
Yourwoodenfurniture can be exposed
. A l l I I e r nS
's" ^hr rr .n- 'n et"dJ
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?
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C i r c l eN o . 1 1 7
 FinaIIy...fl, EOMPI'NTN
Pooket-HoleJig l{it!
These circle jigs cut no corners OURCOMPLETE
When it comesto cuttingperfectcirclesin wood,I've resortedto KITINCLUDES:
shop-made routerjigs with mixed success. (Frankly,I usually . PocketJigwithClamp
spendmoretime buildingthejig thanusingit.) That'swhy I was . 3/8"StepDrillBit
. StopCollarforDrill
intriguedwith the JasperCircleJigsthatboastaccuracythrougha .
widerangeof circlesizes. HexWrench forCollar
. SquareDriveScrews
The conceptisn't new: Replaceyour router'ssubbasewith an . Shownhere
6" SquareDriveBit
oversizedauxiliaryplateandput a pivot pin in the centerof your in our kit,are
workpiece.Mark the radiusof the circleon the auxilizuyplate, A LLTH IS allthepieces
FORONLY (withyour drill)
drill a holetherefor the pivot pin, and startcutting. thatyou'llneed
$39.95 suss.ret
Insteadof a one-offjig, though,eachJasperjighasa seriesof S E N DFOR to execute
pelect joinery.
pivot-pinholesat preciseincrementsfrom the router-bithole.For DEALERLIST
example,the Model 200jig allowedme to rout any diametercir-
cle from 2t/q-l83Ao"rn t/r6"increments. That's 256 different
sizes,andeveryhole I cut wasright on the money. USETHISPOCKETJIG KIT TO MAKE: Heavy-duty aluminum

ffiilw
Becausemanyof the Model 200'spivot holesarefor diameters extrusion withhardened
steeldrillbushings.
smallerthanthe router'sbase,all of the incrementsaremarked
Shownherein use.the
on the bottomof thejig. That makesit moredifficult to locatethe
pin for any diameter.But Bill Jasperof JasperAudio, the maker holdsthewood
of thejigs, suggests puttingthe pivot pin into thejig first, then Faceframes,
tablelegbraces,flushjoints firmlyin placefor
pluscornerandanglejoints. accurate drilling.
usingit to find the centerhole in the workpiece.
For cuttingcirculartabletops,or otherlargearcs,the Model
300jig providesthe sameaccuracyin Vq"incrementsfrom SIMP'L PRODUCTSlnc,
21 BertelAvenue,MountVernon,NY 10550
7-5234".In suchcases,you alsowill wantJasper's Model 350 Web Site:woodjigs.com E-Mail:[email protected]
pivot pin. It's a shorlpin on a thin platethat attacheswith Availablethroughmostfine woodworkingoutlets.
double-faced tape,so you needn'tdrill a hole in your workpiece.
CircleNo.2085
Model 600 (shownbelow,andthe bestvaluein the bunchat
$31)cutscirclesfrom 7-183/+" in /+" steps,andthe smaller
Model 400 providest/ta"incrementsrangingfrom l-7V2".Each
JaspcrCircleJig comespre-
drilled with countersunk
holesfor mountingvirtually
JasperCircleJigs
ffetRid
ofthe[ust!
everymajorbrandof plunge
router,so within a minuteor
300; Model
$36, 400;$31,
(allprices
Model
include
600
shipping) L$n[to20m$$tsms
so of openingthe package,I Value *****
wasreadyto makecircles. lelus youcotnilsle
design
CallJasper
Audiotoll{reeatB771229-
-TestedbyKirkHesse 7285, orvisitwww.jasperaudio.com, duslcollecliolt
syslstn.

]RII Duct
llesisn
with $50 Order

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C i r c l eN o . 2 0 3 9
shop-proven products

Meet the self-centered

pen-boring clamp
If you're a pen turner,chancesare
you've let a few choicewords slip
after blowing throughthe sideof a
pen blank while accidentallydrilling
the centerhole offcenter. The
Drilling CenterVise helpseliminate
the heartbreakof bungledblanks.
Beforeusing the vise,I first cen-
teredit underthe drill-presschuck,
and clampedit to the drill-press
table.(A largerwoodenbasewould
havemadethejob a little easier.)
Oncesecured,all I had to do was
drop in a pieceof pen-blankstock,
and turn the crank to centerand
clamp.Both jaws openor close
simultaneously,automaticallycenter-
ing the blank beneaththe bit. The money savedfrom botchedboring DrillingGenterUise
I usedthe Drilling CenterVise to hold (andfrom being able to salvagemarginal- Performance *****
varioussizeblankswhile boring 7mm and sizescrapsof exotic woodsand burls) will
lOmm holes.I evenboredholesin odd- help this accessorypay for itself in no Value *****
shapedblanks,suchas 3/qxl", all without time flat. CallPennStateIndustries or
at800/377-7297,
fail and without repositioningthe vise. -TestedbyRichBright visitwww,pennstateind.com.

108 WOODmagazine June/July2003

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 No-dust chalk line is on the level
Chalklinesdon't alwaysmark well on unevensurfacesand
sometimes requirea helperto hold the otherend,not to mention
the dustymessthey leavebehind.Strairline's LaserLine
Generator(LLG) givesyou a temporaryline, evenon roughsur-
faces,for hangingcabinetsor pictures,or layingout floor tile.
Ratherthancreatinga singledot like a laserlevel,the LLG
castsan actualline from the centerof its height,allowingit to
"look" aroundmanyobjectsin its path,suchas a window casing,
a wavein the wall, or my finger,as shownin the photobelow.
Althoughthe %"-widebeamgenerated by the LaserLine
Generatoris clearlyvisibleindoors,full daylighteasilyover-
whelmsit. I measured the width of the beam10'awayfrom the
unit, andfound it had spreadto t/t", at 30',the beamwas/+"
wide. Evenat thosedistances, the beamwasclearlydefined,and
still accurateas long as I remembered to mark in the centerof
the beam.
Spirirlevel vials mountedon the caseshowboth level and
plumb,andtheir tight markingsmakeit easyto assurea dead-
levelline. A pair of steelpinspop out the bottomof the LLG's
case to affix it to Strait-Line
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drywall. flooring,
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stud for hands- Value *****
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callAmerican
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Wetesthundredsoftoolsandaccessories,
butonlythosethatearnat leastthree
starsforpedormanceandvalue
makethefinalcutandappearinthissection,
Ourtesters
thisissueinclude:
high-school
industrial
afisandwoodworking
teachers
RichBright,JeffHall,andKirkHesse;
machinistGarrySmith;and tndosed (tr 526.39
tr 524.90 PAresidents)U Jusf
sendfieecotolog
W00Damagazine staffmembersChuckHedlund (mastercraftsman),
BillKrier Chorge:
tr Viso tr Mo$er (ord
[ord tr Amextr Distover
(editor-in-chief)
andDaveStone(featureseditor).
Allareavidwoodworkers.i Signolure
(redit(ordNo. Exp.
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 All lhe QUAIIIYol premium
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Circle No. 924 CircleNo. 1766

woodrrvords
A quick guide to must-tarqwterms
used throughout WOOD' magazine.
Auxiliary fence: A temporary(some- Gollet runout: The amountof deviation
times sacrificial)fenceattachedto a table- from center(wobble)in a routercollet,
sawrip fenceor miter gauge,or to some measuredin thousandths of an inch.
othermachinetable,to protecta cutteror
bit while providingfull workpiecesupport. Climb cut: A routing operationduring
which the routermovesin the samedirec-
tion asthe bit's rotation,ratherthan against
the rotation,as is normal.The resultis a
cleaner,but harder-to-control,cut. Always Mullion: A vertical memberof a cabinet
makelight cutswhenclimb-cutting. or door frame that forms a division
betweentwo units,suchaspanels.
FAS: An abbreviationusedin hardwood-
lumbergradingfor Firsts-and-Seconds: Rail: A horizontalmember,most typical-
the bestboardscut from a log. An FAS ly in a cabinet'sface frame or door, and
boardmeasures at least
6" wide by 8' long, running betweentwo vertical pieces.
andyields a minimum of 83 percentclear
cuttings(areasfree of knots and defects). Stile: A vertical memberof a cabinetor
Theseareasmustbe at least4"x5'or 3"x7'. door frame.

Blade runout: Runoutin circular-saw

bladesis measuredby the amountof side- .T
to-sidemovementin the bladebody. BasicYield for FA.S

110 WOOD rnagazine June{uly 2003

-a
a

rrvhatts ahead
Yourpreview on sale July22
issueofW00Domagazine
oftheSeptember

pww$emwffim
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Fastandfun{o-make theturning
describes ofthis
Enjoy!
littlebeauty.

F f,
rl

Heirloom
curiocabinet holder
Cookbook
It'sallhere:classic
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Delight chefwiththisfunctional A stylish bird's-eye
cherrybaseandsmooth-as-glass
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collectibles, Plus,its
lighting. Afterthemeal'sprepared,
kitchenaccessory. mapletopmakea woodworking wherever
statement
full-viewglassfronts/idesopenforeasyaccess. theholderfoldsupfor easystorage. piece.
youplacethisstunning

*ffwqxemm#ffiw,s,,$r.ffis
Wwsmffim* q"m
ffi ffii*m,,gm'ffi:
;#'$ffi*# Howto dealwith
woodmovement
tools William
Tune-up H.Macy:
Actor,woodturner It'sa fact:Woodexpands
foryour Visitthework- andcontracts with
woodworking shopof oneof seasonal changes in
machines Hollywood's humidity. the
Discover
Wecutthrough finestandstar keysto buildingfurni-
themyriadof of Fargo, turethatallowsforthat
choicesto letyou Pleasantville, inevitable movement.
knowwhich andJurassic
gaugesyoureally Parklll.We
needto adjust guarantee you'll
yourtablesaw,
Dadosets
learna thingor
Findoutwhichgive
mitersaw,jointer, twoabout
youthecleanest cuts
andplaner for lathe{ool
withoutemptying
top-notchresults. sharpening and
yourwallet,
bowlturning.

WOOD magazine June/July 2003